Adventure Magazine Cover — page 32: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

26 English. We'll say then that I’m Major Grim, disguised. Let’s see now: What would he do in the circumstances? Here’s Yussuf Dakmar, wanted for murder in the city and known to be plotting a massacre, seen climb- ing a wall when the sentry’s back was turned, and caught in conference with Mr. Charkian, confidential clerk to the Adminis- tration. I’m sorry I didn’t hear all that was said at your conference, for that might have made it easier to guess what Major Grim would do.” : “Don’t play with us like a cat playing with a mouse!” snarled somebody. ‘‘Tell us what you want. If you were Major Grim you’d have handed us over to those officers who passed just now. You’re just as much irregular as we are. Hurry up and make your bargain, or the guard may come and arrest us all!” “Yes, hurry up!” complained the other man. “TI don’t want to be caught here; and as for those papers you have taken, if we are caught I shall say you stole them from the office—you and Yussuf Dakmar, and that I followed you to recover them, and you both attacked me!”’ “Very well,” said Grim’s voice pleasantly. “T’ll let you go. I think you’re dangerous. You’d better be quick, because I think I hear the guard coming!” “Give me back the papers then!” “Aha! Will you wait and discuss them with the guard, or go at once?” The Armenian clerk didn’t answer, but got up and slunk away. ““Why did you let that fool go?” demand- ed Yussuf Dakmar. ‘Now he will awaken some officer and start hue and cry with a story that we robbed him. Listen! There comes the guard! We had better both run!” ““Not so fast!’ Grim answered. And then he raised his voice perceptibly, as if he wished to be overheard: “TI think those men who passed just now were not officers at all. Perhaps they were strangers. It may be that one of them is con- fused, and is leading the guard in the wrong direction!” “Don’t make so much noise then!” re- torted Yussuf Dakmar. Jeremy, who thinks habitually about ten times as fast as I do, slipped away at once into the shadows to find Narayan Singh and decoy the guard elsewhere. I didn’t envy him the job, for Sikhs use cold steel first and argue afterward when on the qui Adventure pive in the dark. However, he accomplished his purpose. Narayan Singh saved his life, and the guard arrested him on general prin- ciples. You could hear. both Jeremy and Narayan Singh using Grim’s name freely. Yussuf Dakmar wasn’t deaf. He gave tongue: 3 “There! Did you hear that? They are speaking of Major Grim. You are a fool if you wait here any longer. That fellow Grim is a devil, I tell you. If he finds us we are both lost!” ‘“‘We have to be found first,” Grim an- swered,.and you could almost hear him smile. 7 “Quick then! What do you want?” snapped Yussuf Dakmar. Grim’s answer was the real surprize of the evening. It bewildered me as much as it astonished Yussuf Dakmar. “YT want that letter that came from the Emir Feisul!”’ “T haven’t got it! I swear I haven’t!” “T know that already, for I searched you. Where is it?” “Ask Allah! It was stolen by a Sikh, who delivered it to some one in a house near the military hospital, who in turn gave it to an Arab, who brought it here. I hoped that fellow Charkian might steal it back again, but you have spoiled everything. Charkian will turn against me now to save himself. What do you want with the letter?” ‘“‘T must have it!’ Grim answered. French agent——” ““What—Sidi Said? You know him?” “Surely. He would pay me a thousand pounds for it.” . “May Allah change his face! He only offered me five hundred!” “You have seen him already, then?” “The Grim asked. “I don’t believe you! When — did you see him?” “On the way up here. He stopped my cab to speak to me at the foot of the hill.” I began to see the drift of Grim’s purpose. He had established the fact that the French secret agent was already on the track of the letter, and that in turn explained why he had not seized Yussuf Dakmar and put him in jail. It was better to use the man, as the sequel proved. And Yussuf Dakmar walked straight into Grim’s trap. “What is your name?” he demanded. “Call me Omar,” said Grim. “A Turk, are you? Well, Omar, let us help each other to get that letter. and divide COMIC OOO Cc SS C@