Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

1088 “Offspring of dirt! You were bought to work this shame upon me!” He struck out at him wildly. Gugi burst into an inarticulate blubber of protest, and Katrine, whose glance had traveled swiftly on toward the boy, felt sympathy for him. For here, too, was an astonishment which could not have been feigned. It was too undisguised, too trans- parent, to deceive. No—Gugi was not the culprit. And then Lucia’s voice joined the chorus of protest. ‘It is an outrage—this!” she cried. ‘‘What have we to prove that you have not placed these things there your- selves? We shall immediately report you to your master!” Katrine experienced a thrill of something like suspicion. The girl’s gestures were stagey, her voice artificial, her pose utterly unconvincing. Why? Katrine confessed herself at a loss. With a businesslike air the corporal mo- tioned her to leave the bows. He himself took up his position there and flung the painter over the gunwale into the hands of one of his men. He settled himself down, his cocked revolver in very close vicinity to Uiko’s head. ‘Till these arrangements were completed to his satisfaction he offered no answer tothe questions and invectives which the fisherman rained at him. “T shall bear your report to my master with much interest, Gospodinya. For the moment I am taking you both to explain to him why I find you accompanying a notori- ous smuggler in his attempt to introduce cartridges from over the Montenegrin bor- der. The penalty for this act—for princi- pals and accessories—is death!” He leaned back against the gunwale with a satisfied air. He commanded his under- lings to row. As the six oars took the water the boats shot forward, one in the. other’s wake. Thecorporal smiled appreciatively. He leaned forward and tweaked Uiko’s ear again. “Death,” he reminded him gaily. “My courtier, my flower of breeding—death!”’ CHAPTER XXVI ESULI’S HAND CLOSES EE Zaptichs’ boat and its convoy reached the landing-place rapidly. It was a secluded and reed-girt spot and Katrine, as they approached it, became Adventure aware that what she had taken for a boat- house included a kiosk, thatched, open toward the full expanse of the lake and: furnished with chairs and a couple of little tables. A figure sat at ease in one of these, reach- ing lazily for a pair of binoculars as the boat drew near. The figure rose and came forward to the edge of the little terrace that commanded the landing-place and the forest of reeds below. ‘They recognized Esuli, leaning his elbows upon the parapet and staring down at them with unconcealed astonishment. He gave a sudden exclamation, left his post, and hurried toward a flight of steps which gave directly upon the landing-place. As he appeared the corporal stood up and saluted. There was a faint splash among the reeds which were rustling below the gunwale. It was followed by a shout of warning from the Bey, a muttered encomium from Uiko, while the place occupied a moment before by Gugi was empty. The boy had leaped as an otter leaps, almost as silently, and now, swimming and diving as an otter swims and dives, he was lost in the wilderness of green that covered the shallow acres of the fore- shore. The corporal, carried away by sudden excitement, would have sprung into the water. His master thundered a command to remain where he was and guard at least one of his prisoners. But the remaining Zapti- ehs were on land and racing along the bank of rushes before Esuli had time to reach the tiny wharf. They ran, they shouted, they. splashed into the mud-banks, but, for the moment, without success. Gugi remained unseen. The Bey, regaining his self-possession after the first instant of exasperation, ad- dressed them with ominous calm. They were to guard the shore. Without their prisoner they were not to move so much as an inch. The boy was in the patch of rushes. Sooner or later he would emerge or drown. His body, animate or inanimate, must accompany the six guardians before they enjoyed the privileges of food or sleep. And then he turned with elaborate cour- tesy to greet the new arrivals. “Signorina!”’ he said, with an air which implied a delighted amazement. “Sig- norina, Fate is smiling upon me incredibly to-day.” CO MICLOOOKS (©