Adventure Magazine Cover — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

894 down the fiord. A week ago—and during those five unnerving minutes of the land- slide yesterday—it would have gone up.” The Italian moved his hand with a little deferential flourish. “In whatever your Excellency undertakes your success 1s limitless,” he flattered. ‘‘And in nothing has it been more absolute than in your recently acquired capabilities as hydraulic engineer.”’ He laughed softly, purringly, over the conclusion of his sentence. He was pleased, it was obvious, to jest. The Turk shrugged his shoulders. ‘Now that is where I find your own great powers at fault,’ he deprecated. ‘‘ You overesti- mate my capabilities and, I fear, my in- fluence. That is a mistake.” Sarrasco’s gesture implied dissent. ‘My friends and I can not help thinking that you may make them as wide as you desire, Excellency,” he suggested. ‘At the mo- ment the Governorship of the Jeka seems to us spacious in possibilities.” ‘““As a geologist and hydraulic expert I discover new talents in myself which a few days back I entirely failed to recognize,”’ grinned Esuli. “But it was you who probed, and found employment for them. The credit is yours and yours only.” “Your inventiveness, supplemented by my technical knowledge, may carry us to greater heights—literally,” -assented Sar- rasco. “‘It depends upon these good Amer- icans at the other end of the lake. We may have to interfere with Nature’s scheme from other elevations. For the moment I submit that we have done enough. The Signor Proprietor—whose name I _ un- fortunately find myself still unable to pro- nounce—has had a week to survey his difficulties. May we not hope to find him in a chastened mood? Recollect that the proposal we have to—hint at—is to him, not an entirely novel one.” ‘“‘T understood that he found time to propel violently from his New York office the person of your representative in that great city,’ agreed Esuli blandly. ‘The suggestions made to him on that occasion resembled, did they not, those you purpose making to him to-day?” The Italian smiled. ‘‘He was a Germa —that one,” he allowed, with a deprecating little wag of the head. “He was, I fear, crude. He bluntly told the eminent Signor Gressim—do I approach anywhere near the right inflectionP—that the Campania Adventure Daregno were willing to relieve him of all responsibilities and liabilities in connection with the Bir Railway for a sum represent- ing five per cent. less than the up-to-date cost of the works accomplished—say five million dollars. Merely that, and no more. Such a display of tactlessness! One de- plores it!” ‘But, at the same time, we hope to re- peat the offer—or its equivalent—no later than the hour of sunset on this particularly pleasant afternoon?”’ Sarrasco made a vaguely assenting ges- ture. ‘‘The offer, but not, dearest friend, the indiscretion. And please let us recol- lect that this energetic and unpronounce- able cavalier has received further proofs that our proposal is one for which to thank the Good God. These little matters of the ravine and the lake will entail an expendi- ture not far below another twenty per cent. of his original tender. And this time my company’s project will have the independ- ent and locally authoritative support of no less a person than the Governor of the dis- trict. I presume to believe that, as an American undertaking, the Bir Railway will cease to exist—within a month.” THE Bey made a little sound which seemed to interpret affability but, at the same time, doubt. His eyes wandered across the green expanse of the beech grove to search slowly the unrippled azures of the lake. For a matter of half a minute he remained silent. “T think you and your Company—you must pardon the bluntness of the sugges- tion—have neglected one or two important factors in this case,’ he argued. ‘You pit yourselves against the Signor Gresham and him only. He is merely the focus of the various influences which are determined that this line shall be built. To begin with —there is my own country—Turkey.”’ The Italian made an exceedingly startled movement. ‘Turkey!’ he cried, and the softness in his voice was entirely muffled by the surprise. ‘“‘Turkey? Turkey—in these matters—means his Majesty the Sultan. And he—you will in your turn pardon my show of bluntness—is in—our pocket.” Esuli nodded calmly. ‘‘Precisely,” he agreed. ‘“‘But his Majesty—whom Allah preserve!—is not the preponderant person, I grieve to say, that the traditions of our C© MICLMOOOKS ©