Adventure Magazine Cover — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

158 two lines—a quotation from Jami and the time: “The nightingales warbled their enchanting notes, and rent the thin veils of the rosebud and the rose.’ The slave of love yields unto her lord. The roof above the alleyway when the moon is on the decline tonight.” When Cohusac read this he began to tremble, feeling a sickish sensation in his heart. It was his accomplishment, and he a cripple! What romance! And what a stupid fool to play the hero! Torn with uncertainty, Cohusac waited that night in the Greek Hotel at Steamer Point until ten o’clock. Then, not daring to miss Sevier, he took up his post opposite the entrance of the Union Club, lolling in a dilapidated gharry. Newly aroused inter- est, excitement, the delight of using his mind in a fresh adventure, had given Co- husac new strength; yet the interminable waiting, stretched on the weather-beaten seat of the ghkarry, smoking cigarets, cramped him until he ached from head to foot and shooting pains ran through his body. With sun-helmet pulled down over his face he watched the people he knew pass homeward. Advantage had been taken of the presence of the mail-boat in harbor, and a dance was in progress. The scratching music of the violins came to him on the mild, still air—bursts of laughter—sudden si- lence filled by the scraping music again, the hissing shuffle of feet, the clicking of bil- liard balls on the tables below—more laugh- ter—clapping of hands—ship bells sounding over the water—the preliminary rumbles of the sanitary carts starting on their rounds— the moon, rising, rising, rising with Cohu- sac’s bursting heart—then starting on the downward slope! At length Sevier came out of the club alone and called for a motor gharry. Co- husac struggled out of his seat and went staggering across the road, crying out to him, just as the automobile started off. Sevier saw him, and the car halted while the American gave his friend a hand up with much groaning and banter. As the car swung around the coal hills, driven recklessly by the Parsee driver, who was anxious to get home and to bed, Sevier suddenly informed the Frenchman that he was in a particular hurry because: he had just received an invitation to go over to Djibouti, in French Somaliland, the en- trepot for Abyssinia, and intended to do so. Adventure This was the second shock Cohusac had re- ceived that day; and for a while he was in- capable of saying anything. Presently with the car swaying exhilarat- ingly and roaring across the short, bleak plain of Maala, littered with dust and vol- canic cinders that were turned to pure bronze and silver in the moonlight, Cohusac began to sing. It was a song of home; and Sevier was touched. He was more than casually interested in the little Frenchman; he admired him, and secretly held for him a certain fondness; and he felt at this moment that he would probably never see him again. Cohusac perceived the softened mood and told him that he had at last succeeded in reaching Miriam. “What!” cried Sevier with a sudden spasm. “How do you mean you have reached her?” ‘“T have a date with her tonight!” Sevier laughed unpleasantly. ‘You do not believe me!’’ exclaimed Co- husac. ‘Come with me then and see!”’ Sevier hesitated, torn painfully by con- flicting emotions. All at once his reserve crumbled. ‘All right, —-— it!’ he said passionately. “Yll go. But, remember, there’ll be no en- tanglements. I’m leaving tonight ‘on the Vixen, and if I’m delayed I lose the chance. Besides, I have to see old Juda bin Ismael about a draft on Addis-Abeba. I'll go—but I'll go only to stand by and watch you do as you say. How the —— can you climb a wall in your crippled condition?” ‘All I need,” said Cohusac with a com- placent smile but glittering eyes, ‘‘is the in- spiration!”’ », <%) FIFTEEN minutes later the two eae Stood in the darkness of the alley- way that ran by Abu Khalil’s go- downs. There, by the servants’ quarters, was a low parapeted roof not more than fifteen feet above the ground. Ordinarily the smooth, white wall would have made even this low height inaccessible from the alleyway; but a large crack in the cement ran diagonally up the surface, providing a precarious foothold. If some one let down a rope from above the climbing might be a simple matter. All at once Cohusac took Sevier by the arm, clutching him with trembling hands, and confessed to him that the assignation was a hoax—that it was not the Frenchman NOOK (©