Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

156 “Our porters shall all be of the military. They will look like porters, yes; but their rifles and ammunition will be hidden in their packs. And, yes. I think it will be pos- sible for us to take, also, two maxim guns. We will disguise them as—what does it matter? It is not necessary to be over clever when dealing with the British. Think how the Boers imported arms, under their noses, in piano frames! “Further—it is to be remembered that the British have given us free entry and promise us all the aid we desire; they are so eager to advance the cause of sclence—’spe- cially when there is an outside chance that science may locate rich gold reefs for them.”’ D’Andra looked triumphantly at Gon- zales. “I was wrong when I called you a fool,” Gonzales said slowly. ‘A little I am be- ginning to see - “Ah! You’ve caught the scent, eh?’ D’Andra cried exultantly. ‘And so, when we have entrenched ourselves securely— that will be easy; our scientist will have to excavate—we hold Macombe prisoner un- til he implores the protection of our great government—and that too should be easy; it is rumored that you have most persuasive ways with niggers. “That done and the rest is easy. We will have the concession plus a peaceful occupa- tion backed up by a request from the chief that we take over his country. The Lion will squeal and growl—but that is all. Public opinion will be against him, and he is afraid of that.” “You are a clever , D’Andra. And I believe it will work. In any case, we can’t lose. We ought to acquire wealth as the result of this.” + PRESUMABLY the two white men oe hunting. Each carried a gun— one, a modern, small-bore rifle; the other, an old-fashioned, very heavy, smooth-bored weapon which looked as if it “would be infinitely more dangerous to the -user than the target he aimed at. They walked with exaggerated caution, peering constantly to the right and left, parting the bushes with steady, searching hands, taking each step with as much care as if they were walking on eggs. But the silence of their footfalls, their clever avoid- ance of dried twigs—the snapping of which might give the alarm to some wild creature Adventure of the bush—was completely nullified by their incessant chatter and gay, carefree laughter. = At one place they had surmounted a slight rise and all about them the bush’ had thinned giving them a clear view of a wide valley down the center of which the dark green of the bush was trimmed by a glisten- ing silver ribbon of water; and here they halted and watched a herd of elephants playing in the river shallows. ““Let’s go nearer,”’ the man in black said breathlessly. “Nunno! Ivouldn’t go any nearer them beasts for anything. My, but they’re a sight to watch, ain’t they?” ‘Pooh! It’s safe enough. We could get right up close to them—the wind’s right. Come along, Isaacs.” ‘‘Nunno, missioner! It might be safe, and then again it might not and, if it vasn’t, we vouldn’t have no second thought. Be- sides, it’s farther to them elephants than vot you think.” The other nodded regretfully. “Td like nothing better than to stay here and watch them. Wish I’d brought my field glasses along.” Isaacs smiled. “Youre a great hunter, you are. How often do you think a lion vould eat if he sat down and watched vonderful sights like that—’’ He indicated the distant herd of elephants with a flowery wave of his hand. ‘An’ the bush is full of them if a fallow’s got eyes to see. An’ anyway, you'll have a chance to see them very close pretty soon. We'll have to have a elephant hunt; they are getting too cheeky. ‘They’re beginning to take vot don’t belong to them. Ma- combe sent me vord that they’re raiding the crops near his kraal at Misongwe. They’ll be knocking down the huts next. Vell, let’s go on.” As he spoke he placed his heavy gun.care- fully underneath a bush. “Pll get it vhen we come back—”’ his deep, booming voice sounded oddly incon- gruous coming from such a puny body. ‘“T don’t vant to carry it any farther. Any- vay, we von’t see no game.” He looked up at his black-garbed companion, his black eyes greatly magnified by the strong-lensed glasses he wore, twinkling with mirth. ‘And I can talk better vithout it,’’ he added. The other’s thin lips twitched in an an- swering smile. COMIGDIOOKSEEO