Adventure Magazine Cover — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

76 when I looked down and saw rhe was gone. I was quite startled, and I assure you, sewor, it requires no small thing to startle Dom Pedro Balthasar Nunes.” The promoter slipped these keepsakes of the dead man into his pockets with some vague idea of forwarding them to Mollie Birdsong. ‘There was something pathetic in the worn little Testament which Birdsong had toiled to bring to Motobatl. ‘And do you know, sefor, I’ve wondered what could have whisked a man away like that when he was stuck so tight; and think, there was absolutely nowhere for him to go—and he went so quick—I’m a hard man to puzzle, sevor, but this puzzles me——” Lassiter came out buttoning the flaps of his pockets. The muleteer looked up curiously. “It’s a Bible and a package of letters.”’ The muleteer nodded. “The reason I took everything, Sefior Birdsong had,” reexplained Nunes apologet- ically, ‘is because I need it and you don’t, Senior Lassiter. As a rule I act generously, but now I can not. In the war you played the wise part—a friend to both sides, but I made enemies—of both sides—” he shrug- ged lightly— “quite declassé.” ‘What are you going to do?” asked Las- siter curiously. The Colombian began reassembling the firearm with the expertness of much practise. “T will try to get what I want, sevor,” he glanced at Lassiter with a smile that lifted his glossy mustache and showed his thick red lips. He arose, drew some greasy cartridges from his greasy pockets and clicked them into the automatic. “Nunes,” said Lassiter gloomily, “you are going to get yourself thrown into the net after all.” The muleteer laughed aloud. ‘““My dear camarado, to hear us talk any one would think I was the bridegroom and you the unhappy suitor. I swear you haven’t the face of a man. who will act as novio to the sweetest girl in Motobatl to- night.” “T’m not.” “Not what?” “Not going to marry Tilita tonight.” Balthasar paused in addressing his pistol. “You are not going to marry Tilita to- night?” “No.” ‘“You— are - not - going - to- marry- Tilita- Adventure tonight?” he spaced his words with blank incredulity. The New Yorker made a gesture. “Why 2 The promoter stood looking at his mule- ter: “Well, Vil tell you— You're the only man I can tell since he’s gone. It’s this— this sun-worship stuff— It’s merely a system of infanticide. Why, Nunes, this place is simply a huge baby farm— It’s hellish, it’s diabolical— It’s—” He broke off with a shudder and stood staring. The Colombian was nodding a courteous, “Sz, sevor,”’ at each of these denunciations. Now at the interruption he waited a mo- ment and finally prompted amiably. “But you haven’t said why you weren’t going to marry, sefor?” Lassiter looked at him, came to ee “Whate?”’ “Why aren’t vou going to marry?” “Good , do you think I could marry in such a hole as this?” The mule driver stared blankly, but pres- ently ejaculated— “Oh—no—no—certainly not “You wouldn’t, would you?” “Tf—if somebody else—er—killed the babies?” “Somebody else——”’ ‘“‘The priests, didn’t you say?” The two men stood staring at each other, both completely at sea. The Colombian finally said— “Anyway, you are not going to marry Tilita tonight?” ‘“‘No, I am going to the temple.” Nunes nodded solemnly. ‘““We are much alike, Sefior Lassiter, that is what I would do.” He pondered a mo- ment; then for some reason drew out his pistol again and carefully removed the cart- ridges from the chamber, one by one. He placed the automatic in one pocket, the cartridges in another, touched his sombrero and moved off toward the baobab. Before he was out of sight, he broke into his airy whistling again and did a little skip-step, like a boy impatient for some sport. 99 fa ee WHILE Lassiter talked to Nunes } @ e@ he had decided to become a priest ~~ Of the Sun. Something within the man had determined upon cloistration in the ¢eocalla. What it was that determined, when it had determined, the promoter did MICLOOOK (©