Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

gO eyes? It seemed to Bruce that the strength and fury of a typhoon entered his body and he had no other object in life than to kill Stort. He staggered to his feet and fell upon Stort with his fists. His onslaught was so sudden Stort was taken unawares; and in any event his wasted frame was no match against the youth’s stout body. Bruce’s initial unaimed blow sent him reeling a dozen feet, to be saved from falling by striking against a tree. An instant later Bruce had Stort’s neck between his handsand was squeezing and shaking in excess of fury. Stort cried .out while he had breath left. He said: ‘‘She’s mine! She’s mine And Bruce took up the refrain and chanted: ‘She’s mine! Mine! Mine!” When Stort was limp and no longer strug- gled, Bruce cast him away, and he fell upon the ground and was still. Bruce thought he had killed him, and was glad. He found Marua at his elbow; she too was glad, radi- ant, and her eyes were no longer question- ing. They were trustful and submissive. There was in them, too, the light of proud Possession. But Bruce had the sense of great loss. He stared wonderingly at his empty hands and into the girl’s transfigured face, but his hot, smarting eyes did not find what they sought. Mazie was gone, quite gone. ‘Where is she?” he demanded. ‘Where, where?” Smiling, Marua answered softly— ‘““Marua your Mary now.” She spat in the direction of Stort’s pros- trate form. ‘““Marua sit down alonga T-T house,” she added. Then she abased herself. She dropped to her knees and rubbed her forehead upon one of Bruce’s shoes. But to the latter, at that moment, the act had no significance, for’ his mind was wandering afar from the girl. His eyes had fallen upon the black book, which lay upon the ground some distance away; and Mazie was in that book. He broke away from the brown girl and went lurching across the - glade; and when he picked up the book and hugged it to his breast, a great content- ment filled him. Marua followed him and laid a detaining hand upon his arm. 1? him. Adventure “You plenty sick, my word!” she told “You walk about one fella, plenty quick finish; you walk about with Marua, plenty quick make home!” Bruce was too blissful to listen or try to comprehend. But one word of Marua’s speech stuck in his mind; the word “home.” He decided instantly he must carry Mazie’s book home. But not in Marua’s company; she might filch it from him. He roughly shook off the girl’s hand and plunged alone into the jungle path. IV lay “YOU’VE been blurry bad, lad; c my oath, you ’ave!”’ said Roper. Bruce smiled up from his pillow, but his smile was a question and a puzzled frown contracted his eyebrows. ‘“‘What—what happened?” he inquired; and he was astonished at the thinness of his voice. ‘Fever,’ said Roper. ‘‘You’ve been balmy for a week with as proper a case 0’ backwater as I’ve ever clapped eyes upon between ‘ere and Woodlark. I says to my- self it would give you best sure, and was all prepared to plant you up on the hill; and so I would have planted you, if it ’adn’t been for your Mary. My word, that girl is a proper jewel! ’Twas she as pulled you through, lad.” “But—I don’t understand,” complained Bruce. “(Maybe you don’t,” conceded the pearler. “‘And maybe you ’ad better not try to under- stand any more today. Because you’re a pretty sick man yet, m’lad; for while you’re not being out of your ’ead shows that the worst is past, the red color o’ your ears, this very minute, shows you still got the bugs in your system and you mustn’t excite your- self. Now you just close your eyes for a nap, and when you open them again the Mary will be here with a bit o’ broth for you. She’s over to Charley’s place now, getting it ready. She said as ’ow you’d wake up sensible today; though how she could tell is more than I know. But these nigs understand the fever in a way we don't.” But Bruce would not be put off. He did not feel sleepy, and there were things he desired to know. His presence in bed and his surprizing bodily weakness he could easily comprehend, once he had the clue of COmiclboo CN Wp) CO