Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

470 his sore bones onto it and promptly lost touch with the world for a matter of nine ~ When he awoke, the sun was shining along the floor, and numerous small insects of the variety which adds zest to tropical life, and which even politeness cannot ignore, were exploring his person in search of pasturage. Jim raised himself on his elbow, scratching diligently. 66 H elle ys His ejaculation was called forth by the sight of ten plump, rosy toes, which point- ed roofward from the foot of a bed on the opposite side of the malocca. The toes wriggled in reply, and from the perspective beyond them arose like the solar orb the big and beaming countenance of Grim- shaw. “Good morning, Mr. Arnold,” he said with the most casual composure; “ this is quite an unlooked-for pleasure.” Jim, unable to adjust his ideas to the situation, did not at once reply, and Zalmon went on: “ By hikey! Mr. Ar- nold, I’ve been accused in my day of being a pirate; but allow me to say that it’s you that looks the part just now. I'll lend you a razor after breakfast—unless you're cul- tivating ’em.” ‘“‘ Where—how in the world did you get here?” Arnold stammered. ‘“ Where is Jones? What’s become of the rest of our crowd?” He stared about the malocca, half ex- pecting to see the faces of others of his late comrades. Grimshaw shook his head and an- swered: “To the best of my knowledge, there is left of that ‘crowd’ just the minimum necessary to start a Masonic lodge or con- stitute a riot—which is three—you and I and Tomas, who is somewhere about. The last I saw of the others, they were cuddled down in the grass back yonder like the babes in the woods, waiting for the birds to cover ’em.”’ “ Wiped out—all of them!” Zalmon nodded. He had made his an- nouncement with a smile. He was smiling still. Jim leaped up. His teeth and hands ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. were clenched so tightly that they threat- ened to pierce bones and flesh. “Grimshaw, you’re a damned rotter!” he said succinctly, when he could master his voice. He hid his face in his hands. When he lifted it, it was very white. “I heard that scrimmage; but I couldn’t get into it. You were in it. What right have you got to be alive?” “We seemed to have been caught in a right warm corner, where our brown breth- ren were settling their little differences,” replied Grimshaw. “ It appears that I had a friend in one camp. The chief of this outfit here had met me before and had taken a fancy to me. He obligingly took me out of the mess when it was béginning to get unpleasant. I’m very glad that he did. Some luck, eh?” “Grimshaw,” grated Arnold, striding across the room and standing over the fat man with working features, “shut up—- and thank whatever god with whom you’re .on speaking terms that I don’t kill you with my hands. If it hadn’t been for you —oh, hell!” He stamped savagely back to his bed and threw himself face downward upon it. “Here comes our breakfast now,” re- marked Zalmen with an imperturbable grin, as a couple of native women entered the mailocca bearing dishes. - Soon after they—or, rather, Zalmon, for Jim touched nothing—had breakfasted, the Aguaruna curaca paid them a‘call. The tall curaca was afire with the zeal of the true collector. The acquisition of Grimshaw aroused in his breast the same sentiments a lapidary might experience should he purchase at auction a job lot of gems and find the Koh-i-noor among them; or a numismatist, should his grocer hand him an 1804 dollar in his change. He came to glagt over the good fortune which he foresaw would make him envied among men. Two men accompanied him. One was Tomas the Aymara, walking sullenly, with his arms bound behind him; the other was @ short, ledn, bestial-looking, indescribably filthy old savage, whose greasy hair hung in strings about his face, and whose only claims to clothing were a girdle of mottled, ennsetted Original froma 1c Rania et repcerees CONT