Argosy, September 1955 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

am pines SUMMER IN SALANDAR 37 ‘‘ What is it, Manuel? ”’ Miss Vane said. ‘‘ Is something the matter?” ‘No, madame.” He pronounced fully and correctly, elongating the final syllable. “What is it then? ” “He wants to go with us, madame.” **'That was the idea, wasn’t it? ’» Manson said. *‘ It’s not necessary, sir. I can manage without him.” *“ You know the way? ”’ she said. ““Yes, madame,” he said. “* I’ve done it before.” After that the taxi-driver drove away and the peasant disappeared up the hill. Manuel took the first and second mules, Miss Vane the third, and Manson the fourth. Manson had never been on a mule before and his legs seemed so much too long that he felt -gawkily ridiculous. But looking ahead, beyond Miss Vane and the provision mule to the leading figure of Manuel, he was relieved to see that Manuel looked, as he thought, still more stupid. His preoccupation with the back of Manuel’s neck had been so absorbed that he had not really noticed that Manuel was wearing the black suit of a waiter. And as Manuel turned to look back at the column, Manson saw that he was wearing the tie, the shirt- front, and the collar too. It took three hours to climb through paths among bay tree and pine and tree-heath and an occasional eucalyptus stunted by height to the size of a currant bush, to the rest-house. As the mules marched slowly upward, jerky and rhythmical, the mountains seemed to march rapidly forward, shutting in the heat and shutting out much of the sky. And as the heat developed oppressively Manson called once to Miss Vane, “‘ You’d hardly think there would be snow up here, would you? ” “‘'There is no snow up here, sir.”’ “I thought there was always snow. After all, it’s six thousand—” ** Not on this side, sir. You’re thinking of the Santo Carlo side. There is never snow just here.” Manson did not speak again and it was half an hour before he noticed, glinting in the sun, what he thought were the iron sheds of the power-station framed in a gap ahead. ** I rather think that’s the new power-station,” he called to Miss Vane. “ They had great difficulty in getting the pipes up there—”’ “'That’s not the power-station, sir. That’s the old pumping- station for the levadas. ‘They don’t use it now.” ** ‘Where is the power-station? ’? Miss Vane said. ‘It’s over the other side, madame. You won’t be able to see it from this direction.” ‘““And where is the place you can see the two coasts from? ” she said. ‘* You know—the sea both sides? ”’ “You will be able to go there from the rest-house, madame,” he said. “It isn’t far. You'll be able to climb up there.” Manson stretched out his hand and snatched at the leaves of a eucalyptus tree, crushing a leaf sharply with his fingers and then comiclbooks.conm