Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

iw “ JEHANNUM ” SMITH. 413 serted part of the gardens. Smith’s re- minder of the stern necessities of life, there- fore, was not through the searing agony of a long knife-blade under the ribs. But he was constrained none the less to leap suddenly into wide-eyed vigilance. A stealthy scuffling in the branches above had disturbed-him. . He turned just in time to see a dim shape hang for a moment in black silhouette against the sky and then drop full thirty feet from a great limb to the ground and crouch facing him. He was on his feet in an instant, with legs wide apart, evenly balanced in alert readiness for whatever might happen. The shape rose to its feet and advanced warily toward him. It was about a foot shorter than Smith; but then again it was about a foot wider. It looked in the darkness like a horribly formidable antagonist. Smith quietly low- ered one of his knotty arms and drew it back in preparation for’ an annihilating drive. Without a sign of fear, the shadowy figure shuffled nearer. : “ Krik-krik-krr-ee-eek,” it said in a high- pitched voice. : It was Smith who leaped back, five feet out of reach, and landed on the balls of his feet in his exact original defensive position. The burly shape advanced again, swinging a long arm just as Smith did, and chattering inquiringly at him. Then Smith’s tense breath escaped from him in a windy explosion, and his great bunched shoulder-muscles relaxed. He pointed a sudden finger at the huge bulk. “TI know who you are,” he muttered accusingly. “ You’re a bloomin’ ’carnation.” The figure reached out with astonishing length to take hold of the finger which pointed at him and krikked again. “Yuss, you’re a bloomin’ ’carnation o’ Hanuman, that’s what you are. An’ you’re god of all the bloomin’ monkeys in the world; and you got a shrine somewheres in ere.” The great ape chattered softly and snug- gled nearer. It was obviously quite tame and entirely unafraid; since, quite apart from its vast strength, nobody would ever have dared to molest it on account of its extreme sanctity. For Hanuman had long ago been elevated to the godhead in reward for his services in helping the great god, Rama, to get his wife, Sita, back from the hundred-eyed demon, Ravana, who had kidnaped her. “Blimey, ain’t ’e friendly?” muttered Smith, and as he felt the creature’s huge arms, “ Golly, but I’m glad I ain’t ’ad to fight ’im.” Then reminiscently, almost regretfully, “T ain’t never ’ad a fight with a god—only with a coconut.” And after a ruminating pause, with inspiration, ‘‘ Nor I ain’t neither ever ’ad a drink with a god!” No sooner conceived than acted upon. Smith produced his abnormal flask and took a long draft. 3 “°Ere’s to yer, Hanuman Ji.” He wiped the bottle politely to make up for his rude- ness in drinking first and handed it to the ape. ‘“‘ Ave a nip yerself, old sport.” The great brute smelled at the bottle and then tilted it awkwardly: to its mouth. It coughed and spat as the fiery stuff burned its throat, but it smacked its lips over the after aroma. “Crickey, ’e done it!” murmured Smith in awe. “ The beggar’s human! ’Ere, don’t swig the ’ole blarsted lot! ’Ere, gimme it!” He rescued the flask from the big brute and stood in wondering cogitation of the unusual honor which had come to him in drinking with one of the most revered of the Hindu pantheon. Then a sublime and magnificent conception formed itself in his brain. He pointed a thick finger once more. “Hanuman,” he uttered solemnly, “yowre a good sport. An’ I'll tell you what: I’m goin’ to make a offerin’ to you. Yuss, that’s what I’m goin’ to do; a bloom- in’ offerin’. Three priests I got what I can’t use—an’ I’m goin’ to give ’em to you! Now you show me your little private shrine ‘ere an’ I'll bring ’em right along. An’ maybe you got a pole or something that I can use for a little job I got on hand.” The noble idea was worthy of Smith in his most exalted moments. He stooped to his great bundle of humans and up-ended it like a great roll of bedding. It wriggled slightly, but Smith only grunted. Then he turned his back to it, reaching behind over his head, squatted for an instant, and with comnmiclooolkks.conn