Adventure, August 1917 — page 139: what you’re looking at

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

Rotorua Rex ‘“What’s wrong?” panted Loudon, as he broke through the ring. “Have they gone crazy?” “A pack of fools and children,” snorted the widow. “Afraid of a lot of Jack-o’-lan- terns. Pah! Rotorua, I am ashamed of you.” : The king’s teeth were chattering. His bulk was jellied with fear. “They are ghost-lights,” he answered. ‘“‘Laudoni, I was afraid for you to go along burial caves. Look, the aitus are angry, they have come for their spears.”’ The kanakas moaned in unison. Loudon looked toward the pool. It was fringed with tall rushes and, over these, across the water, skimming the surface, lifting and dipping, were pale globular lights of the hue of burning alcohol, corposants formed from the marsh gas, a sight easily imagined to be of ghostly origin by less superstitious minds than the credulous slanders. ‘“Will-o’-the-wisps,” said Loudon, grop- ing for some quick turn to change the situation that had taken all the bravery out of the men who, but a minute before, had been so vaingloriously certain of their prowess. “They are aitus,’’ muttered the king. “Aitus perhaps, but not come to harm you. They have come to tell you that you have their good-will, not their hatred, king. See—I was the one who took the weapons. I am not afraid of them. They will not hurt me, king, for I have done no wrong to seek their help. If they are angry, then I will be the one they seek.” He strode down to the pool while the islanders watched breathless, expecting to see him stricken down, destroyed, carried off by the revengeful ghosts. The will-o’-the-wisps were gliding among the rushes, clinging with a swaying motion to whatever arrested their purposeless flight. As Louden neared them he could see that they were centered with lambent flame. The disturbance of his wading caused them to float away from his neigh- borhood and he stood stock still to let the light breeze waft one in his direction, hold- ing out his arms and keeping them motion- less. An ignis fatuus came bobbingly toward him, knee-high, and hung for a mo- ment on the fabric of his trousers. Another mounted waywardly and trembled at his very fingertips. 137 There was a gasp of awe, then a sudden shout. The kneeling men still prostrated themselves but it was no longer in fear. It was in awe and admiration for the white man. A cry of “The White Wizard!” went up with ‘“‘Eyahs!”’ of wonder. He stayed there for a few seconds and then came out of the rushes. They drew back before him and made a lane through which he walked up to the king. He had saved the situation. “Eyah!” said Rotorua. ‘Did I not say you were a brave man and an ari. Truly you are a dindalo greater than Toruki.” He changed to the island tongue and made a speech to his men, now augmented by the runaway group who had come timorously back from the notch with Serena. The old improviser took up his chant again but this time it was in honor of Loudon: This is a song to Laudoni, Laudoni, the wizard of wizards! Lo, he has conquered the dead, As we shall conquer: the living. Aitus come at his call, he summons the souls from the caverns. They shine on his brow like stars, they bow and acknowledge him master, Long shall the tale be told of the white man, our brother, the wizard: Told when the stars are out and the children whim- per and listen. : How Rotorua the king—— It went on interminably, to Loudon’s em- barrassment, fancying that the girl was laughing at him. At last it ended amid a salvo of ‘‘Eyahsl’’ and he went back to re- lieve Bristol. Serena went with him. ‘““You have been immortalized,’’ she said. *‘A thousand years from now the beaches will know of Laudoni, friend of ghosts.” “I didn’t do half what you and your aunt pulled off,” he replied. ‘‘You were both wonderful. If it hadn’t been for your jumping in, the whole lot would have scat- tered. It was a scarey-looking performance to them, I suppose, coming on top of my robbing the caves.” You are to be congratulated on your quick wit, Mr. Loudon. You were really very impressive, standing there in the rushes with one jack-o’-lantern at your knee and another hanging on to your fingers. Did you know that one floated up and lit on your cap, like a halo?” He felt that she was laughing at him. “T must have looked like a half illumi- nated Christmas tree,” he said. ‘Now, COomicdooks.com