Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 110: what you’re looking at

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

100 “Me go burn,” she gasped. Roper stooped quickly and picked up the spear. He held the point to the lamp, and gave a curse that was half groan. He, too, knew New Guinea ways; he, too, had sailed in Sud-Est waters. He knew a poisoned spear. Marua knew it too. The first spasm had passed, and she was quiet, very quiet. “Watu—me finish,’ she said softly. “Me bin finish close up.”’ ‘Good ? exclaimed Roper help- lessly. She began to twitch again, to twitch and tremble. Roper regarded her with despair. He knew there was nothing he could do to help her. There was nothing any one could do. Unless—he glanced at the revolver in his hand. But he could not bring himself to do that—not yet. With a visible effort Marua conquered for a moment the pain which twisted her. “Me bin finish quick,” she said calmly. ‘Me not burn; me sleep.” She lifted the bottle which contained the potent drug she had given Bruce. Un- hindering, fascinated, Roper watched her. He watched the bottle reach her lips, and slowly tilt, and the white fluid run into her mouth. All of it, every drop, she sucked in. Then her hand opened, and the bottle crashed upon the floor, and she smiled at him. She turned toward the bed, but be- fore she reached it she fell. When Roper reached her side her heart was stopped. When he was satisfied she was dead, Roper took the lamp and went outdoors. Outside the window he found his man. Stort faced the stars and there was a hole in his forehead. “Good riddance!” said Roper. He could see Stort’s track upon the ground. The man had crawled to the window on his belly, like a prowling black- fellow. He could see where Stort made his -misstep, which made noise and aroused the house. Just in front of the window was a half-buried bottle. It was one of the bot- tles Bruce had thrown out of the window the day he moved in. It was canted in freshly disturbed earth, for Stort’s foot had pressed and slipped upon it. “T always said the bottle would be the death o’ you, Stort!’”? said Roper as he fastened his hand upon the dead man’s collar. Then he plodded back to the veranda, Adventure dragging Stort behind him. He laid him out in the corner of the veranda, and cov- ered him with a blanket from his own bed. A moment later he performed the same office for Marua, but he placed her as far distant from Stort as the veranda permitted. When he was through, he went inside and raided the T-T locker for liquor. He felt the need of a drink. When he had ob- tained it, he drew up a chair beside the bed and composed himself to await the coming of day. Bruce was still sleeping, and Roper knew he would continue to sleep for many, many hours yet and really needed no watching. But Roper felt the need of company. VIII IT WAS the next afternoon when Bruce returned to consciousness. Cl He awoke clear-headed and hungry, but wofully weak. Roper leaned over him with a bowl of steaming, savory soup and packed the pillows behind him and held the bowl while he greedily gulped the contents. When he leaned back again upon a freshened bed he allowed his eyes to rove curiously about the room. She was not there. It was a blessed relief. He noticed Roper eving him narrowly. He noticed, too, that the fat man seemed careworn and fatigued. His placid round face for once was grave and lined. “You look ragged,” Bruce said. bad night with me?”’ Roper might truthfully have answered yes, and added that he had a bad morning, “Havea as well, superintending the growth of two. new mounds in the plot on the hillside. But he merely said: ‘‘Just a bit o’ sleep lost. I don’t need it asmuchas you. Now youclose your eyes and snooze away some more.”’ Bruce was willing to obey. He felt he would be asleep again in a jiffy. Still, he couldn’t help being curious. He was glad she was absent, but he wondered when she would return. ‘“‘W-where is she?” he asked the pearler. “Brewing up some fresh dose for me?”’ “No,” said Roper. “She'll be back, hanging over me, in a moment, I suppose.’”’ pursued the boy ungraciously. ‘“‘No, she’s gone,” stated Roper. “Gone!”’? echoed Bruce blankly. Then as the word sank in, animation crept into COmicloo CN Vp) CO