Adventure Magazine Cover — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

148 © “A man gets to be resourceful when he spends most of his time in the interior of Somaliland.” “Oh!” said the American with sudden interest. ‘‘You know Somaliland?” “To the regret of the Somalis,” said Cohusac. “‘What is happening at Abu Khalil’s, Sevier?”’ ‘““You’ve got me,” said Sevier, looking in- to his glass. ‘I don’t show enough interest in my neighbors, I’m afraid. I haven’t got the community spirit.” Hickson experienced a flicker of appre- hension at the American’s air of complete indifference, having fresh in his mind the picture of the American in silhouette dart- ing abruptly into concealment at their ap- proach. What discovery did he fear? “Speaking of neighbors,” said Cohusac sweetly from the long chair upon which he had stretched himself, ‘and of our friend Abu Khalil in particular, did you see Miriam today? The ravishing Persian peri? The jewel in the lotus? The warm Kash- miri raindrop turned into a pearl?” “You see, he is in form!”’ observed the | American with a short laugh; but he flushed, nevertheless, and his dark eyes glowed for an instant with anger. ought to accompany your questions on a guitar, Cohusac.”’ | “But have you seen her?” insisted Cohusac. : “Look for yourself!’ said Sevier irritably. “Come,” said Cohusac, rising awk- wardly to his feet and taking Hickson’s elbow. “If we are lucky you will see the most beautiful woman outside of France!’’ The three, with their glasses in their hands, made their way to the spot from which Sevier had been looking down at Abu Khalil’s guests when Hickson first saw him. The scene was exactly the same. Sevier would have added nothing at all to his previous impressions if Hickson had not ejaculated— ‘“‘There are Somalis, too!”’ “Servants,” said Sevier. “Not at all. Those are tribesmen—men of importance. By ——,I knowsomeof them!” At that moment the tribesmen, the Abyssinians with whom they were talking, and their host, Abu Khalil, turned and looked upward at the house of the Ameri- can. Moved by three distinct sets of emotion, the three Europeans, as if they had been standing upon a moving platform, “Vou . Adventure sank slowly below the edge of the parapet. Cohusac began to giggle, moving with an awkward cramped shuffle to a place of better concealment; with Sevier in a state of rage and confusion following him on hands and knees, abandoning his glass; and Hickson, last of all, walking like the heraldic lion of Siam on three legs with his glass instead of a simitar held high above his head. ee | WHEN they reached the shelter of the dining-room Sevier burst out angrily: “Why the ——, Cohusac, do you insist on making awkward situations for people? You know that I have business with Abu Khalil. What will he think of me hanging around in the shadows spying on him?” “Especially with a beautiful woman in his harimlik, what!”’ “That’s just it.” Sevier turned to the Englishman. “Some time ago I happened to look across from my bedroom, and there was a girl looking out of Abu Khalil’s house, watching me. I admit that she was beau- tiful; but that’s not so much in my line as in Cohusac’s. Well, as soon as our roman- tic friend here heard of it, he began camping in my bedroom, ruffling himself like a partridge, smirking, waving, whistling— making a darned scandal:in my house!”’ ‘“‘Any success?” said Hickson to Cohusac, grinning over his glass. Cohusac brushed the curls back from his forehead and, rolling his eyes languishingly, murmured— ‘““You’d be surprized!”’ “That’s rot! §That’s —— rot!” said Sevier explosively. ‘That kind of woman is unapproachable—and she certainly would not be making assignations. I can picture you climbing to her window!”’ “Give me sufficient inspiration, and you will be astounded at what I can still force this flimsy body to do.”’ “Sorry, old boy! Ill bet you’re right, too! Eh, Col. Hickson, do I understand that you’ve just come over from Somali- land? I didn’t know the Tadjoura had brought any passengers.”’ “Oh, I come and go; I come and go,”’ said Hickson uneasily. ‘‘The Protectorate has an interest in Aden, you know. We havea wireless station here; and a lot of our sup- plies are stored here.” Co NOOK 1 O)