Avon Fantasy Reader No. 12 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

surgery, My countrymen were adepts at grafting when your Western ‘colleges were being built. Recently we have studied your work and gone ahead tremendously. Animals farnish our greatest field of experi- mentation. You have secn some poor specimens in the cages of Omar Sung Loo's kampong. He has a market for side-show freaks. We hope he will be able to sell the talking apes which we have successfully produced. It has beeu possible for us to transplant human brains into the skulls of orang-oulangs and have them survive. But unfortunately our greatest prize, a man of your race, escaped with a Malay ape man. They brought me a native girl who was operated upon, but stole her before licr wound healed. She may not survive, for such operations need care in treatment. Those men-apes you see in the kampong speak no English and will not be so valuable for side-show purposes in European countries. So you sce how grateful Lam that Rourke, the man-ape who captured you, dropped you here. Lhope you will enjoy our hospitality until we can trap another orang-outang.” The sinister menace of the Chinese’s words was some time pene- trating Dineen’s mind. Tle was given highly spiced curry and cool drinks, which he ate and drank gratefully, Then he slept and wakened behind the mosquito-netting, of the cot in a contented lethargy only disturbed by the Glauking chains and hoarse cries of the ape prisoners. A coolie led hitn to a bath house and handed him fresh pajamas, comforting and cool to his flesh. Me was enjoying the rest, the well- seasoned food and drinks. His body and brain were still too exhausted to anticipate danger or defend himself against it Kxcept for the chained apes, the place was quict and deserted, yet the jungle seemed noisict than usual by day, beyond the bamboo fence. He rose and strolled toward the fence, but two natives appeared armed with ugly-looking krisses and herded him ignominiously back to the porch, where one stood guard while the other summoned the Chinese surgeon. Courtcous of speech vet blandly cruel, the surgeon jiformed Dineen more fully of the horror awaiting him. “You must not leave the house.” Anger of the white man toward the Orieutal stoicism roused Dineen’s rage. “Tl go where 1 damn please,” he cried. “And you'll stop me at your i peril. My men are not far away, remember.” ‘ “They cannot enter here,” said the Chinese. “Nor are you free to i} leave, Dincen. T could not part with so_ fortunate a guest for the / experiment Lhave in view, your own intelligent, trained and educated > brain. I lost Rourke, but I shall not risk losing you. Better have another ~ — drink, Mr. Dineen, to quiet your nerves.” ‘4 “Not auother drop,” shouted Dineen, “I believe you doped my drinks.” 93 : comichbooks.com