Adventure Magazine Cover — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

TREASURE men there to say to us, “Take this and leave that. Do this and not that’ we’d all be very quiet and humble for fear of losing our heads. But if this ship-load of fools, of which I have the doubtful honor to be cap- tain, hits a treasure-beach, with half of us hating the other half, and nobody trusting anybody, and each after as much as he can grab—there’s no doubt about it, all will pop. Right now that crew up there would follow me; but on shore they’ll go about and follow the fellow that promises "em the most gold. That’s where you are going to get into trouble.” T’eeay Layeen again silently expressed interest, and waited. ‘“‘You’ve got some treasure on this island, have your” “For more years than are in five hun- dred,” said T’eeay Layeen slowly, “this is- land has been the secret of men who served the Sea Dragon. There was stored and for- gotten the jewels and gold taken from the treasure ships, in long ago time, of the em- peror. Many searched for the secret hid- ing place of this wealth. I alone found it. The daughter of an emperor, her beautiful self, was one time hostage there. The cloud of ships sent by the emperor could not find her. For her, at last, he gave as ransom many jewels and a casket large enough to serve as her couch, filled with dust of the purest gold. It is there!” “Tt is there, you say? You found it?” “It is there. All I have said, and more, much more. The secret was lost. It was I who found the treasure store.” “And with all that to hand,” said Hed- don, who had doubts, “‘you still go batting about the sea, getting wrecked and having the risk of neck and head being parted? What’s the good of being a pirate if you don’t want what yo: get? Why haven’t you drawn off to some part of the world and become a rich man? Or bought a pardon and become a prince?” “Go where I would, enemies would fol- low. Every shadow would hide a kniie, every cup, poison. There can be no peace but war for one who has the enemies that are mine. The falcon is kept sleepless that it may be fierce. For more years than are in twenty, I have not slept. Iam a Chi- nese. The Manchus who rule China would have sold me a pardon only that they might get me to come within reach of their hands, kill me, and confiscate all that was left after 107 I bought of them the pardon. When I am so unwise as to trust those I know are faith- less, may I perish like a fool.”’ “Well, I'd say,” Heddon told him with a hard look and in a harsh voice, “I’d say you're an impenetrable liar, or else pretty much of a fool!” Heddon scowled with a puzzled and halt- angered frown straight into the narrowed slant eyes that regarded him with calm severity. T’eeay Layeen, though as if un- used to being so addressed, yet retained that mask-like composure, hiding whatever he felt. Then he said very quietly— “T ask what you mean?” ‘“Mean? You don’t mean to hand over anything like that treasure-store to the scoundrels on this ship. I’m their leader. Yet you say all that wealth is there. Don’t you know well we’re likely to put a rope about your neck, a gun to the back of your head, and say, ‘Lead on!’”’ The face of the Chinese remained inscruta- bly calm. One wrist rested on the table, the other hand delicately touched the side of a cup, and he sat perfectly still for many seconds, then: “It is written that the tongue of each man is a traitor who, unguarded, flies straight into the ears of hisenemy. But if I give enough to keep the promise that I would give treasure?”’ “Don’t you know a man’s pocket is a queer kind of belly—feels empty as long as there’s more to be had for the taking?” “You will say to them—” with a slight movement he indicated others of the ship’s company—“‘‘what I have foolishly told you?” “They'll guess it without being told. Fore an’ aft, the talk all along has been that you of course won’t willingly give up all you have. But torture makes a man talk. You’re in for it!” The Chinaman nodded gravely, then— “But you I believe to be an honest man.” “What the —— do you know about hon- esty?”’ “You maybe are a Christian and be hon- est? You maybe believe in Hell and God? That makes you afraid, maybe?” “Some of the belief I’ve got, yes. But not enough of the fear to do me much good. You're right, I do believe in God, in Hell, in devils—yellow devils!”’ “And you,” T’eeay Layeen inquired with a faint mild hint of protest, “‘would torture me, put little bamboo splinters into my COMICOOokKS C©@