Adventure Magazine Cover — page 181: what you’re looking at

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

The Edge of the Simitar much room for women. They felt the power of Miriam’s mind and will and acknowl- edged the influence of her intellectual leadership, while looking upon her sex with contempt. As for Abu Khalil, it was a struggle with him to maintain his composure in his rela- tions with Miriam. She recognized that he held the necessary wealth and influence to be the logical head of the movement in Somaliland; but she hated his coarse ego- tism, and his gross dynamic body was re- pulsive to her; while the Arab felt an over- powering passion for the woman. Accus- tomed to gratifying every desire, it was all he could do to keep from seizing her openly and defying the consequences. An uneasy fear of her occult powers was probably the factor that restrained him. Her tricks of mind-reading and prophecy held them all in awe. As the afternoon wore on they occasion- ally caught glimpses of the Arabian shore to the northward; but the low shore of Africa was still far below the horizon. The sun beat scorching hot upon the backs of the weary oarsmen; yet they continued to pull steadily, while the passengers argued, smoked, talked endlessly in monotonous voices of their own histories, told astonish- ing stories of fighting and of intrigue. At three o’clock another meal was served— a great platter of stewed mutton and vege- tables with slabs of fried bread, and dates and cakes. Steaming hot, it was eaten with great gusto, while the perspiration beaded on the foreheads of the diners. AN HOUR later the declining sun be- came hazed with yellow; the heaving waters looked gray and sullen; a feel- ing of uneasiness oppressed the occupants of the boat. Allat once it began to grow dark. The exhausted boatmen stopped rowing, and a small patch of sail was broken out on the long spar, tightly reefed. Everything was made secure. Cohusac managed to procure another cigaret. Satisfied with whatever fate awaited him, he drew the matting over his shoulders and huddled as close to Miriam as he could, thrusting his mandolin for protection as far as he could reach under the deck. As the storm broke upon them the Mohammedans called upon Allah for protection and were swallowed up in the darkness of the sea. _ 171 All night they tossed and plunged in the little craft, beaten by the hammering wind, drenched and suffocated with the down- pouring rain and the briny spray that was whipped over the sides and prow of the boat. -Compassless, swept into a cavern of impenetrable darkness, swirled this way and that, swaying, sinking, being tossed high in the air, then dropped sickeningly into yawning pits, none could tell where fate was sweeping them. The waters hissed about them, the gale roared overhead, the rigging rattled against the spars, and every loose object in the bottom of the dhow was banging and sloshing about in a slimy welter. The terror of all was increased by the recollection of the monster they had seen that day. Once out of the darkness came another moaning sigh. “Wallah!” shrieked one of the boatmen. “Tt is Gholee Beabu! It is the Demon of Desolation!” “Truly we belong to Allah,” muttered Abu Khalil, furious with secret fear, ‘‘and unto Allah we will return!” “Tt is Gholee Beabu!” shrieked the sailor. At this instant the rope that stayed the bulging patch of canvas parted, and the sail flapped wildly, careening the craft until the waters rushed in and the long spar whipped about like a fishing-pole. Only the greatest courage and activity on the part of the other boatmen saved the craft from cap- sizing. It seemed that they were about to be engulfed. “Waliah! Wailakt Gohlee Beabuw!’, shrieked the Somali. The screaming worked havoc upon the nerves of all. Abu Khalil was trembling violently. When the boat righted itself and was plunging again with its prow to the seas, he cried out hoarsely— “By Allah, that man is the Jonah amongst us!” The terrified man was mstantly seized. When he realized his fate he became frantic, twisting, screaming, gasping, frothing at the mouth. But in the powerful, hairy arms of Abu Khalil, whose strength was increased by his own terror, and in the arms of the others, he had no chance. With his feet pressed against the gunwale, eyes roll- ing, throat corded as he strained backward, he was jerked upward and flung sprawling into the howling darkness. As Cohusac heard his suddenly smothered scream, he sank deeper into his obscurity, GO DOOLK 1@)