Argosy (UK), January 1955 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

- : “3 = +, ver: has ~~ J Mie Wo a) ete + Sia ‘ _ putting the little bottle of love-potion away in a cupboard. “If Se a i th Pld Oe Se Re 7 _— i ~~ » <> BLACK MAGIC Ig something of a shock, glancing at the clock in the back verandah. — He dressed hurriedly, cursing Ketip in advance. But, thank — heaven, he heard the crunching of gravel under wheels in front — of the house, and recognized the impatient snorting of his fiery — little stallion. “ Belom jadi . . . it hasn’t come off yet,’ said Minah’s niece, who had been summoned from the kampong, to her aunt. And — Minah gave her verdict on it: “ Misti kasi lebih keras... you — must give him a stronger dose.” ‘This last injunction for the benefit of Cook, who, three evenings running, had put in her — master’s soup a few drops of a love-potion which the local dukun, the medicine-man, had extolled as infallible. The dukun had assured them that the aphrodisiac would begin to work as early as the second day—but they hadn’t seen any ~ signs of it yet! And now they were losing a whole day, because — the tuan had gone out to dinner this evening. Would it be worth — risking a drop or two in his coffee tomorrow morning? Suppose ~ he tasted something strange about it? ¥ Simin suggested a solution to the problem: he would try it — out on himself first. Cook set to and heated some coffee; Minah ~ poured a generous dash of the magic elixir into it; and Simin _ cautiously took a few sips, shutting his eyes so as to be able to _ taste better. Everyone looked at him in tense expectation. “TI can’t taste anything out of the ordinary in that coffee,” __ said Simin at last. ‘‘ But I think it’s already making me a bit wild!’ And in fun he made as if to embrace his wife’s niece, — who dodged out of his way, screeching with merriment. | “Here, you try it, too,’ said Simin, turning to Osman, and — could not restrain his laughter when the old gardener accepted the cup from him in silence. ‘‘ Look out, you’re going to have trouble with him presently! ” he warned Cook, who enjoyed the _ joke too. Grinning, she wiped the red betet juice from her — toothless mouth with the back of her hand. But her husband remained as serious as ever. ‘‘ The coffee doesn’t taste any different from ordinary coffee,” he concurred. “I think we can take a chance on it tomorrow morning.” “But J haven’t had a drop!” complained Ngadi, Minah’s — niece, looking into the empty cup. “Is there any more coffee in the kitchen? ” | i “No, that’s enough for now,” her aunt decided, resolutely we're not careful it'll all be gone before it’s worked on the tuan! And it’s not cheap—the dukun charged me all of fifty cents for it!” 3 conichooks.com