Adventure Magazine Cover, December 10, 1922 — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

Benefit of Doubt. the ashes of a first class railway carriage. Gave ’em full military honors—loaded salute. They’d earned it. Charley was a first class man. He’d actually thrown up earthworks with the railway carriage on one wing and the station building on the other— telegraph wire entanglement—iron off the station roof to keep the gravel and sand heaped up—no end good! Must have moppled ’em too—made ’em so sore they left the wire and stuff behind ’em—prob- ably hadn’t enough men left to drag it away.” “What was the rumor about Wilms- hurst and his wife?”’ asked Ommony. “They were in a train that didn’t get through. I’m supposed to be sniffing for kubber* of them. Morning I left there was a note supposed to be from him saying he was a prisoner, missus along with him, and both safe. But nobody could swear to his signature and it was suspected to be a forgery.” “What good would the forgery do the Moplahs?” demanded Ommony. “Dunno. Everybody’s mad—Moplahs maddest of all, ’xcept of course the D. A. A. G. acting everything. He’s no _ longer human. Theory was that Moplahs might be tempting us into a trap. Letter was dated from Podanaram or some such place. Never heard of it. Know where it is?” Ommony nodded and led him in to break- fast, leaving the men to wolf food on the veranda. “How did you come to be here?” Linkin- year demanded between mouthfuls. “Why aren’t you killed or circumcised? Are you a Moplah chief—wizard—mad mullah— what’s the secret? You'll come away with me, of course.” Ommony laughed and waved {the sug- gestion aside. “Pye news of Wilmshurst and his wile. One of my junglis brought word last night of two white prisoners locked up in the temple at Podanaram.” “Man and wife?” “Male and female made he them,” said Ommony. “Any description?” asked Linkinyear, pulling out his memorandum book. ‘‘Let’s see—warts—age fifty-two——” “No description, but who else could it be?” “All right,” said Linkinyear, “that’s 47 my next objective then. Which would you rather do, stay here or come with us? T’ll have to borrow some sort of guide from you. Perhaps you know the way? You might be safer on the march with us.” For his own amusement Ommony men- tioned the denseness of the jungle, de- scribing it as pretty much one huge ambush. Then he described Podanaram and guessed at the number of troops that would be needed to assault the place. It all went by Linkinyear like so much weather. “So you know the way. Tf Charley Sutherland had had my luck he’d have snaffled promotion out of this instead of making room. You know, these high court Kadis have influence—Kadis’ miss- uses even more so—what? You get me? Rescue a Kadi and his beldame out of dur- ance vile and the tide in the affairs of— what’s your name again?—Ommony and Linkinyear starts rismg forthwith. Prin- cesses in enchanted castles are possibly all right, but for practise give John Linkin- year, yours truly, one fat Kadi and his wife in one tight fix. Return tickets, please, for Podanaram— But perhaps you can’t march?” Ommony thought he could march, but sensed a predicament unseen by the pro- ponent of direct action. “Some of the Moplah chiefs are my friends,” he said. “Suppose I try to get word to them.” “Get word? Why? They’ll know our game then. No. Let’s steal a march on ’em. Nothing like unexpectedness—wins every time! We won’t hurt your friends as long as they behave.” Ommony laughed again. “They won’t hurt me as long as J be- have,” he answered. “There’s a truce that covers me, my house, property and sér- vants. Any one may come or go unmolested from here to the station. I can go unarmed anywhere, but they would consider I had broken the truce if led a raid on Podana- ram.” “T thought you were some kind of wizard when you turned on eggs and bacon. All right, you stay here and I'll take another guide. If Podanaram contains Wilmshurst and his wife I’m off there to acquire merit. I see an extra star for this on the shoulder of John Linkinyear.” “T see you and your men face upward looking at the crows!” answered Ommony. Eomicbooks The luck holds! - (E(0)