Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

22 Uganda, Tony dedueed that there would be other whites around. He was determined therefore to hurry the advance into the val- ley before the possible companions of the dead men, attracted by the firing, might come reconnoitering at the base of the cliff. For all Tony knew they might have other diving suits in which to pass the spider barrier. As neither Sawyer nor Bodiker was now to be trusted to do what they were told, Plessons went off to the first camp to bring up the boys and send another porter to fetch the main camp below, while Tony, re- volver holster handy, prepared breakfast. Bodiker and his man, who were both in- capable of cooking, remained in the hut, evidently, from the hum of their voices, plotting the next move. Yet character- istically Tony would not go and eavesdrop. Again what had been their motive in the white-flag incident puzzled him. Perhaps, he mused, they had had some wildcat scheme of making friends with the strangers and by means of a tale persuading them to assist their plot. A fool idea, but the sort of thing a city crook might be expected to do, grumbled Tony. That Bodiker would not make any direct attack upon him he was certain—the man was far too much of a poltroon. Sawyer might, but Tony doubted it unless the man was fighting drunk; rather, as Tony read him, would he try to ambush or get Tony while asleep. That the final bust-up was due he was sure, and opined that it would come whenever the discussion of the fate of the diamonds came along; for then Bodiker would no longer be able to control his man, excited as Sawyer would be by so much wealth within reach. As soon as Plessons came back they bolted food; and, Tony pressing them, purposely exaggerating the danger of delay, they pre- pared to leave. There were five diving suits, so that they could take but one porter to carry provisions, tent and all fancy stuff having to be left in camp—to Bodiker’s indignation. By the perpetually covert flitting of Sawyer’s eyes to him and the belt in par- ticular and by Bodiker’s increased nervous- ness Tony was sure that they had decided on some trick; but just before leaving he took occasion to absent himself and returned with a peculiar grin for Plessons. ‘They passed the spider barrier without Adventure mishap save for Bodiker, who collapsed under the weight and the suffocation of the interior of the suit and had to be carried, to Sawyer’s angry disgust, expressed in ges- tures intimating that they could leave Bodiker there for all he cared. However, they learned that to pass unprotected, even at night when the pests might be less active, would entail being bitten from head to foot as had been the old man and the dumb Swahili, for the spiders attacked in in- credible numbers—they seemed to have the power to signal to their fellows far in advance to mass in readiness—swarming over the glass faces of the headpieces. At the base of the escarpment and well beyond the poisonous area they found another hut in which were frames for the diving suits standing in water to protect them from the ants. These they carefully removed to a hidden spot in the forest. From the jungle emerged a fairly broad path, roughly but sufficiently cut. Other- wise the dense vegetation was impenetrable. Selecting a convenient spot some way off the trail where they could command a view of any stranger approaching the hut, they cut and trampled a rough arbor in the jungle for the midday rest. About the four whites in sweat-blackened clothes flitted chromatic butterflies and small birds of the humming variety; and amid their unmusical call the twittering of innumerable invisible insects could be heard. | Tony lounged against the bole of a huge tree with his revolver holster on his thigh and Plessons beside him. Opposite sat Bodiker and Sawyer on an aerial root. During the brief meal scarcely a word was said by anybody. Bodiker fed with ner- vous pecks and upward glances like a timid sparrow eating bread crumbs on a window sill; Sawyer chewed sullenly, unable to prevent his eyes from wandering to the belt about Tony’s waist as if to reassure himself that it was there. Plessons, munching away with a secret grin, seemed highly amused. Tony was not; outwardly calm he was as usual just before a crisis, trembling from head to foot, at pains that they should not notice his fingers when placing food in his mouth. Suddenly Plessons, with a piece of sardine and bread in his mouth, whipped out his revolver and fired straight over Bodiker’s head. As Tony started and his hand fell on the CoMmiclbook A) (© =