Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

1080 stepped out into the emptiness that con- fronted them. ‘“Forward!”’ he cried. ‘‘Forward, my friend! Here is an adventure which appeals to every instinct of romancein us! The un- known? What treasure may it not contain —what mysteries can it not conceal?” With the sigh of a fatalist Jovan followed. CES ceeded without speaking. The clang of Agnew’s nail-studded soles upon the stone, or the drip of tiny rivulets from the roof were the only sounds that broke the stillness. Jovan’s feet, shod with string-covered and soft-soled opanki, made little or no noise as he trod in his leader’s footsteps. And the path was not difficult. There were no pebbles and few boulders in the groove cut by the water. Its forces had been sufficiently powerful to sweep all such aside. They progressed quickly. After half an hour Agnew turned and looked at his companion. ‘‘We must have come something like a couple of kilometers!”’ he said, and there was wonder as well as satisfaction in his voice. The Albanian nodded: “And how far in a straight line did your Excellency compute the ravine to lie from the banks of the lake?” ‘‘T have taken no detailed observations; but thé tunnels that pierce the range for the road are, in all, somewhere about a thousand meters in length. The intervals about as much again. Say six kilometers between Gorac and the Jeka arm, which, after all, stretches in a decidedly western direction.”’ Jovan nodded again. ‘So ”” he began. “So, if the tunnel keeps moderately straight and presents no difficulties, we may possibly come on the closed entrance at the far side after going about twice as far as we have come.”’ ““And we have used one candle—out of six,’’ said Jovan in emotionless, matter-of- fact tones. “That fits in exactly with my proposals,”’ said Agnew gaily. ‘‘Forward! But at the same time let us walk a little faster. A candle to spare is better than one too little in any case.” ‘ Jovan sighed again and followed. Ag- new’s stride had become almost arun. And the path of the waters rose rapidly. The labored breathing of the two companions was tossed from wall to wall by the echoes; the surface, too, was more difficult. Great FOR the next few minutes they pro- Adventure ruts, asifsome Titanic chariot had passed, grooved the rock. And a mile farther ona new difficulty presented itself. The under- ground aqueduct divided into two. They came to a halt, hesitating upon their road. Agnew made a gesture of resignation. ‘‘We must each take one,” he decided. ‘“‘I to the right, you to the left. And we must hurry if we are to come to any conclusion to-day. The candles are insufficient.” Jovan looked at his leader with a curious ° expression—one which Agnew, at first, failedtoread. Then the American laughed, at first with amusement, finally with a sort of irritation. ‘‘My good Jovan!” he dep- -recated wonderingly. The Albanian shrugged his shoulders. His tanned face had grown strangely wan in the candle-light which was reflected by the . white panels of limestone. “T can not help it, signor,’’ he whispered, ' and the quiver in his usually self-confident voice thrilled Agnew with amazement. “The afreets of the earth have strange pow- ers in their own dwellings—that I learned for a surety at my mother’s knee. I can not face these shadowy perils—alone!”’ Agnew laughed again. The Albanian’s glance, no longer arrogant with self-con- fidence, searched his surroundings fearfully. He quivered as the sound of Agnew’s mirth was lost along the vault-like passage. The names of half a score of the Holy Men of Islam were breathed by his pallid lips and among them Agnew distinguished chosen Saints of the Orthodox Church. Jovan, it was to be supposed, was catholic in his be- hefs when the terrors of the unknown be- sieged his intelligence. For a moment Agnew was at aloss. Then Chance became his colleague. He slipped, jerked his elbow against a rock, and let fall the candle. It rolled upon the stone and was extinguished. : He heard Jovan’s breathing come in a horrified gasp, and chuckled as he bent and searched the darkness. His hands fell upon the object of his search almost immediately. He struck a match. The gasp on the Al- banian’s lips immediately became a sigh of profound relief. Agnew echoed the sound with a cry of surprise and satisfaction. His eyes had followed the stub of the match which he had thrown, still glowing, to the ground. The still red light disclosed something which he had not noticed before. CO EloOOOLKKS CO