Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

south, West and North menace of their weapons holding him im- - mobile. ‘“‘Los manos arribal’’? snapped Hampton, and the Indian lifted his hands. “We got him,” said Warlock, “and got him red-handed! He was guiding this chink, savvy? Planned to murder and rob him.” The Indian stood like a graven image; under the wide brim of his hat, his flashing eyes drove from one to the other of the two men. Hampton rose and stepped forward. He could not understand the stolid immobil- ity of the murderer, whose attitude held no cringing fear, and who gave expression to none of the usual] plaints and wails of a frightened mestizo. He seemed, indeed, to stand there in proud scorn of the two men who had surprized him, nor did he move when Job Warlock stepped around to his other side, quite cutting off any re- treat. “So you thought you could murder that man and rob him in a lonely spot, eh?’ said Hampton in Spanish. ‘Well, now you can turn around and go back to Panama with us 9) “Hold on, Hampton!” exclaimed War- lock. “It ain’t our job, and you know it’s plain —— to get tangled up with them dagoes——”’ The Indian started suddenly. His-eyes fastened on Hampton with a peculiar look; his lean and cavernous features seemed suddenly amazed, astounded. “Ham-ton!” he exclaimed. ‘No es pos- sible—no, no! Sefier Don Ricardo Ham- ton——”’ ‘“What’s that?” exclaimed Hampton. “You know my ‘name——”’ ‘‘Are you that man, sefior?”’ Excitement blazed suddenly in the brown face. “Are you the brother of my friend—he who wrote a letter o “My gosh!” broke from Job Warlock. “It’s El Hambre, Dick?’ ‘““St—El Hambre!” cried the Indian. “Sefiores, I kiss your hands and feet—we are friends! I have been looking for you a long time, Don Ricardo.” Dick Hampton lowered his revolver, stared amazedly into the suddenly friendly, laughing face of the Indian, and wondered if he were dreaming. What a fashion in which to find El Hambre, the man whom he had come so far to seek! Then his eyes fell to the dead Chinaman. 33 II THE Indian laughed. This lean, almost cadaverous man ~ 11 whose appearance sufficiently ex- plained his name of “Hunger,” uttered. a low, harsh and dissonant cackle of sheer mirth. He perfectly comprehended the con- sternation of the two white men who had apprehended him red-handed in murder— a feeling which Job Warlock expressed disgustedly. “Durn me if he ain’t took us flat aback, matey! And now what?” Hampton hesitated, then slowly shook his head and put away his weapon. Mur- derer or no, this Indian was the man he had come so far to seek—and now it was not the fate of his brother alone which hung upon the event, but also that of Nelly Barnes. Reading the message of his gray eyes, El Hambre made a swift gesture, indi- cating the corpse. “Sefiores, you do not know why I have done this? Here, I will show you.” He turned and stooped over the body of the oriental. Ripping asunder the black silk garments, he examined them, searching carefully with deft fingers. A grunt broke from his lips, he brought out his knife, and from the lining of the coat he extracted a letter, well sealed. This he shoved into the hand of Hampton, then darted to the mule, slashed at the thongs binding the load, and showed that this consisted of two stout Mexican trunks, gaily adorned. These he hurled into the jungle, then slapped the mule and sent it off up the trail. Warlcck came to Hampton’s side and stared at the letter. “It’s addressed to a New York bank,” said Hampton, frowning. Then, as he turned over the letter, he started slightly. The seal impressed in the red wax was composed of two strange characters—the same two characters graven in the silver haft of the knife that had smit- ten Jed Barnes so murderously! Hampton looked up, encountered the eyes of El Hambre. “‘What’s this—a letter from Dias?” The Indian gave him a slow, astonished look, then nodded. “Yes, sefior. This yellow man was taking it to New York with him; he is a trusted servant of that devil Dias! How did you know?” micloool (© inn