Adventure Magazine Cover — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

152 “Not assassination, copain!”’ “Certainly not! But suppose I had be- come involved in such a way tonight that it had been necessary to place me under arrest. So far as Somaliland is concerned I would have been placed completely out of action at a time when it is of the utmost importance that I be in Somaliland in con- trol of events.” “YT understand. Iam to follow every sus- picious trail and set traps for dangerous persons. ‘That means I shall haunt the bazaars in disguise.”’ “Ts it really possible for you to do that?” said Hickson incredulously. “Tt is almost second nature with me. How do you suppose I became master of my Arabic? You will see. I will be enjoy- ing the confidence of the fair Miriam while the doubting Sevier is still biting his finger- nails and staring out his back window.” “‘Ha!”? exclaimed Hickson. “That is something that requires explanation!” “What?” “Your friend, Sevier. I don’t trust him.” ‘“‘Nonsense!”’ exclaimed Cohusac, some- what shocked, for he felt a genuine affec- tion for Sevier, in whose company he spent many pleasant hours. He had found him to be a man of strength and balance—a man of assurance, surprizingly well educated, not merely in the academic sense, but also in the rich curriculum of the world. “T tell youI don’t trust him. His interest in Abu Khalil, who, I happen to know, is without the shadow of a doubt deep in this Abyssinian business, is more than casual.” “His interest in the house of Abu Khalil is in the woman Miriam.” “No, no, no, no! How can there be any common ground between the arimlik and the Arab’s guests? If you can’t keep your thoughts away from women, at least place them in a special category. This is strictly a man’s business.” 3 “But what possible interest can Sevier, an American, have in Abyssinia? His own country has no territorial ambitions there. And he is certainly too high a type of man to be used as a petty agent for some other interested power.” “Petty! Good lord, you haven’t yet got the thing in right perspective! Let’s appre- ciate the situation. We’ve just fought a doubtful naval battle off Jutland. We’re withdrawing from Gallipoli. Verdun is be- ing shaken badly. Mesopotamia is in pretty Adventure much of a mess. The Turks have twice al- most succeeded in cutting the Suez Canal. And down south in German East Africa we’re having the ’s own time trying to clean up the colony. That’s the general situa- tion—very, very dubious! Any new and unexpected development that threatens our vital communications will be almost fatal. That’s clear. “Well then, what’s the situation in Abyssinia? There is an empire that has never been successfully conquered, with a history that runs back into the time of the ancient Egyptians; it has several times over- run Egypt and established dynasties there. Once it sent an army of a milion to Pales- tine and raised the siege of Jerusalem. Cam- byses, who conquered everything, could not even penetrate Abyssinia. Even in mod- ern times no one has been able to touch it. The amazing power of the Mohammée- dans at the height of their success when they swept clear across Africa and up into Spain, and southward beyond Zanzibar, could not shake Abyssinia. The Mahdi who blanketed the Sudan for years could not hurt it. The Italians, who sent the flower of their Army to invade it, were: annihilated. The Somalis, whom we have always considered among the best warriors inAfrica, are looked down upon by the Abys- sinians with contempt. The Egyptians 2 “I see! I see!’’ said Cohusac impatiently. “In other words, the fortunes of the Allies are at the lowest at the present moment; and the unexpected appearance of a new and powerful enemy at a vital point would be disastrous.” “Obviously. The Abyssinians have a standing army of two hundred and fifty thousand armed men, always ready to take the field. At Addis-Abeba at this moment there are seven batteries of artillery and a quantity of machine guns captured from the Italians at Adowa. Well, there’s the weapon to be used against us, if any of our enemies are powerful enough to use it.”’ “You think the Germans are trying to influence Lidj YassouP”’ “Tt may be the Germans, Austrians or Turks. They all have legations at Addis- Abeba. When the war broke out every German in this part of the world got into Abyssinia as fast as he could, in order to be in neutral territory. So they’re well equipped. “But our representatives there are first- rate men, too; everything that can be done DOOLK 1@)