Adventure, June 1911 — page 83: what you’re looking at

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

Enter, the Hero comes near, say something Spanish—any- “T c-can’t think of anything but the soap, or the silk handkerchief of the French- man!” she whispered wildly. ‘Oh, Tommy, they’re coming this way!” They ran on again, Tommy pulling and urging. “Run! Run! Didn’t you ever play basket-ball? Didn’t you ever play tage? Faster!” On through the soft, murky darkness, away from the station and the lights, till the. sound of the voices grew faint and died away, and Miss Millard sank down in re- bellion. ‘‘Not—another—inch—Tommy! Oh, if I ever—breathe again!” - And now we're lost, like the Babes in the Wood,” satd Tommy. ‘“Never mind* said Diana, breathless but serene, “he’ll come for us! He’ll find us!” , - Tommy-:found breath to whistle “Rule Brittania;” and he whistled it again, an hour later, when he heard a galloping horse. _ “My word, I’m glad to find you! I’ve «been scouring the jungle!’”? The English- man had flung himself off and was holding both.Miss Millard’s hands. “You're safe? owre quite sure you’re not hurt?” Then reproachfully, to Tommy, ‘You promised me you’d look after her!”’ “Well, she——” began the boy, but a frantic cough from Diana checked him. “We were slow in getting started, and the mob cut us off from the rest. Then we beat it—-my friend, Miss Diana of the chase, and me, and 2 “You shall ride my horse,” Blythe-Mas- terson said to Miss Millard, ‘“and Jerrolds and I will walk beside you. I didn’t want to alarm the others when I saw you were not with them at the hacienda, and I told them you were safe at the hotel, so they haven’t been worrying.”’ They set off through the velvet blackness of the night, Tommy limping wearily and considerately in the rear, and Romaldo met them at the gate of Las Golondrinas. ‘“‘Sefor,” he said, ““I am your Honor’s servant who kisses your hands, and your guests are all sleeping, save only the fat sefror, who wails for his car.”’ + Diana was given a steamer chair in the fragrant -patio, and the wife of Romaldo stimmioned to attend her. She was also, it appeared, the sefor’s servant who kissed his hands, and thé chief. of-her joys was ris- 269 ing at one o'clock to prepare chocolate for beautiful and famished young ladies... After that she showed Miss Millard to her room. i AND it seemed hardly an hour after , her soft ‘‘ Buenas noches” that she =“ was saying “Buenos dias” beside the bed, with another cup of steaming chocolate. Diana hurried down to the patio, and found the “Dianthe’s” party assembled, weary-eyed and much subdued. “It seems beastly inhospitable to speed your going this way,” said their host un- happily, “but I know you'll feel more com- fortable when you’ve put a good bit of country between you and your adventures of last night. I got them to take your car ’ down to Vera Cruz on the midnight freight. Romaldo will drive you to Atoyac, where you'll catch the train. I—I’m no end sorry to hurry you.” He led the way to the gate, where the four-horse stage and three sad- dle-horses were waiting, and helped the women in. Diana, dazed and wondering, leaned down to speak to him. ‘“‘You—you are coming with us?”’ “Unfortunately, no. I—er—TI have things to-look after here—things to be at- tended to at once. It’s beastly luck, but I can’t possibly leave the ranch this morning. Romaldo, one moment!” Miss Millard, watching in utter bewilder- ment, saw him slip a folded paper into the Mexican’s hand and whisper to him earn- estly. Then Romaldo leaped to the driver’s seat, cracked his long whip, and they were off in a cloud of golden dust. Young Tommy’s hand found hers under the robe as he ran his horse close beside when they slowed down for a turn. “I don’t know how,’ he whispered, “but Hermie did it! He was with him half an hour, before the rest came down, and— you saw Blythe-Masterson’s face! Shall I slay Hermie at once or reserve him for -torture?”’ She pulled her thick veil down over her face and leaned back in the corner of the seat in silence, careless of the close-clipped smiles of the Levering girls and the hard: fun in Chase’s eyes. Five little days, then, was to be the sum of it all! The “‘Dianthe”’ was waiting; Herman, Jr., was waiting; life, as she had known it, was waiting. A brisk, fresh wind had swept through the COmiclbooks (C@