Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 123: what you’re looking at

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

ISLE OF and confound him. For he, Ponda, would turn water into flame. He would draw fire from the bottom of a bowl and set it hissing and roaring on the surface of the water at his bidding. Perhaps the white man could ' do this also? They would see.” McKay smiled inwardly at Ponda’s cun- ning. He was to sfirrender the secret en- tirely to the wizard and let Ponda con- found him with his own magic. The priests left for the temple, hidden somewhere in the bush, to prepare the place with the usual ritual. 3 ‘“‘T go to the cave to get my sacred cala- bashes,” said Ponda. ‘ Will you come with me and show me the terzki?” The merest. accident prevented McKay from going. He and Ponda were standing apart. Sime was with the native boys. At that-moment he called to McKay. “ Kekko ‘here has got something in his eye. Bit of ashsI think. But the damned fool won’t let me touch him!”’ Kekko was standing looking pitifully at his kapitant with one eye, while, from .the other, red and angry, water ran down his cheek. ‘“‘ TI must look after my man, Ponda,” said McKay. “ The teriki is easy.” He took the potassium jar from his pocket. “‘ See, here are bits of the magic dirt that you must hide in your palm or between your fingers and drop into the water. But take care your hands are dry.” Ponda looked at the jar suspiciously and took it reverently. The tersks might be easy, but where was he to get the magic dirt when this was gone? And the stuff might back-fire. But he knew the custom of white kapitanis to doctor their men and thus retain their fealty. So he went alone. McKay picked an uncuwrled frond of banana and opened up the clean coil into a finely pointed but pliant shaving. At his command Kekko knelt and McKay looked for the trouble. One fragment of fine ash had. been already washed out; another, probably the charred filament of a leaf- rib, had stuck fairly in the cornea. A deft touch or two and it was out. Kekko’s expression as he felt the sharp pain give way to relief, was ecstatic. He bowed his head to the sand, picked up Mc- Kay’s foot and placed it on his neck. 8 Arcosy 113 “ That’s all right, Kekko,” said McKay. ‘* Now you run get my shoes.” The squeal of a pig sounded in the bush. The priestlings had caught their sacrifice for the temple ceremonial. McKay was in- terested in seeing this marai. It was very seldom a white man was permitted within the sacred enclosure. He did not know of any who had visited one. ‘Went off in jig-time, didn’t it?” said Sime, pulling on his pipe. .“ I’ve seen that dope before.” ‘* When?” ‘ Oh, once,” said Sime with a reminiscent grin, “‘ before I started evening up the dif- ferences in property and relieving the rich guy of his ill-gotten gains, I was a property- man in a theater. My old man was’ a stage-carpenter. When Faust used to come along the devil got the white-bearded old dodo who wanted to be young again to sign his soul off on a document. Remember? Prop-list called for, one document with red seals; also fire for ink-well and cellar scene. That was where the devil draws wine from a barrel into a cup and it blazes up. You’ve seen it. | ‘Well, the dope goes in the inkstand and the cup. The acid is in another ink-well and in the spigot. Sometimes we used to get it made at the drug-store, sometimes I’d mix it. Chlorate of potash and sugar to dilute. If I’d known you had the makings aboard I’d have fixed it for you. It used to make a hit with the theater crowds, and it sure got Ponda’s goat. Are you going to give it away like you did the dope in the bottle you slipped him?”’ ‘ Not till I have to, Fred. Wonder what’s keeping Ponda? I’m getting hungry.” ‘It’s so blamed hot I could carve an overdone slice off my own leg if I was a man-eater,” said Sime. ‘‘ Here he comes. He’s put on that bird costume again. I’d say he’d choose something cooler.” The tataivututu grotesque was capering toward them. ‘““ Keeping the tabu on the village till we're through at the temple,” suggested McKay. ‘“ Now, what the—” The fantastic masquerade danced up to DRUMS. them and halted, the open beak toward McKay. And, peering out of the mask, Conn lONOOLK