Adventure Magazine Cover — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

B84 from his companions. He failed to under- stand why they had not returned to look for him, and aided by the trader commenced to search. They had found little headless bodies in a nearby thicket, and the hunter of the Little People had returned across the ravine alone. The trader’s kindness to one of their num- ber had never been forgotten by the strange tribes, and they showed their gratitude by leaving him alone whenever they happened to meet him out hunting. Occasionally little presents of fowls and sucking-pigs were left in the night on his veranda, and though mostly eaten by night prowlers, they were much appreciated by the trader’s laborers. The trader knew, though, that the friend- ship of the Little People would not go any further for him.- Maru’s suggestion that they would aid him to fight off both Karea and Lu was of little use. He could hardly expect a small nation to go to war for his sake, just because he had done a kindness to one of their number. _ But the suggestion of the Marquesan gave the trader food for thought. A grim little smile came to his lips as ‘he began tosee a ray of light through the darkness. There was a chance, just a bare chance, that the Little People could be made use of. He hated to draw them into a war that was none of their making, but he was a lone white man in a howling savage coun- try, where he could only expect to exist by his wits and his superior white man’s reason. He spoke softly to Maru, drawing that worthy down on the veranda steps beside him, and what he said set the Marquesan grinning and chuckling deep in his throat. “diet a | ky band of some fifty natives swept through the grove and on to the trader’s house. The trader was on the porch, in a long cane-chair this time, smok- ing moodily and gazing out to sea. Far off on the horizon a black smudge of smoke lift- ed and fell, as some trading-steamer felt a cautious way to the north. She was too far off to receive signals, even if there had been time to send any. A shower of spears whined across the clearing and the attacking natives broke cover. The trader leaped up and threw his rifle to his shoulder. He had never had -it far from his hand since the visit paid by the TWENTY-FOUR hours later a Adventure messengers of Karea and Lu. He fired with astonishing rapidity and seemingly without aim. Yet hardly a shot missed its mark. Not for nothing had he lived ten years in the South Seas. Five men were down before the natives halted and dropped to earth. The fierce war cries ceased, and there com- menced a stealthy forward movement, the attackers taking advantage of every tree- stump, and every tuft of grass and coral. Another rifle began to speak. Calmly and without haste the bullets seemed to snicker around the creeping figures, ever and anon finding a billet. Up among the rafters of the house, his rifle poking through a hole in the roof, Maru was enjoying him- self immensely. In a radius of about are yards from the house, with a break only where the trade- store stood, was painted on the ground a white citcle. One hardly noticed it until raised above the ground level, so well it seemed to blend with the film of coral-sand that had drifted up from the beach. Coolly the trader reloaded his rifle and eyed the creeping band. With a little tingle he noted that the grass-tufts were quivering within the white circle, and he caught sight of a dark body as it slithered ghost-like be- tween wide apart palms. He stepped inside the house door out of sight, waited until he heard the yell that betokened the rush, and then jammed down a lever. There were three terrific explosions, al- most simultaneous. The house rocked a little and a picture on the wall of one of the back rooms fell with a crash. When the smoke had cleared not a native was to be seen, save four who lay very still on the ragged edges of three shallow craters in the soft earth. The trader chuckled, and flinging his rifle into the crook of his arm he stepped forth to see the results of his defenses. Maru joined him, grinning, a few moments later. “Dynamite is a wonderful thing,” ob- served the trader thoughtfully. ‘Especially when connected with a few batteries. I knew that old launch engine would come in handy some day.” After the Marquesan had disposed of the four bodies that lay near the house, by the simple process of dragging them farther into the grove, he set to work to replant the three exploded mines. The trader brought a gramophone out on the veranda and held a concert, with only COnniclboooks C©@