Adventure Magazine Cover — page 141: what you’re looking at

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

The She turned as if she sought something. “Vilip!” she cried. “‘See what we can do in the way of refreshments!”’ - But Vilip had vanished. From the foot- plate of a construction engine which stood a few yards away a stoker heard the call but did not respond to it. He was indus- triously engaged in building up briquettes of coal-dust on the tender and seemed to have accumulated more grime on his clothes and features than the nature of even this employment merited. From the corner of his eye he watched the party file slowly across the mud piazza. As they disap- peared in the shadow of the veranda he desisted from his toil. JOVAN VACO strolled toward him, grinning. “Why?” he asked lacon- ically, eying the portentous stains on the valet’s clothing. ‘‘ Abdul, the engine-driver, is my friend,”’ Vilip answered. ‘“‘T see that you have reasons for hur- riedly disguising yourself,’ said the Alba- nian bluntly. “Be thankful that Gessi’s attention was elsewhere. ‘These things are not usually done under fis nose!”’ “T had choice of two evils,” said Vilip quietly. “I chose the lesser. Gessi may suspect me—possibly does so already. But he does not know me, my good Jovan.” ‘And Esuli Bey?”’ ‘“Was two years in the Paris Embassy as my co-secretary,” said Vilip. “I had no wish to revive old memories.”’ The Albanian shrugged his shoulders. “But you wish to see—more of him?” he hazarded, and the new-made stoker nodded affirmatively. Jovan raised his voice: roared resoundingly. From one of the huts a coal-grimed figure shambled hurriedly and got upon the foot- plate. His teeth shone white amid the grime as he inspected his newly appointed underling. He turned with a chuckle to his lever. ‘‘Stoke, son of unspeakable dirt!’ he commanded, as he opened the whistle and began to back slowly down upon a row of waiting trucks. “Stoke, oh, witless and defiled one! Understand, too, that there is due to me a commission of two and a half piasters per day for having al- lowed this appointment. This is the invari- able custom—on the ‘Endless Road’!”’ He chuckled again loudly, as Vilip rose sharply “Abdul!” he Road 897 from his pile of briquettes and confronted him alertly. ‘“‘Do not stare at your superiors, child of dishonor!’”’ commanded Abdul loudly. ““Stoke! And see that there be no ob- stacles on the road. These be the duties of a tried assistant!” With a shrug and a smile Vilip did as he was told. The engine fussed and rattled between the embankment and the cutting. Trucks were tipped, returned empty, filled, and tipped again. Vilip obeyed his supe- rior’s direction with stolid promptness, and the engine-driver assumed lordly airs of mastership. The stoker, however, amid the complications of coupling and un- coupling trucks, managed to keep an eye on the veranda in the square. # IT WAS Esuli Bey who appeared CF first of the visitors—Esuli escorting Miss Gresham. Agnew walked slowly behind them, his head held high with a certain air of sardonic contempt. And then Vilip, as he watched, gave a little sigh of content. The door of Gessi’s hut opened and Lucia passed out into the sunlit square. She stepped with a sort of regal indolence toward Agnew and stayed, facing him. It was Vilip now who assumed airs of command and Abdul who obeyed. “For- ward!” said the stoker in a tone that did not invite comment. ‘Advance to the far end of the embankment!” Abdul, with a cheerful grin, clanged forward at a foot’s- pace. Vilip, carrying his disconnecting pole, preceded the engine. He eyed the Turk narrowly. Esuli’s at- tention, it was obvious, was no longer given entirely to Katrine. He was staring fur- tively over her shoulder at Agnew’s com- panion. And she? Her eyes were focussed on Agnew and on him alone. Vilip saw the Turk halt at Agnew’s side; he saw Katrine’s sudden recognition and greeting of Lucia; he saw the gesture by which Esuli asked for an introduction and the obsequious bow with which he received it. He saw, also, the impatience with which Lucia turned back from this new admirer toward Agnew. “Will dog eat dog?” soliloquized Vilip as he thrust with his pole at a coupling. “In Allah’s time we shall see.”’ At the sound of approaching voices he looked around. It was Gresham who had COmiclbook ©