Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

South, West and North 65 he took the outside place. ‘Once let me get a grip on that Yaqui, and I’ll give him something to remember me by! Who else goes with us?” “Talk later,” grunted Eli, who was head and shoulders inside the wall opening. ‘Got a foot of adobe yet to cut through.” Hampton composed himself in patience, thankful now for the noise as the half- drunken men continued to come up from the pulque mill. He could hear the machete busily at work in the four-foot wall, whose adobes crumbled rapidly before it; and pres- ently, by the occasional whiff of fresh air and the sound of falling fragments, knew that Eli was through the wall. He lay breathless, fearful lest some one hear the sounds, but no alarm was raised, and after a bit Eli, breathing hard, was back beside him and stuffing blankets into the opening. ‘“‘Now we’re fixed,’’ said Eli, in an in- audible murmur, his lips at Hampton’s ear. “I got word to Frenchy—he and Hoskins will be along, and maybe a couple of greasers I’ve sounded out. Can’t trust many. At midnight the guards are changed and they come poking in here and there, so, quick’s they’ve gone, we’ll get to work.” Hampton, not trusting himself to re- spond, lay quiet, and presently dozed off again. He wakened to a light before his eyes, blinked into a lantern just above his face, and heard the Yaqui guards exchange a jest; it was midnight, the inspection and change of guard were under way. Beside him, El Bobo flung an oath and an incoherent babble at the guards, who laughed and passed on. Their lantern bobbed a moment at the door, then passed outside. A dull sound came from the wall, and a breath of cold, clear night air. Then the low voice of Eli. “Come on. They’!l be along any minute.” “They” referred to Hoskins and the others, no doubt. Hampton rolled over and shoved his legs at the ragged hole. Move- ment cost him a good deal of pain, of course, though not enough to hamper him in action; he wriggled into the hole, felt his feet gripped from the outside, and presently scraped through into the open air. Eli caught and supported him, helped him find his feet. ‘Wait here for the others,” said Eli, his voice athrill with eagerness. ‘‘Keep quiet. I’m going to get the guards—they belong to me—I don’t calculate to let Pap Hoskins cheat me neither—he’!I get his knife in ’em first if he has the chance——”’ The dark figure melted away. Hampton found himself standing alone at the rear of the adobe barracks. Brilliant starlight showed him the cactus-dotted hill- side and the black cafion wall behind; all else was cut off by the long adobe building. The night was cold, crystal-clear. Under the blazing stars objects stood out distinctly. A low scuffling sound—Hampton turned to the hole in the adobe wall, caught a foot as it protruded, and tugged. Came tum- bling out a ragged figure with immense black beard; this was the Gaul known as Frenchy, and he emerged sputtering softly and spitting out adobe dust. ‘“‘Name of a name, the hole is too small for me! Who is hierez” “Be quiet,” said Hampton. “The others?”’ “Are coming. Brr!. Freedom! Liberty!” Frenchy slapped himself vigorously. Presently a lithe, half-naked Mexican came squirming through the hole, followed by a second; Eli had some good reason for trusting the pair, and Hampton helped them clear. Almost at once, Pap Hoskins came along head first, gripping the tattered blankets which he tugged after him. “Got to close that hole—gettin’ right cold in there,’ he grunted as he gained his feet. “Don’t want to wake ’em up——”’ He stuffed the rags into the gaping hole, then turned and grunted as he surveyed the others. A soft laugh broke from him, and he gripped Hampton’s hand. ‘All right? Where’s Eli?” ‘Said to wait for him i An oath from Frenchy, a low alarmed word from the Mexicans. Hampton turned, to see the glow of a cigarito at the nearer corner of the adobe building. The smoker came toward them. In the bright starlight there could be no mistaking the outline and swagger of that figure, its immense som- brero, its cloaking serape, its rifle. “A Yaqui—a guard!” said Hoskins, and caught his breath sharply. The others re- mained silent, huddled against the wall in consternation. Hampton, wondering that the guard had not already seen them and sent out a call, stepped sharply forward. ‘(We may talk in peace now,” said the Yaqui, and broke into a low laugh. It was the voice of Eli. cComicbooks.c© inn