Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 17: what you’re looking at

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

NAKED MEN ceremonious interruption of his lecture. He took a few strides back and forth, muttering and snapping his fingers and shaking his -head testily the while. But presently he came back to a material world and he stopped short and shot a hostile glance at Smith. “ Well, sir, what can we do for you?” he asked abruptly. Smith felt an uneasy diffidence in the presence of the girl, but the situation was so astounding that he,could not suppress a certain sardonic humor.- Here was this party of strayed children, flagrant ama- teurs, surrounded by stealthy tracks which ended up in tall, stark-naked spearmen, de- manding with cool condescension what they could do for him—him! Jehannum Smith! He grinned understandingly. He had come across parties like this before, eager nimrods, usually fresh from the shires of. England, with titles hanging to their names and assistant game-keepers to carry their guns; and it had fallen to his lot to pilot them to safety. So he proceeded with calm decision to take charge of affairs. “Well, now, professor, there isn’t exact- ly anything that I need. I saw the kites watching your camp from about ten miles back there, so I came to investigate; and— _I guess I’m just about in time to snake you out of this.” The professor looked startled at the reve- lation of his betrayal, and then puzzled. ‘“ Ah, a remarkable process of deduction. I must study something of these birds later on. But why, er—why do you suggest re- moval?” Smith looked at the girl, and dissembled. ““Do you know where you are, profes- sor?” The scientist looked offended. “Why, certainly! What a preposterous insinuation! We are in the southern ex- tremity of the state of Manipur.” “H-m!” said Smith dryly. ‘ Not ex- actly. You’re over the Lushai border by fifteen miles. Not that that makes much difference; but this isn’t exactly a whole- some country to linger in; so we'll up stakes an’ light out with to-morrow’s sun.” The great white brows met in a heavy crooked line. The old man shot a fierce _. girl; : ~ Ecomnalic OF NAGA, a glance at the young assistant, and concen- trated it on Smith’s confident face. “Mr. Smith, you—surely you are pre- suming to, er—intimate an extraordinary authority. We—my assistant and I—are engaged in important experiments here, and we have no intention whatsoever of leaving this place until our researches are concluded to our entire satisfaction.” The tall assistant added an unexpected forcible assent to the old man’s pedagogic announcement. ‘* No sir-ree. By heaven, we won’t!” Smith’s eyes narrowed pleasantly, as though to humor petulant children. Yet there was a hint of grim purpose. “Yes, I guess it ll feel bad to quit; but —all the same, I guess we'll go.” The scientists looked at one another in helpless astonishment at this astounding stranger who descended upon them like the predatory kites that he spoke of. Then they turned amazed and expectant eyes to the girl. She stepped into the discussion with calm confidence. “‘T have already found that Mr. Smith presumes quite extraordinarily,” she said, looking at that burly autocrat with a point- ed austerity which put him to confusion, ‘““Qf course we’re not going until we make up our minds to do so.” She challenged his hinted determination with calm gray eyes, and Smith found him- self at a loss how to deal with this new, and, to him, unaccustomed kind of obstruc« tionist.. He shifted uneasily on his great feet. He had not wanted to frighten the but he’ reflected as he looked at her that she did not at all convey the impres- sion, as other women did to him, of being a person who would scream or faint. In desperation he blurted out his knowledge: ‘“ Well now, folks, I’m not aiming to come the goramighty over you; but—well, to put it to you straight, this place right now isn’t safe!” “Rubbish!” said the girl_with decision. ‘* Nobody even knows that we’re here.” “Huh!” Smith, driven to extremity, snorted his proof. ‘‘ Let me tell you, gen- tlemen’’—he found it impossible to argue direct with this steady-eyed girl—“ that right at this moment your camp is sur-, DOOLK aC)