Adventure Magazine Cover — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

The Edge of the Simitar breath over the flattened sea. The sun was plunging into Africa behind a veil of heat. Though the ship behind them was not more than eight miles away, the shelving beach of the shore was still six miles away. What- ever the character of the steamship, it was headed straight for the dhow, and dis- covery was unavoidable. While the oarsmen pulled desperately upon their sweeps, Abu Khalil, shouting alternate curses and prayers, ordered all un- necessary weight flung overboard. Crates, fish-traps, mats, boards, chaguls—all went by the board. Even Cohusac was in danger of being jettisoned; but that peril no longer wor- ried him, since he knew the pursuing ship would pick him up in less than half an hour. Nevertheless, he determined toavoid the risk, and he crawled closer under the deck to es- cape the insane contemplation of Abu Khalil. “Essevier Effendi has done this!’ said Miriam bitterly. “Essevier Effendi?” repeated Cohusac blankly. “In the name of Allah, how is that possible?” ~ “Essevier Effendi has sent this war- ship after us,’ repeated Miriam with posi- tiveness. “There are no German ships in these waters,” muttered Cohusac behind his swathing cloth. ‘‘How is it possible for Essevier Effendi to have done this?” “Wallah!” cried Miriam impatiently. “Father of stupidity, do you not know that Essevier Effendi is high in the _ secret councils of the British? His baraka* is strong and has been felt at times from Kabul to Mogador. “We know him! By Allah, we know him, even though the British themselves, except those in high places—may Allah wither them! May He dismember the souls of all infidels!—even though the British them- selves know him not for the power that is his!” | Cohusac’s hands went up to his mouth. He felt an indescribable sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach, mingled with a desire to shriek with laughter. Sevier a British agent of supreme importance! Wrapping his arms about his stomach, Cohusac rocked back and forth. All at once something tore stammering through the air overhead. Every one ducked involuntarily. Cohusac was familiar with this sound, and he craned his neck out % Warrant—blessing—personal influence. 173 from his shelter to see. Another shell ricocheted on the water and went screaming shoreward. The light cruiser had come up at full speed but, reaching shoal uncharted water, dared not continue the chase. It had hove to and was trving to pick off the dhow before it passed out of range. Abu Khalil at the tiller was the color of old putty, but he kept the dhow steady on its course. The great sail had bellied out with the rising breeze. The oarsmen, work- ing in rapidly shifting relays, kept the craft foaming over the water. There was a possibility that the dhow might pass out of range and still evade capture. Looking shoreward, Cohusac could actu- ally see the light breakers feathering upon the flat beach. All at once he staggered and was thrown into the bottom of the boat; the oarsman went heels over head, the sweeps flying from their hands; the dhow careened and swung into the wind with the sail flapping like pistol shots. It had plowed heavily into sand. When the black-bearded deposed sultan regained his feet, he shouted with flashing eyes: “Hathur! It is the will of Allah! The water to the beach is shallow. Let us leap into the sea and wade ashore. In the name of Allah, scatter!” “Taib!”” roared Abu Khalil, rising above them on the small poop. “You have said well. In the name of Allah, let us scatter! Each man remember his duty. Scatter now; but if we must fly from one another when we reach shore, remember to gather again in Harrar where Lid) Yassou expects us! Deen Mohammed! Deen Mohammed!” To give emphasis to the urgency of the matter, a shell, dropping close to the dhow, buried itself in sand where it exploded, sending a geyser into the air and drenching the craft. Instantly every man went over- board and started wading frantically toward shore, pushing a wave before his straining chest—every man except Cohusac and Abu Khalil. 3 The former chose what he considered the lesser of two evils and remained where he was, desiring nothing better than to remain unnoticed. The latter had been struck instantly by an unexpected occurrence. The dhow, lightened instantaneously by the extent of between two and three tons weight, rose clear of the sand. A long swell caught it as it rose, swinging it so tha. che Go NOOK 1 @)