v.

:有

THE.. THRILL BOOK

- - .. SEMIMONTHLY •• ••
••

VoL 111 CONTENTS FOR OCTOBER 15, 1919 No. 2

COMPLETE NOVELS
Juju . - Murray Leinster . 3
Whe泊JEtratm-oqzitJTFG。也fLlar古γzi品已品可ZJif;給
adventure.
Hands Invisible William H. . Koloed • u4
There are a l1 sorts of mystertous bappenlngs in _~e _republlc !>f Oro Bamba-and
then - a murdered mãn 18 projecfed apparently from nowhere.
SERIALS
Tbe Oift.Wif. R. upert Hu h e. . _
Part 111 of t h18 fasclnatlng Ortental wonder tale of a -quasldual personallty.
, fl
The Heacts .0'
Cerberas F t'a nds St~veRtl .. L ' - '
The 'Onal iñøtãiï Ïnëñ i: -è)! tbe !antastlc adventures _oI Terence_ _~r_e nmore and h1a
le3
- cömpañ1õñs--fií--UliÙila and tbe Philadelphla o! tbe year 2118.
SHORT STORJts
Tbe U1tin恤金e I lI gredleftt. • Oreye ..甸岫. • 45
An In v1 slble man story-but qulte dltferent !rom the usual development of thls ldea.
Amaratite R.叫pbR。“er 16
It was a wonder!ul lnventlon. and 1t proved the Intellectual and eveT1 other 80rt
of 8u~rtorlt1 of Ml lI80url over Connectlcut.
The Mystery of the TSEmber Tract . . . F r a n c i s M e t c - t f e . . m
A Nortb Wo吋s m1øteη. A good sto 1'1 to r~d ln fTont of a log ft.r e on a storD7
evenl~
Like Priaces - . Eugeøe A. Claøcy ..
De øcrlblng the adventuref. both nautlcal and amorouø. of Captaln Hexallleter ancl
the sentlmental øtoker.
Figure Nine . Horatio WiR吋~w • l.!4
The m岫 wa8 straogely . haunted b1 the number n1ne--and the reasOD turns oat
to be a very odd on:e
A R. ecruit lor the LamlÞs . _. I,.. R... R. idge .' _:. "- ..~. 130
T'iíë -ëãptasñ bëìíeTe d--iti - 8IIPUe4 - pøychology-even when -tt calie to cJeallDc WttJa
Fl llplno wlld m-en
MISCELLANEOUS mum
Conceming tll e- Pithecantbropus Erect喝一Verse W. B. Horner
81ind and La m e- A Sketch • E 已. Beclnvitb
A 8allade of Morgan-Verse . William van Wy c:k
DEPARTMENTS
In the Sh adows of Infinity-Strange Experiences. 158
Cross-Trails Tbe Eð“.,. 妞，

flablieJI ~i 個 isso 吋Sem imon山.， by ~ '" Smi th. Corpor帥 011. 咚89 8e..en tb A 胃nae ， New Y OI'包尬)'. OR圈。 ND G..

FT也說:泣，如咒fLTrs對57222可品r軒說可i~~hl!'1i. ~ι海艾先鼠也mzJMZ
認自哲們品I~~官泌的Erral?你TtLei心協晶宮hT獄宅SZZ-2zrz話
,‘.32. F ONi 1lD.“
..ItM 瞞自-0. not 凹恤佇ibe lhroullh 阿四個 llcknown to y 咽 . f'.AX可 laiu 個 are daily rn剖. by pe"",,"" lhuI vídlmi.祖.
"﹒N>RT風1fT - - Áatho呵，時間 18 and po bl i8hen 固唔，明白""t吋 to note that thi. ftrm do團n<>t bold ibelf r甘pon.ible for
t回國 o( onaoliciUld ØI岫回.cn pls wbile at Ùlia .....or ÎII 個祖國的 aad 伯國 it 自臨圓圓 anð咽曲曲" to hoId uncalled for
g區a回.，..; p國 for ﹒ longer peri吋 than .ia months_ [! U回 retarn of m&DU區到lJ t i. esp軒te-J ， P咽 tage Ih回Id be indcNd.

rOR，且.. SUBSCRIPTlON~ $3.60 51NGU COPIE5~ ., 5 C E1V'J'S

k. F
J
 Announeing an Imporlanl
Cbange
Owingωour wish to give a little more time and care to
the preparation of each n Umber of the THRILL BOOK , until
the magazine conforms to our ideal of what a publication
of this character should be, we have decided, beginning with
the next issue , to publish the THRILL BOOK once a month ,
Ín stead of selÍli.monthly 船 heretofore.
You may therefore Iω，k for the next number at your news-
"deal臂's on November 15th. It WiII be dated December. In like
JDanner, the January number WiII be pub1ished on December
15th and 盼徊， until further notice. AlI 8ubscriptions WiII
.be extended 甜甜 to give readers the full value for which
tb句 have paid.

Among the good things in store for readeJ'8 of our next Î88ue are:
FOR ART'S SAKE IMPUISE
~ TOD ROBBINS ~ FRANCIS STEYENS
A two- part serial in accordance with our A short story by fhe author of “ The Heads
new arrangement to present all our serials of Cerberus." This time the scene is laid
in their entirety in two successive issues. A among the Society Islands in the Southern
powerful piece of drarnatic writing. Pacific.

GIFI'S OF TSIN I .EE JOBN JAMES 1748-1788

~U:SI且E BURTON BLADES
Ch inese magic and sorcery play a big part
in thès stirring narrative of adventure in the
Far East. A complete novel replete with
.action andthe vivid coloring of the Orien t.
117 IIEBA . . COIlNELL
Tb~ romance of a man who never found
his sweetheart in lif e, but had to wait until
he had been in the land of shadows for a
century or more.

MEDUSA'S VENOM 'fBE GIFI'- WIFE

~ B. BEDFOR.,."ONES
A tale of modern Greece. A short but
tremendously gripping acc è:>unt of what be-
fell a group of scouts who were sent to seek
a Turkish regiment that had disappeared.
B)' R 1JPERT BUGBES
An other instal1 ment of 也is b吋Iliantly­
written serial wherein a quasi-dual person-
ality carries its possessor into an .odd series
of adventures and mishaps.

Order the D酬~mber numbe~ut on November 自由一

from your newsdealer and see for your前u.
 Semi 何onth JyC!，
Vol. 四 OCTOBER 路，
J吵1:1.
"γ位ama~r
CHAPTERJ.
AN AFRICAN NIGH 'L
F叫做 j咖 ho間做耐chd時
tor emerged, bedaubed with col-
ored earths and br可ht ashes. The
drums reriew-e d their f rantic, Tesound-
ing thunder. The torchbearers 'Capered
more actively, and yelled - more ex-
citedly. The drumrning had gone 叫
all day and its hypnotic .effect had cul-
rninated in a species of ecstasy in which
the blacks yelled and ca,pered , and c~
pered and yelled, without any clear no-
tion of why or what they yelled.
With great solemnity, the witch doé-
tor led forward a young native girl,
her face bedaubed with high juju sigìts.
She was in the last stage of panic. 1f
she did not fl咽， it was because she
believed a worse fate awaited her flight
than if she subrnitted to wb割的er was
in store for her now.
1919 No. )
Two men stepped forward and threw.
n e<:klaces of rnagic import about hel'
neck. Two other nren who upo:n酬〉
casion acted as the assistants of the
chief witch doctor seized the , girl's
hands. The shouting mass ~ bladcs
fonned tbemselves into a 欽揪 of
cotumn.
At the front were the drnms , thosè
incredible native drums hoUO'閑õ ' 個尬
。 f a sin抉 l嗯" and which come from
the yet unknown fastnesses ()f the'
darkest interior, far back of La ke
Tchad. Behind thern cæne the torch-,
bearers, yelling a rhythmic chant and
capering in almost unbenevable atri-
tudes as they passed along. Next came .
the witch doctor , important and tnyst已
rious. Behind him came 口lOre torch-
bearers, yelling hysterica l1 y at the st1.; -
rounding darkness: Th en came the
two assistants, _dragging ~he young 計rl
who was alrnost paralyzed with ter-
4 民J]U
'r ól'. An d the entire popùlatioa of the
討 llage foItowedin their wake, cä:叮y­
lng flarning lights and yelling, yelling,
yelling at 出e ete!"nally unarnazed Afii-
can forest.
The tall, dank tree trunks loomed
mysteriously above the band of vocif-
erous natives, with their thumping,
rumbling , booming drums sounding -
hollowly from the front of the proces-
sion. The lights wound into the for-
est , deep into the unknown and un-
knowable bush. The yelling became
fainter , but the drums continued to
boom out - monotonously through the
throbbing silence of the African night.
Boom , boom, boom, boom! N ever a
variation from the steady beat， 了 though
the sound was. muted by the distance
it had to travel before reaching us.
1 glanced aeross to where Evan
Graham sat smoking. We were on
tbe veranda of the casa on his planta-
tion, four weeks' march from -the city
of Ticao, in the province of Ticao,
J;>ortuguese West Africa. From the ve-
randa we could see through the c1 eared
way to the village, a half mile away ,
and the whole scene of the juju pro-
cession had been spread before our
eyes like a play.
It puzzled me. 1 knew Evan made
tlo faintest attempt to Christianize his
slaves-and the v i1l agers were surely
his slaves-and yet , white men do not
often a l1 0w witch doctors to、 flourish in
their slave quarters. Ap d the gi r1 who
had been led away-I had no idea what
might become of her. V oodoo sti11 puts
out its head in strange fonns in strange
places. It might we l1 be that some hell-
ish ceremony woutd take place far back
in the bush that night.
\Vhatever was to happen had been
planned long before , because 1 had ar-
rived some four hours previously
from a trip up beyond the Hungi'y
Country, and the drums were beating
then. 1 lQOked curiously at Evan to
see what he thought of the open prac-
nce, of juju. by 剖s slaVi自 under their
mastér' s eyes~ His ' eXpr臼sion was in-
scrutable. 1 lmew better 也an to 訟k
questions, but 1 could not help won-
dering what it all meant. Evan was a
queer sorf; at best, but to allow his
native to practice black magic-as was
evidently the case here-一before his very
nose was queerer than anything he had
done before.
He was not taken by surprise, 1
know. 1 had heard the drums that
afternoon , long before 1 entered the
village. They were beating with the
rhythmic monotony that is so typical
of the African when he is disturbed
in spirit and wants ' to be comforted,
or when he is comfortable and wants
excitement. Either way will do.
My “ boYs," wandering along in a
more or less listless fashion with the
conventional forty-five pounds on their
backs , had heard the drurnrning and
became more interested. My caravan
did not close up , however. It was
spread out over anywhere from a mile
to a mile and a half of the old slave
trail that goes down to Venghela, and
those in the rear hastened by precisely
the same 司egree as those in f ront.
According to instructions, the fore-
most pair -halted while still half a mile
away from the village and waited for
the rest of us to come up. For three
months 1 had been back inland, a part
of the time back even of j the Hungry
Country, where the grass is bitter to
the taste , and all the wo r1 d is ha1f
mad for satt. For three months 1 had
been moving quickty and constantly.
Having quit the country-I fervently
hope for good-it will do no harm to
admit that my con 9tant rnoving was
due less to the demands of business
than to a desire to be elsewhere when
the Betgian officials arrived. Th e Bel-
gian Kongo is just north of the prov..
ince of Ticao, and 1 had been skim-
ming its edges, buying ivory and rub-
ber from the natives across the line.
 JUJU s
The colonial g Ç)ve rn.íil ent does not en- half the rocas in Ticao~ had frightened
courage independent traders, and it or coerced the inhabitants of three 前I~
would not have been pleasant for me Iages into signing the silly little COD。
had 1 been caught. ln Ticao, of course, tracts that bind them to work fora
1 was not molested. A small honora呵 white man for so many years at ridict1"-
rium to the governor of the province lous wage , and now had a plantati òi1'
made him my friend , and my conscience that was tremendously pro品table.
did not bother me. . 1 paid ten times 1 never had understood . j ust how he
the prices the natives usually got and made the b1acks serve him so wcl I. H~
1 imposed no fines or contributions on seemed to ha ve them frightened nearly
the v i1l ages. lf you know anything to death. Most plantations have the
about the Kongo , you will regard me as slave quarters-the blacks are 0伍 cially
1 regarded myself-as more or less of “contrα hidos ，" or contract laborers, but
a benefacto r. in practice thεy are sIa ~s-most plan-
After three months of that , though , tations . have the slave quarters sur-
and two or three close shaves from a rounded by a barbed-wire fence , and
choice of fighting or capture , 1 was let savage dogs loose outside ,t he fence
glad to get back to civilization, even at night , but Graham a l1 0wed his na-
s t1 ch civilization as Evan Graham's 'tives to live in the vi lI ages they had
casa. Away from Ticao , Evan Graham occupied before his coming and seemed
would have been shunned for the sort to take no precautions against their run-
of man he was. ln Ticao , one is oot mng away.
particular. There are few enough This open practice of juju before
Anglo-Saxon white men of any 50rt- his eyes and . apparently with his con-
thεtwo consuls , half a dozen nuss lO n- sent was -tl f a piece with th e. rest of
aries , and about three men like my- his queerness. My own boys always
self , who take chances in the interior. seemed to be gIad to get away from
The rest of the population is either the neighborhood of his plantation. 1
Portuguese or black , preponderatingly had heard a word or two passed among
black, with a blending layer of half- them that seemed to hint at a juju house
and quarter-breeds. in some secret cI earing near the vi1-
Evan was a cad and several dif- Iage. 1 had thought it possible that
ferent kinds of an animal , but he was it was by means of some mummery in
~ white man , he talked English such as that temple that he kept his nati ves in
one hears at home , and he had a pooI hand , but juju is a dangerous thing for
table and civilized drinks a l1 ûf four a white man to meddle with.
weeks' march from the city of Ticao. In any event it was none of my busi-
1 always stopped overnight with him on ness. 1 was sitting on his porch , one
my way back from the interior. 1 knew of his drinks at my elbow , smoking
that he had bribed the governor to over- one of his cigarettes especial1 y imported
look the law which prescribes that no from London , and it behooved me to
white man shall settle more than forty display no curiosity unless he should
kilometers from a f。此， because he choose to spea k. He looked over at
wanted to have a free hand with his me and smiled quizzica lI y.
natives. 1 knew , too , that he had no “ 1 wonder what those poor devils
shred of ti t1e to 出 e land he tilled , or think they get by a lI that juju palaver,"
to the services of the natives he forced he said ruminatively.
to work in his fields. He had come out “ 1 don't know ," 1 admitted. “ My
there with four or five of the dingy- own boys are constantly at it , of course.
brown half-castes that are oversee-rs for There's a witch doc t:or just outside o f.
6 JUJU
Venghela who' Jt be. rich when my cara- “ Nô rottenet than this," 1 said dis-
van gets there , for his services in b討 ng- gustedly. “ 1 had three weeks of fever
j !1g my bearers back without fa l1i ng up in the Kongo , with a Belgian Kongo
Jnto thεtend e r hands of our neigh- Company agent after me the whole
;oors." time. I' m still shaky from it. When
My carriers were free men , whom .1 1 can go back to white man's country
bired and paid. It would ha.ve been again-一"
.cbeaper' to adopt the servαçal system .1 stopped. Graham was lighting a
;md buy contract slaves for carriers, cigarette , and 1 noticed that the flame
but being f ree men they 5'位ved my wavered as he held the match. There
purpose better. For one thing , they . are some men who are cold sober" up
gave the Kongo natives more c6nfidence to a certain point, and then what they
in me , and for another, they traveled have drunk takes hold of them all
faster when there was danger of yur- at once. Graham was such a person.
紋lÏt. A slave woúld merely have When he spoke again his words were
d祖nged masters if "1 had been caught, . slurred and sluggish.
but these men had something to lose. “Wh ite man's country," he repeated
勻 'm going to stop this juju sooner uncertainly, and then made ån effort
ør later ," said Graham lazily. “ My to speak clea r1y. 勻 'm goin' back some
枷other Arthur 、 has come out "and is day. Got dear old home, family serv~
包ip after a gori l1a -i n the Congo-prob- ants , broad lawn一吋verything. N ot
ably around where you've been-and mine though. Y ounger son. Had to
lle's been asking me to hold on to a win hearth an' saddle of m'own. Ar-
rreal juju doctor for him to interview. thur's got it a l1, damn him. Always
When he's through , 1 thi tik: I'll stop was lucky beggar. Go t all family es-
a l1 that. Queer old duck of . a witch tates , a l1 income , 1 got nothing. Then
d做這or here." 1 liked girl. Second cousin. Arthur
He c1 apped his hands and one of got her , o_r goin' to: Engaged. Damn
甘le house servants caïne out with a lucky beggar. Always was lucky chap.
$iphon and bott1e of gin. The man Stea~y and dependable. Damn stogy,
was trembling as he stood beside his 1 thin k. Told him so. Cal1ed him a
rnaster's chai r. Grahåm snapped two ‘ 一一一一一一一- an' he kicked me out.
。r three words in the local dialect and A l1 because 1 got into trouble and
the man's knees threatened to gîve way. signed his name to somethin'，旬 get
Jle fled precipitately into the house and out."
catne out again- t rembling more vio- “ Easy there , Graham ," 1 wamed. “ I
lenfly~with limes. don't want to hea
 JUJU
cries of night birds and insects, and 倪­
casionally an animal sound , seemed nat-
ural and normal , but tbe muttering of
those drums with that indescrihable
hollow tone they possess , seemed to
portend a strange event.
“ Juju," said Grabam abrupt旬，“is t!1 e
key to the African mind. 1 don't give
a damn for the natives. All 1 care
àbout is what 1 can get out of this
country, but 1 say 出 át juju is the key
to the African mind."
1 smoked on a moment in silence.
“I' d rather not meddle with it," 1 呵，
marked. “ Sooner or later it means
ground glass in your coffee of a morn-
ing. Just bdore 1 left Ticao , Da
Cunha found some in his. He shot his
cook and then found it was another
boy entire1 y."
勻 'd have w; hipped him to d位也
with a chiboka," said Graham viciøusly.
“ Tha t' s what Da Cunha did," 1 inr
formed him mildly. “ But 仕le gov-
ernor's made him leave Tica:o for s~
months. He's over i l1l Mozambiqne."
“ My boys'1-l never dare 廿Y to poison
me," declared Graham. He 11臼ned t~
ward me in drunken confidence. “ They
believe that if they did-一"
“'i he procession has started again/'
1 said , interrupting him. “ 1 hear the
yelling."
1t was so. The- drums still beat
mçmotonously and rhythmical旬， but be-
neath their deep bass muttering, a fain t,
high , continuous sound could be heard.
The procession seemed t O' be making
its way back to the village.
勻 'm goir且 to lred," announced
Graham sharply. "Y ou go t' bed too.
Ðon't sit out here an' smoke. Go to
bed."
He stood ap and waited for me to
enter the house. Puzzl~d， .and rathel'
annoyed ,. I went insi<ie. 1 heard
Graham walk heavi炒 and uncertainly
through to the rear ~ and heard him
speak to severa:l of the servants. The 可
contrast between his rasping, harsh
7
tones and the f rightened voices of hiø
servants was complete. They were
very evidently in deadly fear of h im.
The sound of the procession grew ~
louder and loude r. Something about
it perplexed me for ,.a moment , but theQ
1 realized that it was not making dired
for the village. " It was coming toward
the house. 1 frowned a moment , and
looked to make sure that my aut o-
matic was handy and ~n proper wQrk';;
ing order.
The procession was very near. 1
looked out of the window and saw the
twin的 ing lights of the to的 es througa
the bush. The drums were thunderou$
now , Ðut the b且t was not the war beat:..
It was 、 purely ceremoni à1. The yel....
ing was high-pitched and continuous.
The head of the procession emerged :
from the bush and advanced across the
dearing about the house. It swung
arrd headed for the rear of the house,
, and the long line of capering, torch-
1xaring humanity followed it.
The wit<l: h doctor came into viewA
and t1re girl.. Her panic had reachecl
i臼 pitch now.. 1 have never seen suc&
ultimate tea-r a s. was expressed on that
girl's face" outlin~ by the flickeri n;
light of 出e torches. The processi~
moved until the end had passed beyond
the rear corner ot 由e 臼鈍， then tumed
and evidenÚy tumed again.
1 saw it moving bac.:k toward the
village. A pregnant fact impressed me!
The native girl was missing. She had
e~dently been left behind somewhere
about the rear of the house. The yeH-
ing mass of black humanity capered
and shrilJed' its way down the cleared
way to the village and gathered in froa~
of the juju house.
Then some dance or cerem憫，
seen;ted - to begin. What it w品， 1 dø
not know. 1 was /very ti :red and pre:s甘
ent1y 1 went to sleep. But the drums
beat . steadily, a11 night long. TheJ' I
entetred the fabric (}f mý dreams anG.
.made my 自st uneasy. 1t cou1 d not.
8 JUJU
ha. ye been long before morning when
1 awoke with a start and found myse1f
sitting up with every nerve tense.
There was no sound, but 1 had a feel-
ing as i f 1 had been a wakened by a
5c ream , somewhere about the house.
CHAPTER 11.
THE SEEKER OF VENGEANCE.
TH~1 told
~ _~~nt~~!_ ~:~~~~ ~~v~?，-， ~~l~
him about it. He had asked
me to give aII the information 1 could
about Graham. We were on the porch
of the consulate and the whole cÎty of
Ticao was spread out before us. The
sea pounded restlessly against the low
bluffs upon whÌch the city was built ,
and surged angrily about the penin-
sula on which the fort is si t1.且ated.
“ 1 woke in 由e middle of the night,"
1 concluded ,“ feeling that there had
been a scream somewhere in the house ,
OOt not another sound came. 1 couldn't
get to sleep again, and in -thé moming
1 noticed that 出e gi r1 who had seemed
to be the center 、of interest in the juju
pr前 ession had been insta l1ed as a serv-
ant at the house. An other one of the
servants had vanished. :rhe new gi r1
1∞ked pitifu I1y 民ared， perpetua Ily
panic-stricken ，出ough 出e rest of the
servants look frightened enough, in a11
conscience. That's all 1 know."
The consul tugged thoughtfully at rus
mustache.
“ Now why一-一" he began, and
stopped. “ Themail boat dropped two
Englishwomen here on her last trip , a
Mrs. Braymore ånd a Miss Dalforth.
Charming women , both of them. They
are caIIing on the governor's wife this
afternoon. They ~me to me and asked
me to assist them in getting up to Gra-
ham's plantation. - They told me he was
Miss Da If orth's cou這n"
1 nodd &d, f rowning. “ He said that
líis cousin-second cousin-would pos-
sibly tum up. . His brother is u p--in the
Kongo somew here trying. to bag gorillas
and is going .1 0 come fròm there on
through and stop at hìs place. Miss
DaIf orth is þrobably the second cousin
and is engaged to the brother who is
hunting."
“ Hm." The consullooked somewhat
relieved. “ 1 see. ' But why on earth
should two women want to go up there?
Do 'you think they'd be safe?"
“ 1 don't know," 1 said dubiously~
“ Tnere's no fort anywhere near , and
the natives are scared stiff. ' They might
bolt, but Graham seems to ha ve them
thoroughly in hand. tf the ladies once
reached the plantation, they'd probably
be safe enough, and Graham's
brother could bring them down to the
coast again. The plantation is _a queer
place, though. 1 think there's juju
in the aÌr. I'd discourage them from
going, if 1 could."
“I've tried ," said the consu1.“I've
info fñ:l ëd them what sort the P。此u­
guese traders are , and told them 1 sim~
ply wouldn't let them go up alone , or
with one of those chaps as escort. 1
didn't know anything about Graþam:
They inquired around for an escort,
and one of the missionaries mentioned
you."
“ As a respectable person?" 1 asked
with a smile.
The consul nodded , matching my
smile. “ They have quite decided that
you are to escort them to Graham's
plantation. 1 don't think you' l1 refuse ,"
he added , when 1 shook my _ head.
“ Miss Dalforth impressed me as a
young woman accustomed to having
her way. .She saw the governor and
smiled at him , and he agieed that you
wöuld be the best possiblê person. In
fact , he said he would ask you himself."
汀 'm not leaving for a month ," 1 told
him. “ I've had enough of the back
country .for at least that long, and my
carriers need a rest."
“ We'l1 see," said the consul ruefully.
“1'11 wager she has you se組ng out in
a week."
 其1JU
He was nearly right at that. 1 was in-
troduced to the two of them, and Miss
Dalforth was all that he had said. 1
had to give my bearers a rest , however,
and it was two weeks before we set
out.
It was a hindrance , having women
with me. They trav eI ed in an ox cart ,
and at nearly every stream the wheels
had to be taken off and a tarpaulin
fixed about the body of the wagon
to make it into a raftlike flo剖， in which
they were ferried across. Had Miss
Dalforth一-o r Alic悶， as 1 heard Mrs.
Braymore call her-had Alicia been
less charming, or less anxious to cause
as little trouble as possible, 1 would
have cursed them nearly the entire
time. As it was , 1 bore the delays with
equammlty.
They wer~ delighted the first day
when we went up the trail to Venghela.
1 showed them the street lamp at which
the great slave trail fr9J1l the interior
ended , and they looked dubious. When
1 showed them the Padre Silvestre's
mission , with its three villages of re-
deemed slaves , they grew a little bit
white and quiet.
The padre tried to persuade them not
to go on , but as luck would have 祉，
a runner came in on his way to Ticao
with a message from Graham. His
brother had arrived from the interior.
That strengthened their resolution. We
continued the journey.
While on the trail 1 could not speak
to them , being busily engaged in the
supervls lOn of my caravan. At night ,
however, we conversed. It was good
to hear cultivated white women talk
again and talk about something besides
the slave tra伍已 the missionary wom-
en's sole topic when they find a 1is-
tener who can be trusted not to repeat
their views to the governor.
The natives are kidnaped or captured
far in the interior, brought down to the
coast , and frankly sold. Then they
are interviewed and , ä. fter making a
9
mark upon a bit of printed paper, are
considered to have made a contract .tQ
serve a white man for four years at
one milreis-about a dollar--a month.
To ca l1 it slave traffic is highly in~ .
su 1t ing to the Portuguese, but to call it:
the scrvaçal . system is inadequate.
They are . servαgα es， or contrahidos.久
which means contract laborers, in th e.-.
ory , but in practice they are slaves~
They never see their nati ve villages:
again. The slave trail from the inte-
rior is littered with the manacles used
to confine them , and there are gru e-
some relics aII along the way , of those
natives who were unable to bear the
hardships of the journey.
1 told them of these things. 1 told
them of how the Padre Silvestre sac討­
ficed his very soul to keep his villagers
from being sold again às servaçacs , how
the blacks rose on Da Vega's plantation
and sacked 祉， and all 1 knew of the
whole disgusting system. 1 had no in-
tention of making myself a hero-and
my conscience sti l1 hurts me when 1
think of some of the things 1 grew
absolutely accustomed t o-but 1 did
allow myself to show my feelings on
the subject of Portuguese government.
Alicia listened , and one night when
1 had eXplained to them precisely what
it means for a black to be sent to the
island of San Felipe or Gom 忌， she held
out her hand to me very gravely.
“ 1 think it is veηr brave of you ," she
said ,“ to stay here and do what you
can to help the poor blacks."
1 stared ather, tempted to laugh~
"孔1: y d巴ar young lady ," 1 told her,“I
am an outlaw , practically , who trades
with the Kongo natives and attempts to
elude the Belgian 0伍cials as much as
possible. I' m tolerated here in Ticao
because 1 bribe the Portuguese. I'm
no hero. To the Belgians 1 am practi-
caHy what an 1. D. B. is in the Trans~
valle 、 And .you know what an i1Iicit
di amond buyer is considered."
“ 1 don 't b eI ieve it ," she said firmly:
 10 JU只Y

“Iìhi叫c y o.u stay here t o. help the p o.o. r f o.ur miles d o.wn the trai 1. 1 was pleas-
natives." antly surprised at the sight o. f Gra-
She was s o. beautifully sincere 1n åt- ham's br o. ther. Years bef o. re hehad
.tributing the n o. blest m o. tives t o. me that been at a little English seaside res o. rt
Ico. uld n o. t laugh at her. Her blessed where 1 was spending the summer and
;inc o. mprehensi o. n made me f o. rbear t o. we had gr o. wn very friendly. He kissed
kick Mb o. ka , wh o. is my 0.的 cial gun Alicia in a br o. therly fashi o. n and sh o.o. k
bearer and lieutenant, when he 10. st the hands .w ith me.
b o. lt o. f my best rifle and threw away “I. perpetrate a bro. mide," he said
the weap o. n to co. nceal his misd o.ing. quizzica.lI)人“The w o.r1d is a small
1 had t o. kick him twice o. ver the day place."
f o. ll o. wing f o. r the lapse, when he t o.o.k “ Arthur G x:aham!" 1 exclaill).ed. “ I
advantage o. f my lenience and st o.le half knew y o.u in Clo.velly six y,ears ago.."
o. f my jam. “ Y o.u're right," he said cheerfully.
She was a char.ming gir1. Mrs. Bray- “ H o. w are y o.u. n o. w? Then y o.u .were
m o. re was suffering in the j o. urneying flirting mildly with a buxo. m ' Devo. n
and st o. ically relapsed into. silence t o. co.n- lassie."
ceal her em o. ti o.n , but Alicia:- was per- .U And. n o. w we meet in darkest
petua l1 j lively ' and eager f o. r new Africa," . 1 油站， smiling. “Let'g m o. ve
things o. f intetest. on."
She s o.o. n grew t o.- addpt a t o. ne o. f We went f o. rward again , Alic泊， ln
frank friendliness with m e, and 1 had the o.x cart, gayly retai1i ng t o. the tw o.
t o. remind myself m o.t"e than. o. nce that . bro.thers o.ur adventures 9i1 the trip
she was engag.ed t o. Graham's bro.ther, ~. 1 was rathèr surprised t o. n o. tice
and that it w o.uld n o. t d o. f o. r me t o. that b o. th. o. f them were heavily armed ,
fall in lo. ve with her. It was . o. dd about and it b o.thered, me a little. lt lo.oked
her engagement, th o. ugh. She spuke as if there were tro. uble with the na-
o. Í her fiancé quite simpl比 but without tives. Each o. f the tw o. brothers car-
any excess o. f affection, Irt fact , she ried a heavy repeating rifle besides an
' c o. nfessed that she thou在ht o. f him. m o. re au的matic . pistol. in his belt，缸ld Arthur
as a brother th~ any:thing eISe. All lo.o.ked decidedly wo. rn, th o. ugh 1 saw
three o. f theni , Graham, his bro.ther that he was t t:ying t o. co.nceal- it .fr o. m
缸ld Alicia , na d. been. raised together Al ieia.
and were verý mucl1 like brothe r.s and My .s u:spicion, was c o.nfirmed when
sister. 1 o.bserved that，-也。ttgh he 甘ied n o.t t o.
1 t o. ld mysel f.. ster.n旬; that, n o. matter let Alieia see 祉， he w.as keenly: searéh-
h o. w she felt ab o. ut her.. ~忌， . she was ing the way ahead 0.五 us with his e
 JUJU II

preoccupied. His -riße was never far “What's the matter?" 1 demarided.
from a position in readiness to fling “It isn't the natives. What is the mat-
it to his shoulder, and his ey臼 roved ter?"
res t1 essly about with a species of dread He looked about anxiously. “ 1 shot
in them. 1 walked close to him. a female gorilla up in the Kongo ," he
“ Arthur," 1 said in a low tone that s~lÏ d jerkily,‘ 'and her mat亡 got away.
Alicia would not catch. “ Y ou're nerv- He's followed my caravan ever sincè,
ous. N atives ?" up .to two weeks ago. Then 1 hit him
,

“ They're acting queerly, but it' s with a lucky shot, but he escaped. Y 0 1,1
worse than that戶 he said in the same know they will try to kill the slayer of
low tone , glancing at Alicia to make their mate."
sure her attention was elsewnere. “I'd “ 1 know," 1 replied. “ One of them
give 缸lything 1 possess to have Alicia followed me for three weeks once, until
somewhere else. 1'11 teU you later. 1 bushwhacked and killed him."
Just keep your eyes open and, íí you see “ 1 shot this female," said Arthut
anything, shoot quickly." quickly. “ 1 shot her through th e- hip
E vati did not seem to be worried. and she screaníed for her mate. She
He was strolling leisurely along, using couldn't get away. He came crashing
his rifle as a walking stick, talking cas- through the trees , and 1 fired at him;,'
ually to Alicia. His manners were 1 thought he'd yanished and went up
very good and his voice was soft, very to the female. 1 finished her 0缸， and
unlike the rasping snarl 1 had heard then the male came for rne. 1 shot
him use to his servants. Looking him th r:ough the arm and he made off.
clo認ly at him, 1 could seeρnmistakable A l1 that night he moan c;d and shrieked
signs that he had been drinking heavily around my camp. My boys were badly
of late. He seemed quite sober to'-day, frightened. N ext morning he dropped
though. The contrast between his care- from a tree inside the carnp, knocked
less attitude and Arthur's worried air the, heads of two of my carriers t o-
was striking. We saw one or two na- gether, and crushed in their skulls. 1
tives on our way to the house, and rushed out with a gun añd he di且?
they promptly hid themselves in the peared. Three days later he dropped
bush. Arthur paid no attention to them. straight out of a tree a 1most over 'my
Whatever the trouble might be, it was head and made for me. One of my
not the blacks that he _feared , though boys was c~~aning a spear, directly in
he had said they were acting queerly. the path of the gòri l1a. He tried to ,

He led me aside almost as soon as run the beast through , but it stoppe.d
we reached the casa. 1 told Mboka' 1:0 long enough to breàkhis neck and by
pile and count the loads, and sent the that time I'd -got a gun.---- The gori l1a:
carriers to the qua此ers they would find disappeared again. From that time on
ready for them. Evan was inside the it haùnted me. If one or two of my
,

house , instal1ing AliCi a and Mrs. Bray- boys strayed from the camp, they didn't
more in their rooms , and showing them come back. The beast has ki l1 ed six
the servants who would wait on them. .o f- my best carriers and my gun bearer.
Aithur came over to me with a wor- An d 1 never got a fair shot at it! 1
ried fro w: n. fired at it two weeks ago and 1 found
“ 1 say, Murray," he told me nerv- blood where it had been, but no sign
ously. 汀， d -a sk you to take Alicia back
, of the beast itse1f. Since then I've.
to the coast ，!o-mortow 任 1 dared; but been left in peace."
she's here now, and it would be just “ The animal may have dropped th~.
as dangerous for her to go back." trai1, or it may be dead," 1 commentèd
 1.2 JUJU
tihòughtfu lIy,“but 1 don't blame you Your boys ' ha ve gone, too. There's
for wanting to be carefu l." juju business going on. Alld the oxen
“ The thought of that huge ape per- 出at pulled Alic旬 's cart , have been
~aps lurking outside, perhaps about to clubbed to death in their sta lI s."
.drop down at any moment, with Alicia The servants had fled from the house.
here ," said Arthur desperately, ~'it's There was not ~other whit-e man
enough to drive a inan insat\e. Yûu within a hundred and fifty miles. A1 1
know they carry off native women about us were natives who ‘might fear
sometimes. We've got to protect A1 icia. Evan Graham but certainly hated him ,
Ifjt kills me, it doesn't matter. . Evan and' somewhere in t.he woods , we had
won't believe it' s around. He's going reason to believe, a monstrous ape
armed to humor me , but the beast is lurked, awaiting aO opportunity to
near; i t' s somewhere about." wreak his bestial vengeance upon the
1 felt myself growing pale. A mo n- slayer of his mate.
.strous ape; lingering about the place
with malignant . intent, and Alicia
CHAPTER III. .
laughing unconsciously in~ide the
house , was enough to make me feel EVAN'S SORTIE.
問ueamish. '.. 1 unconsciously tightened \Y1E . explored the house first and
位可 grasp on my rifle. Alicia came out "" ~ame upon a surprise. The na-
on the porch at that moment ànd beck- tive gir1 1 had seen conducted to the
oned to us. house by the juju procession two
“ We'll not merition thi s--yet," said months before crouched in one corner.
Arthur , as we went up. She was too much frightened to give
1 nodded. Alicia was all enthusi- a I1y coherent account of the other serv-
asm about the comforts Evan had man看 ants' leaving.
aged to put intQ his. house sοfar in. They had simply gone, she sai~. No
land, and when we sat down . to din- one had said anythihg to her, and she
ner , the briglit silvér and white table于 had' been left behind. The oxén lay
cloth did give an eff.仗t of cÎviliza- in their stalls, their heads beaten 但
tion. Whe n one looked at the black with blows from a heavy iron bar that
faces of the servants who waited on lay bent on the ground bes.ide them.
的， and at the tattooing and nose rings Even my own boys had vanished. That
that dis每ured the m. however, the i l- struck me most forcibly of all , because
lusion vanished at once. 1 4ad. treated them well and had thought
1 was a 1∞g time getting to sleep 1 could count 0 1Ì as much loya1ty f rom
that night. The next morning would them as any white man can expect
see me going on my way into the .~- from the average native.
t前ior， and 1 w∞ld in all likelihood Mboka's defection really bothered
never see Alicia again. . When 1 at last , me. 1 had believed well of him alld
fell asleep, 1 was uneasy, and when 1 was in a wa y" genuinely fond of him.
woke , it was in a strangely silent house. He had gone with the rest, though.
:Evan Graham's voice aroused me. He The loads of the carriers lay in a huge
was call姆 me to get up. His ease pile. Small and precious possessio自 of
,9 f manner and absence of worry had '. my boys lay about them. That was
van
 JUJU 13
apparén t1 y risen ahd stolen away in would wait patientIy unHt íhe cbance.
shivering fear. came for him to rush upon us 缸ld­
We went back to the hou S'e from crack our skulls together without our
the servants' quarters fu11 of rather ha ving time to raise a firearm , or else,
uneasy speculations. Juj u- was obvi- untiI he could reach a hairy arm down
ously at the 'bottom o~ whatev~r was and seize us--
happening; and th f;! re is no telling what 1 have seen iron bars bent and
may enter the head of a juju doctor. twisted by the hands of T~ose hig apesι
Passing through the rear rooms , Evan A sudden thought came to . me. The
paus吋 to order the solitary native iron bar in the stables, with which tne
girl to prepare food for us. We went oxen had been c1 ubbed to death!
on to find Alicia and Mrs. Braymore We made our way cautiously down
up and curious. They were on the to the center of the c1 eared space;~
front porch when they heard us , and searching the- bush on either side with
Alicia canie inside to smile at a11 of our eyes , but affecting an unconcerlled
us and ask questions. air in case hidden watchers saw uSò
“ Where are all the servants , Evan?" We came to the village and strolled:
she demanded. “ We .had not a drop of inside. lt was absolut e1 y deserted.
water this moming. And what' s hap- N ot one man, woman, or child re-
péned to the native village? On the maified within it. Their possessions
way up here we saw lots of villages, were undisturbed , save that all their
but none of them were quite like arms were gone , but cooking pots,
yours." carved stools, skin robes, ornaments,
W e looked down at the squalid huts minor fetishes , èhildren's toys , every-
of the village. Not a sign of life thing else lay as it had last been used
could be' secm. N ot one of the usually by its owners. Onlya few native dogs
innumerablë tiny fires of a native vil- skulked around the silent huts. There
fage was burning, and the single street was not a single sign tnat gave a hint
wall absolutely deserted. of the reason for the mysterious ex-
“ We'll take a look at i丸" said Arthur odus of the native s-.
grimly. “ 1 don't 1ike this bùsiness. “I' ve not been out here long," said
Murray, you' l1 come?" Arthur crisp旬，“but I' ve leamed that-
1 picked up my rifle._and moved for- when natives do inexplicable things ,
ward. As we walked across the c1ear- juju is at the bottom of it. What do
ing before the casa, Arthur turned to you say?"
me. “ 1 agree with you. r wish 1 could
“ Don't forget abou t---that big ape, see some signs , though. 1 can read
either. He's probably waiting for- a some juju palaver. But there isn't a
chance to drop out of a tree on top sign.No charms, no ;poor whatever.
of us." We'll go back to 'the house and talk it
It was a pl臼 sanJ prospect. If we over with Evan."
went down the c1eared way toward the W e started slowly back toward the
v i11 age, we wQuld be perfect.targets for house. 1 was w a:1king on ahead , puz-
bowmen or spear throwers from the __ zling over the oddities of the situation
' bush on either side. If we went through and trying to piece togeth凹 a meaning
the bush~ we ran 包n amaz台19Iy good in it a11 . when Arthur stopped short.
chance of running up against the g o- His voice reached 1l1e; little more than
r iIl a. An d the gorilla h~d learned cun- a whisper.
ning, too, and would not expose him- “ Murray," he said sharply, “that
s e1 f to a shot if he cou1d help it. ‘ He pongo is traìling us."
14 JUJU
1 1iStened ,. but ∞u1d hear no也ing. 1'11 throw a scare into 也個1 也at w Ul
One would hardly eJÇpect a white ma且's last them ten years. If 1 know anything
ears to detect a gorilla taking special of juju一一一"
.p ains to be quiet. Arthur seemed to “ What?" 1 asked
hear something, however. He qu 山i記
etl句
y
raised his 吋 rifte. 1 followed the direc- . permission hereafter," Ev.an said
tion in which he was pointing, but could grim1y.
see nothing. He frred. A branch He seemed to be in a cold fury. Re-
swayed slightI y where his bu lIet had membering the abject fear in which his
grazed 祉， but aside from that there slaves seemed to be a l1 the time, 1 won-
was no sign. dered what he might have in store for
“ 1 didn't see a thing," 1 remark'ed. thèm. 1 opened my mouth to protest
Arthur shook his head. “It may be against his trying to look for his na-
nerves ," he said quie tIy.
damned beast has haunted me, but 1 which my boys had hinted , concealed
think 1 saw it." in some hidden cI eàring near the vil-
We went on. up to the house slowly. lage, might hold a secret by which he
Just before we reached the porch Ar- controIled them. In any event, he knew
thur looked at me pitifully. his own natives best.
“ 1 heard it following us all the way," We went into the house and sat down
he told me. The perspiration was stand- to breakfast. We must have made a
ing out on his forehead. “ lt is there, qtleer sight, sitting there before that
and it is waiting for a chance to re. spotless table , our clothing disheveled
venge itself 0 0' me; An d the beast has and hastily donned , our rifles leaning
learned cunningl We must look out against our chairs. Neither Arthur nor
for Alicia戶" myself could eat more than a little , but
1 nodde也 E:v祖 was waiting for us. Evan's. appetite seemed undiminished.
“ Findanything?" he called down.. The native girl waited on us, the lurk-
"What CUd yo~ shoot at?" ing panic in her eyes never very far
“ The goriUa," said Arthur in a low . from the surface. It seemed nearest
tone. “It's there and it's determined. when she looked at Evan.
We'd better warn Alicia and Mrs~ 1 was most worried about my own
Braymore." boys. It was decidedly: queer that they
Evan looked dubiou.s.“Did Mucray had dese抗ed me, especially Mboka.
see it?" He had been wÍth me for all of a year,
1 shook m ,. head. and 1 had rea l1 y grown to trust . him.
Evan frown ed. thoughtf u11y. “Ar- He had gone with the others, though ,
thur , old chap, it may: be just nerves. and the very mysteryof his disappear-
Tbe women have enough to worr.y them anc1! seemed to add som
 JUJU 15
was spreading secretly over the whole back fearfully. While he stared out
of West Africa. The story ran that across the cI earing, a third set of drun咽，
an attempt was being made to band began to beat-to the northwest, this.
a l1 the natives possible together in this time. We were ringed in.
voodoo worship, and then at a given Evan came to the table with a grim
signal they were all 1-0 rise. The ln- expression on his face. “ The black
dian Mutiny would be rep臼ted. Every fools!" he said furi ot1 sly. “ They dared
white mari on the West Coast would not come to me! 1'11 go to them and
be rushed by the nearest blacks, and put a stop to this!"
the dominance of the white- race made “ Evan!" excI aimed Alic泊， frightened.
a thing of the past, in AfrÍca any “ Y ou'll stãy here with us!"
rate. “ This is no time for caution," said
1 felt cold at the thought that the Evan grimly. “If we leave them alone,
attempt-which 1 had thought dead they'll hold a juju palaver until they've
these many year s--might have been se- gathered nerve to rush us. 1'11 walk in
cretly and insidiously winning con- on their council, and we'll see what hap-
verts a I1 this time , and that all the blacks pens."
between us and the coast might be 勻 '11 go," said Aruthur , qui ck1 y sens-
risen and only waiting for courage to ing the psychology of the move E van
attack u s-. We were the only whites proposed to make. 勻，d better g0."
,

in a hu'll dred ' and fìfty miles anyway, “It would be suicide!" Alicia ex-
and if the strange behavior of the na-
cIaimed again. “ One white man among
tives meant mischief , we were probably
a 1l those blacks. They could kill you
doomed as it was. It gave me a sickish
in an instant."
-feeling to think that the other might
be true, though , that a second mutiny
“ That is precisely why they would
be afraid to," 1 interposed. “ The mere
was m progress.
fact that a white man dared walk into
As if to confirrrt my belief, at just
their palaver and order them about,
that moment, drums began to beat, far
would frighten them. No negro would
o.ff in the bush. To the south of us
dare do 祉， and they would not under-
th~y began their monotonous , rhythmic
stand how a white man could. l 1's
rumble. Boom, boom , boom, boom!
quite possible that a sheer bluff may
N ever a pause , never skipping a beat,
win out. - Of course we've got to do
never altering in the slightest the h yp-
somethipg. 1 think l' d better go,
notic muttering. We stopped eating
though. My boys are in that crowd
and stared at each other. The drums
and they're rather fond of me , 1 be-
throbbed on, su l1 enly, far , far away.
lieve. 1'11 have some of them balfway
E.van grew angry at the insolence of
with me at the start."
his s)aves. 1 Iooked at Alicia and made
a mentaI vow that my Iast cartridge Evan shook his head. 一'your boys
should be saved for her. Arthur lis- are in that crowd ," he said curtly,“ but
tened with an air of detachment, and tàe very fact that they're fond of you
then went on with his breakfast. will make them kill you that much
The first drums had been beating for quicker. You know natives. Now my
perhaps fìfteen minutes wh~n， to the natives hate me like poison, and there's
northeast, more _ drums took up the not one of them but would kill me like
rhythmic pounding. Evan's eyes nar- a shot if he dared. Theyll be afraid
rowed: He went to a window and when 1 drop in on them. !'m the one
looked out. As he moved , he passed to go anð I'm going. Besides, 1 know
c1 0se to the native girl, and she shrank- the local dialect. Y ou don't. Y ou'll
16 JUJU
hear one s.e t of droms stop' 組 half an
hour."
He pickèd up his rifle and went out
of the door. Alicia watched him leave,
her face utterly pale.
“ He's going to his death!" she said
in a whisper. “ Stop him , oh , please
stop him!"
“ We're all in just as much danger as
he 話， dear," said Arthur tende r1y.
“ He's taking the one chance that may
bring us out of this without fighting.
He'll go into the middle of that bunch
of natives and by sheer nerve frighten
them into doing as he says. If all
three of us went, we'd be rushed on
sight."
Alicia's lips trembled , and Arthur
tried to comfort her. 1 went to the
door and stood looking after 'Evan.
It was i l1ogical , but with all of us very
probably facing death , and certainly a
siege, 1 was struck with a pang of j ea1-
ousy when 1 saw Arthur put his arms
about Alicia's shoulder to comfort her.
Mrs. Braymore was white to the lips,
but gamely tried to be casual and cheer-
fu l. She came and stood by me as 1
looked out .o f the door.
“ Quite frankly," she asked me
quietly,“what are our chances?"
“ 1 don't know," 1 told her gloom-
ily. “ We don't even know what the
natives are up to yet. Those drums
do not sound well. They may mean
anything and 出ey may mean nothing."
Mrs. Braymore looked at me search-
ingly. Any one could see that she was
frightened , bu.t she was doing her best
not to show it.
“ And if they mean-斗anything ?"
“ There is a Portuguese fort a hun-
dred and fifty miles away," 1 answered
grimly. “ They might send soldiers to
lift the siege on us if they hear about
it. I'm assuming we'll be besieged.
Things lOQk 出at way. Evan must have
treated his slaves worse than usual.
.usually they simply run away. 1t's not
often they try anythinεof this kind.
1 don't like the sound of those drums.
That means organization and purpose.
All r can say is that 1 hope Evan suc-
ceeds with the natives."
Mrs. Braymore blanched a little
more , but smiled as bravely as she
could.
“ 1九rell ，" she said quietly, “ 1 know
Alicia well enough to promise you that
we'll be as little of a drawback as pos-
sible. If you decide to try anything
drastic ,' such as attempting to escape
through the bush , we'll .do our best to
keep up. An d 1 1hink both of us are
fai r1y good shots."
勻 'm hoping there'll be no. need for
anything on that order," 1 said with
more respect than before in my tone.
“ We'll try to stick it out here. My
boys are loyal, 1 think , at least the y' ve
been loyal up to now , and even i f we
are besieged, one of them w i1l probably
take a message to the fort."
1 had litt1e enough hope of that,
Heaven knows , but 1 diq not want Mrs.
Braymore to worry more than was.
necessary‘ She seemed to realize that
1 was speaking more from my hopes
than my beliefs, because she shrugged
her shoulders.
“There's really no need to soften
things for me," she said, “Alicia and
1 won't一"
She stopped and .caught her breath.
A shot had sounded, off in the bush
from the direction in which Evan had
vanished. A second's interval, and .an-
other shot. Then there was a horrid
outcη" and .a. maniacal shrieking.
“ The gori l1丸" 1 snapped, and started
down the steps with my rifle at full
C仗k.
We heard a seCond outburst of the
same beast1 ike sounds and a crashing
in the bushes. 1 raised my rifle. A
figure showed dimly through the bush.
1 fired vindictively. Evan stur呻led
and fell in the clearing, just out of the
jungle!
 JUJU
CHAPTER IV. .
THE FIRST VICTIM.
IN a second he was up agaz1, and ran
desperately untíl he reached my sidë.
Blood was flowing down his cheeks
from five deep . scrat.c hes.
:“ The pongo," he gasped. “ Nearly
did for me. ]umped me, but 'I got in
two~ ，.shots. Then he grábbed for . me
. but 1 got away. Stumbled just as you
fired. Damn lucky."
1 stood 'sti l1, facing tþe menacing jun-
gle , but not a sound c;une from it ex-
cept the mOl1,otonous, rhythmic beating
of the drums from three sides, where
juju priests ~orked their follower旻 into
a frenzy Q.f hatred against the wh\te
men. Evan went slowly up to the
house, .exhausted and shaken by his
narrow escape from death.
We held a council immediately. The
d ri1 ms on every side of us meant 、，evil
brewing. So much was certain. . For a
white man to attempt to stop the juju
councils would be perilous ~n the ex-
treme, but it was our o~ly chance. On
the other hand, for one -o f us to get
through the jungle to tàke that-desper-
ate chance meant eluding the watCh ful-
ness of the hate-mad gori l1a , whose
cunmng was mcreasmg.
“ 1 don't know how he got to me,"
said Evan, sti l1 shakirlg from the un-
expe<;.tedness of the whole affair. “ I
heard a sna r1, and he was comirig for
'me not ten . paces , away. Startled, 1
pu l1 ed the trigger without , aiming, and
he came 08. .1 got my rifle halfway
to my shoulder, when he reached me.
One of his great, hairy paws grasped
the~ muzzle as 1 fired the second time,
wh i1 e the other reached for my th~oat.
When the rifle went 0缸， he started back
and burst out in his screaming. . It
must have burned or injured .his paw.
1 turned and ran, but he had dóne thi5
to me in the meantime."
His coat was half tom from ~m，
and the deep scratches on his cheek
2B ThriII
11
' showed where the cl~w5 ha<f jU$t gtazèd
his face.
“ 1 don't mind facing native5," Ev~
admitted in conclusion,“but 1'11 tell
you fran~y 1 don't care to go , throu gh.
that jungle again while tha乞 beast is'
in it."
The eternal menace of the drums
ca~e tó our 個問 borne to us through
the open windows. Arthur 、began to
pace up and down the room r cursing
under his breath. Alicia bit her lip
é!: nd tapped nervously on the -ßoor vvith
her foot. Mrs. Braymøre carefully be-
gan to fold and refold her handkerchief~
Quite suddenly, 1 noticed、 that it was
falling into sh r.eds beneath her fingers:.
Struggle a~ any of us wou泊， our nerves,
were badly worn.
The strain grew worse ., during the
day'- There were . two or three、 dogs
about the place, and it , was -curious to
see them puzzled over our abstraction.
They kept alertly out of Evan's way,
but they were - obviously c:l isconcerted
by the absence of the servants who usu--
a l1y~ attended to them, and they looked .
at us with p~rplexity in their eyes. They\
could get no attention from the solitar~
native gi r1 who remained. She had:
withdra wn into panic-stricketi. silence~
serving us when necessary, but spend:--
ing most of her time in the room to
which she had been assigned. We had
ordered her to leave the servants' quar.
, ters and stay in 'the house itself.
在11 the morning the drums beat
rhythmic a11y. During lunch they con- .
tinued their hypnotic muttering. And ;
a11 aftemoo~ they kept on, kept- on，叩­
til it seemed as if we would he crushe遇
- by their regular, pulselik;e, ominou5
rumbling. Far off in the bus~， where
we cóuld never reach them, we knew
juju cQuncils were going on. Weirdly.
paint~d and tattooed witc Q.,...... doctor~
whi r1 êd in their mystic dances -and i~#
flamed the minds of the blacks ' againsi
U5.
Men beat upon the d ru, m s' and ye1~~ -
 18 JUJU
"and yelIed , closing thei r eyes and sur-
rendering themse lves to the ccstasy of
the rhythm untìl they became all but
unconscious -of the words they r Ç.iter-
ated. . Slowry and surely _the blacks
. were nenring themselves to lift their
-h ands against their masters.' Given
位 me， a drum and a - rhythmic phrase,
a natìve c;.an .convi Q.ce hims.e lf of any-
thing simply by pounding on the drum
and yelling over and . over the phrase
lhat contains the id臼. He will luxuri-
ate in the rhythm , he will hypnotize
himself by the monotony of the drum
beats. He will go into :an ecstasy, sim-
ply yelling over and over the o-n e phrase.
Dinner that night was a repetition of
breakfast and lunch. We sat down to
the table,' our rißes by our sides, our
lÌlovements jerky and uncertain from
~he strain of waiting for we knew not
what. The dogs lay about on the ßoor;
曹atching us anxiously. The single
servant waited on us, her face dull with
!W3 thy, though ßickers of panic lighted
her eyes from time to time. And al-
ways we heard the drums beating far
off in the bush. 1 caught myself sitting
with a fork futl of food in mid-air,
listening to their sullenly menacing rum-
b]e.
Arthur, Evan , and myself divided the
night into watches. 1 took the first ,
~nd wait~d tensely until after one
-0' clock. 1 heard nothing but the muι
tled d rumming to the northeast , north-
west , and south. The moon shone
þrightly down and made the clearing
about the ca詞 like a lake of mo 1ten sil-
ver. 1 heard the noises of insects--
the lotid.:.voiced African insects-and
tbe cries ‘ of the night birds. 1 heard
nothing else. The night was quiet and
peaceful，組ve for the ceaseless throb-
~þing of the drums a11 about.
Evan relieved me. He came out on
the porch and lit a cigarette.
. “ That drumming gets monotonous."
He yawned.之 “ 1 wish they' d come on
änd ha"e th已 suspense over with."
“ r f they come," 1 remarked ,“we're
don 巴 f o r. "
“ N ot necessaril y. If we hold thcm
off for a week and kill enough of them ,
they'll get tired and go away." .
“ That wouldn't help us . much. 1
hardly see how we could make a hun-
dred and fifty miles through the bush
with two women 剖ld no carriers."
“ We might t旬， anyway . Some of
us would get through. Y ou've heard
nothing ?"
“ No," 1 replied. “ Just the drums."
1 went indoors and lay down to sleep.
When 1 surrendered myself to the
rhythm of the drummir苟， it put me
quickly into a deep slumber. 1 knew
what the sound meant , that naked sav-
ages yelled and danced themselves into
a frenzy of hatred against us , but if .o ne
allowed it to become so, it was very
soothing.
At one time 1 ha1f started from my
sIeep. . Some sound within the house
aroused me , but a ITlO ment later 1 heard
Evan's footstep on the veranda and rec-
ognized the sound of his shoe so]es on
the ßooring. He was humming a litt1 e
tune to himself. 1 was reassured and
sIept again.
1 heard when Arthur r e1ieved Evan,
too. Their voices came clearly in to
me as they exchanged greetings.
“ N othing new?" asked Arthur nerv-
ously.
“ No. 1 say, Arthur, the natives are
taking a deuced long time to get worked
up to the sticking point. 1 had them
pretty thoroughly frightened. Perhàps
they'll hold a big palaver for several
days, yel1 and dance themse1ves into
exhaustion, and let it go at that. I' ve
known such things to happen. Our
primitive ancestors used to hold hee-hee
councils and work 0缸 their surplus
emotions in the same way. If this juju
festivjll lasts two days more , 1 think
it w i11 peter out and wind up in a palm-
wine debauch. Then they'll come back
and be good!"
 JUJU
“ I t's the gorillä l'm .worried most
about just now," said Arthur grimly.
“ The natives ar~ men, and you can
anticipate their moves , but there's no
telling . what an animal w il1 do , particu-
larly a pongo."
E van' laughed. “ 1 had a start j ust
now ," he said. “ 1 heard a -queer sounä
in Biheta's room. “ Biheta was the na-
tive girl . “ She gave a queer gurgle.
1 9i dn 、 know what was up , and 1 went
and peered in the door. She was Iying
there quite still, evidently sound asleep.
She must have had a nightmare, but it
g a, ve me the creeps for an instant."
Arthur seenied to pick up his riße.
“ We l1, I'm going' .indoors to get some
beauty sleep," said Evan with a yawn.
“ Cheer up, Arthur. There's a damn
good chance that the natives will just
yell themselves hoarse and come peace-
ably back to work. As long as the
drums stay at a distance , we're all right.
But wake a l1 of us if they stop."
He came into the house and went into
his own room. 1 dozed off agai n.
M月1個 1 woke , it was we l1 after day-
light. Evan had stuck his h個d inside
my door and was grinning cheerfu l1 y.
“ Get up," he ordered. “ Breakfast
will be ready in a minute or two."
1 ro l1ed out of bed and heard him
go to the rear of the house. He rasped
out an order in the local dial配 t， but
there w~s no reply. He spoke again,
harshly. There was sti H. no reply. 1
heard him fling open a door. Then he
exc1 aimed aloud.
“ Arthur! Murray! Come here l"
We went quickly, and into the room
in which he was. It was the room
assigned to the native gir l. Evan was
standing over her couch , looking grimly
down at the fi.gure lying there.
The dull features of the girl were
twisted into an expression of the most
horrible fear. It was appa1ling that
such ultimate terror could show itse1 f
l1 pon a human face. The eyes were
wide and staring, the mouth was dra wn .
19
back in a voiceless shriek ol .utter，坐­
spairing fright. Thehands were.
clenched so that the nails bit into the
flesh of the palms, and the head was',
oddly askew. The gi r1 was dead.
Evan lifted up her shoulders and
the head fell back.
“ Neck broken," he said laconi ca1 ly.
“ The gorilla!"
“ Great Heaven!" said Arthur des-
perately, white as a sheet. “ What next?
How did he get in here? Alicia!" He
ran from the room and called hoarse}y.
Alicia's voice answered instantly.
“ Wha t' s the matter?"
“ The native girl's dead, killed by the ,
gorilla during the night. Are you
safe?"
Alicia appear吋 in person 'and proved
i t. She was pale, but composed.
“ Where? What-一一?"
1 lost the rest of her question. Evan
and myself were searching for the
gorilla's means of ingress a l1 d e泊 t.
The ßimsily screened window \...as in-
t (.l ct. The door had been unlocked , but
Evan remembered that he had found it
c1 0sed and had closed it again after
peering into the room during the night.
Was it possible that the monstrous
animal possessed the cunning to un-
latch the door gently J:>e fore entering,
and then the diabolical forethought to
latch it again on leaving? / It seemed
impòssible, but what other explanation
was there?
“ He's been in the house，"組id Evan
grimly. “ Where is he now 戶
1 went out and got one of the dogs.
We brought it into the r∞m and it
sniffed at the dead body. Then we led
i t. about the house. Once we thought
it showed some excitement. It sniffed
at the door of a room that was used as
a storeroom.
With our rifles at the ready, we flung
open the door. No sound came from
within. The dog, bristling, walked-
slowly into the room. Cautió!l sly , we.
fo l1owed. Boxes and bales were scat~
20 JUJU
tered alt.about, but there Was no sigtl of
the ani Qla1也at had killed the native
gir1. The dog growJed, and ' moved
about. stiff-legged, but soon grew puz-
zled and sniffed perplexedly all over
the place. He could find nothing.
、N e explored the room thoroughly,
though with our héarts in our moùths.
,T h ree men and a gorilla in a small
store room would be unpleasant for the
men. armed though they might be. We
could fin:司 no niche în which the beast
might have hidãen, nor any evidence of
'h is presence. After a time the dog
gave it up, and lay down on the floor
with his tongue lolling ou t.
“ Do you suppose it cO\1 ld be a black
that ki l1ed h甘?" ask~d Arthur sud-
denly. “ A native would have known
about 由e latch. One of them might
have crept into the house and killed
the girl in punishment for her having
揖ayed behind when the rest left."
“If he did ," 1 remarked grim旬，“it's
safe to 組y we' d better not touch any
of the food he could have got at. Those
voodoo poisons are deadly things , and
you can bank on it he was prepared to
use them."
"Hardly likely," said Evan.
"It must have been a native," insisted
Arthur anxiously. “ N 0 animal would
ha ve had the cunning to creep in, k i1l
the poor gi r1 silent1y , and then ~ creep
out again. It must have been one of
the blacks."
“ Gorill丸"組id Ev妞， ' shaking his
head.
Arthur suddenly looked up.
“I've got it! We'll take a photo õf
tbe girl's eyes. 1 saw a c10udy fonn
。n the retina. I've got an insect cam--
era in my luggage, and can make sure
'.hat it was that frightened her that
la.st moment of her life."
Th e expression on the gi r1 's face had
been one of te而ble fear. Whatever it
was that had kiUed her, she had seen
it before she died-seen and known it
for a dea d1y and horrible thing.
“TIγi丸" 1 urgecf. "Wé aïn't be'"
sure otherwise. If it . -was a native,
our food .is poisoned for a certainty."
Arthur went to his room and pr臼­
ently appeared with the queer camera.
It was a Jong box, and evident1y the
lens was one of great focal length. It
took Arthur a long time to adjust it
properly. He proposed to take advan-
tage of the fact that the eye of a dead
person will retain for from twenty-
four to forty-eight hours the impression
of what it saw Jast whi1e living. A
great many people think that the shin-
ing image on the outer surface of the
eye retains that picture, and wonder
at it. As a matter of fact the picture
is kept on the ,retina , in the inside of
the eyeball. It is ' extremely di伍cult to
photograph the retina without dissect-
ing the eye, but it can be done--as
Arthur proceeded to prove.
1 went outside and searched around
the house for possible footprints. After
a preliminary search , 1 got Evan to
help me. We could find no single sign
of tracks leading toward or away f i-om
the house. There had been a hea vy
dew, and the top layer òf the earth was
dark and damp. Footprints would in-
evitably have been shown. When we
had completed our search, we stared at
each other. Whatever or whoever had
killed、 the native gi r1 must be still in
the house. There were absolutely no
signs of his hàving left.
We went inside. Beast or man,
someth仿9 had been in the house, mov-
ing quiet1y and undiscovered despite
our watching. It had entered the room
occupied by the native gi r1 and had
awakened her. She had seen it, and it
had been a thing she recognized as
frightfu l. Her horror-stricken face
was proof of that. It had been cun-
ning enough to Jatch ' the door of the
room after the kil1i ng. That meant a
native. On the other hand , it had
broken the girl's neck, a feat that would
require incredible strength. That spoke
 只了JU 21

of a monstrous animal. We heard Ar- Ar也ur was asben 都 he stared .at

thúr shuffiing abodt in h臼 impro甘甜d US. 1 felt rather shak:y myself. The
dark room, and the c1i nk of the dishes thought of a creature like that 扭曲e
in which he had mixed his solutions. same house , with Alicia exposed to its
How had the creature-man or beast insane rage at any moment it might
-reached the house? How haâ it made choose to emerge from its hiding place,
its way silently through the rooms at was appalling.
midnight, with one of us awake and on The two ladieS were in the large
guard? Could it be that one of the front room. 1 went in and remained
servants had remained, hidden in some with them, my rifle in my . hand , while
secret place while the others had left, Arthur and- E van went over the house
and now prowled about at night while again. They had the dogs with the tn;
the rest far off in the bush yelled and and they went into every room and
howJed , drummed and danced, and every comer, ready at any instant to
gradually became ripe to aUack us ? face what is possibly the most terrible '
Arthur came out of his dark room of all wild beasts at close quarters.
wi.t h a glass plate in his hand. His face A full-grown gorilla h a:s easily the
was pale. strength of six or eight men , and in a
“Look at this ," he said quietly. “If confined space firearms would be almost
you' l1 hold it so the light strikes it diag- useless. 1 heard the dogs pattering a11
onally、 you'll see it in its prope! lights through the house, sni且ng eagerly
and shades, instead .o f reversed." everywhere they were taken , but finding
The plate was ~till wet, where he nothing. Again they seemed excited
had just taken it from the fixing bath. at the door of the storeroom, and agaín
VVe looked. VVe 組 w， running ai m- they gave u p- the search after they had
lessly here and there, curiously like the entered.
branches o f. a tree , .little dark linω. Arthur rejoined me and Alicia with
Those were the blood vessels that nour- distourag臼nent (>0 every feature.
ished the eye. We ga vé no heed to “ He isn't here," he 詞id wearily,“and
them , however. The sight that made he is here. He was here and he wasn'f
both E vaÌ1 and mysel f gasp was the here. 1 don't know where he is!"
strange picture that we saw amid a l1 Evan slumped into a chair, though it
those little blood vessels. was noticeable t h<lt he ( kept his riße ,

There, distorted and hideous , men- in his hands. Through the window
acing and terrible, we saw the' cause came the menacing rumble of the drums
of the native gi rI 's death , and of her from all sides.
terror. We saw the head of a gorilla, “ 1 think, "said Alic詞， with a ghastly
with its horribJe , discoJored fangs p.fjO- a伏e~pt at a smile,“1 think a fit of
tiuding from blacktned lips in a grimace hysterics w∞ ld be a relie f.一
of unspeakable ferocity. She looked as if she meant i t. All
of us.looked thoroughly on edge. To
have hostile drums beating all about
CHAPTER V.
you and to realize that a hundred and
AS BY MAGIC.
fifty miles of jungle lie between you
A N~._~'=-:in 1..th~， Ah~闕" observed and the nearest help is bad enough in
Evan grimly. “ A full-grown beast itself. VVhen you add to that the ∞恥
wilI weigh three hundred pounds, and 的 ousness of J:taving hidden in the same
he'd leave plenty of sign when he house with you a beast almost human in
walked. There are no tracks leading its cunning and fiendish in its hatred五
away from here. Murray and 1 1∞ked." with the face of the devil and the
22 JUJU
御自喀th of seven men, hysterics se也n
èxcu組ble. She did oot give w呵， how-
.é ver, though we all f eIt on the verge
of hysteria from the strain.
That day was one of the most ter-
討ble 1 ha ve ever spent. It was not
that anything hap~ned to make it ter-
rible. The strain came from the fact .
也at nothing happened. If the heast
were hidden about the house , it did
not show itself, but we did n0t hear
a- board creak or a curtain swish against
the window without turning with a
stâ此， prepared to face anything and to
fire vengefully into a hideous, furry
form.
The bush outside the casa seemed to
'take on a thr凹tening aspect. The house
was built on a small elevation and we
1∞ked for miles over the tops öf trees,
broken here and there by gaps wlúch
.meant the existence. of clearings and
取pen fields. The treetops were dancing
Irom the heat. The sun beat down
with fierce ìntensity. Blasts of hot,
llumid wind blew uPQn us and scorched
;üs, but we paid no attention. An d
always , from th!! mysterious , unknöwn
and unknowable-' bush all around us,
drums beat and beat 缸ld beat tirelessly
and ominously.
When one of us went back to get
f∞d for the rcst, h,e went with an au-
.tomatic held ready in his hand, and the
other two were prepared at any in-
stant to hear a shot or tñe snarl that
wou1過 mean the reappearance of the
gorilla. We were doubly beseiged , by
th~ natives without' and by the gorilla
within. For fear of the natives in 仕le
:bush , we kept to the house. For fear
of the gorilla in the house , we kept to
the one roo m.
Toward evening insensibly we re-
laxed.. N 0 one could keep to such an
inlensity of atten.t ion as we had main-
扭扭ed during the' day. We ate a sketchy
m個1 at nightfaU and draggeð two cots
mto one of ' 也e r09ms adjoining the
Jarge front one in which we h a:d stayed
a l1 day. We explored tbe rooni 也or­
oughIy, and Alicia and Mrs. "B raymore
went in to lie down.
N one of us thought of taking off our
c1 othes. We three men prepared for a
night-Iong vigi l. One of us would keep
thoroughly awake, and the other two
would snatch such sleep as they could.
Long hours passed. We felt sure
that some time during the night the
beast wou1d make his ap~rance. 1
sat alertly by a ~indow， a d9g_at my
feet , listening to the night sounds out-
side and the cease1ess drumming that
meant the juju' councils were debating
.whether the blacks were s!}伍ciently.
worked up to attempt an attack.
Arthur and E van reclined in their
chairs and tried to doze, but there was
H叫e rest for any of us. 、rv e could thínk
of nothing but the animal we felt sure
would make some attempt upon us dur-
ing the night.
At one o'clock Evar& took my place ,
by the window with the dog at his feet.
1 sat in one of the easier chairs' and
tried to relax, but ' it was impossible. 1
was suddenly conscious ôf the over-
powering heat and humidity. 1 was
bathed in perspiration.
“I' ve got to have a drink," 1 詞id
abruptly. “ 1 need it."
Arthur looked up wearily.
“ We all need a drink," he said. “It's
in the' back of the house, isn't it?"
We looked at each other uncertainly.
勻 'll go," said Arthur quietly.
1 interposed. “丸rve'll both go. Here,
in the light, Evan can see to shoot If
necessary. We' l1 use a ßash lamp."
It was curious that neither of us
cared to walk through three rooms añd
a hallway insid金 a house we had been
in for days. That animal had fretted
our nerves badly.
Slowly . and 臼utiously we made our
way th:r:ough the dark. rooms, searching
before us with the ßash light. 1 cartt
speak for Arthur, but my breath was
coming quickly, an~ 1 hea吋Iy r中甜ed
 JUJU
having expressed a wish for a drink.
1 would not back out now, though:
We went cautiously and slowly out
to the rear of the house. 1 was in the
act of reaching for the siphon of seltzer
when we heard the dog scream in pain
and a shout from Evan. We rushed
madly for the front , our hearts in our
mouths, and cursing -our absence at
such a crltical time. When we burst
into the room , Evan was dashing out
on the verand a, and Alicia was in the
act of emerging from the room into
which she and Mrs. Braymore ,had re-
tired. A 1icia had an automatic in her
hand and , though her face was fti l1 of
dread , she was evidently prepared to
face anything.
A t:t hur and myself were quièkly by
Evan's side and found him staring about
the darkness , his riß~ half raised:
“ What is it ?" Arthur 'demanded
quickly.
Evan's br臼th was coming ìn gasps.
“ 1 heard you two moving," he said
sharply, as one whose nerves are
st x:ained to the breaking point. “ 1 heard
a noise from your direction. 1 turned
to_look at the door and caught a: move-
ment at the window by my side. 1
jerked back and the dog screamèd.
A long, hairy arm had reached in the
window and seized him. He was
dra wn through the window before 1
could li 缸 my ri缸， and the arm van-
ished. It's the goril1a !"
We listened, but the house 'was st iU.
A faint moaÌl came from the courtyard,
and 1 flashed the lamp down. The dog,
flung bodily ~rom the porch, stirred
feebly and stiffened. -tts neck was
broken. -There on the shadowed ve-
randa, with the bright Al rican moon
shining pitilessly down UpO tl the hot,
dank, fevered earth, the th ree of us
swore nervously while we stood with
our rißes pointing in as many direc-
tions, hoping, even praying for t ha:t
monstrous ape to rush upon us.
“ He must have gone somewhere!"
23
組id Arthur despairingly. “ Where dítl
the beast go?"
“ lnto the house, no," said Evan
crisply. “ Under the house , perhaps.
The roof , perhaps. We'l1 see."
My legs crawled as 1 descended the
stairs to the ground. _ The house waS
raised from the gr01占ld on pi les, and
1 could look c1 ear underneath it. The
moon was shining down wnite 旬， and 1
saw the pi l1ars silhouetted ëtgainst the
brightness 00 the other sidc. Half a
d<;?zep. steps convinced me that the ani-
mal 'was not beneath. It \\'ould have
shown as a dark ou t1ine. 1 tri cd to see
up , over the roof , but could 110t. The
roof slanted just a little and 1 could
not see the center. The house being on
an elevation , moreover, prevented me
from backing off and getting a clear
view of the top. 1 cat1ed IIp to th~
other two on t:he porch.
“ He's not under the hou se , but 1
can't see i: he roof. He must be there."
Th e tree trunks of the forest all
about us echoed my words strangely.
1 could see dim white blurs‘ where the
faces of the two brothers showed their
position. One of them m叭，-ed oddly,
and ìn a moment 1 saw that Evao was
swinging himselí up the p iJ1 ar before
him~ He grasped the edge of the roof
and drew himse1f up. In a second he
dropped dowo again. He spoke quietly
enough to Arthur, but 1 hearâ hi 5 voice.
“ He's there, squattiog 00 the ridge
pole. Lord! What a monster he is!"
“ We must get the women out of the
house ," said Arthur sharply. - “ He may
tear up the roof and- come inside.
Alicia !"
She had heard a~d came quickly out,
Mrs. Braymore fo l1 owing he r. We
built a small fire to keep ir且sects away
from them, aod sat them -00 chairs
while we patroled the 訂閱 about the
house. The drums stiU beat 00 a 1l
sides of us , but they had been rel e-
gated to a minor positioo now. 、1Ve
subcon.sciously counted on their remain- -_
24 JUJU
fug' a ptitential menace 0吻，UJi崗位記y our 姐姐叫 frien~ would be hauntihg 也e
,

,stopped or drew nearer. The m∞n treetops overhead, waiting for a mo-
Iilade the whQle world bright and shin- ment when one of us would be off our
,

Íþg. We could see clearly 缸lã dis- gu.ard."

tinct1 y. . Notbing the size of a rabbit Alicia shuddered. “ But would yoq
could e民ape across that stretch of three try that if we weren't here?" she
sward without our observifig it. insisted.
Alicia and Mrs. Braymore watched “ 1 think we'd wade into one oPthose
世Je fringe of jungle while we posted j u j u -councils," 1 remarked vindicti vely.
ourselves so that not even a cat could "1 know I'd gladly join such a -pa rty.
臼cape from thè house without being We' d probably apμar as suddenly 'as
:seen. 1 leaned on. my riße near the we could and start shooting. We might
two ladies, my eyes fixed on the edge stampede them，缸ld a show of boldness
of the roof, stràining to catch a glimpse w0\11d he our best play i~ any event.
of the beast- that squatted up there. Ofl course, ïf they rushed us, we'd he
When 1 thought of 祉， it seemed stupid out of luck."
o Í. us not to have 、 suspected that as a .“ You m臼n-一-?"
þiding place before. True , it was in “ There would he four or five hun-
~lear view of the sky, but a heast ωÌl­ dred of them , and we might get ten
Ding enough to creep about the casa at or perhaps fifteen apiece. T4ey'd over-
別也1Ï ght as he had done, might pos- whe1 m us if they .tried, but the psy-
3自s the jnte1 ligence to reason that there chology would probabl~耳 make us win
was the idea1 hidinε ， place for him. '-out. The fact that we were hunting
“ Do you think there is any real dan- them, instead of their hunting us, would
電'er fro~ tbe natives?" Alicia inquired frighten them."
h自itatingly二 “ Couldn't you do that now?"
“ Wh個 natives do inexplicahle 1 shook my h臼d. “ Not with our
things , it is usually juju," 1 said . friend the gorilla about. An d we
grimly. “ And where there is juju there wouldn't expose you two to t l:!e possi-
is usnally danger. There is one thing hility of our failing. There'd he noth-
that can be said, though. While a .na- ing left for you but your ,own pis-
iiv~ is making a noise , he is rarely tols."
rumgerous in hu 1k. As E van pointed Alicia relapsed into silence. 1 詞W
O啦， they may simply exhaust them- her hrow knitted as she tried desper-
selves in yelling and dancing. 1 do not ately to work out some plan by which
ûù叫( it would. bewise to count on that , we might fight the incredible circum-
how亡Ver.'， stances in which we found ourselves.
“ W ouldn't it he th世 wisest thing to Overhead, the hroad moon sailed se-
,

~O-' to simply try to make out" way se- renelyacross the sky,. shedding its rays
ttetJy through the jungle to the n臼rest impartiaIJy down upon us , upon the
:lort ?" shaggy, beast1 y ape squatting like some
“ It would he impossihle," 1 told her demoniacal cr臼ture upon the ridgepole
:(rankly;' “ You don't know African un- of the roof , and upon yelling, capering
<rergrowth. We might make four or hlacks abotit the great firesthey would
n :ve miles a day, with luck. And at any have lit for their juju ceremonies.
Igomen色 in the twenty-four the natives Behind us, the husy, secretive life of
徊。 t trail us. We'd have to m~e a the bush went on-all the feedings and
1'lew trail, or use the native ones. Mak. ‘ drinkings and inatings and ki l1i ngs, all
mg a ne司ri trai1，啊'd he followed and the comedies 缸 1 all the tragedies of
prohably 's pearëq, hesides the fact 出at the' juogle. Things went on, subl~ly
 JUJU
indifferent to our petty frights and fan-
cies. The jungle attended to its busi-
ness, ignoring alike our strained atti-
tudes as we sat in the moonlight and
waited for the sun to rise that we might
slay a malignant a阱， and the yelling
of self-hypnotism of the blacks as they
danced about their juju 6res, working
themselves into a frenzy of hatred
against the white man.
At last the moon dipped down t o-
ward the west , and the stars that had
watched our vigil in miJd , blinking sur-
prise grew pale at the signs of dawn.
The sky grew gray, then white. A
high paIl id veil hid the deep-bJue arch
of the night , and turned slowly to
golden yellow as the sun rolled up.
The mist curled aJoft from the tree-
tops as the first rays of the morning
swept across theland. We became
aware that 斑e had been cold and that
we now were warm. We waited ea-
gerly until we should see.the roof of the
u詞， and be able to pick 0 缸 with our
rifles the beast that lurked there.
Morning had bar eI y come when
Evan clambered cautiotls1y to the roof
of the servants' quarters behind the
house itsel f. We had left several of
the dogs shut up in the house during
the night. We knew that if the beast
came down into the place , they would
make an outcry before all were killed ,
at least. They had made no sound , but
now one or two of them came out on
the veranda, wagging tneir taiIs
amiably.
Evan clambered to the roof of the
servants' quarters , and Arthur passed
up his rifle. E vao stood erect and raised
the w臼pon. Then he stopped. From
the ground , we sa w him looking
blanklyat the roof of the house. From
where he stood, he could see it clearly.
His expressioo was at ooce amazed and
a pprehensive.
The beast had not left the house, or
we would have seen it. It had not
25
crossed the clearing. It had not en-
tered the house , because the dogs were
unalarmed. It had not in any discov-
erable fashion escaped from its posi-
tion astride the ridge pole, but Evan
toJd us and we immediately verified the
fact that it was 00 longer on the roo f.
It had oot escaped to the jungle. It
had oot secreted itself in the house;
yet the monstrous ape had vanished!
CHAPTER V I.
THE FORM THAT CREPT.
A G~!~L~~
top to
_:~~rched" ~~~_h~~s;_ !r~~
bottom. 、 Again
we led thë
dogs into every nook andcranny.
Again they sniffed anxiously in the
storeroom, but gave up the quest after
a moment or so. 10 our search of the
greater part of the house the dogs had
seemed more bored than anything eIse.
We had led them to the dog that
had been killed , before attempting to
enter the house , and they smelled at his
neck cautiousJy and drew back with
low growls. If the gorilla haò been in
the house , they would surely have
scented him and warned us. The onJy
time they gave any indication at all
of interest , far Jess of excitement , was
when they sniffed at the storeroom
d∞r. Once inside , they moved about
aimJessJy.
\Ve debated our next move. The
gorilla simpJy couJd not be in the house.
With his ferocity , .he wouJd sureJy have
made a move to attack one or another
of us during our searchings. At last
Arthur found a sign that reassured us
as to his absence without lessening in
the least the mystery of his mεans of
escape. Something had led him to
scout around the edge of the clearing
surrounding the house. He straight-
ened up with a shout.
“ Look here !"
We ran to him and looked where he
pointed. There, on the earth, just be-
neat lT the overhanging limb of the 6rst
 26 JUJU
of the jungle ' trees, were fhe prints of . fa ce.: 1t is .poo r stuff until you 'get used
str; lngely handlike t悅s. to H.
“ Here's where he jumped for the As 1 woiked, 1 watched Alicia ap-
lowest limb ther，丸" said Evan excitedly. preciatively , and far back in my mind
'''See ?" a 1i t tI e germ of hope sprang up. lt
Directly above us a heavy 1i mb spread suddenly occurred to me that she had
-out from the trunk of the tree. E叮­ never shown that intense affection for
~entJy the gorilla had leaped from that Arthur one expectsa woman to show
spot. How he had run across the moon- for the man she is going to marry. She
lit la wn under our very eyes r位nained appeared fond enough of him , but she
.inexplicabJe. Thinking back, however , ~eemed nearly as fond of Evan. 1 re-
1 remembered that once or twice wisps membéred what ' 1 -h ad been told, _that
of infrequ自lt cloud had temporarily the three o'f them had been raised to-
obscured the moon. Could he have gether as children so they were 1it t1 e
.seized one of those momeßts of dark- less 出 an o r-o thers and sister.
'ness? It se臼ned impøssihle, but there Tha:t was Alicia's attitude. She
was no other eJq) lanatiøn that could be treated Artbur as an elder brother 01
made. whom she was immensely fond ,'but she
Somewhat reassured , we entered the did nôt treat him as a Iover. 1t was
house again. One f() f us stayed out on qn已er th泣， with drums beating rhýth-
the veranda, however, and watched to mically night and day in the bush all
個“ce sure the beast w個ld attempt no aTound us , and in momentary dangeT
'daring daylight rus b. on OtU s甘onghold. from a monstrous "gorilla, 1 should stop
可Ve planned to tether severalo.f the dogs and think of romance and the pecu-
that night to 由e piles which r:aised the liarly trivia'1 shades of affection 本 licia
nouse from the ground. might show.
， Eva~ was on the porch. He peered
She turned and smiled at me just
扭 at thë window suddenly.
then.
“ 1'-m going to ta<ke a look in the serv- “You look 1ike a sword ," she said
mischievous妙， "'a sword beaten 1nto a
ants' quarters," -h e said abrup凶手 “ It's
can '()pene.r~ "
just occurred to me that "'the bω 'may
Mrs. Braymo.re joined in her ~mile.
have hidden jn th臼'e and made his,

1 suppose 1 must have looked ra~her

break for the jungle 正rom th釘e. That
queer. A heavy cartridge be1t was
ld shorten the run he would have
to m a k e - " s 1 1 1 n g about my waist, and two dEHL
metal automatics were stu~k rakishly
He moved away-E went bad and into it-Z had not shaved for three days
甜ed to he崢 Alicia prepa.r e s的e f?od Every moment was too h111of suspe s
for us aH-we had hadmthmg smce to a1low for think1ng of such minor
油e night before a.nd aU were ravenoas. 、 things as shaving.
Arthur was sitting in the big front “ Well)" 1 remarked amiably,“smce
roo拙， his head buried in his hands , his . -.:... 1:'~1~:.)
. ìt looks .as if our friends in the bush
ifle leaning Oß the ann of- his -c hair
I put myHHe agmst the walland be;are going to do as Evan has suggested
and yell themselves ' into e泊laustion
pntoopm the tins of presefved food , wid1out bothedng us , and I Shan soon
wMK A1icia domed En aprofn and with revert to peaceable puntIi告 that
a quaintly housewifely air 1ighted a doesn't mátt~r. A swo;-ð is only use-
spirit lamp and heated water fòr our ful on occasion, but a can opener links
1ea. Mrs. Braymore was gravely tasting us wi出 d古1i zation. "
i 組e' tinned butter and m誼通ng a wry “It would seem odd," said , A1icia,“to
 JUJU
ha ve some one bring one' s mail in the
moming, or to use a telephone."
“ There's a mail once in two weeks
at Ticao," 1 said,“ but it' s four weeks
from England usua lI y and often six."
Mrs. Braymore jo泊ed 旭 the conver-
sation. “ 1 should like to receive an in-
vitation to tea,'.' 'sh~ said wistful!于“I
should like. to go somewhere to ~ωand
h ;1ve people talk interestedly of poetry,
'and the approaching marriage of some-
body' s da~ghter， and what the cu、rate .
詞id about the possibility of repairing
the pa n-sh- house."
We all laughed at the id臼﹒ 1 set
down one of the tins of potted meat
and reached for another.
"For myseH一-" 1 began and
stopped short, every muscle tense.
On the veran<la outside the house 1
had heard a sound, the cr臼king of a
board as a heavy weight was put cau-
tiousTy upon it. There was something
infinitely furtive in the .sound. . 1 lis:.
tened and heard nothing more, but was
oppressed by a sense of danger. The
sound had come from the front of
the house. 1 drew an automatic from
my belt and silently .passed it to A, licia.
She had heard nothing, but my ex-
pression w à. med her and she took it
quickly. Mrs. Braymore t∞k the other.
1 picked up my riße from the side
wall and tiptoed through the house
toward the front. 1 heard an 、 almost
unbelievable slight sound again from
the porch. The door intó the .f ront
room wa設多包nd旭g~ open. 1 slipped
silently up to ' the threshold.
Arthur had heard. He was still sit-
ting in the chair, but he was alert and
ready. His eyes were fi.xed on the win~
dow some fifteen feet from hi m, and
he was slow1y and carefully ' b自19Ïng
his riße to bear. The sun was shin-
ing from without and struck upon the
curtains that hung inside. Evan had
made his house ready for the visitors
he expected, and. every window was
curtained:
27
There was a moment of breath-takiilg
suspense. Arthur , stiU seated lest the
sound of his risìng alann whoever or
whatever was outside, was bringing his
rifle to his shoulde r. 1 slipped into the
room and came to his side,.. my own rifie
:ready. Our eyes were fi.xed upon the
window. Then the slanting rays of the
sun fiung a ~hadow upon the curtain氧
The thing was not yet. before the win."
dow, but its shadow moved on before
it becau.se of the position of the rising
sun. We saw~ 臼st jn pedect clear-.
ness upon the Bimsy cloth, the silhouette
of the head of the gorilla! 1ts smal1
ears lay back, it~ jaw protruded in that
fearf i.t l ferocity of the anthropoid tribe,
'.a,nd we saw it peering from right to
left in suspicious éunrung. . 1 helι-my.
breath, . waiting for the moment when
we could fire.
The head tumed sharply, and 1
thought 1 saw the nostrils quivering.
Th~， abruptly, it vanished, and a dog
burst into frantic barking and hysterical
yelping on the veranda. Another in-
stant -å nd the dog screamed in te叮叮.
There was a crash against the wallιf
the house, and the yelp4tg became a
moan.
Arthur and 1 'had dashed for the door
and,.now rUshed down the veranda with
,hea I:ts thumping madly. On e of thç
dogs was writhing in agony on the
Boor. 1t had been flung againstthe
house with terrific forcè and now lay
with breken r~bs and backbone, dying.
T1.1e goril1a had vanished.
E-van appeared with his rifle ready,
out of brωth. “ What's up?" he de-
manded. “ The beast again?"
Arthur swore - hysterica lIy. “The.
damned beast is here!" he cried. “ It'5
here! I t' s hiding somewhere about !"
We were all -thoroughly .reckless by
now. We went after the huge ape with
the temerÍty that would have made the
blood of any of us run cold in a sober
moment. We penetrated every corner
of the house. We went over every bit
 ~ JUJU
of the groundS". 'W e 'clambered ~pon
',
tbe roof and searcbed tbere in fool-
'hardy indí 旺erence to the d é!Dger we
might be in if we only located the ~­
ma l.
“ 1 think it was hiding in ihe servants'
qua此ers ，" said Evan grimly. “ 1 saw
signs of its having been th~re. It must
have grown shy when 1 exp~orea the
place and it probábly slippe<Í off té-
ward the house ' to es臼pe IDe. 1 don't
see why it didn't make for the woods,
though ,"
N one of us understood, but we went
,
about our seal"ch as before. 、N'e found
;absolutely nothing. At la呼 we stopped
and stared at one another.
“ We would have killed it in another
moment," said Arthu.r despairing:旬，
“ but the dog saw it and yelpecl.. Then
it ran."
“ Could it ha司re 'made tl記 woods be-
fore we got outside.?"
“ Hea ven only knows," said Arthu1'
wearily. “ 1 ~gin to believe tJhe na-
tives have' bewitched the thing 吐okill
us al l."
“ How many dogs 'h a've we ldt?"
asked Evan suddenly.
There were four or five of E珊的
animals , and O1le or two of the viUage
dogs had begun to 'l urk about the house
in hopes of f∞吐. There was nOBe Ieft
for them in the deserted villa是~e.
“ We' l1 tie up the dogs，只 said Evan.
“We'll fasten one on the veranda at
‘
﹒曲e front , and~nother in the rear of
the house. \Ve'lt put two on the gt'ound
'beJow , tethered to the pil~，. and spread
the others in the rooms her-e. Then the
beast will ha ve to kill them bet-o re it
can get at us , and we'll have some warn-
ing."
We began to improvise col1ars for
the natíve dogs and scattered the others
â:bout as E \'an had 明ggesteð. When
we had finishedγas far a:s we could see
there was abso1utely no 、way for the
gori l1 a to emetge from his hiding place
- .if he' 的re hiding in the house-with-
outl being instantly detected by á. dòg:
Ce rtainly, he cotild not reach the house
f rom the bush withol.!t discovery ånd
an ala I'I11 being given.
With a Clog in ~ery room, dogs on
the verandá, and others underneath the
building, we should have. felt safe, bùt
did not. There was something un caÍlny
in the appearances and disappearances
ot the monstrous a j>e that left u s-a p-
.prehensive even when wehad taken
every possible precaution to prov-ide for
its instant discovery a it made another
attempt to reach us.
The pertinacity o-f the beàst was ap-
páUing. '1' 0 think of a colossal anthro-
poid with t1!e CUI曲iug of the devil him-
self, the strength 吋 seven men , and all
the malignant batred that posses~ea this
one, to think of such an animal1ur~ng
about seeking an opportunity to wrea~
vengearrce on one of our number was
h0rrible. An d it would not stop wìih
one of us if more than one were within
its reach. O R'ce in a kil1ing rage,' a
goriJI a goes ma.d with blood 1ust. It
woula tear and rend , would crush 但只
utte r1y destroy.
We were wbite arrd nervous '.from the
strain long before. N ow we went ,about
witb sonìething akin to hyster1a、 just be-
neath fue surface. τhere was ' nothing
we could do! We .had to wait , for the
beast to reappear, knowing that when
it did , its coming would be cautious
and cunning, its patience in且n1話， its
strength colossal and its hatred fiend-
ish. An y or aD ot us might expect at
,
any instant to be gripped by a hairy
a!ffi of incredible power, to see the
bestial face of that demoniacal animal
grimacing at us in utter malignance.
An d we had before ús the . picture of
the vision that would confront us in
such a ca'se. The picture taken from
the native girl's retina was wariúng.
Little, ev坦 ey臼 glittering fierce旬， Hat，
』 horrible nose above J terrible tpmouth
parted in insane rage,' and discolored
 JUJY
fangs showing above the blackened
lips.
Action of any sort would have been
a relief. We went through the mom-
ing, making desperate efforts to stave
off hysteria, and aware that at any m o-
ment one of us might crack beneath
the strain.
Noon came. We ate mechanically.
Evan was standing up better than any
of the rest of us. Alicia was quiet 剖ld
sti l1. Her eyes alone showed the ten-
sion she felt. We were a11 keyed up
!o analmost unbearable pitch. Queerly
enough, in our absorption in tbe threat
of the gori1J a , we had almost forgotten
the drums that resounded on every side
of us from the bush. It was Mrs. Bray-
more who cal1 ed our attention to them.
“ 1 wonder what's the matter with the
drums?" she said w臼rily. .“I' ve been
noticing th也n for the last ten minutes."
We listened. The monotonous
rhythm was still going on, rolling
through the hot midday air in muf-
fled waves of sound. The drums seemed
louder than they had been.
“ They're beating more rapidly,"
Evan remarked in a puzzled tone.
“ They were going along slowly. Now
they're quite fast."
Only one of the drums had quick-
ened its beat, however. The others
thumped on monotonously. About
four o'clock in the afternoon-allow-
ing the length of time necessary for a
runner to get ftom the first 吋 llage to
another-a second began to beat more
furiously, and shortly after dark ，出e
third joined in the trilogy. Ou r dogs
were moving restlessly about, chafing
because of being tied. We a11 were
irtcreasingly anxious , but this new dan-
ger had , strangely enough, the effect of
steadying us.
We .waited a long time, and at last
the two women lay down to try to
rest. Through the moonlight night the
drums roUed and rumbled. Standing
out on the veranda with my riße in my
29
hands, 1 listened intent1y. 1 Saw wi位，
some disquiet that the night threa,t.ened
to become cloudy, but hoped . that 位le
dogs would give waming of any dan-
ger that might impend. Eor an hour
1 stood there, looking and listening~
There was no mistaking the new note
of the drums. They meant resolution ,
.'enewed activity. Faintly, beneatþ their
muttering, 1 caught a high , sustained
ululation. The yelling of the natives
had not been audible before. Evidently
they were in perfect frenzy. Thåt
meant that an attack was imminent.
Arthur came out on the veranda be-,
side me. He listened as 1 was listen-
mg.
“ They'll a悅mpt to rush us in tbe
moming, 1 suppose ," he remarked
grimly. “ They'll hardly try it before
dawn , though. Blacks don't like the
吋ghttime."
One of the dogs tied to a pile below
the house growled softly. The dog o Ì1
the veranda echoed t l1e growl. 1
glanced at him quickly. He had risen
and was standing tense , tooking t o-
ward the edge of the bush. He growled
agam.
At just this moment, one .of the 1it-
t1 e wisps of cloud overshadowed the
moon and left the courtyard in dark.
ness. 1 moved quietly over beside the
dog and felt the hairs on his neck bris-
tling. Finding him staring 'steadfastly
in one direction , 1 strained my eyes
trying to pierce the darkness. The
cloud thinned a triße and objects were
dimly . visible. 1 saw a shape comjng
slowly and cautiously toward the hous e,
a shape that moved hesitatingIy and fur-
tively.
Arthur excI aimed softly. “ Murray,
it' s the gorilla!"
The figure was hunched up and ape:.
like. It moved aw k.w ardly toward us.
The cIoud thinned still more and we
could distinguish its location c1early~
though it was still impossible for us to
see distin<:t1y.
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立 叫:恥的州-叫
I 圳的山叭
時 Jh叭m凡叫此
:…2…的向
ωLt叫m山山…低叭 Z…
叭… 心心
巾… 甘叭
心叭心心叫伊
-mm
m…
… r…浦路叮當位叫叭叭叭川紅…
ω
um旬﹒的blm
盯mωP曲也盯咐 叫aK做做dd 叫“ μω
叭的drMLmmsωo
叫Av
Uh at-
Th 1vdm"
心耐ω… 心她的叫“巾的叫吼叫r做L的 U圳如 純 叫
A
叫叫心 伽川44 心叫m叫切向
H
叭叭M叭的心州四叭叭叭心叭叭
h
w叫叭
w阿叭
JU]U

的““ dPFU4.M 川、閉K路Lme-m出扎 dv 前計

aimed carefully. Arthur's rifle flashed ,
We raised our rifles together and

and mine an instant late r. We heard

a choking, beastlike cry. and the fi伊 re

doctor spoke feeb旬， his voice growing

stem and angry. The moaning witch

weaker and weaker, and his words in-

catch a word , but E van's voice was

try to rush U5 at da wn ! The witch

choked and coughed weakly and wa5

“ Those damned natives are going to

they'd succeed. Oh, when 1 get at the

doctor came to put a spell on . 肘 50

He burst out into a string of profan-

terrupted by gasps of pain. At last l, e
saea 叫 ruT-mhwtT 出 n
叭叭位dmn 戶
the botly," Arthur whispered.

， t" tmd-O臼-mmweffa'suq 旭
U4 叫“叫你，叫別伊u
戶叫做的m …d侃
叫﹒川閃
)…﹒叫“
出 白血 mrk
m 戶 叫 缸h
ee-muau-b 戶，叫…C
悶悶、
Iw
m吋-UJS峙T的∞叫出 h的
g叫mUN." 如﹒mE.
CHAPTER VII.
ω
A STRANGE ALLY.
mkmhM-mveMwmJ 臼曲的 1." 盯 -a吋 a
au 心
Mhawmpdenkx:nhmL-m
過hooEtnauuh.a-uesaacMUHS
池，到
Tg 前也吭 mdh 仇恨、.戶ummddtuOAUU
E'fe--hnnmnmc 叫

bJack animals一一一"
aanvtntt1
dm咽?也﹒前 whmume 卜
e間 dl叫-mamhαt
心MJ…叭J
，w mw內
﹒仰叮叮
甘m m的J品心叫
toppled and fell.
叫削 伽ιIh
rhh 啥叫Am 伽adi忱叫ruhhm
d 可ma由"
“ For 間，州u
州h肌做
叫 盯 你叫向
mm肌mm m咐，h
泓m…
叫mM
EZMHVmh
心m泣M
心訴M記.忍心 E E

S1 on.
sti l1.
30
 JUJU
anny from my gun cbest and rve am-
munition to last a year."
We mounted the steps of the casa.
Alicia greeted us with a white face.
“ 1 can shoot ," she told us both bravely,
“ and 1 shan't mind shooting at these
people."
“ You shall shoot ," said Evan grim紗，
“ if they get a foothold in the house.
Otherwise there's no need. You 】也ow
enough not to be taken alive/ '
“ 1 know," said Alicia quietly.
The . last 1 saw of her for an hour
or more, she was going through Evan's
assortment of fireanns , picking out a
light riße for her own use and another
for Mrs. Braymore. She already had
a sma l1 -caliber automatic pistol hidden
in her bosom.
For an hour or more we worked,
moving the bundles Evan pointed out
in the storeroom to form a breastwork
behind which the women would be safe
from stray shots. We tore up a section
or so of flooring , too , so we could fire
down in case any of the blacks found
a refuge from our w臼pons beneath the
house. Bars nailed across the openings
at once provided us with assurance that
they could not climb up, and that we
wonld not accidentally fall through.
We brought supplies òf food and wa-
ter wher~ they would be close at hand.
For clòse qua討ers， we were depend-
ing on repeating shotguns loaded with
buckshot. . Three of us with those
weapons should be able to sto}Y almost
any number of blacks. These lay close
beside us. We had our rißes and our
pistols in a <l diti on.
The drums were beating madly now.
The high-pitched uhilãtion that was 也e
blended note of a11. the frantic yelling
came clearly to our 飽問When we
had . finished our preparations I went
outside to listen. I instantly ' realized
that the drums were neare:-, much
nearer. The dogs were excited and
r臼tle鼠 ，
“ We'd 6etter get the 'dogs up from
31
出 e ground ," I suggested. “The ytJ
only be killed."
主van went silen tIy down and un-
leashed - them. They were growling
and bristling, particularly those near
the back. They seemed to realize the
imminence of danger.
1 looked at my watch. It lacked two
hours of dawn. The drums were grow-
ing louder and louder, and the yell-
ing more distinct and defiant. From
three sides the drums closed in on us,
and f rom three sides choruses of high-
pitched yells iÌl formed us of the hatre<L
of the blacks for their masters. Evan
interpreted as he caught some of the
words.
“ They say the juju has declared we
are to be killed ," he announced with a
{aint smile. “ We are to be slaughtered
and our flesh boiled down until the fat
can be collected , whén .it will be used
to light fires. Pigs will feed upon U5,
缸ld our bones will be scattered among
the juju priests of a thousand villages
to tell them to rise and 51aj a11 white
men."
The drums came up to the very edge
of the clearing，缸ld their thunderous
voices boomed with a full-throated bel-
low across the open space in a deafen-
ing volume of sound. In the moonlight,
we became conscious of darker bodies
moving among the bush. Evan sighted
from an open window and with com-
pressed lips fired. There was a mock-
ing yell.
“ They say our guns have ~n be-
witched so we cannot _harm tñem," he
infonned us a second later. “ Give me-
a shotgun."
The load of buckshot gave better re-
sults. Two or three shrieks of pain
announced its arriva l. Then the drums
boomed forth more loudly. Ev泊位red
again and again. TheÌ"e wás a ye l1 of
rage at the third shot, when th~ res-
onant voice of the huge, drum became
muted and a mere sñadow of itse1f.
"I was trying for the drum/' he r e-
32 JUJU
marked. “ They were brought from é!. reluctant to aávam:e on a11 sides. 、'!Ve
thousand miles inland , ánd there's no heard him fire twice back there, and
way to te Il what price was paid for painful yells fo Ilowed each sho t. He
that one." rejoined l1S.
The hvo other drums hastily shifted 勻 'm going to take the rear," he said
their positions, and recommenced their briefly. “ They're in the bush a l1
devi l' s ta蝕。o. Emboldened by the fury around. 1'11 hold them off ' easily.
of sound , one or two of the more dar- They'll make their main rush from t自s
ing spirits ventured to advance a lit- side, so yοu two stay together."
,

tle way out in the c1earing to -h owl Arthur's answer was a deliberate
maledictions u p.o n us. sque位e of his trigger. A yell followe ð.
A口 hur's rifie cracked spitefu11y, and “ At a hundred yards," he commented ,
mine follow ed. -Two bold spi討ts ceased 1ωking up，、 “one can make good prac-
to ye11. tice in moonlight like this."
From time to time, as we saw an op- “Dawn 鉤。n，" said Evan and weüt
portunity and a 包rget in the moonlight, _ once more to the rear. \Ve heard him
we shot vengefu l1y into the bush, and settling himself før the rush 出at we ex-
several tim臼 cries of different timbl'e pect割1.
from the hysterical ýelling of the blacks 50 far, there .had been nothing but
.followed our shots. Once or fwic e, t，∞， yells from the nat-i ves. We knew they
'! ha寸 that curious feeling of certitude had some firearms , but ammuni ti.on is
that fo l1ows some shots, when one is V臼y valuable in the bush. Natives are
confident he lJ:is hit his mark , thougn never supposed to have arms Qf pre-
-no cry came to assure me. C1 s10n , and when they possess modern
Evan fired aεain and again ,w.ith his rifles , they have to keep them concealed
heavy shotgun, almost every deep ex- l臼t they be .taken away by the fortu-
plosion being followed by a cry. - The guese; but now and then a black boy
range was hafdly more than a hundred will make off witha rifle and a store
yards, and the buckshot carried 也at of shells, a.tid there are ‘ other sources
distance easily. 5preading as it di也 it of supply.
had a daunting effect. At that，也ough， rifles añ司 ammuru­
Our _ object in taking the initiative tion are immensely valuabk back in
was soleIy 也at of 也mpe世ng the blaçks~ the hili country. Up beyond the Hun-
enthusias m. Allowed to cheer 也em­ gry Co untry, 1 have known slaves to
selves with yeJ Is, they would make a be sold for three rifle cartridges api配e.
rush that would be formidable in the 10 fact , my boy M:b~ka-no吋 run off
,

extreme, but i f we began to inflict 1n 仕le bush with the rest of them-
losses before their attack began, the had cost me exactly s Ïx .3生.30 shells.
edge of their de能rnùnation would bè' 1 had iound him the slave of 司 portly
個ken off. They would no longec be- Kuloga chieftain who was about to sell
lieve in the ε血αcy of their juju to com- him to a ha1f -ca ste Arab for export to
pass our -destru.ction, and we would the Sudan.
have a fraction 01 that psychological 1 bad wondered why .the house seπ­
superiority that the white man must ants did not c1ean out the gun chest
poss的 s in order to ha.J;I dle natives: the when they ran away in the middle of
comptete possession of which enables the night , but thanked my luck that
a single fever-riâden white man to cow they failed to do so. Half a dozen
and rule ten thousand blacks. rü1臼 in the hands of the blacks would
E van made a tour of the house, to have made matters awkward for 的 at
make sure thát the natives were equally c10se quarters. ' 9ff in the bush we
 JUJU
could have disregarded them, as the
nati ve custom is to fill the barrel with
slugs and fire from the hip. Anything
like accuracy is impossible to them, of
course.
When the sky began to pale toward
the 臼5t， however, they opened up. No
less than six firearms began to bellow
at us.. from an ancient fowling piece of
who knows what ancient lineage to a
modern smol但 less-powder magazine
rifle. The slugs and bullets tore
through the flimsy wa Il s of the house,
or else imbedded themsel苟的 with a
thud in one of the posts that supported
the roo f. Arthur and myself began to
concentrate upon those weapons. The
black-powder arms showed their posi-
tion at eveη， fire in the now growing
dawnlight , and we fired vengefully at
the puffs of smoke.
The sky was growing lighter now.
The stars above us were paling and
winking feebly in an attempt to out-
shine the sun. The first dim grayness
became nea r1 y white. The east turned
from pallid luminosity to rich rose and
then to gold. T~ gold , in its turn ,
faded to yellow , and the first rays、 of
the sun struck the tips of the highest
trees about the c1 earing. The drum-
ming became fast and furious. The
fires of the guns in the bush ceased for
a moment , and wild yelling began. We
heard Evan firing occasionaIl y from the
rear of th~ house. Now his shots came
more rapidly.
\Vith a hideous yell , the fringe of
bush about the casa erupted black fig-
ures. Ancient spears, knobbed and
gnarled war clubs, fiercely pointed ar-
rows, and oc臼sional rusted and long-
cherished firearms armed the mot1ey
throng that ran yeIIing towàrd us.
Arthur dropped his rifle and took up
the repeating shotgun by his side. 1
took my stand at a window and opened
on the advancing mob. 1n such a mass
it was imp~ssible to miss , and the buck-
shot was deadly. If we had had sawed..
3BThriß
33
。直 sho增uns， the loads would ha Ve
spread more and inflicted more dam-
age, but as it was we had merely to
pu lI the triggers to see one or more
figures crumpIe or spin half aroUl!.d
and fal l. 1n their state of frenzy, that
did not stop the blacks.
Evan's gun was booming from the
rear of the house. Arthur's spoke with
a shattering roar. My own barked an-
grily. The drums in the bush were
pounding in a mad rhythm that made
the uruverse a place of unbearable
sound. The ye Il s , the shots , the cries,
and the thunderous drumming created
an uproar in which 1 Ioaded my weapon
and emptied it with a sense of curious ,
detachment. Alicia and Mrs. Bray-
more were behind the breastwork we
had made ' for them. 1 cannot speak
for Mrs. Braymore, but 1 glanced once
at Alicia and saw her grimly holding
her light rifle in readiness.
The blacks came on. The losses we
inflicted went unnoticed. They
swarmed up the rise on which the house
\\.as built. We took heavy to11 of them,
but from sheer weight of numbers their
casualties seemed insignificant. Their
yells were deafening as they swept
up the last twenty yards. 1 emptied
my shotgun and began to use my two
automatícs.
A mass of black humanitj flo~ed up
the steps, though a gap in the stream
widened for a moment as -Arthur
poured the last she Il s from his shotgun
into them. They c1 ambered the pil-
lars that supported the veranda and
made for the windows.
At that distance , barely ten feet, we
could not miss. The veranda was a
shambles. They could not Ii ve there.
Arthur and myse 1f with an automatic
in each :.and swept the place. 1 heard
a shot and a yeIl behind me. One of
the opeñings in the floor showed the
barrel of an a t1CÍ'ent musket that was
just falling bac k. Alicia had fired
down the opening and undoubtedly
一 34 1UJÜ
saved my life. The musket was aimed
dìrectly for 'my back, and would have
tom my head .Irom my- body.
There was a crashing, and an an-
tique blunderbuss appeared through -a
hole smashed 扭曲e ßimsy si<!e watl of
the house. Arthur fired quickly. Then
1 heard Evan cry out at the rear of the
house. Before we ,could move , there
was an outburst of 'demoniacal, bestial
screamings of rage. To one who had
once h也rd that sound, the n01se was
unmistakable. Th巴 gorilla had ap-
.peared in a killing fury ' and was going
for the blacks , as their panic testified.
In a moment 't he cI earing was dotted
with r Unnihg natives. They dared
Jace our weapons , but the gorilla---一一
Evan's riße was silent. There was
:;in instant of almost unbearable quiet-
ne臼﹒Then came a triumpha帥， horri-
ble outcry from the beast. It had slain.
CHAPTER VIII.
UNMASKED.
THE qujet was deadly. Where five
... minutes before had been the yell-
扭.~ of the natives and the roaring of
the drums , the sharp' crack尋 of our
'rifies, and. the bellowing of the native
fi.rearms, now there was not a sound.
Arthur and 1, y haken by the sud-
denness of the transition , waited in cold
apprehension. W ould the door from
,ihe rear of 'the house bùrst open and
,!he shaggJ betlst rage into the room,
ñs colossal .arms crushing whatever
:might come within its grasp? Would
we, the four in that one room，益re
'(utilely into its barrellike chest, and
) hen be rent and tore in the huge ape's
EU可 arms， while its great dìscolored
fangs s平nk into凶ur ßesh?
The sti1lness was b'roken by a feeble
sound, and we quivered , gripping our
討fies -tlj~ more tigh t1y. The tension
yas terdk.bother f臼ble sound, a
缸r!!'ping sõund. Then two or three
.f ;únt jàrs，~ followed by an unéèrt泊n，
tottering footstep，缸ld a second. We
heard Evan's voice, barely above a
whisper, muttering pain-racked impre-
catIons.
The door opened slowly and he
limped weakly into the room. His
cI othes were !om and gory. Blood
dripped from a deep cut across the
back of his hand. He stared at us un-
certainly，缸ld a look of relief came
across his face.
“ Well," he said slowly. “ They've
gone."
AliciaJ for the first time, gave way.
She burst into sobs" against which she
struggled bravely.
“ The goril1a!" 1 snapped, fearf u1 lest
1 too give way.
E van shook his head. “ The blacks
had crept up to ahd fil1ed the servants'
旦uarters during the night. 1 suppose
that's why the dogs were rest1ess.
When they made a rush，出ey dashed
out from there and 1 cotílôn't stop
them. Tlìèy were inside, and 1 was
JUS幸 about gone when the gorilla ap-
peared from nowhere. 1 dare 詞y 1
shouted, and then -tlote beast made for
the blacks. 1 suppose it was as fright-
ened as they were, but it charged the血，
screaming with rage , and. they ran. It
got one of them. The poor devil is
out there now. l'd been knocked down
and one of the -blacks was just about
to finish me- off. when the brute ap-
peared."
“Where is it now?"
E van shook his head again. “ 1 don't
know where it wen t. . lt was going for
tbe blacks."
Alicia stuffed . her handkerchief into
her mouth and tried desperately to get
a grip on herse叮咚ain.
“ We 'l l go ' and look out at the back:'
said Arthur grimly. “ You stay here,
Evan."
We W {mt eautiously out toward the
rear. Th ere lay one of the nativ.臼
w1由 his neck、 broken， an expression
of infinite hoπõr on. his face. Others
 ]U，民J
lay in twisted attitudes a切ut the place,
gaping wounds from the buckshot at
c1 0se range showing how desperately
Evan had fought. Of the gorilla there
was no sign. \Ye searched the place
thoroughJy, but found nothing.
We retumed to the others, a cu 討­
ous lethargy set t1ing upon us. 、Ve
h~d been at such high tension for
50 .‘ long that it was impossible to keep
keyed up. 1, for one, fe)t an almost-
overpowering desire to sleep. Ali_cia
had recovered her composure by now
and was trying to bandage Evan's hand.
He was indifferentJy submitting, but
after she had finished , he looked at it
and took the bandage off, substituting
a mere strip of adhesive for the many
tums of the cloth.
“ 1 can handle lP Y rifie like this ," he
said dully.
Mrs. Braymore made coffee and we
draι( it in sifence. Pre5ently Arthur
motioned to the women to leave the
room and began to tug at the bodies
lying on the floor. lt was absurd for us
to think of trying to bury them. He
dragged them to the edge of the ve-
randa and dropped them over the edge
to the ground beJow. He moved jerk-
ily, aJmost like a man asleep.
“ No need to do that ," said Evan sud-
denly , a little while later.
Arthur stopped and looked át him
questioning Jy.
“ \Ve' l1 have tostart for the coast ,"
Evan eXplained uninterestedly. “ We
can't stick it out here. Th e natives
won't bother us now. The figh t' s taken
out of them."
“ But th e- gorilla ?"
“ Have to chance it ，"組id Evan
sJowly. “ There's nothing eJse to do."
"He11 get us within the first ten
miles," 1 remarked , speaking with dif-
ficulty because of the peculiar Iethargy
that affected us all. “ You know how
he trailed Arthur."
There was a momen t' s s i1ence.. then
Arthur automatical1y.、resumed his task.
35
Alicia came into the room and silent1y
gave us something to 臼t. Arthl1(
stopped dumbJy and began to chew 00
his food , forgetting the grisly labor he
had been performing but a moment be-
fore.
“ We can't start to-day, anyway," he
said after a little. “ We've got to res t.
We're all in bad shape and we 've two
weeks' travel before we reach another
white man's house."
Evan made some reply, butl did not '
catch it. 1 fell asleep with f∞d in my
hands and sIept like a dead man for
hours. Alicia waked me at noon to 個t
agam.
A l1 that day we were possessed by a
pecuJiar indifference, the result of the'
reaction from the tension at which we
had lived for so many days. 1 woke
with a start at three o'c1 ock, hearing
the dogs bark. Evan came slowly into
the Toom.
“ 1 let the dogs Joose," he said , n o-
ticing my expression. “ They were
whining."
“ \Ve'll need them to-night, in case
the beast comes back." I rQse stiffly
and went back to douse my head with
water. It roused me a JittJe and , after
a cup of coffee , 1 joined the other two.
We were a Jl languid and tired , but '
thoroughJy awake now.
“ Of COUTse we can't stay 00 here,"
Arthur was admitting,“but we wouldn't
have one chance iñ a 'hundred to make
il through the jungle with that ape
following us. You've seen how it man-
ages to reach the house here."
“I' ve figured ," said Evan thought-
fu l1y,“that it was in the fringe of ,
bush, and when the drums began to
close in from three sides, it was flushed
out and came on to hide here in or
about the hOl1 se. It had hiddèn here
before."
“ Probably," Arlhur agreed. “ But
that doesn't say how we're going to ,
elude it during a joumey of a hundred
and fifty miles" witho叫 carriers."
36 JUJU
E van threw out his hands. “ But
what a re we going to do?" He a p-
pealed to m e. '“What do you 也~
Murray?"
“If we stay here," 1 reasoned; “ either
we'll get him or he'll get us. If we
go , he'll þrobably get one or more of
us and we n旭y get him. But we can't
stay here. The only thing 1 can think
of is that we had beUer. try for him
t o- night. With the dogs to w ãï'n us,
we' I1 have a better chance than òefore.
1f he doesn't come t o- night , try t o-
morrow J;light. Hang on here as long
as we dare and then , if we must , try
出e trai 1. If we could strike a cara-
van coming down from the Hungry
Country, now--"
E van shook his head. “ 1 haven't
been very hospitable to 仕1e Portuguese
traders ," he remarked. “ They steal my
slaves 祖d s e11 them in Ticao. They
don't tum 0宜 the main slave trail to
my vi I1 ages any more."
We wer~ silent for a moment or two.
“ Are there any of the rest barricades
any short distance away?" asked Ar-
thur. “ We might reach one of them
and wait for a caravan to come."
From time to time along the great
slave trail from the interior, you w i1l
tind big inc10sures made of tree trunks
and fi. lled with grass 1 lUtS. Th~y were
origina lly built for halting places for
the caravans that go up and down from
beyond the Hungry Country. Of
course they are in ill repair because of
the attàcks of in s-ects and rot upon
dead timbei in that climate, but the
carriers feel safer in them after night-
fall , and the slave traders find them
convenient to avoid possible attempts to
e此ape on the part pf the “ voluntary
labor recruits~ they àre 臼corting to the
coast.
“ We might 甘y，" 1 姐姐 doubtfully.
“Frankly， l 也ink the beast would have
as much chance at us there 的 here. If
we happened on a caravan rigbt away,
though , it w Ould he1p."
“Whyd借妞't the damned thing go
away?" Arthur 1∞ked at us with some-
thing of dread in his eyω. “1 shot -its
mate four hundred mil臼 away， up 旭
the Kongo. -It trailed me those four
hundred miles, making a仗empt after
attempt on me. 1 wounded it once, and
got a fair shot at it twò weeks before
Murray brought Alicia 缸1d Mrs. Bray-
more here. 1 thought 1 had killed it
then. It went off through the trees as
if it were badly injured. I'd made
sure it was dead."
He began to pace up and down the
room nervously.
“I' ve never known one so far from
Kongo before," 1 姐泊， in an attempt to
encourage him.“Y ou know what ani-
mals are. They'll stick a~_ a thing for
m 缸nazing length of time and then
wi11 drop it like a shot. He may get
a touch of homesickness any day and
swing off to the north again."
“If he only would!" Arthur burst
out. “I'm beginning to feel that 1妞's
going to get me yet. Something te11s
me he's going to get me."
“ N onsense，"個id Evan h臼 rtily.
“Get a grip on yourse1f, old -man."
“If he killed me ," Arthur muttered
morosely，“快'd be satis fi. ed. I'm the
one 1妞's after. If he killed me, he
might go 0宜 and leave the rest of you
in peace."
“ Ðon't be an ass, Arthur," 1 told
him sharply. “ The beast can't distin-
guish between ~hite men. He'd be
Just 臼 apt to t寸 to wipe out the lot
of .us, and 1 have a strong objection to
being wiped out."
Arthur walked out on the veranda
and stood tþere , leaning against the
side of the house and staring moodi旬 ，
off into tl間 - bush . Evan 1∞ked at me
Slgn過cantly.
“ Nerv白" he said quietly. “1 fee1
the same . way., but I'm trying not tQ
show it. 1'11 gQ and round up the dogs.
1 have a feeling that something i$ due
to hapJ>e1:1 t o-night."
 JUJU 37
1 went out to the back. Alicia sa w gan , then quickly snapped my ~nd to '
me passing her d∞r and joined me, the pistol at my belt.
leavíng Mrs. Br~ymore behind. From inside the house had ,QO me a
“ Ha ve you decided on your course?" snarl ! Before 1 could take another',:
she asked in a low voice. “ You know step, 1 heard a queer, gurgling gasp
both of us are willing to do anything and a sickening crack. In a second 1
ýou think wise. Y ou mustn't hold back had bolted around the corner 0 f the
for fear we n祖y not be able to stand casa, . rushing madly, my automatic in
hardships." my hand. Arthur had been lcaning
1 shook my h臼d: “The only thing against the wall near one of the win-
we can do ," 1 said wearily,“is hope . dows. N ow he was crumpling .Iimply .
'the beast tums up tc• night and that to the floor , while the curtains behind
we kill him." him were still ftuttering where the arms
Alicia put out her hand and let it that had broken his neck had been .
rest on my shoulder in comradely fash- jerked back. 1 . dashed through the
10n. door, absolutely desperate ' and _utterly .
“ Please don't be discouraged，"由e reckless. A dark form was bo~1n ding
said urgent1y. “1月{e've stood so much, down the hall that led to the rea r. A
surely we can endure a litt.1e more." f rightened cry came f rom the room
1 tried to smile. “ We' l1 stick it out.
in which Mrs. Braymore had been left.
It must be much harder for you and 1 ran down t 1'!e passageway, furious and
Mrs. Braymore." desperate, 1 heard a door slam shut-
the door of the storeroom! 1 made for
“ Don't worry about us." Alicia 祉， stumbled, and fe l1 into th~ r∞ m on
shook her head decidedly. “ It'5 the
a l1 four s-.
waiting for the beast to come that wor-
Evan Graham was in the roo Ol, try-
ries you. We're growing accustomed
ing to stu宜 a furry something iuto an
to .grisly sights, but you'll never be used
open box! As 1 sprawled on the floo只
to just waiting. Why, I' ve got so 1
l1e whirled and saw' me. From his Iips
can look at those poor natives and not
issued the identical snarl 1 - had heard
even shiver."
fi. ve seconds before , and þe raised lús
My eyes fo l1 owed her glance. 1 automatic pistol and fi. red!
smiled wryly. “ It isn't pI臼sant for me
to look at that particular native," 1 re-
marked. “ He was one of my 臼rricrs. CHAPTER IX.
1 bought and freed him when he was THE GORILLA'S SCREAM.
to be used for food一-a tribe in the in-
terior. A l1 iny boys joined Evan's 1 S~~~ ~~~~}! _~a;tc~~_1~~n~0_u~~~.~s~
feeling weak and giddy. 1 essayed .
blacks." to move -a nd found 1 could not. 1
Alicia looked at me with her large opeaed my eyes. Despite the gathcring
eyes. “ Le t's go and talk to Arthur," darkness , 1 discovered that I was seated
she . said suddenly. “ He needs cheer- in a chair in the large room of thc ca 姐­
ing as much ås you do." A second attempt to ' move disclosed
The veranda of 由e casa went all the the fact that 1 was tied tightly.
way around it. Arthur, when 1 had Alicia stared at me dumbly. f rom
seen him , was leaning aεainst the wall an opposite chair, and Mrs.' Braymore
before the main door. AIicia and 1 sat in one comer, her face white and
walked around the outside. set and her ey的 full of ho什or. Evan .
“ 1 d迫的.thank' you for shooting was standing at his 臼se by the door-
down the hole in the fiooring一一一" 1 be- way, smoking with evident enjoyment.
 38
In one .'Of his hands he held a shaggy
object 出3.t for some seéonds held ,
weakly, my half-focused attention. It
was a baglike object,. that yet seemed
to contain a framework. Not yet
aw a.k e to futl C"onsciousness, 1 saw that
.jt was strangely anima 1. It was a mask
in the perfect, horrible likeness of a
g9口lIa.
Eva l\. turned and saw my eyes open.
“ Well , Murray , old top ," he said ami-
ably. “ Y ou caught me , didn't you?"
My throat was dry and parched , and
my shoulder ached abominably. “吭吭at
the devil?" 1 croake d. weakly.
“ Give him some water, A Ií cia," said
Evan cheer-f ully. “ He's thirsty."
Alicia gave me water. “ He has my
抖stol ，" she whispered despairingly as
she bent over me.
Full consciousness returned with a
jerk. Evan had shot me. Evan had
snarled at me as he fued. Evan-w hy
Evan must have k il1 ed Arthur! He
grinned approvingly as he saw me
straighten in an instinctive effort to
break my bonds.
"Ah , feeling better," he commented.
“I' m sorry you caught me. I'd have
liked to take you back to Ticao and
hear you tell the tale of this week's
work of ours. Y ou always were á
great one for teJJing tales , Murray."
Hc puffed luxuriously at his ciga-
rette and looked at the gathering dark-
ness outside.
“ Y ou're a connoisseur of tales , M lJ r-
ray, so 1 think I'11 tell you one. I'm
going off to get in touch with my na-
"tlV.e s in a little while , as soon a~ it's
dark , but I' ve a few minutes to spare
and might as well be pleasant during
.t hat little while. I' m afraid 1'11 have
to be unpleasant later on , you know."
“ 1 di也1't know."
1 have never found that losing one's
head is an advantage under any cir-
cumstances, so 1 prepared to make an
effort to keep mine. Evan waved his
band airily.
JUJU
“ Oh, I'in going to be put to the un-
p]個sant necessity of rusposing of you
and Mrs. Braymore. No one could re-
gret it more than 1 do, but the neces-
sity is there. Y ou seë , 1 was the gor-
i l1 a." He indicated the gorilla mask.
“ And it wouldn't do for you to tell
出at story about."
. “ 1 can believe it," 1 admitted. My
head was spinning, but 1 tried to fol-
low what he was saying in the hope
of finding something therein to my own
advantage.
“ Y ou understand , of cour阻" said
Evan cheerfully,“that 1 don't mean
that 1 was the beast whose mate Ar-
thur so inconsiderately shot, or the
one who followed his caravan an the
way here from the Kongo. That was
another gori l1a a It ogether. 1 simply
happen to be the one that hung about
the house here. Arthur shot the other
one two weeks before you came. It
got away, but he must have wounded
i電 fatally. . Otherwise it would have
turned l! P long before. I'll admit that
1 was a little nervous about the ani-
mal at fir哎， but 1 soon realized that
it must be dead. 1 saw to it that Ar-
thur was not similarly convinced , how-
ever. 1 had already made more or less
of a plan. Y ou know about my
slaves ?"
“ No ," 1 sa!而 !'ather weakly. 1 had
lost a lot of blood.
汀 'd knocked about the West Coast
for quite a while before 1 came here."
Evan stopped and drew up.a chair. He
sat down comfortably. “ 1 had learned
the secret of controlling natives. As
you know , that s巴cret is fear. 1 knew
that if 1 could get , say , a village full of
them thoroughly aÍTaid of me, they
would be to all practical purposes my
slaves. Normal means of frightening
them would have the disadvantage of
not frightening them too much to in-
voke juju to get rid of me. And juju,
invoked against a white man , means
poison. The obvious solution was to
 JUJU
frighten 也em by .means of the _v位y
juju they would use against me."
0 the voice of a man , ordáing tþem to
“ Poison?" 1 asked. My head was
spinning, but 1 tried not to show it.
“ No." Evan puffed casually upon
his cigarette. “ Poison would be the re-
su It of the juju. 1 went at the foun-
tain head. Kongo natives are deadly
afraid of gori1l as , but just a little way
from gorilla country, the natives fear
them vastly more than where familiar-
ity has had time to breed , if not con-
tempt, at least some measure of ac-
customedness. The natives here would
be horribly afraid of them. 1 made
my preparations aεcordingly. Having
bribed his exce11ency the colonialgov-
ernor, and having had this mask made
and learned how to imitate to a fair
degree of perfection the cries of the
beasts, 1 came out here. Ha ve you
seen my mask?"
He held it out for me to see, even
going so far as to strike a lightωthat
1 might examine the thing more closely.
He held it before my eyes and turned
it about. It was an amazingly perfect
bit ot work , perhaps !arger thim- a nor-
U旭1 skull of one of the beasts would
be. For a11 their size , their sku l1 s are
çomparatively sma! t. It was lifelike to
a 5urpnsmg degree. The disgustingly
human. and yet unhuman ears stúck
out against the skul l. The ja w pro-
truded in truly simian fashion , and the
caked , black lips were drawn back from
discolored fangs in a grimace of al-
most unimaginable ferocity. The
b r<>ad , ßat nostrils were distended in
l age , and the eyeholes of the _mask
o
sank deep back below the low and bee-
tJing forehead. 1f small , glittering eyes
had shone eviHy from those now b 1ank
holes , 1 would have been tempted to
believe that a live beast was before m e.
“ Good work, isn't it?" asked EvaIL
“ 1 came out here with my four over-
seers, wandered into the village, and
metamorphosed myself before the 討1-
lagers' eyes into a gorilla ;<:lad as a
-39
man, which at one m9IDent 叩oke with
obey, and the next screamed at them
in tones of one of the mon5trous apes
of which they were in such dread. l
built myself this casa , demanded trib-
ute of gums and produce, stårted a
small juju house off in a small clearing;
and in a couple of weeks had 的tab­
lished myself as a deity, demanding to
be worshiped and sacri 6.ced to, exact-
ing all sorts of tribute , and 50 0且 Very
profitable , 1 assure you.
“ They soon believed that 1 could
change myself into a gorilla at will and:
respected rne irnrnensely. 1 took care';
to throw a few scares into them. In _o
]apan, some years ago , 1 learned a
sma11 and very elemental jujutsu trick
which requires very little strength to
break a man's neck. A few broken
necks, a few snarls, a scream or 50 of
rage, and they'd no more think of croS5事
ing my wiU than they'd think of jump-
ing into the fires of he Il."
“ They attacked the house," 1 r e-
marked , trying behind my back to wrig-
gle one of my hands free from the
bonds that held it fast.
“ They'll suffer for that." Evan waS
smiling, but there was something in.
his tone that made me feel slightly
cold. “ They'll suffer for that. 1 told
my JUJU P討的ts to take the people off oo
into the woods and keep them busy
with a juju council until 1 had finished
my husiness with you. They forced.
your boys to go with them. They sim-
ply got out of hand , that' s a l1. The
witch doctor you and Arthur shot was
coming to tell me that they were out
of contro t. If 1 had gone and appeared .
among them , wearing my gorilla mask,
and snarled at them once, they would
ha ve been like lambs. 1 simply cou Idn't
get away from you people without mak-
ing you suspicious-'
“ But what was the object of it a l1?"
1 demanded. 1 had f ound it irnpo5sible
to free even one han d.
4D JUJU
“ Arthur was my elder brother," saìd head mask in his hand. “ Is there any-
Evan amíab'句“ConsequentIy， being thing that isn't clear to you?"
Eng lish , he . had all the money 泊 the “ 1 don't understand anything;" 1 組站，
f組lily. 1 do not like West Africa. If 勻 '11 begin at the beginningy in your
1 disposed of Arthur, 1 could_ go‘ back own fashion. Let's see. Biheta. You
to 'England 3-nd live with some com- remember you were here the nigh t. she
fort. 1 thought of sh∞íing him and was installed in the casa? One of my
calling it an accident, but people would servants had been insolent. 1 sent wo r:d
talk , you know. Wh en he came here to the village that Biheta was to be
with his tate of being followed by a sent here to take the other' s place. She
gori l1 a , 1 saw the possibilities. When was frightened , and the juju ceremony
1 heard you people were coming up, 1 'you saw was for the purpose of heart-
saw 1 woulcl have witnesses. My id臼 ening her for the time she would spend
was to convince you of the pr的ence in proximity to my godlike person.
of a gorilla , break Arthur's neck pre- When the othè"r servants le缸， by 'my
cisely as 1 did 出is aftémoon, and re- orders, she was too stupid to go , with
tum to England. 1 rather thought 1 them. She was pe中etuaIly frightened,
would be able to comfort Alicia，包 anyway. You see, she saw me dispose
time:' of the _servant that had been insolent.
Alicia shuddered. Evan grinned at Jujutsu is usefu l. 1'11 show you how
her. to break a nec k." He started tori肥，
“ 1 shall comfort you, Alic泊， but pres- then sank back in his chair. “ Come to
ent1 y. My people will retum , Mur- think of 祉， 1 need you to con vince
ray and your estimable chaperon wi Il A 1icia that she had better do as 1 tell
be disposed of, and yoo- and 1 will her. You wi I1 depart this life to-mor-
e虹ape precario~sly to Ticao , telling the row. As 1 was saying, Biheta stayed
tale of hai rbreadth esαpes during the behind when she should have c1eared
uprising of my natives and during the out with the others. So, in the mid-
o 甘ip." dle of the night , while on guard, 1 went
“ Never !"但id Alicia desperately. into her room , wearing my mask. 1
“ Oh , yes." Evan was polite, but made a noise, she woke , saw m令-and
there was evil determination in his tone. that was the end of that. The photo-
“ Y ou never cared much for Arthur, graph of the retina of her eye showed
and 1 more 也an sus戶認t you're in Jove the face of this n祖sk. Rather c1ever
,

w1出 Murr乳y. Y ou'l1 do as 1 say -for idea , don't you think?"

his sake." ‘'Very," 1 admitted.
There was mute interrogation in my “Tha此s." Evan smiled 組r臼stiα11y.
expresS lO n. “ Well , Arthur just imagined he heard
“1\ ot t。但.ve your life, of course, the beast following him through ' the
Murray," Evan hastened to assure me. trees. He shot at nothing, when you
'CI rea l1 y can't allow you to sp~ead tales and he went (town to explore the vil-
。 f what happened up here. She'll be lage. My own 'encounter' with the
1>1個組nt to make sure thàt you depart animal when 1 sta廿ed， off in the jungle
this li fe , cr'一-comfortably.'t alone was purely imaginary. 1
Alicia looked at me in d臼pa1 r. scratched my own face and jabbered
Evan glanced out the window. “ Not like the gori I1a myself. Like thi s-一一一"
,

thnc for me to start off yet," he r e- He emitted a succession òf incred-

marked. “The y' U have to go down and ible sounds, 50 beast1ike a t;1 d fetocious -
worship me when 1 tum up in this in their tones 也at 1 cOl1ld hardly be-
litt1e fixing." He 扭dicated 也.egorilla- lieve it was' not an animal uttering
 JUJU
them. There was a Þ配uliar 但bo from
the busb outside.
“ The dogs were excited in the store--
r∞m，" Evan went on ωsily， "because
they could smell the fur of the mask
1 kept in a small box in there. When
1 told that wild tale of a hairy arm
leachi_n g in at the window and drag-
ging the dog out , to fling it with a
broken neck into the courtyard, 1 need
not say that 1 had done the ki11ing.
And my seeing 、 the gorilla on the roof
was more fiction. Of course he -wasn't
there at dawn. 1 was laughing in my
sJeeve at you people a Jl night long, while
we patrolled the courtyard. The sil-
, we get to Ticao. Murray and Mrs. -
houette of the gori l1 a's head you two
saw on the window curtain was the
shadow of your humble servant. 1 had
decided that the play had gone far
, cnough. The presence of the gorilla
had been proved. The three of you,
rny present audience, would corrobo-
rate my story of the gorilla's ha吋ng
ki lJ ed Arthur. 1 was on my way; to
break his tteck. Y ou nearly got me
that time , and 1 had to kill the dog to
-get away. Then the natives got out
of hand. 1 could have stopped them
by a simple appearance, but you pec卜
ple wocld have missed rne. 1 waited
until they were near the house, then
rushed out in my mask, snarling and
raging at them , and they ran.. A fter
, a jungle god , but a colossal gorilla in
that 1 hjd the mask quickly and pre-
tended to you that 1 had been knocked
dowri. It was r eaI ly very simple. With
the natives quieted for a few days, 1
simpJy carried out my plans to dispose
of Arthur. I'm sorry I'll h~ve to put
you nvo out of the way, but Arthur's
dead , I'm his heir; I'm going to rna討y
Alicia and become a country gentle-
man in England , and 1 can't let you
two people tal k."
“ You 'll never dare take me to Eng-
land'" 組id Alic函， desperately white.
“ You'll marηme， Alicia," said Evan
c∞lIy. “You won't split. Wb en you
see the prepa!"3-tions 111y natives will ‘
4l
make for tlìe entertainment' o Í' Murray
and Mrs. Braymore, you'H sw臼r to
anything, and you'll n旭 rry me when W~
get to Ticao. Y ou'll corroborate my
:ales of a slave upnsmg, too. You
don't know what can bè done to :M ur-
ray, and will be done _before he dies,
unless you do as 1 say."
Alicia moistened her lips. 1 且w her、
hal f -elose her eyes.
Evan laughed. “It 's about time for:
,
me to call on my natives. This will ,
be our wedding night , Alicia. One of;
th巳 local witch doctors wi11 marry usη
缸ld the ceremony w i11 be repeated wheD:,
Braymore will be kept alive until t o- '
rnorrow lest you refuse to go through
with the ceremony. If you hesitate,
1 dare 組y 1'11 be able to rnake up your
rnind for you. Too båd 1'11 have to
ki11 t4e other two, though." He strolled
over to the door. 勻 '11 call up my na-
tives. You' l1 hear the gorilla again."
Derisively he opened his lips and
frorn them issued a strange c句， that
1 had heard once before. It was- the
challenge of a bu l1 ape to ba.ttle. 、And ­
-g∞d Heaven! 1t was answer-ed!
There was a snarl behind -him. He
tumed with a gasp. There on the ve-
randa , leaping toward him , he 且w， n。在
a masquerading white man, posing as
actual虹y， gnashing its teeth in rage,: and
with its huge , hairy arms ()utstretched.
1 sha11 remember Evan's shriek when
_the beast seized him , to the end of my
days. Sometimes, even now, 1 start up
at midnight wî th the echo of -it ìn' my
ears. For one instant the two 益gures
were outlined against the fading )ight
()f the sky. Th en the ferocious fangs
buried themselves in Evan's throat. arid
the beast leaped clumsily to the grOu nd;
bearing the 'sti Jl -struggling body in its
immensely mus c1 ed arms.
We' beard the sounds frorn the CQu rt.~­
yard, sounds at whose nieaning. 1 do
not wish to guess_ An d then 0UJt 'ea呵
42 JUJU
rang .with the horrible , incredible, ter-
rifyi 12g scream of a .gorilla that bas
made a kill.
CHAPTER X :
AT THE PADRE'S.
WEL~~~se~ 伽o吵 the night some-
how. Alicia, ha1f dead with ter-
ror , managed clumsily to release me ,
but weak as 1 was from loss of blood ,
we dared a位empt nothing that night.
In the moming the great ape was
gone. 1 might as well say now that 1
believe that it was the same animal that
had trailed Arthur, and which Arthur
had gravely wounded some two weeks
before our arrival.
For three weeks it had hidden while
the wound healed , and then came cau-
tiously t~ward .the casa again. lt heard
Evan's first beastlike cries, and its re-
sponse was probably the queer echo 1
had thought 1 heard from the bush. It
crept fσrward， and when Evan deri-
sively uttered the challenge cry of the
monster anthropoids, it had leaped to
the attack.
Limited as is the intelligence of the
creatures; it would never distinguish
ôetwcen white men. A white man had
killed its mate. lt had killed a white
man. 執行th the blood .lust sated , by
now the shaggy brute was doubtless
swinging rapidly through the treetops
tow 江 rd its Kongo hunting grounds.
That is my explanation. 1 know 1
never saw any other sign of the huge
gorilla either then or at any later time.
1 have told the tale on di 証erent occa-
sions to many di :fferent peop胎， and my
sum lÍ se has always been accepted a5
correct.
Our predicament was not entirely
done away with by the dis <lppearance
of the gorilla that had come to our de-
liverance 50 unexpectedly. We were
still a hundred and ñfty miles from an-
other white. man or woman , absolutely
without carriers, and 1 was abominably
weak from the wound Evan had in-
ftjcted. Our chances looked slight in.-
deed until nearly nooo of 仕le next day.
A very much ashamed, and a very
apologetic black figure emerged from
the -b ush on the side farthest from the
village. It was followed by about forty
other similarly ashamed and apologetic
figures. 1 recognized Mboka , my gun-
bearer in the lead and had to struggle
to restrain an impu1se to . jump up and
shout aloud to Alicia that we were a11
right at last.
Instead , 1 sat impassive1y on the ve-
randa until Mboka stopped humbly ip.
the courtyard before me. 1 paid ab-
solutely no attention, but smoked indif-
ferently as if his presence or absence
W' ere a matter in which 1 had no con-
cem. He waited and fidgeted , scrap-
ing his bare feet embarrassedly on the
ground, until at 1ast 1 looked down
and inspected him impersonally. 1
looked a way again. Presently, look-
ing o :ff through the bush as if he were
the most insignificant atom in the uni-
verse , 1 remarked:
“ Pig !"
Mboka beamed. It is the custom in
West Africa for the lower in rank, the
inferior, to speak firsf, but Mboka was
too ashamed to presume. He stood
there uneasily and tried to look apol o-
getic while 1 informed him that he had
put me to some inconvenience, that he
was to go an~ never dare appear be-
fore me again. 1 added tha~ 1 WQuld
see to it that no . other trader ever
dreamed of eínploying him for any pur-
pose whatever.
It does not do for a white man to
admit himself in any degree dependent
on a b1ack. 1 told him that he need ‘
never come to me again and resumed
my stare into the bush. He may have
had some idea of trying to bargain .with
me , but my attitude put him back. He
hesitatingly and humbly told me what
1. already knew quite well, that he and
 JUJU
the .6thers had been lorced to acc C)m-
pany Evan's natiyes o fI into the bush.
One or tw"o of the carriers had been
swept away by the fervor of the juju
council and had joined Evan's folk in
their attack on us , but the others had
now ßed "10 put themselves under my
protection. They begged that 1 woùld
receive them agai n- and assured me of
their undivided loyalty, if 1 would take
them again into my service.
1 kept theìn waiting for' an hour
while 1 went indoors and ate a leisurely
breakfast. When 1 came outside aεaln，
1 seemed to have forgotten them. My
indifference completed their subjuga-
tion. They were abject in their plead-
ings for me to take them back. When
1 . finally consented, it was with the
scomful statement that 1 was going to
take them to Ticao and discharge them
from my service forever.
They burdened themselves joyfully
with the loads they had brought up
from Ticao and waited an x.iously for
me to announce my readiness to start.
Alicia àhd Mrs. Braymore would have
to walk, as their ox-cart was useless.
1 began the joumey on f∞，t， but çould
not keep up. 1 was too weak.
The second day 1 had to be carried
in an improvised hammock, and the
third or fourth day 1 found myself in
a raging fever. Alicia worked over ' me
bravely , but 1 lapsed into semidélirious
feverishness in which 1 was of no use
whatever.
1 must credit- Mboka with a great
deal more faithfulness than 1 had ex-
pected of him. He kept the carriers
under an iron rule , and Alicia told me
later that tbe length of the joumeys
was stretched to t均 greatest possible
distance every day. With .nothing but
the scantiest of medi C1ne s--as my' own
drug chest had heen accidentally left
behind at Evan's deserted casa一-she
fought off the fever , but when we ar-
rived at the Padre 5ilvestre's mission,
-I was in very bad shape. The padre
43
doctored me, however, and in tW()
weèks 1 had not only ceased my d e-
lirium, but could move about a IÍtt le.
1 remember the first evening 1 was a1-
lowed to sit up.
The padre, Alicia , and Mrs. Bray.,
more had celebrated my recovery at
dinner that night , the padre making
one of his graceful little speeches on
the subject. 1 am not of the padre池 ，
faith , but 、 we are great friends , and '
a fter clinner he announced that 1 mighf
sit up. With great ceremony they got .
me into a chair and made a great to -dQ;
over me. Then they helped me to a
chair on the little screened-in veranda、
of the padre's house , where . 1 could
look out at the perfect African night
arid see the small ffi1 SS10n chUrch , and
farther off the village in which the
padr~s converts live.
Mrs. Braymore went back indoors to
discuss with him some aid she proposed
to give the ~ssion. She was an Epis-
copalian, but she had seen the work
the padre had done , and a dí fference
of creed had long since seemed unim-
portant. The main thing was that the
natives needed aid. Alicia and 1 on
the veranda talked for a long time , cli s-
jointedly.
“ What wi l1 happen to Evan's plan-
tation?" she asked present紗， naming
the place with reluctance.
“ The natives wiU move away," 1 an-
swered th6ughtfull比“and a tradition
will grow up, making the casa the abode
of a devil-god who w il1 destroy all com-
ers. Slave caravans p都sing down the
great sla ve trail wi1l make 0 何erings
to appease the evil spirits in the house ,
and a juju house wi lI appear , where
the witch doctor -will grow rich and
fat on the contributions he wi1l exact.
The casa itself will stand untenanted
and deserted; while tall grasses grow
in the courtyard, and at las! 也e house、
wi l1 fall in shapeless ruins."
“It was terrible theré，"姐姐 Alicia
with a shudder. “And Eva.n----it is a1;';
 44 JU，只1

most unbelieVåble 也at he snotild have AJicia tumed. Her face was gra ve
dωe . what he did. He was always -a and sweet in the ha1f light.
black sheep, but that一一一" “ Why? 1 thought--"
I was silent for a moment. “ He was “ This is an evil country. White men
plamúng to force you to marry him," denegerate and black men are like
I 純id presently. “ N ot thinking of how beasts. 1 am sick of the place. 1 shall
you might feel for Arthur." go back somewhere in the States and
“ Arthur was like a brother," Alicia see what 1 can find to do there."
組id sadly. “ 1 was very, very fond of 汀 'm glad you're Ieaving Ticao," she
hirn. We were erigaged, but we had 品id slowly. “ 1 should not like to thi叫E
nearly agreed that we did not care for 1 would never see you again. \Ve ha ve
each other enough to , marry. 1 was grown to be very good friends."
very fond of him, though. 1 could not 1 waited a monient or so and then
have cared for him more if he had said quietly:
really been my brother."
The great white African moon was
“ When Evan was explaining to us
a fter he had shot me , he said that he
silvering the whole earth with its pale
would force you to do as lote said by
rays. From ' the village came negro
threats o f. my death by torture. Y ou
voices, singing the native words to an
remember ?"
oJd , old devotional melody. From
within the house came the rustle of Alicia nodded silently.
papers. The padr~ and Mrs. Bray- “ He said that he believed you cared
more were going over the details of a little for me. 1 have been hoping
the small hospital she proposed to erect very much that he was right. I' m
for the mlsS lOn. Th e padre is an old more or less of a ne'er-do-we lI, but if
-Il1 an , and more than forty years of there's any hope for me , I'll try hard
his life have been spent at his little to change."
mission station , trying to help the na- 1 waited breathlessly for her to an-
tivεs despite the Portuguese and the swer. She looked out at the moonlight
s er&,,'açal system. Now , at last , he was for what seemed an age-long time. At
to have adequate equipment through last she turned again to me. 1 had a
M r s.. Braymore's generosity. moment of panic , and then. 1 saw that
She was going back to her beloved she was smiling.
England, where she would go to her “ \Vhy , Murray," she said in a flash
five-o'c1ock teas and discuss the neigh- of mischie f . “ 1 may calt on yoù to
borhood gossip and hear the curate talk change after a while , but for the pres-
. aoou: thç possibility of repamng the er哎， say for the next ten or twenty
parish house. 1 knew she was glad that ye<p" s, 1 think you're perfectly all right
she could agai~ sink into the pleasant as you are."
rut of well-to-do English country Iife. 1 had not thought myself 50 strong,
Alicia would go too , and 1 would see but when 1 5aw her 5miling at me with
her no more. It suddenly seerñed un- her face close to my own, my fever
bearable that she should leave me. weakness left me and 1 reached out my
“ 1 shall be leaving Ticao soon," 1 arms. Alicia was 'quite considerate of
組id abrup t1y. me. She struggled only a very litt1 e.

教育學
 UltiJnð.t e
dient

多語…
IT has always appeared plausible ω reason to be nervous; he went through
me," observed Doctor Wilson an experience once 出at was quite su侃­
thoughtfully,“that some day there cient to unnerve any one permanently."
may be discovered-perhaps entirely by “ 1 observed the chap particularly , 1
accident-a combination of chemicals rem個lber，" .阻id the doctor interestedly.
which will possess 也e prope討y of rais- He leaned forward in his chair. “Do
ing the vibrations of the human body you mean to tell me 也at he had a
to such an extent 也at solid ßesh will story ?"
become invisible to the eye." “That is just what 1 am tryingωtell
“That is a ridiculous supposition in you，"時torted Lindsay a bit impatiently.
my opinion ," objected Burton Howe “ Y ou Illay rem個lber what a necvous
cont位nptuously，自 icking the -a sh from wreck he was. He would not remain
his monogrammed cigarette. alone in 出e dark under any circum-
“ Not as ridiωlous as you claim," cut stances; he jumped like a timid ~re at
in Philip Lindsay. the slightest rus tI e ; be continua l1 y
“ How do you make that out ?" glanced behind himself, peered back öf
laughed HO.JV e, his eyebrows liftoo in- doors and draperies.
credulously. “ In spite of his e伍ciency he got me
“ How? My dear fellow , betw前n keyed up to such a pitch 出at oÍle night
ourselves, 1 know of 祖 actual case 1 fai r1 y yeUed at him to stop pawing
where just such a discovery was made." the air as if he were warding off an
Howe and the doctor laughed out- invisible menace.
right in unison. Lindsay 1∞ked a1 “‘ Confound yωMallett， if you
由em more seriously than the occasion d凹 't q凶 t your nervous tricks we'll have
warranted 扭曲e doctor's op旭10n. to part. You're getting me to jumping,
“ Well, tell us about it，"旭vited 也e t∞!'
latter, smiling quizzically. “ He gave me a reproachfull∞k
-“ Do you remember 也e man 1 had “哇'm 50rry 1 annoyed you, Mr.
50 many y但rs?" inq也red Lindsay ab- Lindsay,' said h巳 'But my n叮ves
ruptly. “The nervous fellow? O t- are ruined. It'5 the eff曰:ts of a gbastly
∞叮當 you do! W cll，也到四an had experience 1 had several years 啥。~ 1
4ó THE ULTIMATE INGREDIENT
don't believe 1'11 ever recover from it
entirely,' he finished mournfully.
"You fellows may understand that it
interested me considerably ' to discover
由at Mallett had a story , for he had
appeated such a colorless individua l. I
finally got him to tell me the st。可﹒ I
may as well tell it to you , for it is of a
nature . stran~ enough to be of con..
siderable intt~rest to lovers .of the un-
usua l.
“ Mallett used to be secretary to old
Ebenezer 5tarr, of 5tarr & Co. Mr.
5tarr had two mothe r1 ess children,
Paul , thirty , and Constance, twenty , at
the time he died."
The dodor settled hirnself more éom-
fortably in his annchair. Howe lit an-
other cigarette and leaned his elbows
on the table , his eyes on Lindsay.
“Go on!" he commanded. “ Let's
have the story!"
Lindsay's Story.
PAUL STARR seemed an 的timable
young man , devoted to chemical
research. He frequently worked into
the sma l1 hours in his laboratory, fol-
lowing out some obscure experiment.
He utilized the willing and interested
Mallett as an assistant , añd many were
the strange and. eccentric experiments
the young chemist made... Up to a cer-
tain point he had the complete confi-
dence of the secretary, who was doubly
devoted to his service because he adored
the young mistress of the house hop e-
lessly. Finally , however , Paul began
to dabble in the forbidden arts; his re-
quirements grew more and more exact-
ing, until Mallett found it incumbent
upon himself to refuse further assist-
ance in experiments which bore the
stamp of demonism and witchcraft.
Mallett had permitted himse1f to be
hypnotized on several occasiorís by his
young master, wh•--a s unscrupulous
a5 he was learned and clever-now
t∞k advantage of the wealα1的 s of will
which frequønt submission had brought
about on Mallett's pa前. The unfortu-
nate secretary awoke one day from a
trance to find that he had written in
his own handwriting a document pur-
porting to be a confession of a crime
80 heinous that he shuddered at the re-
membrance of it when he told me his
5tO月r. Shocked and horrified beyond
measure , Ma l1 ett inquired falteringly
what this mean t.
“ Ma l1 ett/' Paul said unconcemed旬，
“ it is .necessary for my experiments that
1 have some one attached to me so
irrevocably as to carηr out whatever
directions he may receive , no matter
what th豆 C05t to him. 1 assure you ,
my good Mallett , that 1 have no inten-
tion of injuring you , unless you attempt
to deceive me or refuse to aid me in
my work But if such an occasion
arises 1 shall feel obliged to pút your
confession into the hands of the proper
authorities , and 1 regret to state that
they wi l1 岳的 d fu l1 circumstantial evi-
dence of its truth , since to have be~n
confessed, a crime must have been com-
m Ït ted." He smiled at Mallett with a
significance that made the unfortunate
secretary's blood run cold.
From that time Mallett became a
weak, terrified tool in the unscrupulous
hands of Paul 5tarr. N 0 matter how
strange or how unusual were the young
man's wishes , the secretary was com-
pel1 ed to car可 them out. Finally the
experiments arrived at a stage where
they required careful , undisturbed at-
tention and an absence of the constant
jarring that is not to be avoided in a
city house. The chemist decided that
he would carry them to a con c1 usion
in a more secluded spot than could be
afforded by the laboratory he main:
tained"in his residence , where his sister
was continually disturbing him and the
se何ants constantly intruded.
, Y oung Starr owned a hunting lodge
in the woods of Maine. He made ar-
rangements to fit up this bungalow for
the conclusion of his work. The place
 THE ULTIMATE INGREDIENT
was situated twelve miles from the rail-
road station and the village was four-
teen miles away. One had to make
個時's way by wagon over a primitive -
country road to r'，臼ch it. An autom o-
bile would have b白白 racked to piec臼
after a single trip over 也at road; o n1y
a bicyc1 e or a rude country wagon could
make the trip. From the road a nar-
row path branched 0宜 through the
w∞ds to 也e lodge.
MaUett was an indifferent cook , but
Paul would take no one else with him
in his retirement. La rge supplí臼 of
canned food and of _chemicals were
transported to the lodge, and arrange-
ments made for Mallett to make a
weekly trip to the station' for other nec-
essaries, smaU quantities of which he
could carry in a wire basket attached to
the handlebars of his bicyc1 e. Mail
was held for these week1 y trips , as the
place was out of the way of the rural
mail delivery.
After arriving at 也e lonely lodge,
Paul began to shut himself up for days
at a stretch 扭曲e r∞m which he had
equipped as a laboratory, only opening
the door to admit Mallett with meals.
He ate, slept, worked with the enthu-
siasm of a man completely under the
domination of 30 ab50rbing id個. Once
or twice, when ' something had to be
watched continuously for a longer time
th30 he could remain awake , he called
upon Mallett, while he snatched a few
moments of sleep.
Weekly MaUett went to the station
for letters. There were always more
than one in the handwriting of the
young lady. Ma11ett knew that his mas-
ter had written no one since his arrival
at 出e lodge. . He therefore t∞k 曲e
libertj of sending her a short, respect-
ful note, informing her of her brother's
preoccupation wi也 his work. Paul
5tarr laúghed shortly when Mallett told
him of this bit of thoughtfu1ness.
"You may be a f，∞，1 ， Mallett," said
he 鈍。mf叫ly，“but even a f，∞，1 has hís
04'
uses. And you will shortly be of .great
use to me , as you shall see. It may
interest you to learn that my sistef has
written me of her engagement t Û' our
next-door neighbor-Jack Allison 由e
pigeon fancier ," and he curled rus li 2S
with a sneer, while his sharp eyes.
seemed -to probe the other man's h~art.
Ma11ett soon found that he was des-
tined to be useful indeed to his maste法
He was summoned one day to the labor-
atory to assist in an experiment. PauI
wore a c1 umsy bandage around his left
wrist; through it the blood had seeped,
and there was blood on ihe table and
the floor. The secretary gave an
alarmed ex c1 amation.
“ You have injured yourself!" he
cried.
“ It was intentional," replied the other
shortly. “I' ve taken a11 1 dared f rom
my own veins , as you may observ e.
N ow 111 thank you to givè me a little
of your bl∞d."
50 comm3O ding was his manner as
he made this astounding demand , 50
little did it brook of contradiction, that
the dazed assistant mechanically h e1 d
out his arm and pennitted the enthusi-
astic inquisitor to open a vein and help
himself to su伍 cient blood to continue
the experiment, whatever it was. It
was not until afterward that the
wretched man realized how completely
he had fallen under the hypnotic influ-
ence of his unscrupulous master. But
worse was yet to follow.
A couple of days after this experi-
ence Mallett knocked at 出 e labor<l torγ
d∞r as usual and it swung open before
him as though by invisible hands. He
walked in after a moment's hesitation ,
put the breakfast tray on the table
where his master usually ate, 304 then
turned to inquire if there were any spe-
cial 9rders for the day. To ' his vast
astonishment there was no one in the
room with him.
In spite of the testimony of his eyes,
ωme血泊g gave him .to unders包nd defi-
48 THE ÙLTIMATE- INGREDIENT
nitely - 也at he was nót alone. He saw
no one; he heard nothing. There was
no hiding place for an intruder in 出at
room , bare except for the Sh elves and
the experiment tables. Yet that there
was sorne one else in the laboratory
Mallett was absolutely convinced.
His hair slowly rose on his scalp with
a pricking sensation as he realized that
be had to d臼1 with a something un-
earthly, a something uncanny and
strange, in c1 0se contact with himself.
He felt bands that touchec:Y his shoul-
-ders from behind. He whi r1 ed around,
his breath almost quitting his body with
the awful horror and fear of he knew
not what , and he saw ' that there was
nothipg beh Ïfl. d him. But when he had
-t urned abrupt1 y he felt that he had
brus~ed against something palpable that
retarded his movement, just as might
have been done by another human body.
He could not bear the awfulness of his
sensations. With hartds stretched fear-
fully ' Qefore him he fled from 出at
haunted r∞m and out of the house.
MechanicalTy he followed his impulse
to escape by mounting the bicycle and
$tarting down the path that led to 也e
main road. 、
\Vhy he fled he could not have ex-
plained, for he knew that somewhere
inside fhè lodge was Paul Starr. But
he felt that he was fleeing from some-
thing n起nacing， something unutterably
frightful. He pedaled wi也 al1 possible
spee也 He ha"d begun to recover in a
measure from his unreasoning fear
when be beard a bicycle beU þehind
bim ; be turned to 1∞K
Horror upon horror! The other bi-
cy c1 e sometimes ridden by his master
was pedaling down the path behind him ,
apparen t1y of its own volition. It
swaye司 from side to side as 、 though the
invisible rider were in haste. Wh at-
ever the Unknown Th ing was , it was
undoubtedly pursui-Qg Ma l1 ett. As it
approacheq，也e poor secretary's brain
began -to .whirl; he co \Ù d bear no more;
he fe 1t his cons cÍ ousness leaving him,
and with a wild and terrible cη， he fell
from his wheel to the ground.
When he came to himsel f again he
was lying on his bed 'in the 'lodge. Evi-
dence 出at he had not dreamed he found
on a sheet of paper lying on the table
beside 也e bed. The writing was in
his -master' 5 band, and raÍl much as
follows:
My good Mallett, you should really know
better than to try giving me the slip. As you
must now realize, it is futile for you to at-
tempt an escape. As 1 don't wish you to be.
alarmed needlessly, however, 1 wilI explain
由at in thè course of my experiments 1 have
compounded a salve which makes the user in-
visible. 1 have discovered a combination
of chemical suþstances 也 at produces a higher
rate of vibration in the atoms of the human
body, thus making them swing farther apart
in their motion, which resu It~ in the body b'!"-
coming invisible, just as by applying heat
to certain substances they become invisible
gases. U n-fortunately, in raising the rate of
vibration in 曲is way, 1 find 出 at the vibra-
tions of the vocal chords have been accel-
erated to such an exteot 出at 由ey can make
no impression upon 出 e etheric waves 出 at
看iIl be reproduced upon the tympanum of
the human ear. 1 am unable to make my
voice heard, a1 though 1 can make a noise by
moving articles about me. In future, until 1
shall have solved the immediate"problem be-
fore 前已 of compounding a salve that will
restore me to my original state of vibratio n,
1 wil1 write out your orders daily. Do n' t, 1
beg of you, distinguish yourself by another
piece of idi叫-;y such 晶晶is morning's; with
tbe sole exception that you cannot hear or
see me, 1 am quite the same as yesterday.
To c1 aim tbat the secretary was en-
tirely reassured by this astoilnding doc-
ument would be t~king too mucb for
granted. On the contrary, be began to
fear 、 that either he or his master had
gone q凶te mad. vVarned by bis vain
attempt at flight , he did his best to ac-
cept tbe situation , putting his mind on
his dai1 y tasks、 without pondering t∞
much over the wild statements in the
Ietter. He did debate much over thc
wisdom of notifying Miss Starr of her
bro!h er's strange discovery , but even
had be written to ber he 'co u1 d not bave
 THE ULTIMATE INGREDIENT
stolen away for the trip to the station
without discovery.
So each day Mallett carried Pa叫 's
meals to the laboratory door , controlling
as best he could his shrinking repulsion
for the strange and unhallowed ∞ndi­
tions he felt prevailed within 也別由ys­
terious room. Ea ch day he watched the
d∞ r swing open by hands unseen that
he might place the tray on the table
within. On onc occasion those uns~n
hands took the tray from him , causing
him to jump with an uncotltrollable cry
batkward out of the room.
Even wi出 th e- passing of weeks -he
could not accustom him~eli to that
silent, ominous presence. He found
himself dwel1i ng with terror upon 也e
memory of the last ' demand 出ebold
experimenter had made upon hiø , and
imagination ran riot over the possibili-
ties of futu-re demands. Eve'ry night
the poor trembling secretary implored
Providence to spare him from the un-
to泊. horrors that he felt were slowly
developing around him , and every
morning he brac-ed himself anew to
face -that gruesome ordeal of the labor-
atoη， with its invisible mmate.
His nerves went back on him to such
an extent that he deyeloped habits
whích were to cling tσhim the rest
of his life. He never knew when 曲的
invisible presence would be -n臼r hílil;
when a hand would reach out of ,the
lunñnous daylight invisibly 1'0 touch
him as he worked about the house or
walked aoout the grounds. His life
became a living agony , filled wi也 the
most terrible apprehensions , the mòre
dreadf叫 becau~e he knew 富的t wh a: t .he
had to f臼 r. . At last these iJ1個ngible
misgivin~s were justified.
A létter addressed to him lay on the
Iaboratory table one moniing when he
went in with the breakfa St吃ray. He
was to present himsel"f in the afternoon
for a repetìtion of the bl00d-letting 呵>­
eration. His terror was extreme. Who
l也ew how much of the precious fiuid
4BTbrill
49
would be required of him? How long
would this slow draining of his lifebl00d
last? 可Vould he evef see the outside
world again?
He realized with poignant despair
that the recent .. development of Paul
Starr's character left him no grounds
for hope; he knew intuitively that he
would be sacri.fi ced in the interests of,
Pa叫 's experiments as pitiles,sly ~S a dog
is sacrificed by the vivisectiollÍst. He
spent the -remainder of the morning
locked in his r∞m ， on his knees , in-
a mental condition that was most u o.-__
enviable. His powers of resistance had、
become so atrophied 也at he did not
evcn contemplate a dash for fce吋0Il!.
The hours ßew. The appointed mo-
ment arrived when he must make an-
other unw i1l ing sacrifice on tl睡過ltar
of his master's insatiable Baal.
He ente t:ed the laboratory with drag-
ging feet and thudding heartbeats that
shook him with their violence. Invisi-
-ble hands took him by the hand. Again
the vein was opened -and a quantity of
blood drawn into a vessel held hy an
invisible hand.
Fainting wi也 weakness， loathing his
cowardliness，缸ld -hatir喀 with all his
m叫 the man who dared 'l"ob him in '
this unparalleled mannec，由e -poor fel-
low permitted the unseen .han<;ls to .bind
up his wrist. As he staggered. f rom
the room a paper was thrust iøωhis
haoo.
He gained his r∞m and sank npon
his bed , weeping tears of silent, impo-
tent outra~ and bumiliation. It 剖=emed
to him that he had {allen to the lowest
oopths crl degradátion. -F or a man to
give up without a good 6ght his very
lifebl∞d to a phantom-it seemed 品
though he could die with shame.
At last he opened the paper 個 see
what fresh trouble w a:s brewing. It
was a-s he had dreaded. Tbe cbemist
wrote that if the blood already drawq
did hot suffice he would need yet more
from “ his g∞d Mallett."
SO THE ULTIMATE INGREDIENT
The wretched man lay weakly on his
bed , vainly praying for deliverance.
With the afternoon came the c1 ear voice
of a young woman ha l1 0ing outside the
bungalow. And the voice was the voice
of Constance Starr.
He walked to the window and leaned
ou t. He wanted to warn her not to
entcr the accursed and fatal house.
She did not see him. And then hands
wcre laid on Ma l1 ett's shoulders; he
felt himself being propelled toward the
door. He knew, as though he had been
directed in so many words , just what
he was expected to do. He was to open
to the young lady and he was to give
no si !,J'ß or warning that would frighten
her away. He cried out from the
depths of his heart: 只 No! No! 1
cannot f" The pressure of those terrible
hands on his shoulders urged him for-
.ward; in the very touch there was a
出 reat. . He weakened , and gave 1n.
She stood on the low porch , a travel-
ing bag at her feet , in her right hand
a wooden cage in which cooed four
plgeons.
“ Letter carriers ," she explained smil-
ingly as she turned it for him to look
lfl. “ Ma l1 ett , what is the matter with
my brother? He has not written for
weeks. I've been awfu l1 y anxious
about-him. 1 thought 1 would just run
down to see how he was getting along
with his mysterious experiments."
The secretary incoheren t1 y explained
that his master was engaged on some
work behind locked doors , and that the
expenment would undoubtedly be com-
pleted by the following day , when she
could see him for hersetf. With all his
heart he hoped his words would be true
prophets.
Constance caught a glimpse of the
poor fe 1t ow's face. It was drawn and
absolutely colo r1 ess.
“ W旬， Mallett , you look as if you
hadn't a drop of bl∞d in you!" she
exclaimed in amazement. “ Your face
is te汀ibly white. Have you been ill?"
Again the secretary was forced to
dissemble. His brain was whirling with
his enforced blood-letting. He felt 也at
he must get a way to think in quiet;
otherwise he knew he could not cope
with this new condition. He dared not
surmise just what the young lady's dra-
matic entrance might mean at this crit-
ical juncture, but he sti l1 had hopes that
Paul had been able to complete the ex-
periment successfully and that further
sacrifices would be unnecessa 可﹒
Directly after ' supper Co nstance rc-
tired to her room , and \f hile it was yet
light wrote a little note to her betrothed.
She fastened it to one of the carrier
pigeons , which she took to the window
and sent on its way. As she sat fon-
dling the other three birds ~r door
opened softIy and an enve10pe whirled
through the air, to alight on the table
before her. Th e door cI osed again with
suspicious caution. Mallett had re-
ceived his orders to lock her in , and
with a vague feeling that in so doing
he was safeguarding her he tried to slip
the key into his pocket , but no sooner
had he started back to his room than
the invisible horror was upon him , and
he felt the unseen hand searching his
pocket and abstracting the key. The
omnipresent had guessed at his wish to
help Constance.
Mallett fe l1 on his knees outside her
door. He dared not spea k. His agony
of mind was intense. But he fe 1t that
his presence near her might help when
the blow fe l1, for that there was a blow
to be dealt he now felt intuitively.
He heard the young lady strike a
match and light the lamp. Then there
was a short silence , fo l1 owed by her
exclamation.
“ Impossible ," she cried. “ Why , he
has gone absolutely mad! My poor
brother! This is what comes of brood-
ing too long over forbidden mysteries."
She paced the room res t1 essly. The
man lying outside her door felt the
rust1 e of the letter as sbe picked it up
 THE ULTIMATE INGREDIENT
to reread it. She threw it down upon
t!:e table , apparently in a sudden rush
of unreaSQnlng teπo.r， and ran to ~he
door, rattling the handle with .a cry
that rang with gti:owing fear and . dis-
may.
“ Ma l1ett, Mallett!" she cried desper-
ateIy , and began to ,beat upon 由e panels
of the door.
A r~straining hand made itself felt
upon Mallett's bowed shoulder and he
dared not n::ply. The .hand was r e-
moved , but the poor wretch lay on the
floor beside the young girl's door , sob-
bing sof tI y in his he\pless weakness , his
hands stretched out before him as if
to impl Ol:e silen t1 y her forgiveness.
A Il nighthe lay there. A l1 night
he heard thepoorgirl pacing back and
forth. He dared、 not speak for fear
of attracting the attention of Paul
Starr. But he decided t o. make a last
attè~pt to ,communicate with Con-
stance. He got ,up quiet旬， went to his
room , and wrote .her a few hasty 'lines,
begging .her to dispatch another pigeon
at once, as the situation was critical.
He asked her to do it immediately, be-
fore her brother was ~p， for a 品ght
of the liberated ‘birdmight hasten 缸，
signs that were odious t o. consider.
This n o. te he s1ipped under her door,
tapping cauti o.usly to attract her .atten甸
t lO n.
After .a moment the note was with-
drawn fro.m under the door. There
was a momen t' s pause, then another
letter was pushed o.ut to him. It .was
Paul's letter o. f the night befóre.
“ 1 w il1 do what you suggest at once,"
she said very low and guardedly. “ I
have been too co. nfused to thirik 'o f it
myself. Thank yo~， Mallett."
MalJett hid the letter under his coat,
returned to his ro o. m , locked himse1f 泊，
and read it.
1 have seen the letter myself. Mal-
lett slipped it back into. his poc!<:et after
reading it , so that it w的 preserved for
record in 也is narrative. Here follows
sx
that unutterabJy selfish and astot.uïdirig
document:
MyDEAR ,.cON6TA.NC&: 1 have at lallt dis..
covere d. in the course of my experiments, a
cOp1 pound th缸， used as a salve, will .rènde r.
the user invisible to ordinary rays of 'Iight.
l' his may seem strange to yo包， .but i't illò a
very simple .matter to ,ulÌ derstand :fdr oöe
who .has studied even superficially ether vi-
bration as a éarricr of light. Unfort~qatel'y，
1 have not as yet becn able to find tbè .ex':'
act combination of chcmicals that .wilI re-
store thc user to visibility agaÌ n. I used
all 1 dared of my OW l1 blood in .my first ex-
periment, but 1 need othcr blood for the anti.:
compound; and Mallett's blood has not done
what 1 expected of it. 1 needblood 、 from
a youngand healthywoman and 1 .need it in
largc .quantities. 1 am .sure you, my~ dear
sister, wil\ ,hasten to .offer yourself tosçicnc~，
的 it will mean the establishment of one 01
the most epoch-making discoveries .i~ the
world's history. 1 shall nottake 011 . your
bl∞d immediately; 一 ot11y .what .I need now to
Festore myself ,to .visibili旬， .for 1 labor un-
der a disadvantage inasmuch as my vibra-
tions are now l'aised to a 、 point where 1 can-
not make my vocal organs start ether waves
of su臼cient force to vibrateupon the tym-
panum of others 1n a different state of
vibration. As soon as 1 have ,.-etumcd to
visibility, 1 will gladly acc~pt.. the ba~nce of
the blO()d your tìne young body can offer me,
so that- 1 may make up a sufficient q榔 ntity
of the compound to serve my .pu l'p08也 for
ωme .timeto come. You can . therefo~ plan
fortwomore days of .life. 1 .needoDJy re-
mind you 由at in case you shou1d . '1)e 50
selfish and unreasonable 的 to refuse to offer
such a trifling sacrifice on the al個r of
science, 1 shall be obliged totake froni you
by force .what you refuse to yield of .your
own f ree will. This 1 trust 1 shall not be
obliged to do. 1 infinitely prefer that you
offer yourself freely. ~A'uL.
..~在 onstrous!" cried .tbe secretary.
aloud. His blQod-what there was le t\
of 祉， poo. r fellow-ran co. ld in' his v.e ins..
The sacrifice of 出 at beautiful, vi ta l,
young creatu r.e by a madman wa電 too
dr，臼 dful tocontemplate. He hoped the
pigeon was on. its way!
He moved to the window, and l e.a ned
out to get a good look at her adj~~ing
one. As he watched he saw .ConstéUl ce's,
hand emerge, and a pigeo.n ~tE!l>P~ '
mincingly fr o. m it to 也e window le屯e
S2 THE UL T1MATE INGREDIENT

and began to strut there , arching its the hall. The fury of the exodus con-
nec k. vinced the secretary 出at his . master
“Go, go!" he whispered with hoarse was in no mind to wait for a calmer
irnpatience. moment to continue his experiment; he
The pigeon's pride proved its down- undoubtedly intend@d to make sure of
fal I. A shot rang out , and the p∞r the ultimate ingredient before further
bird fell , sca rI et~breasted ， to the ground complications ensued. With an access
below. Mallett saw the letter being dis- of nervous strength , Mallett sprang
engaged from the bleeding body , opened after th 臼n and clutched the air in a
by invisible hands. He knew unseen vain attempt to seize the madman by
eyes were scanning that franti已 call for the throa t. He missed and fe Jl heavily
help. The litt1e paper fluttered to the to the floor. Without pausing, the in-
gTound. visible Paulcarried the poor girl ,.
Then came a sound of hurrγing feet , shrieking, into th~ laboratory, and the
the sound of a key in the lock of Con- door closed behind the pair. MalJ ett ,
stance's door, which sprang open under picking himself dizzily from the floor ,
the impetus of ari invisible body that heard the key turning in the loc k.
flung itself furiously into theyoung There was a short and furious strug-
lady's r∞m. gle within , Constance's screams ringing
The secretary unlocked his door and out wiJdly , until there came the sound
ran toward the other room. Before his of a blow or a fall , and her voice dying
eyes the plucky gi rI was struggling with away in a choked-off moan , then silence.
an un揖切切mething that held high a Mallett , wringing his hands in de-
pigeon, wringing its neck ruthlessly , spair, stood outside the terrible door
whiJe under the shower of crimson that had closed upon that innocent vic-
drops fluttered in terror the last bird, tim to Paul Starr's mad projects. After
its plumage .a l1 Becked with its com- a few moments that seemed hours to
panion's bl∞d. him the door suddenly opened , a sheet
“ How can yoo kill 也at innoeent of paper , which he took mechanically,
thing?" cried Constance , her indigna- was extended. The d∞r closed again
tion getting the better of her fea r . “ Let with ominous grinding of the key.
it go , 1 te Jl you." The secretary read the paper. 1t con-
She tried to protect the last pigeon , tained directions for him to meet the
beating against the invisible intruder two o'clock train that afternoon and to
with puny fists . The window closed bring back a box of chemicals that were
down suddenly with force; the bird absolutely essential for the prosecution
could not issue there. Constance of the experiment. Hope spning up in
caughtup her hairbrush from the dress- Mallett' s h 臼 rt. Perhaps the young
ing table and flung it with all her nerv- lady would be safe for a few hours at
ous förc電 against the pane. With the least. And what might not happen in
crash and the tinkle of falling glass those hours of respite from the dread
she 1aughed triumphantly , for the sentence? He began planning wildly
pigeon, seeing the way clear to liberty, all _manner of schemes -for her rescue.
darted like an arrow out of the broken 1n spite of the warning to remember
window , and in a moment disappeared the confession which had held him for
among the trees. so long, Mallett took courage from the
Miss Starr's tr他mph was short- veηr desperateness of the situation , and
lived. Mallet t: saw her caught up from made up his mind to risk all in an at-
theft∞r. Struggling and calling to him tempt to save his adored young mis-
:for help;she was borne past him down .tress.
 THE ULTIMATE INGREDIEN 'f
He czoulc主 hal'dly contain his impa-
6個ce for -t he afternoon toωIDe，也at
he might get out his bicycle and go, os-
tensibly to the station, actually to seek
help in the viUage. W~ he found
himself finally on his way , it seemed
too good to be true , and he alm<熔t felt
that the whole happening had been a
terrifying nightmare. Three rniles out
on the ma-in roa <l, he saw an automobile
coniing toward him at a speed that was
reckless , consideriug the ∞ndition of
the road. As he neared it be waved
one hand to stop the driver~ Then he
gave a c可 of relief 組d joy; the driver
was J ack Allison , Cons旭.nce'8 betro也ed
husband.
The situation needed but few words
to make it clear. T~ iace of the youn~
lover grew whiter and ~emer as he
listen ed. He p u1 1ed Mallett's bicyde
upon the running board, and they went
rocking and plunging aJωg the road
to the side pa出 that led through the
dense woods to Ûle ~unting lodge. As
出ey rode, Allisoll expressed his fear
that Paul had sellt ~- Mallett to 出e sta-
tion merely tq get him out of the way.
He related the feeling oi preD1 0ni位on
he had had when he received Co n-
stance's first Ietter. Then the blood-
spattered pigeon arrived which bore no
message. This was su伍cient for the
Iover; he was 個1 his way within the
half hour, at breakneck s~d， to rescue
0 1' avenge the gi.JiI he loved.
Leaving the automobile at the edge
of the woods, the two men plunged
down the path , fear lending wings to
their feet. They burst out of the woods
Into the cI earing and ran across to the
lodge. They went down the hall to
the laboratory door. 1t was wide open!
Paul had not expect-ed intrusion.
Stret~hed out upon an operating table
lay Constance, gagged. Her hands and
feet had been secured to the table legs.
One hand-they could see it as 也ey
stood for an instant in the doorway-
was covered with bl00d, and blood was
53
runniBg from an opea veiR坦白 e wrist
詛切 a test tube heJd under it by În.-
visible hasds. She tumed her h eaG..
towa.rd them with an agony. of apμaJ
in her eyes 也at fell upon their blanched
faces.
Alliωn leaped toward her, his eyes
atlame, his face ashen. - He came in
contact with something as he n ea.r吋
her, something 由at pushed him asi~ _
roughly, foUowing up the push with á
sudden blow. He staggered under th~
unexpected attack, and his hand sougbt
his pocket i.nstinctively. A revolver
fell clatterÙiJg upon 也 e ßoor. But he
did not stop to recover it; of what u.sc:
was a revolver against a .n itlvisible foe.?
He had seen a. knife lying on a stand
near by, and with a quick motion he
possessed himself of it , and in another
moment Constance was freed from her
booos. Allison fiung the knife to one
sjde to help her to her feet. She stoo<<
ωbbing dr.臼 dful1 y， l~ning ha 1f on him
and half on the table , for sh己 was weak
with loss of blood. He tied h is hand-
kerchief about her wrist , and would
have gotteil her at once from the room.
bu t' she seemed unable to stir, so weak-
was she from her fearful experience.
In tlre d∞rway， M a11et picked up
the revolver warily and held it behind
him stealthily. He believed his action.
had gone unnoted , for the invisible ex于
perimenter had carried t6e test tube
across the room with a haste whicb:
showed 出at he did not care tn he dis-
turbed at this critical point. The sec-
re旭叮r watched the visible manifesta-
tions of that invÎsible force , while Jack
Allison freed his sweetheart from the
cords that had bound her.
Mallett 組w the blood poUl吋 int。
a vessel partJy filled -with liquid which
bubbled ONer a bunsen burner. He saw
a wad of absorbent cotton lifted from
the table and dipped ligh tJ y into 由e
boiJing liquid , squeezed ouf i1l to a d isb.
to cool 祉， and then-the cotton begaa.
to make circu1ar sweep~ 泊， 也e a it;.
 54 THE ULTIMATE INGREDIENT
:From behind it 伽re emerged a fa街，
a horrib怯， rage -distorted countenance
with funous 甸的 and bared, gnashing
feeth. The cotton was flung aside.
MaIJett , staring, fascinated , as though
hypnotized , rea1lzed that Paul Starr had
St1 ccessfúlly completed his experiment.
,1 Ie had found . the ultimate ingredient
也at coûld 'restore his body to its nor-
Jllal rate of vibration. His face and
hands , having come into contact with
the anti-invisible mixture , developed as
ît were fròm the air; they floated as
th 'O ugh supported by their 'O wn buoy-
ancy; then th句f- turned , th 'Ose burning
eyes, in the directi 'O n of the droopìñg
girl and her l'O ver.
Paul Starr ßung himself acr'O ss the
room at 自e c'O uple standing there. He ,
gave vent t 'O h 'Oarse cries 'O f savage fury
ë\S he wènt. His face , all stained with
:b is sister's blood, leered at y 'Oung Alli-
馳n ， who turned to pr'O tect Constance,
warned by her weak cry 'O f horror at
the sight 可 f her brother's face.
That face and those hands , that
seemed tò ß 'Oat in the air, n 'O w ßtmg
themselves at Allis'O n with a raging
~trengt h: tènfold 也at 'O f an 'O rdiñary
lnan. Allis'On was forced backward,
for added t 'O the impetus 'O f the sudden
attack was the c'O ntracting horror and
toathin~(his heart felt at that frightful
sight. He was 'Obliged to battle with a
somethiJig whicq fought with a sav-
agery hard t 'O resist , a something he
eould nqt see, against wh 'O se attacKS he
could not protect himself. And whilê
he f 'O ught , that horrible leering face ,
-ug]y witlt its crazed fury , pressed it-
四1f uþ個 him 'O ut 'O f i'í ie air, and the
正w'O bloodstailled hands caught a~ him
and tore at him , those terrible hands
that came out 'O f nothingness.
Weak and 1:rembJi ng, with foreboding
dutching""'a t her Bùttering heart , C 'On-
stance leaned against the waI1, t 'O which
she had shrunk to make place for the
terrific struggle going on before her
wide-'O pened, agonized eyes.
In the d∞ rway 由e secretarγwatched
silently, tensely, A lJi s'O n's revolver hid-
den behind hìm.
Back and forth the man, and the hor-
ror swung and balanced, fell , and r 'Ose
,
to fa Jl again. Paul's h 'Oarse exclama-
ti 'O ns burst 'Out spasmodically as he dealt
blow upon blow t 'O his opp'Onent.
“ Miserable f 'O ol! Wretched bird
breeder! Do y 'O u think 1 can be balked
by you? We shaIl see whether your
interference w iIl do y 'O u any g'Ood一-or
h'e r, either!"
Now they swayed down the r 'Oom,
locked in a mutual embrace of fièrce
and despemte hatred. They fe Jl against
the 'table that held the vessel with its
unholy c'O ntents. Jarred by the shock ,
it fe Jl, staining the fl 'O'O r crims'O n in all
directi 'Ons. The bunsen burner was up-
set as weJJ , and the issuing flame began
t 'O lick the surface 'O f the table , seizing
upon the chemicals spread over it ,
Paul gave a wild cry of 'O utraged des-
μrati'On as he saw the fate of his pré-
cious mixture. With a tremendous
e1tort he' threw A IJi son up'On. 出e floor,
and with bothhands at the y'O ung man's
throat he bent his wh 'O le weight and
strength in a last attempt t 'O beat his
Nemesis.
Cønstance shrieked.
The only calm pers'On was the sec-
reta可﹒ He came close up behind the
writhing figures 'O n the Boor. He pulJ ed
the rev'Olver fr 'O m behind him , pointed
it at the head that seemed ßoating there
in the air abov.e the prostrate. Allison ,
and pulJ ed the trigger. Th~ was a l'O ud
repo討， f()JJowed by ghas tJ y silence.
Cçmstance staggered toward the c'O m.. .
natants , catching at tables éind wall to
support herse)f. Mallett;.:dropped the
sm 'O king revolver as th 'Ough it burned
his hand. The horrible head wavered
a m 'Oment in mid-air; then sl'O wly de-
scribed an arc 也at finished on 也e floor
almost at the secretary's feet.
From A J1i s'O n , in -answer to Con-
S個nce法，“Jack， Jack, ' are -you ' hurt?"
 THE ULTIMATE INGREDIENT
位me a 10嗯， painful , gasping bt詞曲
的 he drew the air slowly into his. tor-
tured lungs. He put his hand uncer-
tainly to his. thro剖， dra wiDg h~elf to
a sitting posture and looking about- him
dazedly.
On the floor hiy Paul Starr, or what
they could see of him. His head. was
steeped in his own blood , as well as in
that of his sister. Mällett's timely. shot
had put an end for a11 time to the ex-
periments of the unscrupulous , ambi-
tious chemist. His eyes were op臼E
yet; although he could not speak , the
light of such a triumph shone in his
terrible smile that Allison was fiUed
with fresh apprehension. He looked
hastily behind him , and realized their
imminent danger.
The flame of the bunsen bumer had
5S
ignH:ed the chemicals, and the blàze had
made headway 血at in t he.ir 'preoccupa-
tion they had not noticed. 1 f 出 ey
wished' to escape with theiF lives 出ey
wou1d ha ve . to be quick. Alllson put
his arm about Constanc-e. and the two~
lovers , mutually helpÏI那 swayed frolJt,
the room. Mallett 5t∞d looking at the
Thing on the floor. 1 f he 的“ to puU
it out he himself would beyond 'a l1 doubt
be caught in the swiftly advancina
flames. The 5ecretary shrank away 泊、
horror and dread, and fled w h.i le there
was yet bme.
And not a moment too soon. Hardly
had the three gained the open when a
loud explosion thundered on their ears,
fo l1 owed by a series of smaller ones.
Paul StarT and his unhallowed secret
had disappeared toge也er 旭 the flames.

務~
CONCERNING TPIE PITHECANTHROPUS
ERECTUS
By W. B. Homer

THEminapdmalhrmt 恤，叫de an 叫anc

C削枷叫 偵
gh
In melancholy frame of mind he sat and wondered how
To curse with greater gusto and relieve his feelings some,
For Mr. Pithecanthropus was feeling rather glum.

The banyan crop had failed 由at year; his wife had gone away
With an ugly , big orang-utan from over at Bombay.
She wouldn't crack his coconuts or comb his back for fleas;
And so 由is anthropoidal heart was sorely ill at. ease.

He wasn't a philosopher; his half-soul couldn't know

That joy is only inverse grief , and pleasure, painted woe.
So thtough the torrid tropic day and in the-tropic 'night,
He nursed his aching feelings and bewailed his weepful plight.

But suddenly a mighty thought exploded in his gray;

50 he broke him off a crooked limb and started for Bombay.
And the evolution processes advanced a mighty step
Wh en your ancestor discovered 出at a 1l he Iacked was Peþl

SITTING m the Amerlean barof
th c. Hotel Cecil , Lo ndon , . with
two real mint juleps between us,
4fMis且 u r'Ì" Go sset told me this tale of
1Iri: l>a ttle of 5tates, wherein the tech-
，;i值 t 1祖 rninr of Co nnectÎcut bumped
bard 'against 'tbe crass resource fulness
of Missouri
Missouri Gos目t JS 個11 and angular
and leather brown. Anywhere along
the east C.03St of Centr這 1 America , they
will tell yöu that Missouri Go sset is a
man of dare-dev iJ deeds~ ; nowhere,
that 1 have yet been able to discover,
will th叮 telI you that Missouri Gosset
尪 a man of truthful words
“ Ever h 曲 r of a血 aratite ?" he
中Jeri_ed
1 sucked .up another quarter incb
of the mint j utep and s h∞k my hcad.
UThere ain1t many 也 at has ," he an-
，werωcncouragingly. "1 never heard
of it my阻11 \萬p to six weeks ago. 1 was
"" the othe,. side of fhe lake then , io
Philadelphia ，∞matose， and waiting for
咽m剖 hiri 耳 to 5t3rt. It started. Simon
Bolivar Delgraz缸. president p,..o tem.
。f one o f. the repub1i cettes fronting on
the Caribb閏鼠， telegraphed me to Bit
from the States, and come to his ßyìng
ãid , urgept. Ha 1f a year previous ," 1
l!a d .s s i悅d 旭De lgta 晶 s' inaugural
parade aCTO油油 e coun甘y. actin g...:,. as
nursemaid to. two sweet li tt1 e Maxim
r 'B:tite
automatic field pieces which helped ∞ n­
siderable to arouse enthusiasm for De1-
grazas in some of 也e doubtíul pr e-
cincts.
“ 1 found , when 1 landed in P.lo 1.0-
m 缸，出 e c.pital , four days later , that
Dclgrazas was in need of some O) ore
enthu St asm. bad. A 臼 5 5 named Tam-
asca , who had been the last president
but four before Delgrazas, and had the
reputation of being the meanest man in
Central Am erica , which 1 assure you Îs
no mean honor, was back on the job.
He had had • thousand secondhand
k間 g-Jorgeosens shipped from New
York, put 也e血 in possession of an
equal count o.f plan叫 100 negr啞5 from
the back country , and was marching
straight for Palo Lomas, depressing
business as he came. Th e govemment
tr∞ps was out against him , there had
been three battles already; . nd bere is
whe~e the funny busiDess ∞m且 JO ﹒ In
thern three fights the government 501-
diers hadn't be:en able to hit a single
。ne of the enemy. Th ey seemed to be
buJJet-pro。ι 1 hadn't been in P.lo
l..omas three miDutes_ bdore 1 heard
about it; 仰自-ybody was talking about
it and was scared deep purple. 1 w. ent
straight t。由 e palace to s回 Delgrazas
and get the faots with the pure-food
tabel 00 也開J.
“ 'lt is 軒(.eIl .s yon h.ve heard , 5eñor
 AMARATITE
Gosset," Delgrazas told me. 'The reb-
, regular time for making his attack-
els are immune to bùllets; it is impos-
sible to kill th也n!'
,“ 'N onsense!' 1 replied. ‘Your m個
ain't shooting straight.'
“守主0， no , it is not that ,' he answered ,
excited. “ Our brave men have crept
right upon them , and shot at twenty
paces, and 也ey have but smiled. Our
people a r.e becoming panic-strjck個.
Palo Lomas w i1l be in their hands、 h
one more week.'
“ 'Quit your kidding, excellency,' 1
replied. 'Give me them ' two Maxims,
and 1'11 spoil this Emancipation Day
percession.'
“ He gave nie the Maxims, and 1 put
them , with twenty men to work them,
on the litt1 e narrow-gauge railroad, and
ran up to 也e Guilas River, where the
government army was , under General
Regeras. The general told me right off
由at 1 couldn't do any g∞d. ' He gave
me a gloomy tale of having been forced
back three or four miles eveη， day by
Tamasca and his thousand bullet-proof
negroes, and claimed he was plumb
near wore out and crazy wi曲曲e
strain of it. He said his men were b e-
ginning. to desert; 也ey weren't any too
strong":minded to start with , and being
beaten steadi1y by men that didn~t mind
bullets any more than cream puffs was
causing them to cross th臼nselves and
mumble, and 也en sneak off into the
bush.
He ended by solemn1y telling me
that he believéd that Tat'nasca's men
ate the bullets. Upon that assertion 1
casua l1y reminded him that the nature
of my first .n ame necessitated having
ocular demonstratîon in all things,
especia11y . in 、 s~eing banana-plantation
coloied' gents eat up high-power, low-
trajectory, steel bullet s.
“ 'We'l1 stay right in this camp,' 1
told him. 'And in the morning, there
w i1l be a stop tó this foolishness.'
“ 1t seemed , that jt was getting ,to be
such a snap. for TatñåsCa.也at. he had a
57
eveη， mornirig about daybreak, that b~
ing the coolest time. He w l)uld drive
General Regeras back tbret; or four
miles nearer the- capital, 'and then rest
up for the next morning.
“ We were ín 'a pre仕y good posi tion-
,
,
at the top of a small -ridge with slo peS
也at were clear of any growth-making
it necessary for Tamasca's men.to climb
six hundred yards in the opèñ before
也ey reached us. 1 had 吐lC ~en throw
up some low earthworks during the
night , and ?tationed the Maxims in the
center of the line of defense , aboùt
forty feet apart, and loaded, .read y. to
spit out four hundred 組d fi f.ty stee1-
nosed bullets a ' minute.
“ Next morning, as the dawn ßashed
up all of a sudden, like it do_es down
there, and before we had time to boil
our co宜ee and fry t01'吋II郎， Tamasca's
men came out of the jungle at the base
of the slope, in a long, black line , and
began to advance up 由e hill" popping
away with their Krag-Jorgensens. Our
men returned the regards , and , when
the rebels got within a 'range of four、
,
hundred yards , 1 let 1∞se with the
Maxims. It ain't ping-pong nor Kelly
p∞1 to walk calmly up a hill with them
two automatics talking right into 'your
face , but them smokes did it; easy and
steady , and dropping our men .by twos
and threes , while nary a one of their
own so m 1:lch as missed a step.
“ It was sure creepy. Regerás' men
cut and ' run , gathering up sudí of the
baggage as they could, and , about two
seconds later, my own men . suddenly
grabbed the handropes , and , pulling 出e
guns w~th 1:hem, iollowed. spit. 1
由u1 dn't blame them , atid didn't blame
myself for taking up a positi徊 ，as rear
guard shortly after.
“Tama SGa didn't chase qs very
,'
harq. H;e knew that he had our goat,
and .could do the same thing the next
morning, so lîe thought he níîght aS
welLmake the 甘ip to the capit越 in easy
58 AMARATITE
stages. Hiè men st 0ppe6 after they
gòt into our carnpi and began eating
our breakfast. _-Me 組d the rest of the
government forces went three sweating
miles before - we stopped. General
Regeras p叫led up near the same spot
that 1 did.
“ ‘You have seen, Señor Gosset!' he
panted. 'Wi由 yωr- own 句res beheld
it! It is supernatura1.'
“‘ 1 have beheld,' 1 answered, 'but it
ain't supernatura1. Before Tamasca
takes his to-morrow morning's constitu-
tional , 1' 11 的Ive this lit t1 e sleight-of-
hand perfonnance he is pu1ling 0宜。a
us , or go back to Pike County and 揖t­
t1 e down on a duck ranch.'
“ 1 rested up a11 that day , and at dusk
-that evening took lago, the quickest-
head亡 d of my gun boys , -and struck out
in the direction of Tamasca'sαmp.
The glow in 也e sky fro Ò1 their fires
guided us,.and we trailed through yucca
palms and jungle for an hour and a
half.
“ We came upon the camp from the
rear，、 where the jungle reached _right
up to 祉 ， and we hid in -it close enougl1
to see the men moving around the camp
fires. The men were mostly playing
cards or just lolling around. Some of
them were leisurely taking lit t1 e w.alks ,
『 ηd pot caring how far from camp they
went.
“‘ We'll get one of them careless p e-
destrians in a minute,' 1 said to Iago.
“ We watched close, but a11 of them
turned back before 出 ey reached the
palms where we were hid泊g. Direct! y ,
however , a ta11 , lank man-a white man
一-came stroIli ng on and on and right up
past us. Before he could turn around
Iago had his hand over his mouth , and
1 had my arm choking.his neck. - 1 took
his revolver away from hi白， and we
bustled him back to headquarters.
“ ln the lantem light in General R e-
garas' tent , where we sat him down , 1
saw that he was a down-East Yankee--
lean, shrewd-l∞組呀 and tight-
mouthed. He was the-恆nd of a pris-
oner that 1∞ks best ti ed, 50 1 t∞k a
piece of packing- rope and decorated
him.
“ 1 was fumbling around his legs
when 1 noticed tha t. he was the hardest-
feeling man I' d ever touched. 1 pinched
his left calf to investigate. It was like
trying to pinch a tight-pumped au!o-
mobile tire. - He looked down at me
and smiled, a pitying, sour smile.
“‘ Don't hurt your fingers , brother,'
he sneered. 'Y ou loek like a strong
man , but 1 reckon you can't squeeze
steel.'
“ 'Steel!' says I.
“ 'Yes ,' says he, like a big boy teasing
a little one; ‘one-sixteenth of an inch
of Sanker's amaratite stee1. I'm Hez e-
kiah Sanker, and I'm covered with it;
so is every man back yonder in the
camp. Feel my face.'
“ 1 did. It was hard as stone on the
surface, but flexible , like chai~ annor,
only more 50.
" 'The only way to get a bullet lnto
me ,' he wertt on,‘would be to pop it
down my throat , when my mouth was
open. Otherwise I'm hog tight , and
bull strong. 1 devised this little article
of flexible ste eI coating up in 'my labora-
tory in Bridgeport , Connecticut, about
three weeks ago. We are pretty smart
people up there in Connecticut; about
the smartest in the whole United States,
1 reckon. 1 had considerable trouble
getting an alloy that would adhere to
the human skin without hanning 祉， and
be flexible enough to allow you to
move around in it like a union suit;
but Sanker' s amaratite steel does 祉， and
it's slightly porous , too. Lets your skin
br倒也e freely. 1'11 be the richest man
in the world when 1 get the nations of
the league biddiQg for the right to coat
their annies with'ï t. 1 am just trying it
out down here; I've got a contract with
Mr. Tamasca. 1 get the job of Seér e-
taηr ' of the Tr臼 sury under the Ta-
masca administration.'
 AMARATITE
“‘There won't be n o. Tamasca -ad-
ministration!' 1 butted in.
“ Sanker smile~ his tolerati峙， mean
smile. 'Yo.u'v~_ g o. t me , but my j o. b on
th o. se co. lo. red men is a g o.o.d o. n e. lt
will last utltil they get into. the capital;
o.ne applicat-io. n o. f Sanker's amaratite
lasts a m o. nth. - They'll be in the capita-l
in tw o. days m o. re.'
“ 'They w o.n't be there in two. hun-
dred years!' 1 flung back, and walked
away, leaving lago. o. n guard.
“ 1 wasn't near So. co. n fi: dent as 1
bluffed up. 1 had never bumped l.lP
against a bunch o. f human iro. n c1 ads be-
f o. re, and my co. urse in business co. llege
hadn't in c1 uded metallurgy. But 1
wasn't g o. ing t o. let a two.-by-fo. ur State
tlike C o.nnecticut put it o. ver the impe-
rial co.mm o. nwealth o. f Misso. uri in a lit-
tle matter o. f science. 1 sat o. n a mah o.g-
any lo.g , lit my Miss o.l,l ri meerschaum,
and _figgered.
“ F o. r ten minutes 1 co. uldn't thiñk o. f
any way except t o. dig big pits in fr o. nt
o. f o. ur camp that Tamasca's men w o. uld
fall into when they charged us , and
then cho.p o. ff their she l1 s befo. re they
c o. tild crawl o. ut. But there was tw o.
o. bjecti o. ns to.出at-we didn't ‘have
sh o. vels t o. d o. the digg加g， n o. r axes t o.
d o. the cho. pping. Then, all o. f a sudden,
the answer came t o. me , and . S o. easy it
made me laugh. 1 was o. ut o. f camp in
three minutes , riding a wago. n mule t o.p
clip f o. r -th e capita1.
“ 1 gcit there near midnight. The
white, lo. w streets was quiet as a cem e-
te句， as the mulè and se1f ambled 恤，
so. me tired. 1 went t o. the little p o. wer
h o. use that made the juice f o. r the sin-
gl e- sticker street-car 1ine-tram line,
they called it-and waked up the super-
intendent. 1 diagramed t o. him tþ. e
trump hand that Tamasca held o. n us ,
and my little scheme t o. spring the j o. ker
o. n him. He was m o. re interested in
th e- flexible amaratite steel than in my
way o. ut; he called it the m o. st marvel-
o. us discovery o. f the centu叮入
S9
“ 1 switched him onto the main track
again by telling him that Tamasca was
only tw o. breakfasts away fr o. m the
capital, and that he'd betfer get busy
right away.
“ The pair o. f us did s o. me swift w o. rk
ar o. und the p o. wer h o. use, and then , sum-
m o. ning t o. our succo. r six fresh mules,
an artillery wago. n , and three mechanics
fr o. m the JUlce w o. rks , we transferred
o. ur field o. f sweating t o. the lo. ng r o. ad
which led back t o. the field o. f battle.
“ Right where we figgered that field
w o. uld be at dawn , which wasn't far off,
we s胸pped. We were f o. ur hundred
yards in fr o. nt o. f o. ur o. wn line o. f de-
fense , and in the middle -o. f the gr o. und
that Tãinasca's hardware brigade \Vo. uJd
have -t o. cro. ss t o. make their attack.
What we did there will be inferred sub-
sequent. What 1 did after we got
thr o. ugh and retired int o. o. ur camp was
t o. rep o. rt t o. General Regeras , and then
lay d o. wn at his feet and fall asJeep.
“ 1 hadn't ' snatched ino. re than f o. rty
winks when 1 felt s o. meb o. dy shaking me
by the sh o. ulder. 1 l o.o.ked up and saw
the supeiintendent.
“‘The enemy are appro.aching, Mr.
G o. sset!' he exclaimed.
?‘ 1 scrambled 旬， and he and 1 went
t o. the fr o. nt and lay d o. wn near the two
Maxims and watched. It was five
o' c1 ock, and , pro. mpt as an alaml cJo. ck,
Tamasca and his men had started on
their daily jaunt.
“ The air was damp and ch i11 y , and
hung white and misty over the rank
fields. We co. uld b;t rely see their long,
dark line co. ming sl o.wly f o. rward.
Pretty s o.o. n they begaI1 t o. sh o.o. t , the-
sho. ts sh o. wing ugly yel1 0w flashes in the
mist. Our men dutifully returned the
fire , well knowing they weren'i d o. ing
n o. thing m o. re than playmg the o. bbligato
f o. r Tamasca's triumphal march.
“ The superintendent w ;::t tched the ad--
vance c1o. sely. Suddenly he . grabbed
myarm.
60 AMARATITE

“ 'In about a minute l' he whispered.
'They are st i1l fifty paces beyond its
influence.'
“ He had figge x;ed well. Tamasca~s
men came fifty paces neârer, and then
their rank wavered a11 of a sudden, the
two halves of it came together ' like the
blades of a pair of scissors, and the men
sort of melted a11 in one spot, and
stuck there in a tight bunch 'round a
little black machine , the same being the
machine we'd kindly put there duri Q.g
tbe night. They couldn't move nor get
away , and', aft-e r a few minutes , our
men walked out and pùlled their
guns away from them , ' an d' made
them harmless as kittens. That ended
the war."
Missouri Gosset had finished his
story. ' He gulpeddown the last of his
julep and then looked up , honestly and
frankly, .into my wondering eyes.
“ But，.'~ 1 e x: daimed hastily,“what
was that remarkable little black
machine 出at they all stuck to?"
“ Just a plain, everyday, electric mag-
net Qf tolerable good strength. Me and
出 e supe t<ook it from one of 1lhe dyna-
mos 扭曲 e power hoúse. 1t drew those
steel-coated colored gents. like a little
five-cent horseshoe magnet draws i r.o n
filings. And they stuck 也ere， t-oo, until
Sa法er went out and showed us how to
dissolve t1l e ste et. off them with some
mixture he had. . But the βh本血e of me
getting the best of him worried him so
出 at he committed suicide , the next
night" by drinking what was left of the
mixture、 The secret of fiexible amara-
t.i te steel went with him. T 1re super-
intendent w~ almost crazy trying ' to
find it out when 1 left. He's mighty
we11 leamt, and a hog for we此， but 1
a恤，色 got much taith 也at he will come
across it."
“ 1 haven't, either," 1 answered dryly.
“ Let's. have 姐。由er J叫ep."

嗡~

T HrE DISAPPEARING POET

THE 叫叫i'sappearances of 叫 me
叩 n 叫
an
吋d wo 叫翎…
r釘r
s包陶.y wi說泊主也
hu 郎s一6
創削11 ∞
c olum
宜叮
ml
n肘
肘nz諂
S of news叩pa
叩 pe
叮r 哼space. Apparently it is an old
triclt，如r Aristeas ()f PFøcmmesus tried it O'l er twenty centuries ago. This
ínan was not only a poet , but a man øf rank and importance. He went into a
shop in his native dty and ÍeJ!l: oown dead.
The storekeeper immoo:iate句， løcked up the shop and went to tel1 the news to
the poet's family. The family at once made due preparations for removing
the body wi也 a11 proper ceremQnies. But when they got there the store contained
no poet, dead OF alive. The shopkeeper protested that Aristeas bad come 泊，
,

spoken "W ith him , and then droppe d: dead. N 0 one had been in the store SÏDce.
Additional mysterγwas added when a traveler newly arr i.ved írom a neigh-
boring tQwn said that , as he stepped aboard the wberry whi-ch brougbt him òver to
. 也e Island of Proconnesus he bad seen Aristeas and talked to hi瓜
Seven years later the disappearing poet came back bome, resided tbere
severarl years, and then disappeared again. N othing wàs beaFd of bim. for three
hundred and forty years 1 . Then he showed himself at Metapontum and com-
manded the i油abi臨nts.， to erect a tempIe- in his honor. This being done , be
raised himself a few yards in the air, assumed tbe form of a crow and fiew
away. The Poetry Soçiety of America is looking for his reapμarance at 組y
moment.
 SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDl NG CHAPTERS.
Two old colIege trtendø. David Jebb and Bill Gaines. meet In the Nord Express, bound tor Oøtend.
where tb 句 are to embark tor America. Jebb lø 8 tamouø surg ‘on , who Is in charge ot a l1ttle glrl,
Cynthl8 Tbatcher, whom he Is taking to her mother. He conf('sscø to Gatnes that be lø 8ubJpct to
tntermlttent speJl s ot drlnktng, wb eJl he knows notbtng ot what be doeø or 88y8. Gatneø get8 OIf.
tbe traln and 18 lett beblnd. Jebb'ø band J.s mangled in a d∞ r of ane ot tbe cars, and he 臼 Int8.
He lø g1vt> n .brltndy by on(' of tbe passengerø. Tblø starts blm 0<<. He ~些anø tbe tra iD witb
Cyntbl8 at Cologne and beglns to drlllk. 'fbe next tblng be. knows be lø lyhJg ln a strang哩 room.
8ttended by a black man. Tb e cblld ls gone and alI blø mon f' y. 8uddenly a woman beavily veiled
enters. Bbe speak8 Engllsb and trom ber be leam8 that be 18 In 8 Turk1ø b harem, wbere þe bu
been brougbt ln a øtate ot unc。祖國clousne.sø. Tbe woman's name lø Mlruma , and øbe ha8 been glveJl
88 a wUe by tbe sultan to a pasha named F('hml. Tbe black øla y..e, Djalfer, break8 b18 ar圈 ， an cS -
Jebb 8et8 it. No t1dln扭曲n -be learned ot C)'n thla. J('bb b4'comc!s deeply -tnterested ln IItru lDt. -
a 早d 曲 e ln J t> bb. It Is dangerouø tor blm to rema 1n wberc he It! . 60，闖出 tbc asststance ot Mlru~
he lø taken aW81 ln d 1sgul風 anèl goe8 to a hotel. Tbe young son of a C f' rtatn bf' y 18 1l1. Je勵pð"­
forms an oper8tlon and 8& ves tbe oo1'Ø I1fe. _Tben Mlruma's huøband. Febml Pasba , comeø to bl.al
to a8k blm to attend bls ftrst wtte. Jebb g揖8 to tbe pa8bu's bOU 8C, and Mlruma 18 sent tor to act ..
lnterpreter.
CHAPTER XV. tress , answered the pasha only by malç;..
THE -BASH-KADIN. ing deep obeisances as ,;he came for~
wa r. d and kissed his hand , like a 戶 lave
TH的GH he c州 n川d叫ld afraid of a master; a second wif-e in- .
the e1 aborate Turkish of the truding upon a first wife before she
pasha's greeting, Jebb could see was in her grave~ and , besides, a girl
the mingled cònstraint and curiosity of confronted with the man she had begun
his manner. There was something of to love, but dared not acknowledge.
出 e aged bridegroom in his .~ordiality The pas4a received Miruma's hom-
as he seemed to _peer through the yash- age with a poor attempt at lofty maj-
mak of the woman who had -been his esty. Then he remembered Jebb , and
yes-and-no wife for years. Th ere waS spoke of him in Turkish wìth an evi-
something of the faithful husband , too , - dent Bourish in his praise. -Miruma,
for Nahir Hanu Ó1 was lying in the thus licensed, turned her eyes full ~p翎
next room, and weeping weakly, a sick him , and the pasha made the pr臼enta~­
woman in great dismay. tion in his best F rench.
Miruma, speechl臼S W1也 triple dis- Jebh bowed, Miruma lifteâ j.m agi-
6.2 THE GIFT WIFE
nary dust and placed it on her breast,
her lips , and her brow.
Then the pasha taised the portière to
his \\.ife's room and Miruma went in ,
trcml)ling with fear and bowing with
a lI the deference required of a second
wife before the Bash- Ka din.
The curtaio fe l1 and hid what fol-
lowcd. Jebb could hear the pasha's
uncasy treble in halting phrases of
Turkish; the faint whimpers of Nahir
Hallum fighting her weakness and her
jcalultsy in vain; the deep tones of Mi-
ruma rich wi也 &ppeasing tenderness.
Thrce des,tinies unwillingly chained t o-
gethcr, unable to break the mutual
links they all resented.
A little later J ebb was summoned.
The pasha spoke again to Miruma, evi-
dently counséling her to talk freely to
the A mè ,.iquali jerrah. Then he bowed
himse1f out.
There was a pause of embarrassment,
the sick woman's eyes rolling like a
terrilìed animal's from one to the other
of the invaders of her sanctuary. She
was ll1 0rtally afraid of the foreign infi-
del to whose magic she must intrust the
tcmple of her body and the failing lamp
of her life. But she seemed even more
afraid of the woman of her own race;
for 且 he herself , as she knew all too
wcll , was worn from the bearing of
m3 Tl y children and their sustenance,
and from the drain of their sorrows
upon her; she had been Fehmi Pasha's
wi f c till she had no longer a new look ,
word. or thought to o fI er him. Mi-
rur l1 a was yet a girl , a mysteη'; in her
eycs was the light of unappeased youth;
a wealth of hairwas crowding her veil ,
and ()n e could surmise what lips the
mustin hid. And the shapeless robes
about her form were eloquent at least
of the absence of angles or exuber-
anccs; her hands and forearms were
an eamest of every grace , and her voice
was luxurious with charm.
The worn-out wife c0111d not know
how Miruma dreaded Fehmi Pasha;
she c0111d only think of her as envious,
ambitious to crowd the Hash- Ka din
into her grave, and possess the dignity
and the power of the household.
There w~s dire bitterness in the gaze
of Nahir upon Mirwna , and the very
homage she paid her charms were fur-
ther condemnatioß of the interloper,
the usurpel、 But she was too feeble
to rise and expel her , too feeble to ask
her to remain away and for.bear from
troubling the last rites of -dissolution
with life.
She could only tum her eyes upon
Jobb , .wondering if the foreign hireling
could 0 1' would be her friend or a
treacherous aUy to h~r enemy. She
could 0 1l1y try to pray with her eyes for
his pity and his mercy.
Miruma {c,Jt a l1 these things in the
air , read them in the woman's look; she
had understood them by intuition in
the carriage before she reached the
house. She felt that every kindliness
she showed would seem but a sneaking
hypocrisy , like the . solicitude of an heir
apparent. But she did her best , treat-
ing the Bash-Kadin wìth almost royal
‘ deference , easing her silken pillow with
more silken tenderness , and murmuring
words of hope and good cheer.
Tortured with her own impossible
positìon , Miruma turned to J ebb with
a halting:
“ vVhat please am 1 to say 0 1' to do ,
J ebt Effendi?"
Even Jcbb could feel the sultry op-
pression in the air , but he knew of no
way of relief except to save the wom-
an's life.
“If you w i1l ask her my questions ,
and tell me her answers-please-Ha-
num E 在endi-madame."
Her eyes gleamed at his remembering
her liking for “ madame," and he fclt
that she smiled under heT yashmak.
But she answered solemnly enough:
“ Please to ask me, and 1 ask the
p∞r hanum."
“ Ask her where her pain is greatest."
 THE GIFT WIFE
Miruma put the qu臼tion in Turkish
of evident cÏl"cumlocution. For an-
swer Nahir raised her right hand heav-
ily and put it at the base of her breast.
Jebb placed under the heavily coated
tongue a thermometer he had borrowed
from Murison. Then he took her pulse.
He found her t也npera ture high , her
pulse- feeble but swift.
“ Ask her how long she has been il1."
After cross-examination, Miruma an-
swered:
“ She say she is seeck for -very , very
long times. She have great fever in
the night. In the morning she is bet-
ter, but ~ot wel1; in the morning she
can eat some little, but later nothing
at a11."
“ Ask her what treatment she has'
had."
Mirumá. bent close to hear the 也 m
voice of Nahir. Then she interpreted:
、 “ Sl甜甜y she have had the prayers
of the -dervish sheikh, breathings , and
the nushka. She have these to please
‘ her pasha no longer.
her old slave who is supersteetious.
Al so , she have two Turkish doctors ,
who is here but did went away , andshe
have Doctor Murison effendi. They
all say she have humma-how to say , a
jièvre. They g臼ve her of bitter medi-
cines. But she is get no better."
After further minute examination
and tests and endless questions , he nod-
ded his head with decision.
“ You have finded the evil?" Minuna
a sked eagerly.
He nodded again , and went into the
hall where the pasha sat running
through his fingers the chain of prayer
beads , each bead one of Allåh's nine
and ninety perfections. The pasha rose
to his feet , anxious with questions. Mi-
ruma t~slated Jebb's diagnosis of
“ gastric erosion."
Miruma's brows were sweet with
sympathy. She explaiiled as best she
could the deep-seated and gnawing -evil
and the operation J ebb dedared imme-
diately nece當ary if - Nahir Hanum這
63
agony was to he -ended and her life
saved. The old pasha becaine a child
with fear and grief groaning: Vakhl
Eyvah! and many a Turkish "Alas !"
He plucked his beard in mourning,
and sent his lean hands to and fro
among his beads，的 if they prayed for -
him. But at last J ebb and Miruma
brought himback to hope , and hé ga vc-_
his consent to the terrifying knives.
Miruma had shown such calm, such
gentleness in the pr臼ence of her ,rival ,
and such courage, that Jebb f e1 t her
qualified in spirit , if not in training, to
be the elder wife's best nurse.
“ 1 need some one to care for N ahir
Hanum afterwárd-to "help me," 1'le
said. “ Will you?"
Had the pasha been less engrossed in
his own griefs, he might have seen his
junior wife crowd a soul full of devo-
tion into one answering look. Had Na-
hir Hanum seen that look she would
have suspected Miruma's designs upon
Miruma did not trust hersel f tö
spea k. She shook her head. And Jebb
understood her Turkish consent. He
i:ook refuge from her ga 2!e by saying
brusquely:
“ Aqd now 1 must find Murison. Ex-
plain it to the pasha , please-madame."
Then he told Miruma aIl the things
he would require to tum the house into
a、 hospital and bring it as near to aseptic
conditions as he could expect in sllch a
place. As he hurned down the ' steps ,
he paused again to tal1 back:
“ Take command of the house,- ma-
dani e-:-and the servants."
He descended a few steps and
stopped again to 組y more gently:
“ We both-you and I-want Nahir
HaJ1.U m -to get well , don't we?"
A11 he saw of her face were her eyes.
They were enough. They widened and
deepened with understanding of ' 311 in-
ner meaning he had hardly realized
himself till the moment. 10 a se.iz ure
of confusion he dashed from the hòuse.
64 THE GIFT WIFE
He hastened to find Murison, losing-
himsell in blind alleys , almost bowling
over black-clad, veiled figures , shoving
gypsy . beggars aside , cutting under the
very noses of horses, and braving the
horns of restive buffaloes. Mucison's
home was empty) and the Albanian
servant cou1 d not unders個nd a word
Jebb sai<1.
F rantic with impatience, he hailed a
passing . tal品a， and ordered the driver
to JTIake haste to the Austrian consul-
ate.
He found Hellwald at the d∞r and
was invited to join him in ∞ffee， but
he explained his ùrgent need of Muri-
son. HeUwald had seen him a moment
before on his way to the British consul-
ate, and offered to go along to show
the way.
When he leatned the cause of Jebb's
.speed he c1 apped him on the shoulder.
“ HimmelswiUen! But you will be
nch .in a day , Doctor Chebb. Fehmi
Pasha is made of money. He's an old
skinfli剖， but you should tap him well.
.How much did you ask him?"
“ Nothing."
“ Nothir電 Are you crazy? Y ou
must make a big bargain with him."
“ 1 haven't the time. Afrerward,. per-
haps."
“ Afterward is too late."
“ The woman i$ dying. 1 must oper.
ate at once. And such a beautiful oper-
ation! An operation in the stomach it-
self. Do you understand? 1t' s a very
ra tt! piece of work. I've only had it
twice before."
“1\.11 the more reason for a beautiful
fee. Really , my_ boy, you must."
“ Th前正s Murison! He just tumed
theωmer."
And Jebb deserted him incontinently.
He was thinking of a deal more than
也e operation or the money. His heart
was pounding in his ears “ Miruma!
Minima 1" The sight of her , the being
with her, he-a ring her, watching her
great soul on triål proving itself won-
derful , had engulfed him deepe t' than
ever in the thought of her.
When he left Fehmi Pasha's roof , it
had swept over him that a failure tc
save Nah汀 's lif e- meant surrender! :1 g
M-iru ma into the hands of Fehmi Pasha.
He could see his skinny talons care~s­
ing her as if she were his gold.
He was the more eager. to have \'M uri-
son's Scottish caltn to steady him , lest
his fierce desire set his nerves in un-
surgeonly disorde r.
He came up with Murison and told
him breathlessly what he wanted. The
fellow ωuntryman of the poet who
grieved over a frightened fietd lnO use
needed no urging. He 組 id that he had
himself been I ca11ed in to prescribe for
Nahir Hartum, but had come to nO
nearer diagnosis than typhoid fever ,
which did not materialize; maJaria ,
which did not respond to his quinii1e;
and consumption , for which he knew no
relief. He þad neve~ heard of J油b's
empyéma, but he had faith in Jebb.
On their way they stopped at 出e
ejza;. hattè or drug bazaar, but its stock
was chiefly .filled with thittgs that were
just out or had never been in.
They stopped at Muriso^'s home to
get the case of instruments , sutures,
gauze , and everything his little equip-
ment provided. Then they quickened
their steps to the kon '(l k of F ehmi
Pasha. As they neared it , they 錯wa
stre缸n of women entering the gate in
the wall , and other women coming out.
“ What does that mean?" J ebb asked.
Murison answered solemnly: ‘ 'They
must be the women of the neighbor-
h∞d. When they hear that a woman
is dying 出ey go into the sick room ,
strangers and a11, without ce閃mony，
and kneel there to pray for her repose ,
j ust as strange rnen help to carry the
co伍n to the grave."
“ But she isn't going to die ," J ebb in-
sisted. CfI' m not going to let her di e."
And he thought of Miruma 訟 much as
of Nahir.
 THE G1FT WIFE
He knocked at 也ed∞r and was ad-
mitted by a servant who had been weep-
ing. .H e went up the stairs with as
businesslike an air as if he were in an
American home , and marched straight
into the sick room , beckoning the un-
easy Murison to follow. He paused
at the d∞ r， for the room was fi l1 ed with
heavily veiled women surrounding the
beØ , where Nahir, feeling grateful to
her anonymous comforters, was also
praying. With her right hand raised,
the forefinger pointing upward , she
faintly murmured her testimony that
there is but one God and Mohammed
his prophet .
.H er hand fe Il of its own weakness
before she finished the long ritua l. J ebb
stood irresolute at the door, angered at
the resignation which would not help
him in his battle. Murison stood by
him , feeling a reverence that Jebb could
not respond to. It was Murison's pro-
fession to make death easy and beau-
tifu 1. It was Jebb's to fight it to the
last.
Hearing a rustle, he turned to find
Miruma with her hands full of fresh
linen. She was sti l1 occupied with the
task~ he had set her.
He pointed to the premature moum-
ers and spoke gruffiy.
“ Get 'em out t She must not be al-
lowed to give up. She must help us
make her live."
Miruma put down her burden and,
going among the kneeling women, whis-
pered gently to them. They rose and
withdrew-almost with disappointment
as it seemed to J ebb. When they had
gone,. Jebb forgot them. He turned to
Miruma.
“ You have boiled water in plenty?"
“ Yes , Jebb Effendi."
“ Will you please "take some of it in a
c1 ean bottle and let it cool on ice if you
can. 1s there ice?"
“ Y es, J ebb Effendi."
“ Where is the pasha?"
“ 1 deed advised him to go t。由e
5BTbriU
6s
mosque to pray for Nahir Hanu圈， aad
to take weet him his three 50ns who
deed cøme home to help their moth~r
to die in peace and to e.x change the
helal weet her."
“ You are a genius," Je﹒組id.
She was not quite 5ure what a genius
might be, but Jebb's l00k was 50 warm
with admiration 出at she 6ed in terr-o r.
A compliment is a dangerous thing in
Turkey. It makes the genie j 也lous.
CHAPTER XV I.
A DUEL W 1T H THE CUPBEAREJl.
A T ~!:，恥
pasha's
reque鈍，制
authori旬，
Wl曲曲e
Miruma had
taken command of the house. The old
housekeeper, and a11 the 0也er servants,
seeing in her their proba b1 e future mis-
tress , trod upon one another to please
her ~ There were many of thern and
she set them ftying in all diredÎons.
First , she ravished the entire supply
of the household's linen and had it
transported to 曲 e upper ftoor, where it
was put to baking in every utensil she
could gather. She invaded the 蚵 tchen
building in the garden , won over the
savage negr臼5 iu charge, and persuaded
her to put her copper kettles and
earthen jars at her dis戶sa1. 1n the hall
the old co fTee woman was heating water
for scouring ftoors ar吋 tables. An d on
the two American stoves above stairs
and below and on every f∞t warmer
she could find , she had some vessel boi1-
ing or baking fabrics , instruments ,
utensils.
The eldest son's room had been emp-
tied of all its fumiture and scoured
with boiling water-fl oor, walls , win-
dows. A long table from the kitchell ,
scoured and scoured again, had been
tak白1 thither by the porter.
Jebb found the whole household in
an orderly commotion. The batbroom
in marble , but tubless, had been set
apart for him. He and Murison re-
tired there to prepare themselves for
66 THE GIFT WIFE
the 個sk. Th ey slipped off their street
c1 0th臼 and put on two newly baked
hOllse robes and two pairs of .baked
slippers. Then they began on their
hands.
H e worked over his hands and his
finger nails as if they were his most
dreaded enemies. He máde Muri 5O n ,
also , parboil and scrape his hands t il1
thcy were almost raw.
To the eyes of the sick woman the
doctor and his aid looked less like hu-
man beings 也an like the two dread
allg e1 s , Moonkir and Nehir , who sit at
the foot and the head of a fresh grave
to catechize the soul on tria l. Nahir
Hanurn feared them as much as her
fecble strength pe叮nitted.
Miruma was begging her to wish to
live and try to live, for the sake of
the children who needed her and the
husband who loved. She was 50 gentle
and so eager that Nahir Han Ulu was al-
most persuaded to believe her.
Je恤，也tering the hanum's r∞m ，
fnllnd there a covey of terrified daugh-
tels who had stolen in for further pray-
ers. He scattered them like partridges,
and , gathering the frail form of Nahir
I f anurn into his arms , carried her into
th(' operating room.
Miruma waited outside, trying to
cO ll1 fort the ancient baby the pasha had
become through fea r. It seemed an
ctcrnity of waiting. Through the closed
door came occasiona l1 y a quick murmur
of Jel 舟 's voice glvmg some commaod
to M urison , the c1 ick of an iostrument
laid down or dropped on another. That
was aU for ages of ..su spense.
Then the door was opened , and Jebb
reappeared with the unconscious form
of the pasha's wife in his arms.
He carried his burden to her r∞m
and restored h 叮 to her canopied and
coque t:t ish bed from Paris. After a
long whi胎， she came back to conscious-
nC5s. Her great , dreamy eyes glowed
through h甘 veil in questioning pa-
tience. A phrase came to Jebb from
his Turkish grammar, the gi"eeting 出e
Osmanli bestow 00 one who has come
safely through a sickness:
“ Gechm.is h ola! May it be past and
forgotten !"
Her ey臼 showed that she under-
stood. She was too 研eak to feel much ,
but what Jit t1 e she felt was better than
the great fear that had possessed he r.
There were anxious hours and days
of danger and of wrestle with the cup-
bearer of the sphere who kept setting
his fataf- ωP to the lips of Nahir Ha. .
num. But J ebb thrust it aside always
with his sk ilJ. But there were times
when Miruma , alone in the house 扭曲e
drea 可 night hours , must give bat t1 e
hersel f with th~ dark angel.
It was not altogether an unselfish
fight he waged , or altogether a se1 fish
one. She sought to remember a lI of
Jebb's confusing directions and when ,
the next day , she would report to him
what had happened , and could point to
her ward still Jiving , her triumph was
sweetened by the admiration that grew
in his eyes and deepened into a warmer
approval than respec t.
He never failed .to give her her meed
of praise, or to report to the pasha how
unwearyingly his second wife was de-
fending his first wife from the inces-
sant dangers hovering about he r.
“ You should be the only wife of a
doctor , madame ," he told her one day ,
and then blushed to rea Ji ze how much
his words implied.
And she blushed wi~h him; then
sighed to think how far from out of
her reach this cup of happiness was
held.
CHAPTER XVII.
AN EXILE FROM EDEN.
1T Jebb
~:~ :_!~nJ _~n~L~~sYT~eek be~o_~~
felt that Nahir Hanum C04'1d
safely be intrusted to the care of Mi-
ruma and Murison , though he had
schooled them in a11 the tasks and
probl個ns that were likeJy to aris e.
 THE GIFf WIFE
Meanwhile, Gani Bey was flourishing
in the radiant household oi his father
a: 1< 1 ll1 0ther, the British consul was
again o,ut-swaggering the Russian con-
sul in the streets of U skub, the Serb's
sick buffalo no longer leaned on its yoke
to cough , and various and sundry beg-
gars , beys, and aghas were. the better
for Jebb's visit. He felt that he had
a right to set about his own business.
It had been a busy week in Turkey ,
too. Abd u1 the Damned had been
plucked from his throne like a vulture
dragged from a charoel nes t. The
Young Tu r:ks governed a new Turkey.
J ebb called upon the pasha , and ,
after as much delicacy of palaver 品
his curt solil could manage, he
broached the ,hateful subject of com-
pensation. The pa sha's coffee cup
shook, and he choked' a little on his
smoke. He recovered su 航 ciently to
say with a rather r臼trained enthu-
sla sm :
“ Y our servant can never repay you
for your service by mere paras and pi-
astras , J ebb E 何endi ， but may he ask
what you would cODsider a fair recom-
P個se?"
His smile turooo to a grimace of pain
as Jebb answered cri sply:
“ Twelve ~und 陀d pounds."
The pasha traoslated it into his own
terms:
“ Biii i&i yûz li,.a J" He nearly rolled
o 旺 the divan. “ 1t is the price of the
wife herself."
“ You have 主our wife back from the
edge of the grave, haven't you?" said
Jebb. “ It was a hard figh t."
“ Oh, yes, Jebb E 任endi. Y ou have
accomplishéd a miracle. But twelve
hundred pouods is much mon.e y for a
physician.
“ Is it much for a wife?"
“ No, 00 , but一一一"
“ OfcO\且 rse， if the pasha is poor, tet
us say no more. 1 have cured beggars
in Uskub from whom 1 asked nothing
except their thanks."
67
The pasha tov~d the reputation for
money alm05t more than 出e money.
He wriggl ed a little.
“ No, no , you r' servant is not so rich
as some men, but he is not 的 poor as
others. But twelve hundr e.d pounds for
a week's labor. Why , 10位， effenðim ,
when the padishah-whom Altah pre-
serve- presented me with Miruma Ha-
num he gave me for her "ekyah E> nly
one thousand pounds for her whole
li fetime."
Ha ving led him into the n~se， J ebb
tightened it with a sudden . tum :
“ 1 wi l1 throw off one thousand
pounds of my bill, pasha , if you wiU
relea se Miruma Hanum and restore her
nekyah. "
The pasha was too full of astoni 品­
ment to have r∞m forwrath. He
sputtered:
“ Y ou ask me t o--to divorce my
wife ?"
“ Your extra wife."
“ But wh-why? Do you want to
marry her?"
“If 1 wanted to marry her, Sho l1td 1
be leaving Uskub t。可morrow forenr?"
One thunderbolt followed another
about the pasha's head.
“ You leave Uskub forever. What 0.1也
my 戶。r sick wife? You w i1l leave. het'"
to die?"
Jebb had foreseen the question , and
he had planned his answer with care,
composed it in French and reh e'a rsed it.
He ~ poke wi出 less than his usual sturn-
bling.
“ The best thing 1 can think of to
cure your wife , pasha , wou1 d be the
news that she no tonger has a young
and beautiful riva l. If you went to
her and said,‘ Y ou are my only wi fe
now ,' it would be better than any m edi-
cine 1 could p正escribe. 1 put a knife
a l.m ost in her heart. You have left one
出ere. Give Miruma Hanum the talaq
and you wilt save Nahir Hanum."
The pasha was breathing deeply and
his eye was 50ft.
的 THE GIFT WIFE
“ And," Jebb added, “you w ilI save
one thousand pounds of my fee."
Even greed was less strong than curi-
。sity. The pasha studied Jebb closely
as he asked:
“ But. ~hy-what difference does it
make to you?"
lt was well that Jebb's profession
had taught him in many a crisis tQ keep
his emotions out of his features , for he
said wi也 perfectly level look and
tone:
“ 1t is a whim of mirie, pasha. Be-
sides , it is my duty. 1 see Nahir Ha-
num beartbroken by the presence of
anothcT woman in your life. She is the
mother of your children. lt is hor-
rible to my Am erican notion , that a
man should have two wives. Most of
your TUTkish people feel the same way.
Th e padishah ga ve you your second
wife. Th e padishah is deposed , exiled
from Constantinople. A be t.ter man
rules in his place. You are paying me
to bring health into your home. Make
Nahir Hanum happy , you will make her
wel l.
“ As for Miruma Hanum , she has
wor k<? d hard for your wife. She is
worn ()ut with watching and with sleep-
lessnc -:;s and labo r. \Vithout her your
Nahir Hanum would have died many
time" in my absence. As a physician 1
hatc t ,) see a human life wasted. Mi-
ruma Hanum should be a true wife;
shc 巾。 uld be a mother. Set her free.
1t ought to be your pleasure; it is your
'dut\.. A r. d it will sav e you one thou-
品nd 1 呵)unds."
The pasha was still craftily looking
for 州 me occu 1t pUf J)O se. He had not
been rrained to believe in straightfor-
wan! (lea ling or direct bargains.
“ Y () tJ are sure you do not intend to
mar n- Mintma Hanum?"
“ 1 Jeave Uskub to-morrow. 1 shall
not retllm. 1 have business in Salonica
and in other cities , and then 1 return to
Am cri .:a. 1 have no expectation of
.ever seeing Miruma Hanum again."
He 1∞ked 出e pasha 扭曲eey的 as
he spoke and there was no questioning
the honesty of his intention.
“ Let me think it over ," the pasha
pleaded.
“ 1 leave Uskub to-morTow," Jebb
Teiterated a s he rose.
“ Another cup of our miserable cof-
fee ," the pasha urged , pressil1g him
back in his sea t.
The pasha sipped two cups (!n<!
pu 旺ed yards on yards of smoke before
he spoke. Then he said:
‘'You think my wife Nahir is wel1
enough to leave?"
“ With the instructions 1 have given
him , Muri son Effendi , with the aid of
Miruma Hanum , can bring her back to
health in two or three months."
“ Y ou think it wi l1 he1p her to re-
cover if 1 inform her that 1 shall put
away the gift-wife ?"
“ 1t w il1 help more than all my skill."
“ Then your servant w il1 obey your in-
structions in everything."
"And Miruma Hanum sha l1 have her
,
talaq and her 1 ekyah!"
“ On my honor, and as soon as the
court wi l1 grant the decree." And once
more: “ You are sure you are leaving
Uskub for亡 ver?"
“ To-morrow without fai l. If you
could have my money at my hotel一一一"
“ 1t wi l1 be there , effendim. For your
skill 1 sha l1 pray A lI ah a1so to reward
you. F or .your joumey Allahα emanet
o!otln."
Thus commended to A l1 ah , Jebb paid
a 1ast visit to Nahir Hanum and
through the pasha warned her to keep
her bed for two months at the least.
She looked so wan and hopeless at this
sentence that Jebb turned to the pasha
and nodded to him meaningly , and mur-
mured:
“ Tell her."
The old pasha dropped down at the
side of the foreign and frivolous bed
and , taking one of Nahir's wisplike
hands to his lips, poured out a st r'eam
 THE GIFT \VIFE
of loverly Turkish; J ebb understood
only a phrase of it here and there , but
he caught the words ,. Miruma" and
“ talaq ," and through the transparent
veil on the waxen features there spread
a s t1 dden gleam.
1n the eyes shining through the rift
in the veil , there grew tears , large blind-
ing tears; but they seemed to bless
rather than hurn , and as Jebb bowed
himself out, her eyes followed him with
a look he always remembered. That
was a fee he could never spend.
As he passed from the house , he
looked eagerl 主 about for Miruma , ho p-
ing that she might chance to be 仕lere
and that he might bid her at least a
farewell of 出e eyes. But she did not
know , and he did not dare ask to see
her lest the royal privileges he had 臼U
joyed as a physician be withdrawn and
he find himself abhorred as an invader
of the sacredness of a Turkish home.
So he Jeft the konak of F ehmi Pasha
with a great heart-hunger unappeased.
He had , indeed , as he had said , re-
so!ved to leave lJ skub forever, and
M iruma forever. The fierce demands
of bis duties to the 105t child cried out
against him for his long neglect , but he
felt absolved to a degree by the neces-
sity of earning funds and saving the
lives perishing at his very feet. But
now there was no further excuse to
giye his conscience.
He had come to know Miruma bet-
ter , through the veil , the actual veil sbe
wore and the impalpable yet impene-
trable veil her self-respect , her duty ,
the danger of their situation drew about
he r. And he had come to love her and
desire her with a passion his h 目前 had
never dreamed itself capable of enter-
tammg.
For a few days his dreams took
wi !1 gs. He had devis eG his plot for her
release fr個n the useless chain that fa s-
tened her to Fehmi Pasha. He planned
to hurrv forth to hunt the lost child.
He dreamed that be stumbled upon her
句
without delay. He imagined himself
telegraphing M Îruma to Jom them and
go with him to :\merica as his wife.
His heart was lonely for a helpmeet.
His life was as empty as hers. They
belonged to each other. He thanked
the very fates that brought them t o-
gether through the wilderness of tbe
world.
And then his thanks choked in his.
throa t. A chill hand seemed to reach
from the fog and throttle him. It was
his curse that had brought him to U s-
kub with infinite disgrace, wi也 a deep
shame, which he had concealed only
by cowardly silences.
His curse forbade bim to marry any
woman , least of a11 Miruma. For a
black long night he wrestled with the
genie from the bottle and the morning
found him a victor , thougb his triumph
had cost bim a broken heart and a
broken life.
Utterly convinced 也at he would be
an odious villain to marry Minmia , he
f eJ t it his absolute duty to check the
young love he had seen spreadiJ喀 i nto
fuller bloom in her heart at every one
of their meetings , though 50 few words
were sai d, so few 1∞ks excbanged.
J ebb was a surgeon. He believed in
the knife only as a last reso吋， but then
he believed in cutting deep and once for
a11. It had been rus horrible 0侃ce to
read a death warrant to many a wretch
he could not save, and he had come to
be1i eve that the anguisb was ooly pro-
longed and embittered by postpon e-
ments and evasions.
He thought long and fiercely over
his farewell to Miruma. He 可，.rrote
many letters and tore them in pieces
and burned them in his lonely rl∞m 前 ，
the Hotel Turati with its window open-
ing on a neglected graveyard. ~Tom
out and nauseated with life, he dashed
off and s位 led the curtest mes組ge of
a 1l, with no hint of the love that neither
had expressed in a word , and lx油 had
underst∞d with a 1l their hearts.
 70 THE GIFT \VIFE
MntU)(A HANUJII ,
MADA ME: 1 Ic ave tor Salonica by 也e
next trai n. 1 shall hunt for the child until 1
fìnd hcr. 1 wiU let you know when 1 do.
Fehmi Pasha has promised me on his honor
that he ....m grant you at once a talaq and re-
store yOllr nekyah in full. 1 should like to be
assurcd of this. Y ou might send me wor d,
if ìt is not too much trouble. My perma-
ment address will be the Unio I1 Ban k, 1
Graher 1 3, Vienna (Viyana) , Austria.
With all good wishes, yours faithfully ,
DA\' ID }EBB.
He slipped this into his pocket and
left the hote l. The streets of Uskub
are Jighted only for a while of evenings ,
and only an infrequent patrol or a hun-
gry dog disturbed the nigh t. Jebb easily
.a ,,'oided the patrol and found his way
by stadight to the slumberous home of
Miruma.
He paused in the shadow of the wall
opposite and mused on the chain of
events that had brought him in a night
, “ Miruma Hanum.'"
. of stonn to her doo r. It was another
man than himself that had taken that
wild vagary. He must retrace him
througb the labyrinth without a thread
to gu 泊.e him. lt was another man
than tbe old Jebb who stood before her
door now and ached with desire to r e-
main , Or to take back to his own coun-
try the treasure he had happened upon
in thc labyrinth.
In one of the windows there was a
faint glimmer struggling through the
Iattices. He imagined Miruma there,
and he b e1 ieved that she was thinking
of hinl. Mad projects to cJ imb to her
window like a Romeo , or to knock at
her door like . a minstr e1, teased him ,
but he was not mad enough to attempt
them.
lt was late when the light from with-
in was extinguished , and the window
was only a blur in the sta r1 igh t. Still
'. he waited , helpless to move , till in the
distance he heard the tag-tag of an ap-
proacrung patro 1. Then he slunk away,
stumbling as he gazed back at the dim
and dwindling walls of her home.
Th e porter at the hotel was half
asleep as he opened the door, and left
him to grope to his room and throw
himself down on the bed of loneliness
and despai r.
The next morning, as he was paying
his farewell ca l1 s ont l:-I ellwald and M u-
rison and other friends , he saw Dja 在er
passing with a botchka or parc e1 car-
rier loaded with purchases from vari-
ous bazaars.
Djaffer salaamed as to a grand vizier.
Jebb paused ostensibly to examine the
bandage on the wrist. He slipped
Djaffer the money to redeem his ring ,
and made him promise .to have it at the
hotel that day. Djaffer promised with
a grinning gratitude that died out sud-
denly , for Jebb had secretly pushed his
fareweIJ letter up the sleeve of Djaf-
fer's coat and as he moved away whis-
pered:
CHAPTER XVIII.
JEBB FINDS HIMSELF.
SA~~~IC~~_~~~ H~~t_ S~~?~~L ~~ a~~
cient Greece , the neighbor of
Mount 01句ympus 吼 叫
W :here the tw e1 ve gods
resided; the rendezvous of the unim-
aginable army and navy 叫 0 f Xerxes; 閃r.宅
e­
bui Jt and renamed by Alexander the
Gr閃ea刮1' s brother-in-law for Alexande 盯r'
ha叫lf-si s ter Thessalonica; Thessalonica
where St. Paul preached and whence he
was driven away by “ certain lewd fel-
lows of the baser sort"; Saloníca, the
immemorial memorial of Greek , Ro-
man , Byzantine , Venetian , and Saracen
anttqultles.
1t seemed pretty ancient to the Yan-
kee surgeon 心 ho came in an express
train and took a cab to the Grand Hô-
tel d' Angleterre.
The hundred-and-fifty-mile journey
had required only eight hours , which
was not bad for Turkey , but the train
would not leave the banks of the River
Vardar, the doleful reminder of Uskub.
lt fo l1 owed the winding channel inces-
 THE GI Ff WIFE
santly, through -mountains and hill~ ，
and through the gorge of the “Ir on
Gate."
Jebb sought nepenthe from his gloom
in studying the Turkish grammar He I1-
\\"ald had given him to keep. He l1 wald
and the British conS11 1 had also helped
him over 出 e important m a.tter of his
mlssmg papers, had provided him with
a substitute for his ]ost pa5sport and a
teskeré, 0 1" license to travel; had
coached him in the important intricacies
of Turkish macbinery , and given him
cordial letters to the repr亡 s entatives of
Great Britam and Austria in Salonica.
He had bo包ght in U skub only a hand
bag, a raz針， and the lie('essary linen ,
and the customs 。而cer found nc的lmg
to contlscate except Jebb's tip. 、，Vhen
he left the train he ,,. as compeUed to
have his te.'可 keré Vi5éd by a Turkish 0佑
cial who took it in charge nntil he
should leave the town again.
After he had engaged hrs 6tbman ,
J ebb was struck with an id 凹， and, bur-
rying back to the recorder, asked in
limping Turkish:
“ Witl the effendi look throuεh his
papers and see if by chance he is hold-
ing anothcr tesk l!1' é of mme?"
He did not fail to s1 ip a little bak-
sheesh unòer the documents .on the
desk. The recorder ransacked hÏ s files
grac lO us旬， but was finally c個npelled
, to conclt吋e:
“ Daved Jebb Effendi could oot bave
7t
drowsy clerk piloted him to a room ,
lighted candles for him , and opened one
eye just wide enough to satisfy hims e1 f
that his bakshee :3 h was su伍 cient.
Jebb went to bed and fell asleep ,
weighed down by every exhaustion. He
slept through the mu位 zin's ~n at dawn
and halfway to the noon eulant. When
he_woke at Jast the air was crisp , and
liquid with the songs of birds. He
looked from his window acr個5 a plain
of gay red roofs above latticed 、iVÍn­
dows in white wa Jl 5, cross-channele-d
with white streets where elms, mulb訂­
r酌， and cypress were aligned. Here
and there m 的qne domes curved like
clustered bubbles; here and there 5toOO
the ta11 lance of a minaret.
But there were so much sunlight and
beauty in the world that despair van-
ished from his spirits like a sleep. He
bathed and shaved and dressed with
speed , hurried down to the dining r∞m，
hurried through his breakfast, anct hl汀，
而ed out to deliver his Ietters of intro-
duction and set in motion the b.nt for
Cynthia.
At the Austrian consulate Jebb was
received with the drstinction due his
recommendations as a friend and .a phy-
SlClan. And he was invited to cure
the stubbom cough of the consuYs
daughter. He also 1個 rned that every
effort to trace the mlss1ng child had
ended in negation.
He visited the Amencan miss
72 THE GIFT W1 FE
nearly cousins or something or other,
dσ電站't it? Besides, you Yankees have
been 50 polite to a Jl our friend5 who
have gone to the States that 1 fe e1 it
rny duty to be decent to any poor devil
who has to stop 0 証 at this God-for-
sakC Jl end of the world. The first man
to see 扭曲 e police commissioner."
He took Jebb to the office of the po-
lis qomiséri, introduced him , and trans-
lated the commissioner's account of his
vain efforts to find the child. Various
awkward gaps in Jebb's story were
bridged over by Banbury, whose 0的cial
position and whose indignation at any
ímpertinence kept the official que Jl ed.
Banbury had many suggestions ,
sought many people, quizzed shopkeep-
ers , pa臼ers-by ， priests of every reli-
gion , even the Jewish bootblacks , but
no one had heard of any l05t child
wh。但 parents had not speedily been
found.
-He insisted on Jebb's dining with him
and revealed all that exquisite English
hospitality which is as cautious as it is
complete , once it is extended.
“ You're in a blue funk, old man , and
you oughtn't to be alone."
“ 1'm always alone ， "事aid Jebb grimly.
“ \Vell , I'll do my best to make Salon-
ica an exception. There's not much
to occupy an Anglo-Saxon in Salonica
unless you're interested in politics . \Ve
rather 長e1 we're sitti r: ,":" ()n dynamite.
The Young Turks are in power , but
they have an Augean stable to c1 ean up ,
and the old su1tan isn't dead ve t."
“\lVhat have they (one with him?"
“ W旬， - haven't you heard? He's
here-h ere in Salonica. Fact! They
bundted him out of Constantinople , bag
and baggage, witha reduced regiment
of wives , and plounced him down in
the south side of our to\\'n. He is a
kind of prisoner de luxe , settled in a
wonderful villa built ten years ago by
an Italian for the A l1 atini famiIv. He
has made two or three att臼npts to es-
cape. and there have been mysterious
chalk marks on the houses. People
fear an explosion every moment. But
let's not talk '1 urki 主 h politics. 1 hear
nothing else all day. Let's go to a café
choHtant."
先A café chantant in Salonica?"
“ Y es , and on the very spot wbere
St. Paul is said to have preached , by
Jove! There are six other spots that
cJ aim the same glory , but none of them
is probably within a mile of it. 、~ill
you come along?"
“ Anything to get my mind off my
trou bles."
“ Your troubles will only begin , my
boy , when you hear the music. A
stranded troupe of tenth-rate Italian
opera s lO gers IS try lO g to earn money
enough to get back to Milan. Gorl
knows 1 want to help them out of this
town."
The admission was only two piastrès
or ten cents apiece.
Baribury chose a table , and the waiter
brought them co缸ee. -Banbury re-
jected it with horror and ordered
Scotch and soda. in which Jebb begged
to be exc t1 sed from joining him.
The singers werc not so bad as theil.
po\' 叮叮 implied. and even the thin Ital-
ian harmonies had a glorious richne5S
in J ebb's ear. sick of the dolorous
sq l1 awk and squeal of the shepherds
and bagpipers about U skub.
The c l"O wd was motley , and a few
dignified Young T l1 rkish officers made
a distressing contra4 with a number of
drunken English sailors ashore from a
çrUlse r.
At a table in front of h1m , Tehb no-
ticed a fat neck and short , bristly poll
of distinctly French extraction. Even-
tua l1 y their owner turned his face ,
glanccd at Jebb , stared , turned away ,
turned back , looked uneasy , ang句， pug-
nacÎous. puzzled.
Jebb wondered what ailed the man .
He was sure he had never 河en him be-
fore. At length the stranger rose and
Jeft t-h e hall , ‘ and Jebb gave his soul to
 THE ' GIFT WIFE
也e “Miserere" fr四n “n Trovatore."
It had a oew ωuod hete io Mace1iooia,
aod somehow he felt that he was him-
sel f the mao imprisooed aod cryiog
from the tower of his doom , aod that
the womao who bade him farewell was
Miruma.
He was absorbed so deeply in 也e
mUSlc 出at he failed to ootice at first
the arrival of a Turkish police 。而cer
who spoke defereotia l1y to Baobury.
J ebb turned io surprise aod fouod the
officer regardiog him with a pierciog
scrutioy , which Jebb aoswered with a
c1 ear-eyed ioooceoce of ignorance.
Baobury had beeo melting sympatheti-
cally uoder the iofluence of Scotch and
Verdi , but he was iostaotly filled with
an Englishmao's rage at aoy invasion
of his privacy.
J ebb caught a word here and there
aod gleaoed that the cooversatioo had
to do with a Freoch hotelkeeper oamed
Moos∞ Carol前， some other person
oamed Pierpoot, aod an unpaid bill.
Banbury grew more and more furi-
ous as he thuodered Turkish with a
curious British iotooation. The 。而cer
grew more aod more humble , aod fio-
ally withdrew in confusion with much
apology and many a salaam.
Wheo he had gone Banbury said:
“ This is the most ghastly country in
the world. \Vhat do you suppose
that jackass of a policemao wanted?
It would be 00 eod fuooy if it weren't
so disgustingly impertinent. It seems
that some silly ass of a French hote1-
keeper here had a guest named Pier-
poot who lived very royally for a few
days , then skipped without stoppiog to
pay 出 e shot. This jackanapes sees
you aod thinks you are Pierpoot. He
goes to the police aod orders your ar-
rest.
“ Fortunate1y you were with me or
Heaven only knows what they wou1d
have dooe to you. You'd have spent
the rest of your life in the White
Tower perhaps. The 0伍cer came to me
73
with apologies for throwing a ftiend
of mine into a dungeon as a cQmmott
thief aod 1 sent him about his busioess."
“ That's mighty oice of you ," said
Jebb. He considered the incideot
closed and he retumed to the music.
Suddenly he gave a start, control1 ed
himself , and puffed much smoke before
he ioquired idly:
“ By the way , what was the name of
the hotel?"
"The Graod Hotel d 令一something or
othe r. 1 don't remember. Ðoo't t區 ink
of it again , 1 beg you."
But J ebb thought of it without res t. .
At leogth Ba obury rose impatiently.
The Scotch had made him drowsy, but
he blamed the music.
“ 1 cao't stand aoy more of this cater-
waul; 臼n you? What do you say to
our getting out? I'll drop yöu at your
hotel , eh?"
"Thank you , 1 thiok 1'11 see it
through. Almost any music sounds
good to me oow."
“Veη， we lI, 1'11 wait if you waot to."
“ Please don't let me keep you."
It took much delicate h'lanagement ,
but Banbury was very sleepy and at 1ast
permitted J ebb to bid him good oight.
As sooo as he was out of the buildiog,
Jebb ' rose and search~d for the police-
man. H e was greeted by him with
profouod courtesy.
J ebb had been mu1liog the affair over
in his head , aod he was able to ask in
iotelligible if ioelegaot Turkish:
'.\Vi l1 you please tel1 ' me the oame of
the hotel kept by Musu Carolet."
“ The Graod Hδtel de I' Europe , ef-
fendi. He is a dog of a fo叫 to have
suspected you."
J ebb bowed and murmured: “ Good-
by." An d the 0品cial answered: “ You
are we 1come."
Jebb sauotered careless1y out of the
café and , ca l1i og a cab, said:
"Grand Hδtel de l'Europe."
Arriving there , he told the man to
. wai t. He found the 0伍ce alight and
7--4 THE GIFT WIFE
M曲事ieur Carolet talking excitedly to
a lady who wélS presumably Madame
Carolet.
The man stared at Jeb&. with a di5-
may that 揖emed to expect at least a
challenge' to a dwtt
Jeb o. bad L"ebearsed his Fre ru: h ÍD the
cau, aod he beg;.m smoo出ly:
“ 1s it not that mon封底U Jr th~ught 1
had bCleIl at hi& h的el?"
“ lt is that 1 was sure Ðf i龜， D盼，
sieur. Y Ð\l ha.ve the air exactly of 出e
mlser油le pig-dog of a. Piel' pon t. 1 錯e
now t hat you are not .the man----he w越
much thirmer and not. a.t aU like ym1. 1
apolo gYe hua:亂子"
"\Vbca was it 品-a.t it' was tAat Mr.
Pierpont was here?"
“ lt was two wee.ks，也OR~ur. He
arrives 'ia stat己 Hð . setiI渴盼 hav:ea
litt1 e tωmuch of th-e gin or 出e- wiskee,
but we others always expect 油at in. the
English . d Amcriαn5. i~n't it? He
orde 自由è wt 1:OQm m t:be hous e; tbe
best 、food， and he mioks nwch of the
wiske e. Tb.aI one da}'-也已 rQOllt 1S
empty. He 心es not c扭扭 b缸k."
“ How much was ms bill?"
“ Fi ve. p<>\且ds. T w-kish.."
“ Is it that.hc Ldt of 位.b司~e?"
“ No..monsieu 官_ O L"dir且n旬，1" shou1d
ha.ve coß虹teCI in adVallct, but he was
so map屆 ceat tI趟車 I did not da re it.
He brought nothing w i.tà him. He 泊id
he ex pcct.ed his yacht to. ωnae foc bim.
As for sotæ' fnsh liøea he bougþt of it
here in 也esh司為 and threw 也:e- old
away-' ,
Jcuo. smiled SadIY. The portrait
sounded famil世r.
“ Did Mr. Pi訂戶Dt register?"
“ Yes, monsieur.'''
“ May j ~腿也e s igJl.ataJ;e ?"
“ But Y臼? m.oas控ur."
Madame Carolet whiskcd tbe little
book from a 企awer awi Jebb recog-
nized his o~ writing with 31 conffict
of relief 祖.d' shame. Tbe 1阻ne' was
Vanderbilt- Pierpont, OOt the hand was
也e hand of Jebb.
“ One more questi∞ Di4 .M r. Pier-
pont have a child with him一-a little
gir1 ?"
“ No, monsieur, oot. one."
“ You are sure?"
“ Pedectly."
“ What city did he come from?"
“ He did oot say, and be ha4 nothing
Qf b曙gage at a l1 monsieur. He talked
very litt1 e and his tonεue was a little
也.iA:k."
“““ You have no idea where he was be-
re he came here?"
Absølutely none , moøsicur."
“ 1 will pa}' his b i1L"
“ P缸don， mo凶 ieur."
“ 1 w山 pay 位lebi且"
“N 01. tie Dieu., JOu willpay the b i1l!
But w句也ould you, monsieω?"
“ 1t is my whim. He was aD Amer-
ican. 1 am an Ame rican. 1 wisb to
pay fOJr也e honor of the country. But
迋 you would p"efer no t. 1 w i11 oot pay
tþ.e bill."
“Ob, monsi巴缸， 1 do not question
you. 1 thank you."
J ebb paid the bill and wem back to
也e cab with his receipt. He bad fωnd
at least h.imseLL ~ the dev i1 in him
had. tak en. the namεof Vanderbilt Pier-
po肘， and talked large and livéd high.
He sh∞k his h ead. heipwsly , as a fa-
也er mig趾 over the crÎme s of 姐姐cor­
llgl削e SOIL
But having found his alias , how was
he to rctrace his 1'0ute? Loog after
midnight he sa.t in ws room pounding
I:tis. forehead w Ï1h his fist to beat out 組
站起L Finally ooe came ' like a spark
from a smitten anviL
“ Thε tesTuré !"
He could hardly endure tñe delay
tiU mornin&. and he was waitir草 at the
扯到ion w h.en the recorder of p泊中Ofts
arrived. J ebb wished him a very g'的d
moming and Allah's fav Ðr, and asked
after the heal也 of his parents, and
hoped 也at his- f.ri ends were well , and
fina Uy veatured t。品k him ω1∞k
through his 釗esag垣D and see. ü 也句，
 THE GI Ff WIFE
contained perhaps a teskeré in the name
of V. Pierpont. The recorder's face
changed . from suspicion to affability.
Baksheesh did it.
And at length after much delay he
unearthed the document.
“ Yes, here is the permission for V.
Pierpont E旺endi to travel from Con-
stantinople into the interior. It car-
r i,es the visé of Salonica in the writing
of my assistant. 1 was absent 出 at
day."
“ May 1 ask the date, and the name of
the man who issued the leskeré 1"
Th e recorder held it out for him to
see, and Jebb made a mental record of
the name of the official and his address
in Constantinople. He wanted to ask
for the document itself, but he feared
that even baksheesh might not reach so
far. He could hardly control his ex-
citement as he said:
“ One more question, effendi: When
is the next train to .Con 5tantinople ?
Shall 1 have time to go back to my
hotel before it leaves?"
“ 1 think so, effendi ," replied the
T凹k ，“ the next train to Constantinople
runs three times every week , and the
next train leaves to-morrow."
Another twenty-four hours of inac-
tion! It seemed that he could not en-
dure the delay. He was 自 ni shed with
Salonica, so impatient to be quit of it
that he was tempted to set out for
Constantinople on foo t. He actually
c1 imbed the steep hilhide , through the
Turkish qua 討 er ， past the dreamy idlers
drooling their narghileh s and sipping
their coffee, past the lazy worshipers at
the mosques , the yawning dogs , the
veiled women dawdling the streets. Ev-
erything was indolent , and the leisurely
serenity that had seemed Turkey's
greatest charm at first was maddening
now.
Little girls hung about the fountains
filling their jugs, and Jebb saw a dozen
times some profile, some little form
也at suggested Cynthia. But he was
75
all too well assured that she was not 泊
Salonica.
La te in the aftemoon he reached the
southern limits of the city where houses
were few and fields hroad. ln the dis-.
tance he sa w a splendid palace in a
great garden surrounded by a lúgh wall.
He skirted the edges and continued on
his way till it began to grow dar k. .See-
ing that the sun :之 et was purpling Mount
Olympus and that night would s∞ nbe
upon him, he tumed bac k.
He was startled by distant crÍes. He
sa w people running here and there.
Suddenly a little vciled figpre came out
of the twilight and th!! shrubbery c1 0se
to him. Jebb thought that some p∞r
Turkish wife was fleeing from murder
or persecution. He determined to of-
fer her his protection. He ran toward
her, shouting in Engli5h and in òH:ath-
less Turkish. As he came up , the little
veiled figure drew two revolvers and
fired at him.
The bullets whirred past his ears.
He would have been glad to retreat,
but his impetus carried him forward ,
and it was momentum rather than any
foolhardy bravery 也 at forced him to
leap at the murderous lady and wrestle
with her for her revolver豆， which con-
tinued to 5pit fire in a very feminine
way and fortunately with feminine aim.
In the highly indecorous wrestle for
life , the fugitive's thick yashmak was
tom loose , anq Jebb saw to his infinite
amazement that the little lady wore a
heavy beard , and was really a little
gentleman.
Xo longer restrained by motives of
delicacy , Jebb kicked the old gentle-
man's heels from under him and
plounced him on the turf , kne e1 ing on
his arms till he could wrest the revolv-
ers loose.
The old man uttered violent things in
a violent way , and then began to plead
shrilly. But Jebb had lost his Turkish
along with his breath and his paticnce,
and he simply held his priωnerfast， till
76 THE GIFT WIFE
也e 個nuers arrived, and, gazing with
awe at 也e scene, poured forth horri-
fied sentences in which J ebb caught the
word: “ Padishah !"
He nearly swooned as it came over
him 自 由的 the little old gentleman in the
disheveled ferijé and veil was no less
-and no more-than Abdul Hamid 1I.
CHAPTER XIX.
ON TO STAMBOUL.
EACH of the bmthlesspursuers laid
hold on the royal captive, liU he
looked 臼 many-limbed as the spid 訂 he
has bem always called. Tuming to
Jebb, the Turk:; lifted, with such hands
as were free , the imaginary dust of
homage to their breasts and brows.
Then in a doud of real dust a
mounted 0值cer thundered " 叩﹒ Wbile
th~ borse was still fighting the curb
that brougbt it to a ha It, the situation
was explained to the rider in cIamorous
phr泊的.
He fiung himseJf to the gro.und.
On ce disrnoutfted , he peered hastily into
the veiJs wadded about the pris個前's
face , heaved a sigb of gigantic relief ,
and gasped:
“ ElhamdullaA !'
Having thanked AlI泊， he turned to
Jebb and poured out in perfect French
an ctfl1 sion of persσnal gratitudes , and
complìments, and hopes that his hearth
might be all right, aoo that Allah might
send him blessed incr田間。 f wealth ,
and 出at his parents and aJJ his iriends
were alive and we l1. He insisted that
he was the dust under Jebb's feet , and
introduced himse Jf as Behalul Bey , a
cavaJry rnajor of Binbashi detailed as
曲 e guardian of the suJtan.
H e was trernbIing, and a paJe sweat
was on his brow, for he had ganoped
in pursuit of his pri~oner; his heart
had galloped harder, realizing not only
what blame 油站的cape would bring
upon - his own h個d but what calami-
ties upon his p虹椒e.
As tor the pris個前， be ~臼 as far
as possible from looking the röle he
played in the history and tbe leg'回到1
of his long reign. His meager five feet
of stature lost something further in his
swaddling robe. The bulging brow
over the vu It ure beak , and the large
ears protruding from the s\...art skull ,
made him 15inister enough. But the
rouge on his high cheek bones , the
stains of dye on his beard , and his fe-
male garb "left him ridiculous.
Only the hysteri ,:a 1. senile frenzy of
his sttuggles, his oaths, nls invocations
of the Allah whose shadow he had been
on earth , revealed the soul that had
shut itself in a silken web and sent
forth spies and me~engers of death
along every gossamer thread. 1t was
hard for Jebb to believe that millions
of Turks shouId haye endured for
thirty-three years the despotism of this
little, red-fezzed perjurer, this throttler
of liberties , this massacrer of Arme-
nians and imprisoner of patriots, exiler
of philosophers , this hoarder of gold ,
this craven- who had feared for nothing
except his own bòdiJy security. He was
50 ludicrously impotent now that it
seemed cruel even to reca l1 his past.
Having no other occupation but con-
spiracy, and knowing that there we~e
numbers of reactionaries outside to aið
his restoration for their own ends , he
had made atternpt after attempt to es-
cape. Lives had been lost in frustrat-
ing thern , and the wa lI s built higher and
higher about him. But evidently a new
scheme had ripened , for when the sput-
tering prisoner wai searched with as
much deHcacy as was due his raiment
and his station, Behalul Binbashi
brought to light a crumpled paper.
By the flicker of a se計的 of matches
he found it to be a letter from Al-
banian sympathizers promising the SlI I-
tan refuge and concealment till an army
couJd be mustered to retum him to 曲e
thr，∞e.
When Behalul had finished 也15 doc-
 THE GIFT WIFE 77
ument he gave a hasty order, and va- “The upshot of 也e oId gen tIeman's
riou5 followers who had come up on palaver is that 也ey want you to name
foaming horses set out to scour the r e- somc reward íor your wonderful et
glon. cetera, et cetera. What would yoo like
They had oot beatetl the thicket far most, my boy? The diamood slar of
when they started a humao covey. the order of Nishaoi Osmaoee, or a
Darkliog figures sprang up aod rao 旭 silver medal for sa viog life, or wi lI you
various direction5. Some had be個 have it in ' cash ?"
caught, some had escaped , .wheo , with a Jebb did oot hesitate about his an-
great cracking of whips, a carriage 5wer:
dashed from hiding aod went 8ying "Tell them about the 105t chi1d and
down the. road. Th(""'e was a furious ask them if 出 ey can give me aoy b e1 p."
ga lI opade and the pursuit vanished be- Banbury drawled forth a long story,
yond a hill. which seemed to touch the . guests
La ter the carriage returned under deeply , for when he finished 也ey a11
escort. If was empty of passengers but spo~e at once, and Cranford explained:
loaded with arms. "They say that 出ey promise you the
The driver dropped from the box to 也d of the whole nation , and 曲at n o-
the -s u 1tan's feet with heartbroken cri白 body in Turkey sha lI feel himself tω
。 f distress and adoration. The tyraot high or t∞ busy to join the search.
has yet to be found who cann6t procure But they want also to show you some
devotion to the last. The w臼poos be- persooal favor."
iog removed , the sultao _was humbly -While seeming to listen poIi tely to
compel1 ed into the carriage aod driven the discourse of his hosts , and while
slowly back to private life iostead of nodding low every time he recognized
forward into civil war. his name, J ebb had beeo αrryiog for-
Major Behalul asked ]ebb to walk ward in his imágination the conse-
with him , and giving his horse to a quences of this latest turn of fate. He
soldier to lead, trudged aloogside ]ebb. saw his hasty act magnified 泊to 剖E
When the Al latini vi l1 a was reached , event of wide notoriety. lt would ,
and the sultao snugly restored to his probably, be 'cabled home that a~ Amer-
nest , Behalul invited Jebb to enter the ican surgωo had prevented the Turkish
ca汀iage with hi血， aod returned him to emperor from escaping, as ao Ameri-
his hotet in state. can dentist had ooce aided a French
Th at night he was called to the home empress in her 8ight. The newspapers
of the most importaot men in Salonica. would ileadline him for a few days aod
Other guests at dinner were a group of then drop him.
Young Turkish leaders. At Jebb's r e- But the mother of Cynthia Th~tcher
quest Cranford Banbury was asked to would see the news and-what would
attend as ioterpreter, though a11 of the she not think? Jebb had hoped that
Turks spoke French or Germao , and she would have given her child up as
some of t~em Eoglish. The p吋 de that d個d.Sush a sorrow, bitter soever,
Banbury t∞k in seeing his prot句是 ac­ would be 1的s harrowing thao the un-
c1 aimed C1S a saYÏor of -t he nation , was eodurable thought 出at 也e chiId was
recompense enough for his hospitality. l05t. He preferred 出at she should
After a long and evidently flowery suffer the lesser torment unt i1也at gl o-
speech by a white-hearded Y oung Turk, rious day when he should app個Ì' from
who had speot part of his years in the grave and place her child in her
prisoo and part io exile, Baobury ex- arms.
plained to J ebb : The publicatioo of the news 也ãtJebb
78 THE GIFr WIFE
was in Salonica capturing sultans would
Dot only tear 出 e mother's heart open
afresh.趴1t would 揖t 也e police of
America OD his trail. There would be
cablegrams, arrests, inquisitions,
cheéks, suspicions at every step. No,
he must do his work alone.
His studi自 in dissection had taught
him to follow the thio white thread of
a nerve through a lJ its hiding places , all
its ramificatioos , and he felt himse1f
as well qualified to retrace his own steps
as any of the stodgy police detectives
he had ever met.
One thing he felt above a11 things
impo叫ant-that his quest should not be
interrupted. Wh en, then , Cranford r e-
peated the desire of the 。而cials to
show him some personaJ grace, the r e-
quest \V as ready to his toogue:
“Th e greatest favor they can do me
is to keep what 1 have done a secret,
and, above a 1l, not to let my name get
into the papers."
“Wh at is this?" gasped Cranford.
“ Modesty?"
叫Partl，，" said Jebb; “ not a1 together."
Jebb's message was received with
U í1 expected delight , and promises upon
Turkish honor . that no one should
brcathe Jebb's name for publication.
wh包 the feast was finally done , and
the . efaborate ceremonials of parting
compJeted, Cranford walked back to
Jc1舟's . hotel with him.
''Do you think they'lI keep the thing
5 e<' ret?U J ebb asked anxiously.
“ N evel' fear that they won't. They
don't care to let t}le friends of the old
spider know how oear he came to get-
ting away. If it hadn't been for a Yao- -
k亡e doctor happening along, he might
hav\! been io the arms of his support-
ers t o- night, and oobody would know
t q.-morrow whose head was sa fe. Trust
them to keep tbat secret! But they
cari show their gratitude io 00 end of
subterranean ways. Th ey perfected
their revolution in secret. Th ey1J do
everything for you that m組 can do. It
is no end lucky for you 切 have Salon-
ica in your favor."
He went on to exp1am 也at Salooica
was almost suþreme at Constaotinople
since it was the khaki-clad regimeots of
Salooica that had forced 也e old sultan
to restore the constitution, had quelled
the mutiny he had set up among the
troops that obeyed bis whims , bad ca p-
tured tbe city to foil his plot to butch~r
the Ch ristians , had solemnly deposed
him and brought his amiable brotber
out of long oblivion to be the servant
of the constitution and tbe people. It
was Macedonia that went over into
Coostantinople to help the people , and
to be in favor at Sa lonica was to be
doubh' in favor at Stamboul.
J ebb slept well that night, for he had
bope to s∞，tbe bis pi l1 ow.
At tbe station, tlìe next day , the
Young Turk 1個ders gathered to wave
him g∞d Juck.
An d ωhe set forth on his twenty-
four-hour journey to Constaotinople
and puffed at his cigar with bis first
genuine contentment , for he ~b ufBed in
his hands a sheaf of buyu ,.uldus-let-
ters of commendation to some of the
cbief personages of the empire. Th e
Jebb who left Salonica in state was not
the J ebb who had stolen into the town ,
but it was yet a third . Jebb he must
stalk tbrough Constantinople, the great
cha的.
CHAPTER XX.
THE MOTHER OF THE WORLD.
THE train was on1y sk hours 切，
so that instead of arriving in the
ea r1 y moming light J ebb came in the
full glow of the aftemoon. Disap-
pointment met him at once.
Constantinople has been likened to
a stage spectacle; from the water front
it is .i mpressive beyond words , but b e-
hind the scenes lies cruel dis i11 usioo.
Jebh came by the a l1 eyway to the stage
door. Th e ~ck yard of no city is its
b也t advertisement, and ]ebb's a挖出etic
 THE GI Fr WIFE
faculti個 were Je甜 stirred 過an bis a sep-
tic soul was horrified. But Jebb's chief
interest in Constantinople was that her
police force might be modern enough
to help him find the lost child or trace
at least his own footsteps through the
twisted streets.
Of this he had some hope , for he
carried in his pocket doëüments that
gave him f reedom of the city. They
had already worked magic with the
customs inspector who had boarded the
train. They promised great things for
his other problems. When he de-
scended from the sleeping car and fell
among the r1 otous Kurdish porters ,
blue-bloused , black-belted , and swarthy-
faced , fighting for his hand bag, his
heart san k.
But behind a gri l1 ed inclosure he
found a dragoman whose cap wore the
name of the Hotel Bristol , which Cran-
ford had recommended. He intrusted
his destinies to this man , and under his
guidance showed his teskeré to the
proper official , and gave the appropriate
tip to the Kolji who pretended to in-
spect his baggage.
The dragoman led J ebb and 出 e por-
ter who carried his bag out into the
noisy streets , through a whirlwind of
newsboys howling gazétas of every lan-
guage , even English. A red-fezzed
cabman on the box of a rickety araba
folded his newspaper and took up the
lines. The dragoman gave him the des-
tination and salaamed to Jebb , the ha-
mal salaamed his thanks for the bak-
sheesh , and the carriage whi r1 ed from
the station.
And now J ebb was once more in
Constantinople among strange perspec-
tiv白， peculiar architectu re , and an at-
mosphere that is a11 its own. He tried
to remember some scene, catch some
remillder that he had passed this way
before , but that room of his mind
would not open.
What chie f1 y overwhelmed Jebb was
the hugeness of the ci 句-as large as
79
tm SaJonicas or fifty Uslcubs-as 'large
as if Boston , San Francisco, and S t.
Lo~ faced each other in one mass.
Over its famously infamous pav e-
ments J ebb's araba glided , t i1l it rum-
bled onto the rough boards of the Ga-
lata Bridge afloat upon the oily waters
of the Golden Hom. The great pon-
toon was thronged with every imagin-
able manner of man and woman-in
every imaginable costume, from the
half nakedness of children to the long
robes of Arabs and the black wraiths
of the veiled women.
There were European hats enough in
the crowd , but they wεre wom by for-
eigners. Some of the hats were ω
Am erican that Jebb I∞ked under them ,
counting on finding a face he knew. It
seemed impossible that such a mêl臼
should not include an acquaintance.
His eye5 darted here and there in the
throng, as a fisher hangs over a stream
with harpoon poised. He missed this
face in looking for that , 5aw a friend
at first glance, and Jt .s econd glance
saw not even a resemblance.
A derby hat unmistakably American
caught his eye , and he turned to stare
at it. At the same instant he heard a
voice behind him , almost at his elbow:
“ Hello , old man! How's electric-
ity?"
He whirled 50 quickly 出 at he nea r1 y
sprained his neck. He caught an over-
the-shoulder grin and heard a Yankee
chuckle. He could not recall the face
or the voice , but the race was pJainly
his own.
The fellow countηman moved on
through the crowd. Jebb stood up to
identify the man , but saw onl)" a
glimp ~ e of red hair. He was tempted
to leap out and go in search. But å
porter carrying two huge- barrels on his
shoulders drífted between , Ci nd hid the
wayfarer from sight. Jebb sank back
in the araba , cudge1 ing his memory.
Who was the red-headed man?
Why did he mention el配tricity ?
80 THE GI Ff WIFE
CHAPTER XXI.
A NEW PLAN.
L~~~~ 出e 50nOrOU5 brid阱，也e
araba rolled into ancient Galata,
watched over by . the high-hilled tower
出at has shouldered into the sky since
the people of Genoa ru1 ed here, never
dreaming that one ' of the Genoese
should open a new world to 也e West.
Through the streets and shops of
Galata and on up 也e hiH into the dis-
trict of Pera, the horses tugged.
Though the route lay eastward the
progress was westerly , for here the
c1 ubs , the shops , the hotels, the homes
、.v ere main1 y Europea n. ~ Here were the
embassies of 由 e nations , each with its
ßag offering sanctuary to its citizens.
And it was one of these ßags that
brought something gushing .from . Jebb's
heart into his throat and 00 into his
eyes, for he saw red and white stripes
billowin g- luxuriously 剖ld stars trem-
bling in a blue fiel d..
As the carriage pas5ed the Am erican
emb笛5y Jebb's homesick eyes drank in
the beauty aJ:吋 meaning of the emblem.
He looked back étt it till the tum in the
street hid it; and he was tilled with a
glad , sad longing, for he wondered
wh en-if ever一-he ~hould dare retum
to the sheJter of its folds.
\ \ ' ith a11 his soul he wished that he
had never left the shadow of the Bag.
And then with a11 l>> s soul he recatled
the futile wish, for he realized that
withou t hi 予 adventure he would never
ha\"e ~een Miruma.
Tehb wondered where Miruma was
DO'," . what she was doing. He w個1-
dercd if Fehmi Pasha were keeping his
word , and how she would use he t:. new-
fo t1 p d freedom. He resolved to wrìte
~o her; then he withdrew the resolu-
tion , fe.aring that his letf全 r might em-
barrass h吭 might o n1 y awaken the r e-
gret he hoped she fel t. .
At leng也 he arrived at his hotel , a
po討er seized his hand bag, and he dis-
missed the cab clriver with his fare
and sufficient baksheesh. 1t was most
restful to be greeted . in his own lan-
guage and to make his wishe.s known
without groping for Turkish , French ,
or German equivalents 學nd substitutes.
His hotel was advertised as being the
only one with an American etevator in
place of a lift. The little soaring cage
was like a touch of home. His room
overlooked 'a cozy garden, and he sank
in a chair to give himse1f just a 可小
ment's breathing while, before ' he
opened his new campaign.
He ran over his letters of introduc-
tion again. He could not read the ro11-
ing arabesques running from right to
left. He could read onty the names
and addresses, but one of them was to
Shefket Pasha一一the Iron Man, 位le
Cromwell üf the Revolution; others
were Niazi and Enver Be戶， the aery
soldiers whose photographs were every-
wher e--the matin 但 idoJs of the Tur~.
With such aids how could he fait?
But before all others Jebb had de-
cided to hunt up 出 e official who had
is ~ ued to “ V. Pierpont" bis first tes-
keré to travel in Salonica. That was
the inner end of the tangted cord he
must unrave 1. Vlhen be inquired at
his hotel where the bureau of tbe pass-
ports was to be found , he leamed to
his disgust 由 at it was in the Zabtieh
Nazareti , or 'ministry of police , and he
must retrace a11 the distance he had
come and more.
He picked up ano由er araba and was
jounced down the long hill , across the
rattling bridge, and on through Stam-
boul to the ancient Hippodrome, which
marked his joumey's end. All 出 e way
he had been rehearsing Turkish phrases
uod亡r his br臼吭， while his eyes fairly
rummaged the crowds.
He had a very de fi.nite hope tbat 剖面­
able coincidence would bring the 肉ι
h臼 ded man across his path again. But
coincidences w il1 not coincide by r e-
quest, and he got on1y趾5 JOurn句 for
 THE GIFI" WIFE 81
his pains. The train's lateness and his . nople, foraging a lI day and .barking aU
、 own had brought him to the bureau m 2'ht.
after it had dosed for the day. Again he found himself 00 the Ga-
He had the afternoon and evening lata Bridge, a foot passenger in a
to himself-very much to himself. He swirling masquerade. He was always
thought of his letters of introduction, alert for the rcd-headed man who s仰ke
but if it were t∞ late for an 0品cial to of eIectricity , a subj 配t of which J eb~
be at his desk , it was t∞ late for a knew as little as possible. He tricd to
stranger to call on a busy manager of a dismiss him from his mind with the
new empire. He thought of the Am er- theory that the feIIow had simply mis- '
ican embassy, but he had a strong dis- taken him for somebody else. But he
inclination to visiting his own country- could neither dismiss him nor discover
men in his pIight, at least before he had him.
exhausted the dynamics of the new He dragged weary feet to his hot eJ,
Turkish govenvnent in vain. j .. and fatigue spoiled a dinner that should .

Impatience gadftied him into walking have entranced him with its old-time
back to the hotel , and he could not r e- di~bes. He had an evening to kill, and
sist the fe eI ing that íf onIy he walked Constantinople is poor in amuseðlents
far enough and saw people enough , he of evenings.
would encounter some one who would He left the hotei and took díe un-
seize him and say: derground railway to the bridge, and
“ The lost child is waiting for you~ watched the throngs again , seeking,
Come with me." seeking. on the surface of 出e Golden
To see a: nd be seen was his ambition. Horn the light caïques were darting
He studied every face , started after here and there, tbe swåUow-swift gon-
every child. Again and- again he was dola cano臼 of 出is region. He r.eso lved
thrust through with joy as he heard to indulge himsel f in the strang電 n e­
Cynthia's líttle treble. But ít was the 戶nthe 也at comes from gIiding over the
. cry of some Turkish or Armenian or watec.
Greek little girl. Again and again he He went to one of the landing staget .
thought • he saw Cynthía disappear and bargained with the two boatmen
round a corner and he would quícken for an hour's stroll on the Bosporus.
hís pace almost to a run , always to find The two oa. rsmen bent to their . work
that the child was nothing Ji ke his ward , and the caïqùe sw'∞ped forward ~witb. .:'
or had vanished into some of the in- an unimaginable Iightness and fte甜leS$. 、
finíte retreats. 一 Jebb forg叫 his fezzed gondoliers. and
stared dr也mily at the tripJe city in
He bought a copy of the Levant Her-
ald from a newsboy and picked up a panorama before him.
few morsels of infoñnation as to what As he mused upon 祉， his hlJn gry
history had been makit1 g at home dur- heart returned more than ever tø de.
ing his long exile. He sat and read it siring Miru ma. He cemembered what
over a cup of . coffee at a table on the she had 姐id of the succ臼s he could
sídewalk, then paid his host and pushed make of his profession in Turkey, and
the idea grew in his heart that the best
on , pausing for no mosque , museum , or
arrangement he could ~ of hi~ fu.. -
bazaar, picking his way over the heaps
ture was to return to Stamboul, a fter
of refuse, avoiding the huddles of sleep- he had found Cynthia and giv~ h叮
ing dogs that preëmpted such sidewalks back to her mother一-10 retum to Stam‘
品 barbers did not fill-th e million own- boul and marry Miruma.
e r1 ess ma可 dogs tht Om chstanti- Under the benison of 也i叮叮叮h 也e.
6BTJuiII
82 THE GIFT WIFE
wonderfulness of Constantinople took
on such a delirium of beauty that , when
the caïque had returned him to shore ,
he rather ßoated than walked to his
hotel , and never once thought of the
red-headed man. He could have
brushed elbows wi出 him without see-
ing him, could have heard 血at quizzical
voice again and never heeded it.
CHAPTER XX1 1.
U NDE}t THE STARS AND STRIPES.
THHnut moming jebb rem吋做
pilgrimage from his hotel in Pera
to the ministry of police in Stamboul.
He arrived betimes, but again he found
曲e bureau closed.
He demànded an eXpJanation from a
black-coated polic也lan with a fez for
a helrnet, and was answered in amazed
Turkish:
“ But it is ]ouma'a, to-day."
“ F dday ! Oh, of course!"
“ 1t is the sabbath of the Faithful."
“ 1 Imderstand. Pardon me."
“ There are three sabbaths a week
herc , effendi. T o-morrow is the sab-
ba th of the Jews , and a bootblack will
1'! ot touch your shoes that day. Th e
day a fter 由at is the sabbath .of the
Chr i~ tians."
Jcbb wished him well with AUah and
turned away. Th is Constantinople
wa s getting on his nerves. How was
he evcr to find whence he had come on
h1S fìrst visit here? He faced another
long ennui of waiting for anotner day
and night to pass.
H e thought of his tetters of introduc-
tion. Then his spirits fe lI again. If
the day were t∞ sacred for the teskeré
。而 ce to be open ，出e gr臼t men of the
empire would be in no mood to re-
cei ve a troublesome 的 sitor. He must
sulk in his tent once more.
There wa s the Am erican embassy, of
∞ur何. He had hoped to track himself
thrOl吶 the town and out of it without
taking his own people Ín to his ωnfi-
dence. But he felt that it would be
criminally selfish to wait longe r. Ev-
eη， day put Cynthia farther out o f h i.s
reach.
1nstead of visiting 出e emb8 ssy , he
decided to try the consulate. Perhaps
some trace of him or of her had been
found. Perha~ his other self , V. Pier-
po剖， had 泊 untered in , talked like a
new millionaire, and made hirilself o b-
noxious enough to be remembered.
When he reached the consulate 也剖，
al 切， was deserted. Hè was tempted to
forswear his allegiance and become an-
other man without a country. But
there was a gorg凹的 kavass at the door
who explained that the whole staff had
gone to see Selamlik.
“And who is Selamlik?"
The kavass cast his eyes upward in
disma y at such ignorance.
“Selamlik is 也e visit 出 e padishah--
whom Allah preserve-makes _t o the
mosque every Friday to pray. It is the
most glorious of ceremonies. Every
Amé,.iqali in Stamboul is there who can
get the permee t."
“ And 1 suppose that to-moπow there
wi l1 be some J ewish ceremony and the
consul wi l1 go to the synagogue, and
the- next day you wi l1 be dosed be-
cause he has to go to the Episcopal
church. Wha t' s the matter with the
other days of the week?"
The kavass could not understand the
Am erican's sarcasm or his impatience.
But then Am ericans were always in a
hurry. With splendid condescension he
said:
“ Thees afternoon com臼 back .one of
the 0伍cers， Meester Rosen Effendi.
He has some work to be did. 1f yω
are here again three-f∞ r o'dock you
find him , 1 也een k."
To k iIJ time Jebb went on atong the
Grande Rue de Pera to Janni's res-
taurant, dawdled through his luncheon ,
and strolled about through its gardens ,
blurring with puffs of impatient smoke
the view spread out before him; Bo s-
 THE GI Fr
porus, Mannora，也e ∞mucopia of
the Golden Horn , and a11 the piled-up
splendors on their shor的.
He tried to remember the unforget-
able scene. He knew he had been here
-perhaps in this spot. Perhaps he had
tossed a gold piece to one of these
waiters in place of a copper baksheesh.
\Vhy did none of them show his recog-
nition?
If any did remember ] ebb, the d is-
cretion which is part of a waiter's
equipment kept him silent. Ar吋 no
guest nodded to him or asked him aboùt
electricity.
Arri\'ing at last before the con~ate，
]ebb was greeted by the kavass with
the deference of expectancy and with ..
palm open for baksheesh. Mr. Rosen
was at his desk , preparing some trade
repo吋 s， but he consented to see ]ebb.
To ]ebb's ey自由e 且an was utterly a
stranger, but M.r. Rosen no s∞ner saw
] ebb than a smj. le began to quirk his
mouth comers. And his greeting was:
“ What's tl時 trouble this time?"
“ Why do you 且y this time?"
“Because it isn't the 0也er tim←一一"
“ Oh , you refer to the time 1 w揖
here before?"
“ Natural1y."
]ebb 到ood 函 embarrassment. Ey-
ery1x吋y could remember him but hi m-
sel f. He wanted to ask ßatfootedly
what had brought him th甘e before, but
chagrin held him , a剖. besides, he had
leamed that silence is 50 odious to most
people 也at wherever two are met. if
one can only keep quiet a lit t1 e while.
the other wi l1 begin to 旭lk.
Rosen noted ]ebb's confu自d reti-
cence and set it down to another cause.
“ Y ou haven't lO5t your pas s,art again.
have you?"
“I'm afraid 1 have."
“ Wel1, it hasn't been found. If it
turned up the poIice would have for-
warded itωus. Say , you rnust be 揖
rich as you 組y， for you pay fines just
for t1l e fun of it."
丸rVIFE 83
While ] ebb was trying to. 自ink. or~
rernark at the same time elusive and
Iuring , Rosen began to grope:
“ \Vhere have you Lecn a11 this 可/'.'hile.
Mr.-M r.一一一"
“ Are you trying to say 'Pie巾。1役， ~'
“ Tha t' s仗， Mr. Vanderbilt Pierpon t,
eh ?"
Jebb nodded.
did 1 have a little child with mt the
time you saw me?"
“ A child? i\ o. You had no child
with you when 1 saw you."
“ You're sure?"
“ Perfectly. 1'11 not soon forget the.
first picture 1 had of you. Word came
here that some Yankee was in trouble
with the customshouse. lt's a COBl1non
occurrence. Americans are forever
bouncing into Turkey withoJ且t tbe in-
dispensable passport. The consul sent
me down as usual to get our fellow
countryman out of hoc k. 1 can see you
siuing there now. Y ou were very
haughty. 1 though at the time 由此
perhaps you had been indulging a little
in magnmcent water. Y ou sat there
hugging a- Gladstone bag and threaten-
ing to repo前也e 叫到“ns inspector to
your particular friend , tbe sultan."
“ 1 had a Gladstone bag with me?"
“ Yes, and the fellow had found .some
suspicious-l∞，king d前uments in it. Ev-
erything looked suspicious 扭曲e days
of the old sultan. Y ou 組id you had
come to Turkey to buy 航取世thing-I
don't remember just what. so 1l1any
Americans come here to buy things.
Anyway, you didn't bave a passport
and the inspector wanted to fine you.
You said: ‘ Millíons for defen臂. but not
one 臼nt for tribute.' 1 rememb臼. that.
1 calmed you dowft and persuaded the
customs people to accept a c Ol1 suJar
guaranty and give you a new 防部port.
And then you went l'∞ r w l-Y. .Now
you've lost it again. eh?"
"You're sure 1 had a Gladst個世 bag
with me?"
， . "Perf也tly. lt was full of b1 ue. Þ吋 nts
8等 THE GIFT \VIFE

個d specifica ti個5 and other dangerou s- knew a gr仗er in Philadelphia-an aw-

l∞king papers." fu I1y nice man , t OQ--with grown-up _
. "\Vhere had 1 come from?" children; he used to vanish at odd in.
- “ You got off an Austria-Hungarian tervaJs and tum up in the strangest
Lloyd steame r." places. Once he found himself on a
“\\'here did 1 get on it?" farm in 11linois; he had worked there
“ How ø• -how should 1 know? for weeks under another name. 1 -k new
Tho~e boats makes sev亡 ral ports." a surgeon in New York who sometimes
“.A nd you can't tel1 me where 1 got performed operations when he didn't
.on ?" know his own name. He patched up a
“ Lωk here , my f討end，訂e you friend of mine on the street once , and
釘 rm戶g me? Asking me questions didn't know i t. lt's 組 awful affiiction ,
.about . you! What's this new game, old man-一"
anyway? A prize contest for the near- “ Don't waste t Îm e sympathizing with
est correct guess? Lo rd heJp us, 1 me ," Jebb broke 旭.“ Think of the
thought I'd heard about al!- the fool chiJd:"
questíons a consul could be asked, but “ Do you know we've heard of her
this is a new line. Why don't you cable from another source?"
~o your friends in Am erica and 臼y: Jebb 1個ped to his feét.
'Who am I? Where was I? Where “ You håve! You mean she's found?"
am 1? Answer prepaid.''' “ No, we've just heard 也at she was
It seemed inadvisable for Jebb to 10st. We got a circular note from the
keep his secret from his angering coun- Am erican consul in Vienna. He had
tryman. The m~p of the United States had word from the Austrian police."
on the wall gave him a feeling that he “ My friend Von HeIJwald put them
was safe here , and 出at it was time to on the 甘ack. Have 出ey heard any-
enlist the aid of tlíe republic in the thing?"
causc of its little ward. Cynthia “ Oh , no. They've just begun to pre-
Thatcher belonged to Un c1 e Sam and it tend to look."
was his duty to find her. “ J ust begun?"
Secing that there was no one e1 se “ 1t takes a long time for these big
a恥t1 t， Jebb hitch~ his chair c1 0se to 凹npires to budge , especia l1 y to hunt for
M r. Rosen's desk and unbosomed his a little unknown waif. Now , if she
_story. were an anarchist who had taken apot
Str這nge delight of confession! J ust . shot at an emperor, or a Russian pro-
giving voice to his old secret was an fessor who had become a tame anar-
immense relie f. lt was like taking 也e chist , or a dissipated prince who had
Old Man of 由 eS臼 off his che~t. He gone off on a splurge , they'd turn the
could breathe with .u nobstructed lungs. world upside down {o find hi m. I'm
\Vhed he had finished a brief aut o- reaIJy surprised a
 THE CIFT \VIFE
“ 1t says Baxter heπ"
“ Oh , Lord! oh , Lord!" Jebb groaned.
“ They've mi sspelled the name." He
looked further. “ And got the descri p-
tion wrong! She doesn't l00k a bit like
that! The search has been us eI ess , use-
less."
Rosen answered cynica l1 y:
“ 1 doubt if there's been any search.
You know that what is everyoody's
busines :'i is nobody勻 business. Some
overworked c1亡 rk ha s had this thing
shoved on to him ;恥 's sCTatched off the
circular and hasn't had time to read
the proof- a l1 foreign names 1 ∞k alike
to foreigners anyway一-and there you
are.
\Vrinσing his hands , Jebb sat crushM
once more with the nS lOn of the lost
ghost-child r O\ .ing homeles 子 ， unable to
te l1 who she was or whence , and flung
aside or driven Q f( perhaps by the very
policemen who should have been
searching for her.
Suddenly Ro咽nwas startled by a
new id臼.
“ You say the child's real name WÕJS
not Baxter, but Thatche r."
“ Yes, Th atche r."
“ Any r eI ation to"-be put his hand
out to another pigeonbole for a αrd一
“ to John Thatch肘， of Berlin 尸
“ Tha t' s her father."
“ Is that :;o?"
“ Yes. How did you get his name?"
“It was like this: A few weeks ago
a Turk who keep里 a littk inn in 也e
outskirts of town came in here with a
Gladstone bag."
“ A Gladstone bag?"
“ Y es , same style as the one you car-
.ried , now that 1 come to think of it.
But then everybody ca出自 them. The
Turk went to America as a wrestler
once. He can speak and read English
a little. He came here with a Glad~tone
bag full of papers. He told a long
cock-and-bull yam about some Am er-
ican gentleman who had left th世n with
him and never came back. The Turk
Ss
came here to see about it. He wontdn't
leave the bag, but he 1 性的 look throu~
it. There were a 10t of blue pnnts and
mechanical drawmgs with the name of
John Thatcher on them. And a bundle
of clippings and letters. 1 made a note
of the' name a nd promised to keep it in
mind . \Vhere is this John Th atchcr?"
‘ 'He's dead. 1 was on my way to
Ame吋呵， taking his child to his widow..
and the drawings for his invention. and
some documents to prove his innocen~
of an odious charge. And 也 is Turk
has the papers? Thank God fcr a
small mercy , anyway! wh甘e can 1
find the fellow?"
“ I l1 send fσr mm. Have h旭 here
to-訂lOrrow ﹒"
“ N 0 , 1'11 go to him."
“ A lI he wants is a liberal baksheesh.
But he liyes a long way off."
“ 1 don't care. 1 can't wait to see him.
Wh ere is he to be found?"
“ His name is Hatìz M u.s tafa, and he
keeps a lit t1 e inn out near the Adrian-
ople gate close to the Mosque of Mir-
ima."
“ Mirima 1" The word smote Jebb'~
ear like a cbo J" d of musiι
Rosen did not hear 也at music:; he
went on lD prose:
“!t 's an old Itl osque built 扭曲e 5ix-
teenth centu句， and nearly d臼troyed
in the big earthquake of .eighteeq
ninety-four. Odd 50前 of story. This
Mirirna was tbe daughter of }{oxal a.r區，
the Rus5ian captive who I>e.:這me a
slave, then the wife of the old Sultan
Suleíman 也e Magnificent. Ra ther
pretty name , isn't it?"
“ 15n't it?" J ebb echoed, su1focated
with ' a11 the word meant to hiOL “ Good-
by , I must gd out to the inn of Hafiz
:Mustafa before it grows dark."
“ Better go to the f個)t of the bridge
and take one of the Golden Hom
steamer5; they run every “ teen mi n-
utes ; get off at Aivan Serai this sij1e of
Eyub，缸ld then go west 曲rough the
 86 THE GIVf" WIFE

Greek quarter. Whi1 e you're up there, 1 want to see 出at Turkish wres t1er with
7個 ought to see the wonderful ceme- the Gladstone bag. Good aftern∞n"
tery of Eyub and the old Jand wal 1." And he was hurrying downhill t o-
“ 1 don't want to see any cemeteries. ward the boat landing.
To lÞe cootinued in tJ揖 øen 凶ue ofTBE 官HBn~. BOOI .

•
BLIND AND LAME
By E. c. Beckwith

A BLIND man and a cripple, both old and in rags , were nearing the outskirts
~ of a vast city. They walked slowly ，出 e blind man guided by the cripple,
who, having lost bo由 his legs, moved on _two wooden stumps strapped
to his knees.
“ How far now , friend?" asked the sigh t1 ess one. “ We must be n臼 r."
“ Not far, brother; not fa r. 1 can see the houses. We'll be there before
dark. Th e sun's going down , and perhaps, if you had your eyes , you wou1 d
詞y some 6ne things about it."
“ Tut-about a sunset? Leave 也at to poets and other knaves. 1 ani t∞ old
and sane for such nonsense ，出ough 1, t∞， when 1 was young and had my 增加，
did my share of rhyming. No mor• -no more. It got me nothing."
“What , your sight?" asked the cripple , whom the other knew to be stupid.
“ No, rhyming. 1 was rich then. What w臼lth 1 had! All left me by my
. father. An d when 1 squandered it among rogues and women 1 got no thanks."
“ Had 1 heen born rich , like you , 1 would not now be begging in my old
age for bread," the cripple mused sadly.
“ When they had taken a11 1 had , and Ioffered them my rhymes for sale,
也ey left me penniless. Tben my sight , t∞， left me , and ever since 1 have been
begging. But what things 1 have seen, even without my ey臼!"
“Wbat, without your eyes? As if one could see at all without his eyes!"
“ 1 have seen , 1 have seen ," the blind man repeated 6nnly. “ 1 have seen
even in 也e darkness. When young a poet , when old a phil0 5Opher. Friend, have
you always been a fool?"
“ N旬， brother , though when young 1 was , before 1 lost my leg s- . In those
days 1 toiled for my sustenance from dawn to dusk for a few farthin gs-not
an atom of my worth. But when my legs were taken 1 made my vow to work
no more. For 1 found that folk would give me far more without my legs and
for begging than they would if 1 kept on slaving. Something for nothing, brother,
is the desire of a l1 the wo r1 d. We are to be envied , you and 1, if they but knew."
“ Y ou are not such a f∞1 as 1 thought ," muttered the blind man in surp討 se.
“ No," agreed the cripple. “ Though naturally you would think 50, being
blind. It is said that this is a city of great wealtb , and 出at few of our ca Jli ng
bave yet been here."
'We should have good takings , then. How far now , friend?"
“ Not far , brother; a mile or tw吼"
Hut at night the blind man and the cripple were no nearer than they had
ever been to that magical city, with its fabulous riches waiting like a glowing
;.dream beneath the cold glitter of the stars.
,-rHIS story is set down as Johnson 也 e 0伍cial reports to my employers ,"
且 told it to me one niglit when we he remarked after he had sealed a fat
had forgath亡red in a dak bun- envelope and addressed it to a man ,
galow on the far side of the world , as whose name iri New Y ork is synøny-
nea rI y in his own words as 1 can recol- mous with mi IIi ons. “ 1 am sent to get
tect tbem. 1 shaU preface it only by tbe rock-bottom fads about properties
tbe statement 由at J ohnson is an un- 、 which may be too gIowingly d的cribed
imaginative man , a keen observer, and by enthusiastic promoters; but the men
not given to romancing. He is the eyes ~who employ me care only for su~ in-
Md ears of capitalists in many largetorma6on as d臼Is with doUars -and
enterprises; sent by them to report cents, and 1 have never been employed
upon properties which are submitted as to sotve a psychologicaI proble~. 1 in-
possible investments , and his hard com- cidentat1y ran aCTOSS one , howevel'.. the
mon sense and absolute integrity make last time 1 was employ.ed by the man
h臼 repo口s more valued than those of wbo sent me out here; and 1'11' tell yOti
many technical expε討s. 1 may add, tbe faets and let you draw your own ,

furth訂， that 1 know the region wbere conctusions."

the events which be te Ils of took place,
, The native “ boy" brought us tepid
~d 1 am a~quainted with many of the _ beer. Johnson lighted a tong , _ black
surviving characters. Johnson was un- Burmese cheroot, settled himselfω~­
aware of this; but 1 recognized them fortably in the rat1:a n lounge chair, and
from his description of their peculiar went on with his narrative.
manner of speecb and mode of life，品
wi Il any reader who has visited this About five years ago 1 was asked
isolated community where c1 an loy叫句 to repo此 upon a large tract of timber-
and traditions are stronger than the land in-we lI, witrun easy distance of
statute Iaw. New York. It had escaped the ax be‘ t
“ My business takes me to all parts cause a special and expensive line 01
of the worl d, and 1 have many curious railway wou1d be nec自sary to dey甚至lop
expeqences wrnch are not menti~ned 泊 it; but t1ìe 甘emendous advanee in-' t~
 88 THE MYSTERY OF THE TIMBER TRA Cf
price of Iumber brought it to notice as
a possibly profitable inve5tment. 1 was
instructed to go over it thorough旬， esti-
mate the amount of standing timber ,
and see i f there was 5U 伍cient water
power to operate sawmi 1l 5. Knowing
that it would be a tremendous task to
get over t~enty thpusand acres of pri-
meva1 forest by dipping into it from
its borders , 1 took along my 臼mp out-
缸， -intending to live in the woods.
The livery-stable proprietor in the
nearest village on the railroad arranged
to drive the rig which 1 hired to 臼叮y
me and my belongings to the prope均;
but when 1 told him 出at 1 wished to be
. ta1也n as far . as possible ipto the tract,
and tl旭t he \V'"'ould probably ha ve to re-
main ovemight, he declared that he
could not a:ccompany me. Two or three
of the loafers who make a country liv-
叮y stable their lounging place also r e-
fu揖4 the job on various pretexts , and
he 1inally had to put t.he team in charge
of a stolid-looking Swede, a new ar-
rival in the country, who understood
only about ten words of English.
“ Jake don't know none too much
about tllis part of the country; buryou
can't lose your way , .a n' he ain't none
afeerd of ghosts ," he said a s 1 climhed
ID. “1 的 t keep a -turnin' to the right
at every fork of the roads , an' about
fifteen mi les up you'll come to Jerry's
cabin. lt's built of logs an' stands on
the right-hand side. That's jest at the
edge of . the woods , an' mebbe he'll
guide you in."
1 couldn't figure out what a fear
of ghosts had to do with the proposi-
tion; b叭， kno Wing the . tendency of vil-
lagers on the edge of wild territory to
have fu '1 with city dwellers , 1 only
nodded my head in reply as we drove
off.
Jake's timited vocabulary made it
impossible to get enlightenment from
hì m, and 組ve for the queer gu廿ural
sounds which he made to encourage
the horses on a road which was not 齡
fòr a goat to clamber over our journey
was a silent one. 1 had come from
an unusua l1 y long spell of desk work
and 1 found compensation in the fresh ,
crisp air and the beauty of the brilliant
forest coloring. It was almost a steady
climb through a wild country, and we
passed less than a dozen houses before
pu1ling up in front of J erry's , where
we were welcomed by a pack of yelping
mongrel hounds".and as it was already
growing dusk 1 detern lÏ ned to ask for a
night's lodging.
J erry himself proved to be a typical
mountaineer, such a 句中e as one would
expect to find in the Blue Ridge; t~ l1
and thin, but apparently aU bone and
sinew. A bad figure of a man to have
a mix-up with , and evidently, in spite
of his court的us but laconic greeting,
suspìcious of strangers.
The cabin was comfortable and
scrupulously clean, and . ~ft er that
drive 1 was hungry enough to have
eaten the horses whìch drew me; but
the supper left nothing to be desired.
The mutton tasted su spiciously like ven-
ison and the a l1 eged chicken had the
flavor of partridge , while a rack of ri-
fles and shotguns over the fireplace
strengthened my SusplClO ns that the
meat came from neither sheepfold nor
hencoop.
There was 1ittle conversation during
the mea t. Jerry was taciturn by na-
ture , and his wi(e and children \vere
overcome by shyness; but he rather re-
luctantly admitted that the shooting was
good and that in the season he occa-
siona l1 y ki l1ed a deer. 1 made up my
mind that he took me for a State game
warden and frankly stated my errand.
“ Can you act as guide for me for
the next week?" 1 asked after 1 had
e文plained things. “ 1 i ntend to make a
出orough inspection of the property ,
and it \V ould be a great help t o have
some one wbo knows the country."
He refused a very liberal offer of
compensation almost cu s:tly.
 THE MYSTERY OF THE TIMBER TRACT
“ This yere is a wild country, it is,"
he said , shaking his head. ..丸~e as lives
into it likes to get home nights to our
families , we do , an' 1 don't reckon as
how you' lI find any one who'll lie out
nights with you. Some of the boy.,'l1
likely be here to-night , an' you can ask
'em yourself , you 臼n.' ，
This was the longest speech 1 had
heard from Jerry in our brief acquaint-
ance , and it had to content me until the
arrival of “ thc boys."
Great , strapping mountaineers they
were , and unless it was to look me over,
1 could hardly see the object of their
coming, for there was nσthing of so-
ciability in the call. Th ey a11 bore a
certain family resemblance to J erry and
p05sessed the same habit of taciturnity;
for after a curt “ Evenin' ," on arrival
each took a seat on the fence and si-
lently whittled a pine 5tic k. The pile
of shavings which littered the roadside
indicated that this was a favorite meet-
ing -place , and they were 50 absorbed in
their occupation that it was impossible
to keep up a sustained conversation .
“ This yere stranger wants a guide
fer a week in the Langthorn tract , he
d oes ," remarked Jerry after his keen
knife had reduced a large pine stick
to splinters. “ Be any of you boys han-
kerin' fer the job?"
"Four-fifty a day a nd a l1 found ," 1
add ed quickly; but there was no re-
spon se and no interruption of the whit-
tling.
Jerry glanced at me and shook his
head; my face must have expressed my
di sappointment , fo r he volunteered to
act a s my guide by day , stipulating only
that he should leave me in time to
r each home by nightfal l.
The others glanced at me curiously
and , 1 thought , with disapprovaI when
1 allDOUnced that in that case 1 should
carry a light shelt er tent and camp
alone , exploring in the immediate Vlcm-
ity afte l' he left and before he rejoined
me in the mornings.
&)
Wilderness dwellers are , as a ntle,
men of few words; but with innate
<:ourtesy each of the m c1 umsily ex-
pressed regret that the timidity o f the
womenfolks 5tOOd in the way of my
wi shes.
On the opposite side of the road ,
between u s and the fo rest , was a nar-
r ow c1 eared space , and in the bright
moonlight the stumps and underbrush
could be plainly distinguished. The
1I 0ndescript co llection of dogs owned
by the different men was nosing about
in the brush, and suddenly one of them
gave tongue and was joined by a l1 the
others, yapping and barking on the trail
of some anima1. It excited a languid
interest in the crowd for a few minutes,
Justωlong as the hounds circ1 ed
about; 抖 t when they settled on a
straight line which led to the forest
the shower of shavings again com-
menced to fa l1.
1 wa5 surprised at their indi 何er­
ence, for the yelping pack seemed to
be getting down to business; b l1 t the
dogs had no sooner disappeared ín the
woods than their yapping changed to
howls of fear , and they came slinking
back acr oss the c1 earing, the ha ir on
th eir back s erect a nd their tails bctween
their leg s. They seemed to want the
protection of human companion ship;
but their owners paid little attention to
them and looked at each other fur-
tively when 1 suggested that th(. curs
h ad found more than th句﹒ bargained fo r.
Jerry voll1 nteered the infonnation
that “ The re's b 'ars , an' sich trash in
therh wood s, there be," and the a rri\'al
o f an other man interrupted furthe r sur-
mi se a s to the reason of their strange
behavio r.
The ne wcomer resembJed the others
in build and costume , but in the bright
moonJight he appeared to be a much
o Id亡 r man , for the long hair which fell
to hi s shouJders from under the so ft
felt hat was as white as s J1ow. He
carried a double-barreled 站otgun and
90 THE MYSTERY OF THE TIMBER TRA CI'
was {o l1 owed by a good-looking hound ,
and 1 noticed that the others did not
raise their eyes to his as they r亡 sponded
to his “ Evenin' , boys ."
“ Has any of you seen Lon?" he
asked , peering anxiously from one to
the other, and each in turn shook his
head and appeared uncomf o rtable un-
dcr the searching gaze. The old man
gave an exclamation of di sa ppointment
a l1() looked hopelessly t o ward the
woods.
“ 1 reckon I'd better be steppin'
aJong th凹， 1 had ," he said slowly . "1
tll l1 st sure find Lon t o-night , fer J inny's
gettin' powerful oneasy about him."
The eternal whittling went on with-
out interruption and no one said any -
thing as he turned and walked to ward
the forest; but he had no S90ner en-
tered its shadows than the melancholy
howl of a dog in fear came to our ears
and the h ound whi ch had followed him
came slinking back as the others had
done , crawling on its belly to Jerry's
fe('t. He reached d own and pe t1 ed 祉 ，
and the other men ，的 if the return of
th<.' hound were a signal , c1 0sed their
jackknives and , with a short "N ight ,
Jerry. Night , Mr. J ohnson ," de parted
for their respective homes .
1 followed Jerry to the hou se ,
whcre he tied the ho und to a pillar
of the porch , a 1t hough hi s own hal f
dozen mongrels were left at libe rty.
‘ 'There seem s to be one man in this
community who is able to be away from
home at night ," 1 said. “ Is Lon his
boy?"
"Lon is dead these five y凹的， he is ,
Mr. Johnson ," answered Jerry , looking
at me grav e1 y. “ Him an' poor Joe
there , was ωtlsin s ， th ey was , an' Joe
hasn't been quit e right in his head since
Lon died. Every night in the year hc
searches the woods fer him , he d(時s.
1 te l1 you thi s because you might run
across him in the wood s an' harm him.
\Ve are pretty much a11 kin up here ，訓，
they was both my cousins , t∞"
TIüs 1ast statement seemed t o be a
hint to me to cease intruding upon a
pureJy famil y affair; so 1 took thc ta 卜
lo w dip which he ga \" e me and wcnt t ù
my r oom.
1 d on't think that 1 am unduly imag -
inative , ánd u 且ually only physical (~ i s ­
com fo rt will cause me to Ii e awa ke 0'
night 且 but the thought of that poo r
old white-haired mountaineer sear chin g
the lonesome wood s for a man who had
been m olde rin g in hi s grave fo r flve
years got on m y ll e rv 亡 s ， and 1 couldn't
sleep.
Fina11y 1 dozed 0 缸， and it seemed to
me that 1 had hardly closed my eyes
when 1 was awakened by the joyiu l
barking of the hound. 1 tumbled int o
my c1 0thes and went out , just a s the
day was breakin信 ， and in the gray
d a wn 1 saw the night wanderer coming
slowly across the c1 earing.
“ 1 can't find any trace of Lon , 1
can 't ," he complained wearily as h e
came up to where J eny was unt y ing
thé hound. "AII night long l ' ve looked ,
1 have , an' I' ve no ncw s t o carry back
to Jinn y. It 's co ld in th e snow , too , it
is ; but you boy s' lI look fer him to-day ,
won' t you , Jerry?"
“ Yes , Jι吧， wc' l\ look , wc will; but
you'd better stop an ' ha\'c a cup of cof-
f 凹" an swered J erry plcasantly.
“ No , thankin' you kindly; 1 mtl st
b也 stc :-，pin' back to Jinny , 1 must ," h c
replied wistfu l\ y and tumed away , th c
hound jumping a t him a nd v: himpcring
its welcome. ln t he daylight 1 sa w
that hi s face belied hi s hair , and a l-
th ough it was scam cd and weather~
~aten ， it wa s that o f a young man.
“ Twenty-eight , he is ," sa id Jerry
laconica l1 y when 1 spoke o f it; and a 方
he was evidently un y. 'i l1 ing to vo lun-
teer further inf orm a ti on , 1 r亡 frained
from a sking qucstions.
1 found Jerry a capital woodsman
and an ideal guide . The tract h ad bcen
spared by the fires which do so much
damage in timbe r1 ands , and the trees
 THE MYSTERY OF THE .TIMBER TRACT
were in fine condition. Game was as
plenti .ful as in a carefully guarded pre-
serve ; partridges and woodcock
whirred from the bushes as we passed,
and the banks of the streams were cut
up by 伽 tracks of many deer which
had come for water during the night.
When Jerry discovered that 1 was no
novlce 扭曲e woods, he became more
commu凶cative， telling me where the
largest trout were to be caught and
pointing out the swamps where the deer
lay during the day; but 仕le burden 01
his conversation was the repeated as-
sertion that l _could accomplish my task
most easily by sleeping at his house and
uπying a luncheon wi也 me on my
dai1y excursions. He was 50 insistent
that 1 finally conclu~ed to spend at least
one mor~ nigbt 出ere， and 1 found the
second evening a repetition of the first.
Th e same crowd of men gathered on
the fence in the. moonlight, the dogs
acted in the same way as the Dight be-
fore, J oe appeared at the whittling bee
at the same time, and, after an a1most
iden討cal conversation, di且pPeared in
t.he forest; while his hound's retum
to Jerry was the signal for the di s-
per組1 of the party.
It was so exactty like the night be-
fore that it seemed like the second
perf~m祖nce of a carefully rehearsed
play and , .1也ough 1 could see no rea-
son for an attempt to hoodwink me , 1
went to my room with the suspicion
that .tt was all arranged for my special '
benefit.
Again 1 lay awake thinking of the
p∞r lunatic on his hopeless quëst and
the weirdness Qf his night-wandering
in the forest; but the memory of the
moonlight suggested a so1ution of the
mystery.
“ Moonlight' Moonshine!" 1 ex-
claimed, sitting up in bed, and 1
laughed as 1 Iay down again at 出e
t~ought of the elaborate plan which the
apparently . guileless mountaineers had 、
prepared to keep me out of the. w倒地s
91
at night 50 that their illicit still 呻t
not be intruded upoi1.
Ha ving eXplained things to my own
satisfaction, 1 slept sound1y.. 剖ld whcn
1 w a.s a wakened by the hound in' 也e
moming, 1 did not go out, but, watèhed
through a hole in the shutters.
Joe came from the woods as before
and, after the sagle exchange of words
with Jerry, disappeared - up the road
with his hound. 1 mentally compli-
mented the gang on its attention to de- '
tail , but determined that 1 would get
to the bottom of the thing.
Although Jerrýs disapproval was
evident, he wasted few of his precious
words in trying ωdissuade me when 1
insisted upon caπying my small tent
and cooking . outfit with me 出at mDrn-
ing. He was more reticent during the
day, and we were a good eight miles
from his cabin when líe left me to my
own devices. 1 went about my camp
preparations methodical旬， cut a g∞d
supply of w∞d， and pitched my tent
near a smal1 stream from which 記n
minutes' fishing gave me the trout for
my supper. 1 determined to do a little
explQring on my own 1lccount, bu( 1
was not hopeful of finding a~ything，
for J erry had readi1y acquiesced in my
choice of a camping pl屁巴 while he had
persistently led me away ffom 出e
50uthern part of the tract where 1 con-
cluded the sti1l was located.
My investigations were ' frui t1 ess.
There was not the s 1ightest suspicion
of smoke in the dear, sharp ait to sug-
gest a fire . under a retort, and some-
how the impression that 1 was not
alone, that 1 was under observation .
f r091 the dark shadows 部 1 walked
through the woods ,' gãve me an uncom-
fortable feeling , and 1 soon retumed
to .my tent.
1 like human companionship, but 1
am always glad to be alODe in the
w∞d屯的pecially åt night. It Îs a re-
lief to change the hum of the city for
出e night 叫nds of the fQ~咕t， _ ~d
~ THEMYSτ"ERY OF THE TIMBER TRACf
under their inB uence my eyes are usu-
a.l ly shut fast in dreamless sleep as soon
as 1 dra w the blankets to my chiri; but
slumber did not come readily that first
night . in the La ngthom tract. 1 heard
only the familiar noises; the croakiog
of frogs , the humming of insects , the
chirping of the tree t oads , and the rasp-
ing of the katykids; nevertheless , 1
自 It that 1 was not alooe; that f rom
the deep thicket about the camp, t:: yes
which belonged to no forest creature
were watching my tent.
But a long day in the open air and
miles of tramping through thick woods
had . brought a fatigue which was not
to be denied , and at last 1 slept , to
awaken as the suo was T1 smg. 1 tried
to roll over for another nap; but the
desire to see if a vivid dream . which
had come to me the night before had
foundation in fact was irresis tible，缸ld
1 poked my head out of the tent.
1n my dream 1 was camping in the
woods and had been awakened by a
shout, fo l1 owed by the report of a gttn
and a scream of pain. 1 dreamed tl祖t
the ground was covered so deep wi出
f.now that 1 was unable .jo leave the
camp to investigate , and the rest of it
was only a confused n覽mory. But the
first part was so vivid that 1 was much
relieved to find that in reality the -g rass
was still green , that the autumn leaves
were slowly falling a~ the branches
swayed in the dawn breeze , and a faint
blue spiral of smoke was nsmg from
the embers of my camp fire.
The drèam had slipped from my
mind by the time 1 had caught the tmut
for my breakfast , made my co缸ee ， and
packed up the camp outfit; but the im-
pression that 1 had been followed and
watched during the night was sti l1
strong , and when Jerry joined me , 1
asked him if any of the boys had been
Ìo. the woods.
“ No one was into 'em but Joe , there
wasn't ," he replied uneasily, and 1 no-
ü臼d that his eyes avoided mine. “ He
generally keeps more to the sout h , h e
does , an' 1 d on.t r eckon a s how h e
was into this part last night, fer 1 ain't
see n.. not none of his tracks."
He looked with disapproval at the
packed out 缸， anèl 1 knew that he had
count ed u pon my making my headquar-
ters at this ideal camping spot.
We had ha rd er wðrk that day , for
1 was inspecting the swamp timber and
we were for many hours up to our
knees in mire and water. When we
finally got on firm ground , 1 selected
the first likely spot 1 came across t。
pitch my ten t. Jerry raised all sorts
of objectioDS to it-the brook near by
did not contain 品 good trout as one
he could show me a couple of miles
farther on; it was so near the swamp
that mosquitoes would bother me, and
位lat part of the tract was considered
Ul. wholesorne and a bt-eeder of “ break-
bone fev e r ," aod 50 on; but 1 was ob-
durate , and he fina Jl y gave in and cut
the pol臼 for my ten t. His oppositioo
convinced me that 1 was getting
“warm ，"缸ld after 1 had resisted his
final appeal to move , he looked at me
dou.btfu l1 y and spoke sl o w 旬， as if the
delive ry o f each word hurt him.
“ This yere ain't reckoned a healthy
place, M r. J ohnsoo , it ain 't; but 1 guess
you can take care of yoursel f. A l1
sorts of trash comes from the swamp
at nigh t, there does , an' 1 don't reckon
as how you'll have pleasant dreams
yere. 1 know you wouldn't go fer to
hurt poor J oe ; bút he might come blun-
derin' in yere at night an' startle you ,
he might. Won't you be k自rful an'
if you hear him jest keep in your bed?
Ao' he won't bother you not none at
all , he won' t."
1 laug hed at the idea of being
frig hten ed and a ssured him that 1
would be careful; but Jerry shook his
head doubtfully , and 1 knew that he
left me regretfu Jl y and that his mind
was fi \1 ed with misgiving as he started
for home.
 THE MYSTERY OF THE TIMBER TRACT
A fter supper 1 stretched out in front
of the fire waiting for the moon to rise,
and 1 suppose the fatigue of the day
asserted itself; for 1 dozed 0 仔. When
1 awakened , 1 rubbed my eyes in aston-
ishment for , although it was only early
autumn , the ground was covered with
a deep layer of snow. Th字 sumnler
noises of the forest which had lulled
me to sleep were stilled , but 1 could
hear the wind in the leafless branches ,
and on the opposite side of the fire , pay-
ing absolutely no atten60n to me as he
warmed his hands at the blaze, stood a
man whom 1 had J1 ever seen before.
In build he was of the mountaineeer
type; but his clothes were not those of
a woodsman. He seemed spurious , if _
you can understand what 1 mean; a
backwoodsman trying to masquerade in
the attire of civilization. The result
was not pleasing, a 1t hough his face was
handsome after the coarse, animal type.
Instead of the usual ragged heard of
the mountaineer, he wore only a mus-
tàche which he had attempted to cu r1
at the ends. His expression was un-
pleasant, a nasty leer trying to conceaI
a craven fear which his shifty , restless
eyes and listening attitude betrayed;
such an expression as 1 ha ve seen upon
the faces of criminals arraigned before
the bar for sent臼lce. His lips were
moving, but no sound came from them ,
and when 1 spoke to him 1 realized that
my own voice was unnatura 1.
He paid no attention to my greet-
ing, and the longer 1 looked at him ,
the more unreal he seemed; for his
face was colo r1 ess with the pallor of
death and his eyes looked st r:aight at
me, apparently without seeing me.
Suddenly the sound for which be
had been listening floated to his ears,
and 1, too , heanl it , a faint hail of
“Lo n , ohe , Lo n!" from the north.
With a movement of his lips which
1 knew indicated a curse , although no
sound came from them , he turned and
fted into the woods.
93
1 seemed incåpable of moving: ‘ but
as the sound of the ca l1 ing came n~rer，
1 watched for the appearance of Joe;
for Joe 1 knew it must be. In a few
minutes he came wading through the
snow , guided by ' the fir e1 ight; but it
was not the Joe whom 1 had seen at
Jerry's cabin.
His hair was as black as jet , his fig-
ure erect , and his eyes were flashing;
while the hound which had refused to
enter the forest with him was c1 0se
at his heels. He paid no attention to
me as he came up to the fire; but _~vhen
he saw the stranger's footprints in the
snow he took up the line of Bight like
a hound on a fresh scent and disap-
peared among the trees.
Still 1 could not move; but when a
few minutes later 1 heard a shout , the
report of a gun , and a scream of pain
一just as 1 had heard them in my dream
the night before-I struggled to my
feet and tried to fo l1 ow; but 1 tripped
and fe l1 headlong. 1 was conscious that
1 had hurt my arm în 出 e fa l1, and when
1 rolled over and sat up , 1 could hardly
believe my eyes.
It was broad daylight , there was no
snow on the ground , and the trees still
retained their autumn foliage! My fire
had burned out, my right arm was
asleep from lying on 祉， and 1 was
chilled to the bone; but it was not en-
tirely the cold which made me shiver a s-
1 cursed my carlessness for having
gone to sleep in that way; and so vivid
was the impression of my dream that 1
could hardly convince myse 1f it was not
midwinter as 1 stamped and ~wung my
arms to re泣。 re my circulation.
1 suppose that 1 appeared a bit
seedy when Jerry came, for he looked
at me curiously; but 1 eXplained it by
te l1 ing him that 1 had fallen asleep in
the open and got ch iJ.ted. He seemed
surprised when 1 told him that 1 should
spend another nigh t- in the same camp;
but uncanny dreams in the woods were
a nèw sensation for me , and 1 deter- -
94 THE MYSTERY OF THE TIMBER TRACT
闊的d to stick it out to see i f the local-
ity induced them.
He left me before 1 reached caspp
t1旭t eveni 嗯， and after 1 had made
things snug for the night, 1 waited for
the moon to rise; but 1 took no chance
of spending the night without shelter
and stretched out under the t目前.
Again 1 dozed off a i1 d again 1
a wakened to find the ground covered
with snow and the same stranger in
f ront of my fire , only - his demeanor
was different; for while he listened as
anxiously for any sound from the
woods, there was an . expression of tri-
úmph on his face as he circled arüUnd
the fire and looked up at the sky.
1 watched him closely, and when his
body caìne between me and the 益re 1
gave a start of horror; for in the left
side of his chest, in the place where hi~
heart should have been, there was .a
nole which 1 could have put my 益st in I
It extended cl~n through the chest,
2nd through it 1 could see the firelight
描 plainly as 1 也n see your face!
1t seemed as i f each separate hair on
my head was nsmg and that a strip
()f ice 'Y"as replacing my backbone; for
no man could be alive with an injury
like that. 1 could not take my eyes
f rom him as he moved to the other
siâe of 也e fire; OOt sudde n1y it seemed
as if a t Oll .of dynamite had exploded
cJose to me , and 1 found myselfs~ting
bo1t upright, staring through the end
of the tent at the figure before me. The
whole scene had changed, the , snow
had disappeared, and rain was faUing
in torrents , while lightning zigzagged
élcross the sky and the peals of thunder
seemed to rip the forest to pieces.
An audibl~ cry of relief came from
the lips of my spectral visitor and thén
he gradually faded away.
1 thi 叫心 that 1 must have fainted
from sheer terror; but 1 was quickly
revived QY the thoroughωaking whiro
1 received, for there was no illusion
about tbe thundersto rm. Daylight
found me a drenched and uncomfort-
able mortal and thoroughly upset by
出e vision; for 1 could no longer caU
it a dream. J erry was heartily wel-
come where he arrived soon after day-
break, holding in leash J oe's hound ,
which was barking excitedly.
“ Have you ' seen anything of Joe?"
he asked anxiously , and 1 saw that he
was greatly disappoiqted when 1 shook
my head. “ F eT five years , rain or shine,
winter . or summer, he has come to my
house eveηr momin' at daylight, he
has ," he sa.iø slowly. ‘ 'The hound has'
leamed to wàit patiently ; bi.t t he howled
all the night , he did , an' 1 know some
harm has come to J oe."
1 didn't wait to prepare breakfast;
but together we left the camp , follow-
ing whère the unleashed hound had dís-
appeared among the trees ,. and guided
by its moumful baying. We found Joe
一lyirlg under a great oak at the edge
of êl small clearing, the hound on the
ground beside him whi缸中ering and
licking his cold hands.
The shattered top and scorched
trunk of the tree told the story_; but
J oe's face as it was tumed to the bright
sunshine which succeeded the storm
was npt disfigured; the wistfulness had
left the eyes , and there was a pladd
smile on his lips. The lightñîng håd
done its work mercifully, and 1 re-
called the thu:nder c1 ap which had awak-
ened me and precedεd the fi.nal disap-
pearance of my ghost. .
“ Which one of us shall carry the
news to Jinny?" 1 asked , and Jerry
l∞ked up at me after he had tende rI y
closed Joe's eyes.
“ There ain't been no Jinny these
fi.v~ years back, there ain't , except in
poor Joe's crazy head ," he said sadly.
As we :sat beside the body in the
clearing awaiting' the arrival of other
searchers, the gates of silence were
opened, and in a low v<?ice , to the ac-
companiment of the hound's whimper-
ing, Jerry related the pitiful history.
 THE MYSTERY OF THE T1 MBER TRACT
In a homely guise it was the same old
story which has brought so much mis-
ery into the world一一the story of two
men and a woman.
Lo n was the black sheep of their
clan; a reckless stnpling, a frequenter
of the tavems in the neighboring vil-
lages, and a terror to the local con-
stables and game wardens. J oe, the
weaker vessel , was his finn friend and
admirer, helping him out of scrapes
and sticking to him stead fas t1 y through
good and evil report. Jinny , for whom
Joe' had prepared a home , to her sor-
row also loved and admired the ne'er-
do-weel , who heartlessly betrayed them
both. His promises were light as air,
and when she begged him to make_ the
only possible reparation , he jeeringly
refused , and taking his gun departed
for the woods.
An hour later Joe heard the story
fa 1tered out by a shamed , heartbroken
heap of misery on the floor, and fol-
lowed him, a fter promising Jinny that
he would bring him back to make
things right; but when he returned he
was alone , the right barrel of his gun
was empty, and he went to his room
'without speaking.
They found Lo n , his black heart
tom out by a charge of buckshot , ly-
ing. under the very tree which the light-
ning had just shattered. Jinny merci-
fully died the same night, and when
J oe came downstai rs the next morn-
ing he had lost a11 memory of his
wrongs and the double tragedy. His
95
hair had tumed white in the night,
and as the shadows lengthened he t∞k
his gun and started for the woods to
find Lon, whom he imagined to be l05t.
The mountaineers, all of them kin
to the actors in the tragedy , kept the
thing quiet-not a difficult thing to do
in that isolated community in winter
一-and for five long years they watcbed
J悅 depart each night on his qu~st，
guarding among themselves the secret
of his crime.
The hound would never again enter
the woods with him , and he retumed
for it each morning to Jerry's cabin ,
always hurrying home to the Jinny
whom he imagined to be waiting.
“ An' 1 reckon as how he's found
both of 'em now , 1 do ," con c1 uded Jerry
simply, as he looked at J帥 's peaceful
face. “ They say as how Lon's ghost
walked the forest at night , always keep-
in' away from him; but no dog of
our法， nor any of our kin , would come
into these woods aftcr sunset , an' hunt-
ers always left the region sudden af~er
the first night in camp, they did."
When the others came we carried
the body to J oe's cabin , the house he
had prepared for Jinny. Whcn we en-
tered the parlor my attention was at-
tracted by a tintype over the crude
mante t. It represented a group of
three; Joe as he must have looked ~­
fore ‘ the tragedy , a sweet-face<t coun-
try girl , and the other一-the man who -
had twice been an unbidden guest at
my camp fire.

TORTURE BY DISLOCATION
AMORmm珈山… w叫以 dislocation. The victim's anns
were tied behind his back and he was suspended by them from a pulley.
Heavy weights were attached to his feet. A fter being raised in the air and
allowed to hang until his joints were well stretched , he was dropped suddenly
and brought up with a jerk before his feet touched the ground. Th i.s w'a s
rq:咒ated till the joints were dislocated. In many cases flogging added to the agony.
l f is 叫，ger visib川心 mod­
ern day s, but if you had taken a
trip down the harbor søme years
ago or crossed the East River you
V\ ould undøubted~y have seen it inter-
fering with navigation 缸ld bat t1 ing with
the tide.
The name pamt-e d on it in big, golden
letters was Queen of Dreams, and in
the catalogue of sbìps it was down as
a tug. Looking at it for the first time ,
you would not realize tha.t it was r-ea l1 y
a tug , but the knowledge would come
to you by degrees.
The rivermen aever spo'k e of ìt by
its baptismal name. Since time out of
mind it was known as the Bothways.
lt gained 出 is popular and apt d臼站na­
tion 出 e fi. rst day that Captain Hexam-
eter proudly sailεd it into the Ea st
River and set a11 the watery wo r1 d by
the ears with the marvel of it.
You see, Cap色的 n Hexameter was an
original man , and it had been built to
his order along lines thought out en-
tirely by himself. The pilots of other
craft were unable to discover whether
the Queen was going or coming.
La ter 出 ey learned to decide this vital
question by observing 、 which way tbe
vikinglike Hexameter was facing , as
he stood grim and ereét in the pilot
hO t1 se. If he was facing the way he
ought to bc heading, and his face W() rc
a far-away expression，出Icy knew the
Queen .w as holding her own against thc
tide, and a11 they had to do was to
keep out of the way. But i.f his back
was in evidence and he was be110wing
laRguage into the lower .regions they
knew the Q )t een was s.portively imitat-
ill,g a crab and g抖ng baokward. To
avoid sinkmg its tug , fhe tow wou]d
have to oast 0缸" and would soon be well
i Ì1 tbe lea d, wi也是he Q.u een puffing
frantically to catclt up and Captaìn
Hexamettt yelling for them to stand
by.
N-aturaUy , the Bothwαys was used
only by ihe oI d-timers , who were fright-
ened by the high prices of the b~g mod-
ern tugs. Though the risk wa"s some-
tlmes fearful , many were willing to
tal甜祉， so srnan were Captain Hexam-
et~r's charges.
Th e captain knew a l1 this , and was
reck1 ess and overbearing .a 伐。 rdingly.
If he got into more than ordinary diffi-
culties in tbe river, he got out of them
by the sirnple proc-e臼 of casting off his
tow and beading for the nearest dock,
from which he would calmly telephone
the owners somewhat as follows:
“ Gen t1 emen , 1 regret to report that
our line parted just below the bridge ,
and 由 e Amelùr. Ann is now , 1 beliqe ,
involuntarily clearing for the open sea.
Better call up the wrecki.n g people."
The Bothwa抖， crcw consisted of one
man, Mr. Glum. Mr. Glum was at once
mate, .a bie seama!l, engineer, stoker, and
pU l=Ser. Owing to 也e small size of the
 LIKE PRINCES
ship, he could perfonn a11 hisduties
without moving from his usual post
before the furnace. Mr. Glum was
veη， short and fat and altogether bald,
and he had wall eyes. H e- was prob-
ab1y the most sad and lugubrious man
who ever sailed the sea. Always was
Mr. G1um bçmoaning his sad fate and
shedding tears into 出e fìre.
Mr. Glum's affiiction was an unre-
quited love. It seems that every Thurs-
day , for many years , a sma11 OOy de-
livered to 出e Bothωαys a basket of
snowy linen , the washable effects of
himself and Captain Hexameter. From
a week1y contemp1ation of the basket,
Mr. Gfum's thoughts had gradually
risen to speculation as to what must
be the virtues and attractions of the
unknown fema1e who cou1d work such
wonders, such snowiness. He thought
so deep1y on it 出 at specu1 ation fin30Uy
ripened -into romanc e-:-into love.
When he rea1ized his condition he
one day obtained the necessary direc-
tions from the small OOy; took rus cour-
age in hand and ca11ed on the lady一­
on1y to be repu1sed. To be precise and
to state the plain , unpoetic truth , Mr.
Glum was rep叫 sed by a fiatiro n. But
having seeÌl the lady , he was not to
be deterred by flatirons. His heart
yearned for her-yeamed to bestow on
her the name of Glum. He called
again, and yet again.
On the last occasion , however, the
lady add~d a po1iceman to 出 e flatiron.
Lo ve can resist flatirons , but not po-
licemen, so Mr. Glum gave up in d e-
spair and retired to 出 e Bothωays to
moan and shed tears into 出e fire.
Mr. G1um moaned so much more
than usual that Captain Hexamet訂 was
forced to take 0品cial . notice of his
crew's condition , and he wδndered
what could be the trouble. He was
we11 used to the wails 也at arose from
below, but now they became 50 Înc臼­
sant 也at he began to fear they might
have a bad effect on the OOiler.
習 BTb riU
97
“ Some由ing's wr∞g with Glum ," he
said to himself in the privacy of the
pi10t house. “ His engines are racing.
1'11 have to look into it."
At the moment when. Captain Hex-
ameter reached 也 is decision 也 e Both-
ways happened to be directly in the
path of an outgoing liner , but he rang
off the engine the l"e and then , and ,
leaning idly out of the port window,
fell into a brown study of Mr. Glum's
cas令一-tota11y oblivious to 由 e whis t1 e of
the liner and the yells from her bridge.
“ Glum:' the captain mused ,“is an
infant when it comes to mind. Men-
ta11y, he doesn't dra w two feet-no bal-
l 3ost, no carg:o in him一一- What do you
m個 n ， you big lubber! Can't you .see
I'm heaved to?"
This last was shouted at the liner,
which 宜的w loomed right over the cap-
tain's head. The second officer, purp1e
with rage , was standing on the end
of the . bridge, breathing deep curses.
Captain Hexameter merely glared at
him ferociously and returned 句ithet
for epithet, while Mr. Glum , according
to his custom in such emergencies , came
on deck -a nd waved a shovel menac-
ingly. When it seemed on1y a matter
of seconds, the big ship's propellers
actually reversed full speed; her bow
sheered 0宜， and the Bothways gently
bumped along her sid e.
The Bothways had won. Captain
Hexameter stroked his militant goatee -
triumphantly, and his. face assumed a
serene expression. He gave batt1e to
ferryboats and excursion boats all day
long, and it was child's play, but he
seldom had the joy of entering the
nautical lists with a real ocean liner.
He was 50 tickled with- himsetf . that
he forthwith ordered Mr. Glum up into
the sacr吋 pilot house and produced a
black 00 t t1 e.
The captain became festiv e.“ Glum,"
he said,“ we'll cut out business to-day
and take a pleasure trip up the Hud~
son, and this evening you'H come and
98 LIKE PRINCES
have dinner with me. There's some-
thing the matter with you , Mr. Glum.
You.re low in the water-intellecJual
barnacles--seaweed on the brain. I' m
going to put you into dry dock and
scrape you , Mr. Glum."
This was unheard of and terrifying.
Mr. Glum's wall eyes became fixed with
the fear of the unknown. He had a
sublime faith in the dignity and great-
ness of Hexameter and had never even
thought of mingling with him socially
in all the years he had been a crew.
Every evening, when the Bothways tied
up for the night , the crew went his
way and the captain went his-presum-
ably to a mythical club; in reality to
a boarding house.
But Mr. Glum believed in that c1 ub;
he pictured Captain Hexameter as sit-
ting in some glittering palace , sur-
rounded by other captains of marine
industry and being wined and dined by
the entire shipping world. Conse-
quently he could imagine no ordeal
more awful than being mentally scraped
by such a man.
The scraping began immediately.
Every ten minutes or so , as they went
up the river , the engine was rung 0缸，
Mr. Glum was summoned into the pilot
house and put through a cunning third
degree. Mr. Glum kept his secret c1 ose,
however , and the only satisfaction the
captain got was to the e 旺ect that his
crew's “ insides was wrong."
The captain gave it up after a while
and decided to lie in wait for Mr. Glum
and catch him off his guard. The great
Hexameter became gay and carefree.
He indulged in song and waved his hat
joyeusly to ladies on passing excursion
boats. Opposite Yonkers , Mr. Glum
was again summoned into the pilot
house and forced , on pain of being
brought up on charges of mutiny , to
join in a duet.
They tied up at a dock , and Mr. Glum
was sent ashore to forage for lunch.
He came . back with an oyster fry and
a sausage. The captain , who alway s
maintained discipline, even in small
matters , ate the oyster fry in the pi!ot
house, while M r. Glum sat humb!y oe-
hind the boiler and thoughtfulJy CO I1-
sumed the sausage. The captain was
quiet for 50 long that M r. Glum fell
into a doze , from which he was awak-
ened by sounds of cheering from the
doc k. Loo king out , he beheld the cause.
Captain Hexameter, silently but skill-
fully , was performing a solitary dance
on the deck. Mr. Glum was horrified;
he retired in shame to the engine room.
“ Cap'n ," he finally murmured,“ain't
we better cast off?"
The captain paused in the middle of
a di伍cu1t step and considered. “ All
rig~t ， Glum ," he said , after a thought-
ful silence. “ Let us away: It is meet
that we should go!" And he stalked
with great dignity into the pilothouse
and rang the bell in an absent way
about a dozen times.
When the Bothwα抖， nose was again
pointed down the river the captain was
seized with a sudden and overwhelm-
iag passion for speed.
“ Let her out!" he roared. “ Jam
her up , Glum , make her jump like a
rabbit. 、Ve're going to clean up the
river."
Mr. Glum jammed her up until his
hair, if he had had any , would have
been on end , but the captain was in-
satiable and continued to roar for ac-
hon.
“ Can't do no more, cap'n ," M r. Glum
wailed in desperation. “ The b'iler'll
bust !"
“Let her bust then!" screamed the
captain. “1月r e'll buy anoth亡 r."
With one eye on the steam gauge
and the other on eternity , which seemed
to be swooping directly down upon
him , Mr. Glum shoveled and sweated
and moaned until the unreasonable de-
mands for speed suddenly ceased. Mr.
Glum thought that th e. captain was at
last satisfied. He was , in a way , for
 LIKE PRINCES
he was fa說 asleep， with the wheel 旭
his hands and a smile of peace on his
face. M r..Glu但 only discover吋也is
condition of a宜airs when a steamer
s'e emed to fly past c10se to hls left ear.
With due deference and respect., he
went into the pilot house and awoke
the captain-and then went swiftly out,
in deadly fear lest his act might be
one of the numerous things designated
as “ mutiny." But hé had not resumed
his usual post ten minutes when a barge
seemed to actually graze his chin.
The captain was asleep again , r e-
c1 ining on the pilot-house ." bench and
his feet on the window s i11. Mr. GI、um
was in an agony of indecisi∞ the
cholce between a watery grave altd the
horrors of mutiny. The di伍口llty was
solved by the captain suddenly becom-
ing broad i awake and :roari n.g:
“ Mr. Glum, sir, what do you mean
by coming into the pilot house without
orders? Why are you not at your post
Qf duty, sir? I'11 put you in irons ,
Mr. Glum; tha t' s what .l 'll do!"
“ But 1 was afeared, cap'n," mur-
mured Glum,“that be恤， asleep:一"
“ Asleep !" gasped the captain.
“ Asleep, were you? Well, don't let
me catch you at it! Suppose this ship
were lost at sea and 1 should have. to
report that my engineer was asle句­
asleep , Mr. Glum? Go below, sir!"
Mr. Glum never speaks of the rest
of that trip. Theωptain continued
to take cat naps aH down the river,
and every time he was awak割1ed he
made a written note of it for future
reference when Mr. Glum sh01l1d be
“ brought up on ch釘ges." Th叮 T臼ched
the pier at last, however, and Mr. Glum
was led in captivity to a restaurant 個
1月I est Stréet.
But the cap組il\ became morose. As
the meal progressed- he &how..ed an in-
creasing distaste for Mr. Glum's soci-
ety. Over a piece of lemon pie he gave
his crew to understand that he, G1um,
as a dinner companion, was about as
99
entertaining as a “S倒也 Afri也a
mummy." Finally he remembered an
imp叮個nt engagementat th~ .d 曲， ~d
t∞，k himse1f off.
Mr. Glum was sitting thoughtfully
over a pipe when he 'became awa 悶。 f
a dark-skinned; secretive indìvidual
who had slipped into the vacant seat
opposlte.
“ Señor," he heard the secretive indi-
vidual saying,“ it is that you are of
the Queen 0/ D t'eams tugger, yes?"
Mr. Glum carefully removed his
pipe. He was feeling very comfortáble
and c01l1d think of no valid rêason for
denia1.
“ 1 is ,".:he replied.
“Ah !" went on the Secret On e , leaR-
ing across the table. “ You see 出at 1
know you-though 1 ',to you am not!
El Capitan , too , do 1 know-but h e" is
也e gr臼t one-the powerful-he would
not hea r1 But you-you are like m e--
with feelings! Then it is that 1 ask
you to help me, Señor Glum , and you
are glad and say yes-is it not so, amigo
Glum ?"
Am igo Glum stared at the stranger
reproachfully, hopelessly. On top of
his awful day's work，也is was too
much.
. “ Mister, you ain't beknown to me ,"
he wailed in despair,“and there ai-n 't
anything 1 done what I should help
you and be aggrewated-nor I ain't any
money!"
“ Money 1" exclaimed 也eS配 ret On e.
“Seño r Glum, what I ask is itself noth-
mg:一-aBd you shaU have for it fifty
dollars ! Look you , I shall make you
now a friend. 1 shall to you declare
myself of ~yerything. I see in your
eye oi h <mesty tl叫 you will not be an
inform !"
The Secret One glanced around 也e
room, ana, leaning close to the eye of .
hones:旬， continued:.
“ Señor Glum~ it 扭曲at 1 am the &'1.0-
rious. revolution in Mexico-I am :均
 10。 LIKE PRINCES

juntal But look you , the glorious rev- with fifty dollars in his pocket , she
olution is there in Mexic o--and 1 am might lay aside the flatiron. It might
he I"e! Thus it is that to-night there is take the starch out of her di sposition
a sail ship down 位le harbor-a barker. and tum th'e laundry into a bower of
It wait for m f;, and if 1 am not-it is love. With this mental picture before
gone! 1 am watched. But a friend him , Mr. Glum' S" eye of honesty actu-
~peak of the Queen of Dreams tugger, ally blinked with human expression.
、and 1 say ‘ it is the idea-~ith Señor “ You ain't got the fifty dollars with
Glum longing in his heart to help! you?" he asked.
Look you ,' señor, in one short hour it The Secret On e produced a wallet
is over. You make me on the barker and laid a bill on the table. Mr. Glum
and you have the beautiful fifty dol- gazed at 祉， and as he gazed the res -
lars ! Como! Ah, yes-it is the bar- taurant seemed to expand and be tra ns-
gain! Even now my friend waits by formed into a beautiful garden with
the corner. You will have need of splashing fountains , soft music; and
him. He is what you call a steerer- shady bowers-in one of which , con-
he turns the wheel and makes the versing in the language of love, sat.
Queen of Dreams tugger 'go rightly into two people, the Lady of 由e Linen and
the barker while you put yourself into Mr. Glum.
也e engines and make the coalings and The Secret One slowly 'picked up the
steams and only in one hour it is all bill and put it back 扭曲e wallet, Mr.
over and for fifty do l1 ars 1" Glum's eyes following it until it dis-
Du ring its delivery 也 is speech had appeared.
.a bout as much effec.t on Mr. Glum's “ The tide's about right now," said
brain as a gentle breeze on a stone wall. Mr. Glum,“so we'd better be movit宜，
'But after an exposure of ten or fifteen and get your friend."
minutes it made a su伍ciently deep im- As the Secret One had inti m.a ted , the
pression for him to grasp the general steerer was waiting around the come巳
idea. and proved to be another dark-skinned
Somebody , he told himself , wanted to gentleman who was also a revolution.
be put aboard a ship down the bay and The two revolutions did not seem to
wa s going to pay him fifty dollars for make any attempt to avoid the public
it. As the proposition continued to de- gaze, but Mr. Glum , considering it the
velop in his btain, the fi fty-do l1 ar pa吋 proper thing to do when engaged in
of it stood out in bold relief; so much an adventur琴， turned up his coat col -
的由此 the thing began to look quite lar, pulled his hat over rus eyes, and
simple. chose all 也e dark streets he could find ,
Then , t∞， the adventurous aspect ap- frequently stopping at alleys to ask if
pealed to him. Mr. Glum had never “ they was all cI ear."
had a real adventure , and here was a 1t was characteristic of Mr. GiUlD
splendid chance! If he could go to 也at he made no inquiries as to 出e
Captain Hexameter, narrate an adven- marine abüities of the steerer. To his
ture, and pose as a man- who had been mind , a gentleman who was .a revolu-
mysteriously connected with revolu- tion and was also in the confidence of
tions , it would take the captain down another gentleman who was visibly con-
a peg. nected with fifty dollars , would have
Then there ßoated across Mr. Glum勻， no di伍cu1!y m such a small matter- as -
brain a vision of the Lady of the Linen, piloting a tug--even one which required
and his mind evolved a thought ' that .most delicate .handling. But no sooner
'stunned him. Wb y , if he went to her was tb金.Bßthw句除咽ro-eF way 出an Mr.
 LIKE PRINCES
Glum was rudely made aware that the
steerer was of the bunko variety.
Instead of heading down the river ,
the dark-skinned pilot , with a skill
worthy of Hexameter himself , jammed
the B othways into the 6. rst ferry slip
he came to.' Mr. Glum came up on
deck and swore all around the horizon;
the ferry men' jeered , and the two rev-
olutions fell into each other's arms and
wept , crying that now indeed they were
lost.
But Mr. Glum rose to the occasion.
Starting the engine , he rushed into the
pilot house and gradually worked the
Bothways free and out into the river
again. Then he gave the steerer a fiv e-
minute e1 ementary course in navigation.
“ Just head her where you're goin',
an' when something's in the way go
abaft her," he said, and ran back to
出e boile1'.
11: r. Glum never exercised 的 much
in his life. He was kept running all
the time from the bo~ler to the pilot
house and back again , for the steerer
shawed a total inability to obey instruc-
tions and made involuntary vi sits to
eveηr possible port of call in the harbor.
Mr. Glum's first inti~ation that they
had 1'eached the end of the journey
came in the nature of a shock一-出e
steerer had literally made the Bo tJ~ways
" go into the barker." He had rammed
it head on , and the big schoùner , lyi Ðg
quietly in the dark , became a bedlam
of La tin shrieks and yells. Mr. G ttJ. m
also became excited. He shut off 也e
engine, ran on deck , and added ' his
-O.W n voice and gestures to the uproar.
Waving his trusty weapQn. a shovel ,
he threatened to split the heads oj any
and <i. llrevolut-ions if he was not im~
. me"d iately given the sumof fiffY dollars
according , to contract.
The Secret One slipped the bill into
his hand and jumped aboard the
schooner, closely followed by the
steerer. The two boats drifted apart ,
and Mr. Glum, the shovel in one ~land
101
and the bill 扭曲e 0由前，“dd組ly -re­
alized that . he was alone- ' that the
steerer had basely deserted and 也at
he must get the Bothways back by hirn-
self. lt is not known how M 1'. Glum
accomplished the feåt-perhaps the
6. fty dollars inspired . him with some
sort of marine magic-but an hour
later the Bothways tied up at the pier
and Mr. Glum walked away.
He walked fast , did Mr. Glwn , and
he walked toward the home of the
La dy of the Linen. He could not wait;
his bosom ached with a longing to try
the effect of the fifty dollars at once.
Reaching the. house, he walked boldly
up to the sacred second 600r, pushed
aside a small boy and girl who tried to
intervene, an4 strode in the direction
of the front room , where he -a lready
heard her ravishing voice, raised in
mer可 laughter. Then Mr. Glum
pushed open the door and behe1d her,
sitting on a sofa, laughing, her hand
being gently patted by-Captain Hex-
ameter !
1mmovable and staring; with the sto-
lidity of a Shinto. idol , Mr. Glum stood
there. The lady shrieked. Slowly and
with awful dignity , the captain arose.
“ Mr. Glum ," he said , speaking very
distinctly and watching the 'progre~s
of a fly on the opposite wall,“ when
you are quite at ease we should like
to hear to just what, at the p1'的ent mo-
ment , we owe the pleasute of you 1' al-
ways delightful company?"
Mr. Glum's throat quive1'ed, .but no
wor d.s came forth . He fell to staring
50 hard at the lady that she shriek亡d
again , and the captain fu 1'iously de-
manded an instant explanation.
“ 1-1 had a adventw:e," M 1'. Glum
finally said in a strange voice. “ 1 di也l't
know as you knew her, cap'n. 1 had
a adventure an' 1 was coming . to t el1
he1'. You see, cap'n一一 ..
“ Well?" roared the captain. “What
was 出is. 'adventure,' and w h"at might
it have to do with this lady?"
102 LIKE PRINCES
“ 1-1 just t，∞k dówn the bay two
gents what is revolutions and what is
going to Mexico, and they一一"
“ What 1" screamed the lady. “ What's .
that? Two .gents as was going to
Mexico! Was they Spanyards?"
Mr. Glum actually did manage to
givea fairly accurate description of
the Secret One and the steerer.
The effect on the lady was electric.
She bounced down on the sofa in hys-
terics , and then bounced up again with
a torrent of words.
“ My two star boarders ," she wailed,
“ what have been paying me like princes
for their top-floor rooms and-and
never cared what 1 give them to eat.
They gone away-and you took 'em!"
The sma l1 boy and girl came running
in and bore away the limp and despair-
ing form of 出 e La dy of the Linen.
Strange to say , Captain Hexameter
paid not the slightest attention to her.
He had been eying Mr. Glum with a
steady glare, and now suddenly læ took
that unhappy mortal by the throat and
silently choked him for the space of
two minutes. At last he let Mr. Glum
5ink exhausted on the sofa.
“ Why did you do it?" roared the
captam.
“ 1 done it for fifty dollars," wailed
Mr. Gl 也n ， taking out the bi11. “An',
seéìn' how things has come out , 1 give
it to you freely， ωp'n， if it' l1 help
any!"
The captain looked at the bill and
then at M r. Glum-and then collapsed
.in to a chai r. Tears of real anguish
rolled down his cheeks. “ Oh , Glum,
Glum!" he exclaimed, in a voice of
Jugubrious anguish as he slammed the
precious. ~i1l∞伽 table. “Do you
know what this is ?"
Mr. Gh凹lß1'旭5 wall 叮 e:ye
臼s went slowly
from the bill tωo H主examete叮r屯 damp
叫15泊
v ag伊 e. “It's a lot of money , cap'n ,"
he replied ,“ but 1 don't see as 1 didn't
earn it honest. It ain't my fau1t that
them two gents wanted to leave this
--lovely home an'--"
“ Shut up!" roared the captain. “1'11
tell you what this is , Mr. Glum 1" He
pounded the bill with his fist. “ I t' s
bogus , Mr. Glum. Y ou've been bam-
booz1ed, Mr. Glum! You're an infant ,
Mr. Glum-and I'm another damned
infant for having such a fool in my
employ!"
“ You mean一it ain't any good , sir?"
Mr. Glum asked, trembling all over.
“ I t' s counterfeit!" roared the cap-
tain. “ There's just a few little things
you didn't knQw about me , Mr. Glum.
For instance, you didn't know that 1
have the honor of being a government
agent and that 1 never told you becaúse
1 might just as wel1 have put an ad
in the papers about it. And you didn't
know that 1 was on the trail of those
two Mexicans. Y ou didn't know-and
here, right under my nose and withmy
own boat, you help 'em to get clear
away!"
The . captain made a ferocious lunge
for the sofa , but Mr. Glum was already
gone. Mr. Glum went very fast and
did not stand on the order of his going.
The next day the Bothways was out
of commission. To those who made
any inquiry, Captain Hexameter gave
the fo l1 owing graphic explanation:
“ My crew, sir, is laid up. In fact ,
sir, he is devoting the day to rum-
and 1 trust it poisons him!"
 He a..ds
o -f
Ce r l:> e r1.:1.S
戶當banc必 Si:e也:n.s
SYNOPSIS OF PRECE DlN G CHAPTERS.
Througb the magtc powers ot the Dust ot Purgatory whlch they ba 時 lnhaled trom a sll veT 'Y1 al
ornamente d.. w1tb the heads ot Cerberus, Ule three-headed dog of my tbology. Terence Trenmore , bl.
slster VJ. ola , and the 11' frlend Drayton paS8 through 、 Ulithla. the phantom borderland ot lHe. and are
transpσrted over tbe barrlers ot time to the Philadelphla of A. D. 2118. The old c1 ty ball wlth tbe'
hlstorlc 司 st且 tue ' of W I1l 1am Penn stl1l stands, but tbe system of government Is en t1 rely dltfer.e nt.
The chlef ruler ot the clty Is a very old ma~ h1 0wn as Jus tJ ce Suprem ~ . Under hlm are prlvil~ed
cJnsses known as the Servants and the Superlatlves. Th e wbol~ goyernmental system Is ca lJ ed \the
P enn Serv1 ce. The mnsses ot tbe people are kept ln 且 bject sUbjectlon , and are- known as tbe Num-
be rs, each lnd1v ldual wearlng a button wtth h18 number on It.
The vlsJtors trom tbe Twen t1 etQ Century are jOlned by a burglar. who ca J1 s hlmøell Arnold
Bertra 血， and who has tbe Cerberus vlal In blø possesslon. -The more Important perøonages unJt <, r
the Penn Service are given names lndJcatlng abstract qualitleø, as Courage, Klndnes8, Power. C'ðD-
tentment. Love , et cetera. The Superlatlves are those who posscss th e8e qualltles 1.n 、 the hlgbellt ‘
degree. Tbelr fitne 8S 18 determlned 'by electlon. Tbe vløttors are lnvlted by the Ja"d y knówn as Love-
lÌ eøt, and t ti. e man , Cleveres t, nepbew ot JusUce . Supreme. to wltnes8 tbe electlon , and they go to
tbe ~mple for tbat purpose. Candl da' tes who asplre to supplant the Superlatlveø and ta tJ are cast 、
lnto a place ot pUlllshme肘， known aa tbe P1 t ot the Pa st . The vl到 tors are p14Ced under ar僧M'
棍、cnuøe Drayton bas enter吋 tbe llbrary and read some of the .8ecret book8, tbus acqulrlng knowl~ge .
that Is usually denled t。 他 e Number四 At øundown , the chlet ot pollc唔， known alf Qulckes t, aÍlm.
mons the prløoners to the preøence of Mr. Juøtlce Supreme.

CHAPTER XVIII. which she stretcheâ out like a small

irT 出
w …
TlI E SWORD AND THE BELL.

th 叫
a 巾叫
ω叫
伽
4 ul川
前t Drayton, recovering from the
t ha
first momentary shotk , heard Tien- -
child , bra ve but lrnQwing its own help-
lessness.

the face of such near death. he did

more aαept -the chief's condition fo巳
the freedom of their limbs.
“ We' l1 go with you quietly, chief ,
to 出e very door of your bloody slaugh-
terhouse. You've the word of Terence
Trenmore for every one of us."
And then Trenmore had looked ÍFom
one to the other of his friends with
a fiery glàtlce that commanded their
obedience. He 、 was first to lea ve the
cell , not even taking Viola's
what he would not have permitted him~
self to do had fate been more kind.
He remembered that löok in her eyes,
before Terry had fiung Cleverest
across the cell, and putting his ann
about the lit tI e sister of Trenmore, -he:
drew her to him.
“Viola," he said, very sof tJy and with:
a great, quiet tendernes5,“1 tOve YOJl)
d臼r， 50 much that death with you i~
mere happiness!"
hand, And she answered; “
Y ou are l1ty '
104 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
worId , Bobby D.rayton! If death was
needful to show us this love, then death
can never rob us of it!"
“ Skidoo，'"泊id Bertram the burglar
to the young lady he designated by that
name. “ 1 guess our numbers are up. 1
meant right by you , kìd , and I'm darned
sorry!"
"It ain't. yout fault ," retorted Miss
Skidoo , of the solemn , childlike eyes.
“ 1 guess 1 got a right to die with a
g∞d ， st~aig~tgu'y. like you!"
With ironical politeness , the chief of
police broke in. _"His Supremity might
be willing to wáit if he kne寸how much
:sa d romance is going on here, but my
own time is valuable. Two abreast
pl臼se-that's right. You can continue
your farewells as you walk. 1 guess 1
can stand it! Twenty-nine, tu rn... out
that Jight before you close the door."
In front, between two of the riße-
bearing guards , marched Terence Tren-
more. His dar賢， heavy face was sul-
len.. His lids drooped over narrowed,
如e-blue eyes. When his guards
brushed against him in a narrow pas-
sage, he shuddered away from them
as one in mortal fear. They laughed ,
and one .of them murmured: 。“The
bigger theY .J,.re the harder they fall ,
eh , Forty-nine?"
Having passed through two steel-
lined corridors, the party of guards and
prisoners came presently to a stair，的­
cended one fiight and so reached the
red marble passage of the administra-
tive 。而ces on the southern side.
Tramping along this , they passed the
,open door of Mr. Virtue's darkened
“ courtroom ," and came to the south-
ern entrance of the Hall of Justice.
Quickest, who was now in the lea-d,
laid his hand on the door to push it
open. As he did so Trenmore, stand-
ing between his guards , spoke for the
first time since leaving the cel1.“ Chief,
before we go in I've a word for your
ear alone."
The chief shook his head, smi1ing.
“ Sorry, but 1 have no time to listen,
my man." An d he pushed at the door
so that it opened a trifle.
“1' 11 say it aloud, then!" snapped
Trenmore. “Y.ou can listen or not as
you please. 1 gave my promise just
now that I' dωme unresisting to the
very door of your slaughter pen.
There 1S the door and here am I~to
take my word back again!"
For all his bt刻畫， Trenmore had the
speed of a springing tiger. He was
on the chief before any one realized
that he had begun to move. He had
swung that startled official before him
with one arm about his chest. His right
hand dragged from the holster .at þis
captive's side a revolver of pleéßantly
e伍cient caliber. He c1 apped the muz-
zle to the chief's head , behind the ear.
“ Shoot now and be damned to you ,
you scum of the 個社h!" Trenmore
roared. “ But the first finger that crooks
at a trigger, 1'11 scatter this scu t' s brains
the way he' l1 be dead before any of
us !"
Twelve astonished and dismayed
guards stood agape, with rifies . hal f
raised. After a moment two òf them
turned thejr weapons on Drayton and
Bertram. The other prisoners , how-
ev~r， as much taken by surþdse as_the
guards , were quiet enough.
The chief was quiet , too. He was
helpless as in the grip of a gorilla, and
he .c ould feel the cold nose of his own
weapon nuzzling behind his ear. He
was not smiling now.
“ Y ou've a grain of sense after all,"
observed Trenm01"e approvingly. “ And
now the chief and myself w il1 be tak-
ing a bit of a walk. Just don't Ïnter-
fere. And don~ you harm the . hair
of a head of one of my 台iends there-
min-d that now!"
He began sidling atong the wall , stit1
holding his human shield before him.
In a moment more he had regained the
red corridor and begun backing down
ir. After bim came the guards. One
 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
of them , on a sudden thought , dashed
hack to the golden door and through
“ Your friend's gone for help," said
Trenmore to the chief cooversation-
ally. “ H è' s a hright 1ad and I' d coun-
sel you to advance him. Y ou need help
the way you'd se l1 your mouse of a
sou1 to get it; don't you , my fine po-
liceman? Don't you? Answer me , you
scum !"
“ Y -yes!" gasped the chief.
The breath was half squeezed out
of him , and his feet stumb1ed and
dragged as he backed with his relent-
Jess captor along the corridor. And
sti l1 the guards fo l1 owed , step for step,
rifles half raised , and in their midst
the p討 soners.
A minute and Trenmore had reached
a break in the red wa1I. Beyond it was
a short flight of stairs. Terry ba要ked
around the corner. With a litt1e rush ,
the pursuing guard came after. They
.found him haJfway up the flight , still
dragging their reluctant chie f. He had
reached the landing at the top. Behind
it was an arched doorway, of _which
the heavy bronze doors stood open, fas-
tened back flat to the wall.
Feeling with his .foot for the floor
catch, Trenmore found it and trod
down. The door, released , swung out
a trifle. Standing to ooe side and again
feeling backward with his foot , Terry
caught the edge with his toe and gave
the door a . pu1I. Jt moved easiJy 00
well-oiled hinges. Next iostant , with-
out once having turned his back on the
guard , he was able to get his shou1der
behind -the door and push it to. The
other door he treated in the 品me way,
Jeaviog ao .aperture betweeo.
Then, without warning aod with
1ightning speed, he Jowered the gun;
stooped, picked the chièf up by the
ankJes and collar, gave him one mighty
swing and pitthed him headlong down
upon his a Ili es.
The hurt Ji og body .struck two of the
如5
foremost , knocking them backward吧 。
There were shouts , and somebody's
rifle exploded accidentally. Another~
goard fired intentiona l1 y toward the
stair . head. But the space there was
empty. The bu l1 et splashed on the in-
nocent bronze nose of a cupid in ba~;
relief , flying across a door shut tight
and aJready bolted from the inside.
Trenmore , panting . on the Jittle baJ-
cony of the Threat of Penn, congratu-
Jated himself that earlier io the day
he had observed those doors and those
strangely placed ÍlU1 er bolts. Already
men were banging and shouting out-
side; but Trenmore only chuckJed.
“ They' l1 need dynamite for that lit-
t1e job," he murmured happiJy. 勻 'm
thihking the Servants put those doors
there for just the purpose they're now ‘
serving. Sword , you were made for the
hand of a man , not the grip of this coJd
metal thing!"
He was eXam111 1I1g the bronze fist
that heJd the great sword uprigh t.
Though the hea vy door shook and
clanged to the besiegers' futiJe blows.
he was cool as i f alone in the tempJe.
He had not yet even glanced down into
the Ha l1 of Justice.
Across the knuckles of the Hand of
Penn ran a tiny 1ine, green-edged with
verdigris. lt was a flaw , a crack in
the age-01d bronze.
His inspection completed , Trenmor~ .
sprang into action with the sudden
who1eheartedness which was a discon-
certing factor in his inake-up. Throw-
iog 0旺 his coat he removed a large
haodkerchief from the pocket , wadded
it in his right hand and grasped the
blade high up. Seizing 1:he pommel in
his left haod; slow1y but with gathering
force , he twisted at the sword , lt did
not move. His white shirt stood out in.~
bulging Jumps over his 1aboring shoul-
ders. His face went dark red. The:,
purple veins rose and throbbed on a:、
forehead beaded with great drops of
perspiration. He did oot jerk or heave
宜。6 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS

at the thing. He merely twisted一-and deep enough to be out of range from

the leverage was terrific. any place on the ßoor. And it was
There came a loud crack , like the made of metal too heavy for bullcts
report of a pisto l. Within the wal1 tσpenetrate.
something dropped c1 anging, and the “ They' l1 not use those machine guns,"
sword gave way so suddenly that Tren- reßected Trenmore,“ for they couldn't
more was hurled to the ßoor. Pick- and not hit the bell. But if they've
ing himse1f up , he calmly resumed his the brains of a rat-and they have just
coat and stooped for the famous abollt that-they'll send rißemen up
weapon. Not only had the bronze hand where the guns are placed and pick me
fa l1 en in two pieces, íreeing the grip , off like a cat on a wal 1. Before they
but the whole wrist had broken loose do that , we' l1 rush 祉， Sword 0' Beauty.
from the wa l1, leaving only a blank And if they fire on us after-well,
black hole. they' lI hit their own bell, and tha t' s a
Trenn10re was not concerned for the thing 1 don't think they'll want. Now ,
mechanism so ruthlessly shattered. He then!"
cared on1y for the shining prisoner he Balancil1g the sword on his shoulder,
had released. He raised it with both he dashed at the rail and vaulted to the
hands to the roughened. grip. As he narrow plank bridge left by the elec-
did so the yellow -light tr~m- the dome tricians. Though it bent and swayed
slid flame 1ike down the long blade. It sickeningly under the double weight of
was a weight .for any two ordinary men 1、 renmore and the huge sword , he ran
to car叮叮 but the Irishman swung it its length as ifit were a brick cause-
up 1m <;l over his shoulder with hardly way. A moment later he brought up
an 'effort. c1 inging to the scaffold about the bel l.
“ You're a heavy one , my beauty, and His speed had not averted another vol-
-n o mistake," he muttered. “ Even Ter- ley, but all the harm done was to the
ence Trenmore would not care to swing golden carvings on the wall around the
yOll many times together. But that balcony.
which yÓll struck would never strike “ You're but poor marksmen,"
back , I'm thinking." growled Trenmore between his teeth.
And then at last, with the sword on “ You've a . beautiful target now ,
his shoulder, he went and looked down though. The question is , will you dare
from the railing. The blows on the shoot at it?"
d∞r had ceased. He now perceived The guard scattered and spread out.
the reason. Midway across the hall , Several men aimed at Trenmore on the
with upturned faces and raised rißes , bell , bllt a sharp command callsed them
waited every man of the prison guard to lower their weapons. The word
he had so successfully eluded. Tren- came from none other than the chief
more's appearance was greeted with himse1f, who now walked to a place
shoùts and a scattering vo l1 ey. Unhllrt whence he could look IIp at Trenmore
but considerably startled, në skipped and Trenmore down at him. 1 f the
back. chief's fa l1 had injllred him he showed
“ Powers 0' darkness!" he gasped. no signs of it.
''I' m a fool or I'd have expected it. “ Praise Heaven , yOllr neck wasn't
And now what am 1 to do , w il1 you tell broke at a l1, chief ," called the lrishman
me that , Sword o.f Battle?" cheerflllly. ‘'I was af亡ared for you
But the sword was silent. the way 1 cOllld scarce do my work;
He was safe where he now stood. bllt 1 got me a pretty plaything for all
"for the balcony was high enough and that !"
 THE HEADS . OF CERBERUS
That the chief might see, he raised
the sword. and , balanced it in his hands.
“ Where一一 How--did you-get
-that ?"
“ From the Hand of Penn," came .the
Trishman's gay reply. “ Sure, for a l1
he was a Quaker, Penn~s the kind-
hearted old gent1eman that would never
withhold a w臼.pon from a lad in a tight
place !"
And he swung the sword about his
head t il1 .it g 1ittered like a wheel of fire.
“ 'Twi11 make a wor1d 0' noise when
it strikes the bel1. Eh, my 1ittle police-
man ?"
“ Y ou must not-you dare not !"
shrieked Quickest. The last shred of
his composure had dropped off like a
tom cloak. He at least seemed to share
the superstition of the N umbers with
regard to the old Th reat of Penil.
Trenmore, however, f e1t that he had
given the police sufficient attention. He
was casting for bigger fish than they.
Why had his bait not yet been taken?
The bell" scaffolding and all , swung
a1 a.rmingly against the electricians'
tethering rop的 but Trenmore 臼u­
tiously made his way a step or so along
the planking.
There was the dais, and before it
ya wned the pit, open again and glaring
upward like a red eye set in the milk-
white floor. Close by, under guard,
stood his four companions watching
the bell with arucious eyes.
Drayton and Viola greeted Terη's
appearance ~ith a 'cheer and waved
their hands encouragingly. In response
Terry raised the sword, called a hearty
greeting, and looked 'a t" the dais.
On the throne sat that decrepit, hate-
ful figure, Mr. Justice Supreme. There
sat also ev前y one of the Servants who
had witnessed the eJqlmina頭。肘，但rlier
in the day, inc1 uding Mr. Mercy, look-
ing depressed but interested. Oeverest
was there , t∞， standing' beside his un c1e.
Then Trenmòre spoke, with the great
voice o f. an Angel of Doom.
UY/
“ Y ou devjls below there !" he
shouted. “ Take heed to my words!
I' ve a warning to give you."
There came a deafeiling roar behind
him. . Glancing over his shoulder he
saw a billowing, greenish c1 0ud issuing
from the balcony. 1t c1 eared slow 旬，
revealing a pair of explosion-shattered
doors , sagging from their hinges. A
crowd of his enemies poured through
the aperture and on to the ba1cony. At
the rail , however , they paused , glar-
ing across at Trenmore.
“ Sword 0' Battle," he murmured
softly,“ do you not wish they may try
to' cross on our bridge? 00 you not
hope 祉， little sword?"
Between his men the Quickest pushed
his way to the railing. He had got hiní
another revolver and he leveled it at
Trenmore. “ Surrender, my man , or
you' lI be shot where you stand!" came
his terse command.
“ Surrender is it? And why don't
you shoot me , then? Sure , am 1 not a
condemned man , chief , darling?"
“ His Supremity has instructed me to
grant you a reprieve if you will surren-
der. There has already been damage
enough done."
Said Trenmore, "1'11 wager my Jife
against your markmansh 旬 chief.
Shoot now! And see i f you can k i1l ,
Terence Trenmore before he can strike
the bell!" Once more he hea ved .up
the sword.
The chief tumed pale and lowered
his own wea p.o n. “ Y ou are a mad-
man !" he shouted. “ Strike that bell and
your friends and you will perish with
出e rest of us!"
“ A quick death and a happy one! 1n
dying we' lI rid the earth of ' its worst
scum, if all they say is true. No , no~
litt 1e man. 1' 11 not come over to you.
And if you shoot, you' lI strike the bel1
yourself in a 's由a11 way--o r cause me
to do it in eamest. I' ve no time to be
exchanging pleasantries. 1'11 just ~rd
my back and go on with 吋 businesS.~
1<到B THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
He brought the sword crashing down
on the frail bridge. With a splintering
sound it broke loose. Trenmore 's end
fell to the ßoor, carrying with it some
of the scaffolding. Trenmore bar~ly
sa':ed himself from going down. Re-
gallung his footing neatly , he waved a
hand at the furious chief and c1 imbed
arυund the bell to a place where it
μr t1y shielded him from the balcony.
Thcnce he could face his more impor-
ta l1 t enemies on the dais.
“ YOll 'll pardon me," he shouted.
“ There was a small interruption. N o w ,
tcll me, you old scoundrel on the throne
there , have 1 the upper hand , or have
1 llot?"
CHAPTER XIX.
TRENMORE STRIKES.
ir was C』evemt who replied，民 ωom
fully and with no sign of fear.
“ You fool ," he cried ,“ strike the bell
if you like. Do you think we care for
that? We are waiting for you to be
brought down here to die with these
other vermin 1"
“ And is that the way you regard it?"
in4uired Trenmore with a laugh , but
hi s hcart sank. He was blu前 ng on a
large and glorious scale , an d- i f the
blu 旺 wa s to be called , he might a s well
1c ap from hi s place and be done with it.
H 圳、'ever ， the Iri shman was a, firm be-
liner in the" motto: Fight to a finish
叭'hatcver the odds! “ Then 1' 11 strike
and settle the matter," he added de-
fiantly.
Just beyond where he stood, the Red
Bell was naked of scaffolding. He
swung up the sword for a great blow.
Bllt there was at least one man in the
ha l1 whose faith was equal to that of
the Numbers themselves. That man
was Mr. Justice Supreme, High Servant
of Penn.
As the sword ßashed up, the old man
1eaped from his chair. With galvanic
energy and upraised , clawlike hands ,
he stumbled to the edge of -the dais.
“ No, no, no 1" he shrieked. “ Don't
strike! For mercy's sake don't strike
the "bell ; don't strik e-一一一"
The words dißd on his lips. The
ye l1 0w claws clutched at his "heart and
he flung back his head , mouth open.
As. his knees sagged under him , C1 ever-
est bare1y sa ved his uncle f rom fa l1 ing
to the pavement below. Holding the
limp fonn in his arms, he felt for the
old man's heart. Then he laid him
down on the dais and turned to the
Servants.
“ Gentlemen ," he said very solemnly.
“ Mr. Ju stice Supreme has passed to
the arms of Penn! "
Every man on the platform rose and
gravely removed his high hat; then ,
with the utmost tranqui l1 ity, reseated
himsel f. Fu l1 tribute to the dead hav-
ing been rendered , business might pro-
ceed as before. That, at least, was
the impression recei v亡 d by Drayton,
though probably the apparent indi 旺er­
ence was only part of their queer, ar-
chaic and at the same time ultra-modern
ceremonia l.
C1 everest turned again and shook his
fist at Trenmore. “ It is you who have
d one this !" he cried. “ lt is you who
shall pay for it! Gentlemen"-hc
whi r1 ed to his sea正ed fellows一“ ha ve
you any objection-any fear of thi s
world or the next-which cau ses you to
dread the striking of that bell?"
They all smiled. One or two laughed
outright. Mr. Pity arose in his place.
“ Mr. Justice Supreme," he said ,“ Par-
don me if 1 forestall your ordination un-
der that title , but this is an uncommon
emergcncy. Your Supremity, 1 am sure
1 speak for all of us when 1 say that
the gentleman on the bell is welcome
to hammer at it all night, if that will
relieve his feelings. He gi ves us credit
for an uncornmonly large slice of his
own superstition!"
“ Y òu hear?" yelled Cleverest at the
lrishman. “ Strike if you please! For
every stroke you will see Qne of your
 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
friends h~re dropped screaming down
the pit!"
This was checkmate with a vcnge-
ance. Trenmore he sitated, feeling sud-
denly rather foolish. If he struck, they
would throw Viola in first. Already
she had been dragged to the very edge
by a burly tiger of a pit guard. A dozen
men had their hands on the other pris-
oners. 1 f he did not strike , they would
still be thrown in. This was the end.
A sickening wearines吾 replaced the
exaltation whiçh had uph e1 d Trenmore
till this moment. He let the sword sink
slowly, until its point rested on the edge
of the Red Bel l.
CIeverest smiled sneeringly and half
turned. He meant to seat himsel f on
the throne and thenceforward give his
orders from the place he had long cov-
eted. Then an earnest, ringing voice
arose from the group below him.
“ Terry-Terry! For the love of
Heaven , don't give up! That man is
wrong! They are all wrong! Only that
old man knew the tntth. Strike that
bell and no m a, n in all the city w i1l be
a 1i ve one moment after! Strike, 1 say!
K iI1 us and avenge us with one blow!"
‘ 'Stop that man's mouth !" cut in CIev-
erêst savage1 y. “ Proceed with the exe-
cutions !"
But now his fellow Servants inter-
vened. Perhaps they remembered that
for a11 their pride they were only mor-
tal men; or perhaps they were merely
curious. At least , several of them rose
10 open protest.
“ No! Wait a minute , CIever~beg
pardon , Your Supremity , 1 should say.
Le t' s hear what the fellow has to say."
“ Wait!" This from Mr. Courage,
the former High Priest's lieutenant.
He was a dignified man with cold gray
eyes and features which indicated a
character of considerable determina-
tion. “ Remember, sir, that until the
ordination , the Council of Twelve holds
power. Let the man speak!"
"Let him speak!"
109
The chorus was too unanimous for
even Oeverest to overlook. With a
scowl he stalked to the throne. “ Very
well , gentleman ," he snapped. “ Have
your way, but no good w i1l come of ít.
Bring that rpan up here!"
Leaning on the sword, Trenmore
looked on with renewed hopc in his
optimistic sou l . “ 1 wonder," thoug ht
he,“does the boy know some real S t;-
cret about this red thing here? Or is
he blu伍嗯? 1 f he is , good luck and a
power of invention to the tongue of
him !"
Drayton was escorted around to the
dais steps by two blue- c1 ad põlicemen.
When he stood before the throne ,
Cleverest gestured impatient1 y.
“ 1 have no wish to question this man.
Gentlemen, since you have taken the
matter on yourselves , wi l1 y'Ü u kindly
conclude it?"
“ We wil l." The imperturbable 1'1r.
Courage turned to D!"ayton. “ Young
man , what is it that you know about
the Threat of Penn which we, the Serv-
ants of Penn, do not already .know ?"
“ Its history," retorted Drayton
boldly. He spoke up loudly, so that
Trenmore also might hear. “ To be con-
vincing 1 must go back a long way in
the history of Phi 吋iladelphia-一-back to
the ver句 y beginning of her isolation from
the 閃 r es泣t 叫
0 f the U nited 臼S ta
刮te
自S. You
know nothing of that?"
Leaning f rom his throne, Cleverest
whispered in the ear of Mr. Coùrag e.
The latter nodded.
“ Stick to the be l1 itse旺， ptease ," he
said stemly. “ We are not interested
in- the history of Philadelphia."
“1'11 try t o-but you won't under-
stand. Well , then , in tftat distant age
there was a certain gioup 0 f men
practica11y, though not o~rrly in con-
trol of this city. They were caUed
'grafters,' 'the contractor gang,' and
'the gang.' Those were titles of bigh
honor then-J ike Servants and Super-
latives, you know."
110 THE HEADS
Here , Trenmore, on the bet1, almost
dropped the sword for sheer delight.
“ These grafters ," continued Dray-
tOll ,“got hold of a man who had made
a certain discovery. He was professor
of physics in a university here. Y ou
know一-or rather probably you don't
kn υ w-that all matter , in its atomic
structure vibrates, and that different
sorts of energy waves can affect that
vibration. 1 am no physicist myself ,
and 1 can't tell you this in scientific
terms. As 1 understood 祉， however,
he discovered a combination of metaIs
whic-h, when treated in a certain way,
would give off sound waves of the exact
Iength of the vibration not of atoms,
but of the corpuscles of atoms , the
electrons. That is to say-一"
“ This is madness ," broke in Clever-
est impatiently. “ It is a jargon of sense-
less words!"
“ Tell us about the bell," seconded
Mr. Courage, and “ Yes , the beH-the
belll" came from half a dozen other
Servants.
“ 1 ' am telling you of the bell ," pro-
tested Drayton. “ But you are too igno-
rant to grasp even à simple id臼 of i t.
Perhaps you can understand if 1 pùt
it another way. This man-this pro-
fes sor had discovered a secret power
bywhich metal , reverberating tQ a
blow, might destroy not only other
metal but human flesh , clothes, wood ,
O1 arble, the very air you br臼the! And
these grafters, of whom you yourselv臼
are the lineal descendants , forced the
man to use his discovery for their bene-
fit.
“ With refined irony they took the otd
Liberty Bel1. They had it recast. They
made this professor recast the Liberty
Be lI itse1f, with other metat and in his
ne.w secret way-recast it as a much
larger bell. It came out red as blood.
Then they built this dome. They said
Philadelphia should have the most gIori-
ous dty ha11 in the wo rI d. 1'hey hung
the bell there and they put the sword
OF CERBERUS
there. And then they set guards at
the doors, and guns behind those pan-
cls. They invited the leading citizens
to a demo I1 stratiο11. They forced the
professor to play showman to his dis-
covery, but they betrayed him so that
his precautions for his own safety were
annulled at the critical moment. Be-
fore the citizens' horrified eyes the pro-
fessor , and the little gong he used tor
the experiment, and all the solid 紅latter
around it dissolved, disintegrated, van-
ished. He s tt> od right there , where
your pit yawns now. When he was
gone there was a hole in the pavement
as i f made by a great explosion.
“ And they-the grafters-set them-
selves up as masters of the city under
threat of its complete . destruction.
They called themselves the Servants of
Penn. They curtailed the education 91
the people as needless and tQo expen-
sive. Wh en the people complained, they
placated them by abolishing all grades
above the primary and tuming the
schools into dance halls and free mov-
ing-picture theaters. Ci ty hall they re-
modeled into a luxurious c1 ubhouse
where they themselves lived and' rev-
eled.
“ Two generations later-generations
of unschooled , iron-ruled -c itizen 5'- and
Penn had become 、 a god. The poor,
good old Quaker! His Servants made.、
him the god of Lust , of Vice , of Drunk-
enness, of every sort of fouI debauch-
ery. The Servants were his priests and
this his temple. In mockery they named
themseIves for the cardinal virtues-
Mercy, Pity, J ustice , Love. But they
were tyrants without mercy, revelers
in vic e-一一一"
“ Stop!"
The command came from a livid and
furious C1everest , and the hand of a.
policen祖n cut off Drayton's ßow of elo-
quence effectively. Cleverest was not
the o n1y angry man present. Drayton
faced eight Se~nts who woutd ha ve
cheerfully tom him to pieces.
 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
“ Mr. Courage," Cleverest tumed
whitely to his un c1e's lieutenant,“arst
you satisfied now , or do you desire fur-
ther insult from this一出is lying dog
who would blacken the name of Penn
and of Penn Service 'f'
“ You were right, sir," conceded
Courage. “ I had no.t supposed that the
brain of a human being could compass
s t1 ch a tissue of lies 缸ld blasphemy!
We cannot be too quickly rid of the
whole sacrilegious horde!"
Now was Cl everes t' s hour of triumph.
With sickening certainty, Drayton r ea1-
ized that he had carried his tirade too
far. He had not convinced; only en-
raged. N othing but death remained.
He wrenched his face away from the
officer's hand.
“ Strike, Terry !" he shouted. “ I
have spoken only 出e truth! Strike 1"
Then did Terence Trenmore .raise
the Sword of Penn in good eamest.
The fury that had been in him this hour
past rose in his heart like boiling lava.
Though he believed ，的 more than the .
Servants , he must strike át somethit;lg.
He could reach .nothing human. There
was the Red Bell!
As the sword swung up , even the di s-
believing Servants stared fascinated.
The police and pit guards dropped their
orisoners and rarsed one beastlike wail
o f fear.
Up whirled the sword and descended ,
a yellow flash of ßame. It rose again.
. A strange re V'e rberation shook the
air. It was not like the note of a bell,
nor of a gong, nor of any man-made
thing. It was more than sound一-wofse
than sound. It was a feeling; an emo-
tion; the sickening pang of a spirit
wrenching itself from a body racked
w ith pain.
Every living being in that great place
save one dropped where he was , and
lay writhing feebly beneath the awful,
echoing dome.
But Trenmore, standing against the
be l1 itself, di4 not fall. P ei- haps he was
III
too c1 0se to be a f!ected. Perhaps the
scaffolding which pressed on the bell,
preventing its full reverberation , þroke
the sound waves for him. At least he
still stood, and now he was “ seemg
red ，"的 the phrase goes. T40ugh a fter
that first blow he might have brought
even Penn Service to terms, he cared
not to temporize. He cared only to
destroy. Again he brought down the
sword with all his terrible strength.
His foothold sagged benèath him.
Looking upward he beheld an awe-in-
splO ng thing. The golden Dome of
Justice was sinking; crumpling inward. ‘
It was growing transparent, like a sheet
of gold leaf beaten too thin. A mo-
ment later and he could see through it
on upward.
He saw the high , gray-white tower ,
with its iU uminated c1 0ck face , and still
above that the circle of white lights
about the feet of Penn. He sa w the
huge statue sway and stagger Jike a
drunken man. Beneath it the tower be-
gan tοbend like a ta l1 0w candle set in
an oven thrice heated.
A warning quiver shot through the
民affold . With one yell of sheer , sav-
age delight , Trenmore heaved up the
sw.o rd. For the third and last time it
smote the blood-red Threat of Penn!
Then the air was sucked out of his
lungs; sight was wiped from his eyes.
His mus c1 es relaxed and he lost aU
power to feel; but he knew in the dea巾，
less soul of him that his body was fa l1-
ing and that the created world had dis-
solved , disintegrated into formless ,
gaseous chaûs!
CHAPTER XX.
TRANSFE R.R.ED HOME.
T ~N~?~.J ~~I!_~~~~_~ot ~~~O ~~~
empty void created when the Red
Bell dissolved itself, its temple and its
world.
He struck feet first on some kind of .
hard surface, jarred 泊 every bone and,
 Il2 TH E- HEADS OF CERBERUS
nerve by the impact. As light ftashed
up all around him, he staggered against
aman.
The next incident can only be ex-
. plained by the fact that Trenmore was
still “ seeing red." The fight had been
by no means knocked out of him by the
recent catastrophe. He grasped one
. fact and one o n1 y. The man against
whom he had stumbled wore a black
coat and a sil l<: hat , accursed insignia
of Penn Service. Promptly grappling
with this individual, they went to the
pavement t ogether. While Terry
reached for his adversary's throat , the
latter let out yell after . yell of terror
and dismay.
It was fortunate that the Irishman
had been 'so thoroughly shaken by his
fall that his custo口lary e伍ciency was
somewhat imp a.ired . Two scandalized
policemen dashing upon the struggling
pair were able to pull him off before
he could infl. ict more than a bad frigbt
upo n his v1 ctim.
Dragged to his knees , Trenmore
shook hi s head like an angry bull of
the wild lrish breed. He got his feet
under him and ro"Se so suddenly that the
policemen lost their grip, thrown off
like a couple of terriers.
Then would bloody battle have raged
indecd in the very precincts oí law and
order , had not a new figure rushed up
and fairly flung itself into Trenmore's
arms. It was a small figure to quell 50
huge an adversary. Even the maddest
of 1rishmen , however , could hardly go
ön fighting while a pair of slim arms
reached for his neck , a soft cheek
pressed against his coat, and a loved
voice cried softly:
“ Look about you! Terry, oh, Terry!
‘ .Look about you 1"
Folding an arm about Viola , Tren-
more dashed a hand across his eyes and
at last <ij d I∞k. On four sides rose the
gray. irregular, many-windowed walls
of a huge building. Beneath his feet
Jay a paven闊別 of uneven gray cement.
The place was bright with the whlte
glare o f electrics. Where had been the
four doors of the temple , he saw
through open archwa ys to the streets
beyond.
Above was no golden dome , but the
open starlit sky. Up toward it pointed
a high , gray tower , .almost white in
the rays of a searchlight somewhere on
the lower walls , The t ower wa s sur電
mOHnted by the foresho rtened but iden-
tifiable stat ue of William P enn , not fa ll-
ing but very so lid and majestically
beneficent as u sua l. Then Trenmore
became a ware of a nasal , high-pitched
vOlce.
“ 1 tell you I' ve got to catch my
train!" it wailed. “ Arrest that lunatic
or let him go , just as you pl臼 se. But
if you make me miss that train , you' ll
regret it! Your own men there wiU
testi f y that 1 did nothing. 1 was sim-
ply hurrying through the public build-
ings o n may way to Broad Street Sta-
tion. Then that wild man jumped on
me from behind. Chief Hannigan is
my brother-in-law. If you make me
miss th a t last train I'll get your st討 pes
for 泣， o r I' m a Dutchman!"
Viewing the speaker with new eyes,
Trenmore percei ved him to be a tall ,
thin m訓， who had already rescued his
hat from where it had rolled , and re-
trieved a small black suit case. He
was handing his card to the sergeant.
That 0品cer promptly capitl.l lated.
“ Beg your pardon, Mr. Flynn.
Meant nO offense , l' m sure. Trying to
catch the ten-five? You can get it yet !"
Making no rep旬， the man fl ed so
precipitately toward Broad Street Sta-
tion that his coat tails stood out be-
hind.
“ Tha t's 孔fr. Charles Flynn , the un-
dertaker," observed the sergeant to a
group of four or five policemen who
had now gathered and were regarding
Trenmore with mingled wonder and
menace. “ He lives out at Media. Now ,
my man , you come along quietly. W l1at
 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS II3
were you trying to d o--provide Mr. street was by no means crowded. Nev-
Flynn as a corpse for one of his own ertheless , a s Drayton and Trenmore
funerals ?" were ha t1 ess and the latter more tnall
The jest brought a laugh from his a little disheveled , the party were glad
~ubordinates. Trenmore was silent, to turn off . from brightly lighted Broad
He had lost all desire to fight , and the into the comparative emptiness and
smallest policeman there could have led gloom of Sansom Street.
him oy one hand into durance vile. But J ust before they did so, Drayton
Viola's quick wits again saved the situ- paused for one glance backward at tlle
atiδn. Releasing herself gently from enormous p i.1 e of gray masonry termi ",
her brother's arm , she addressed the nating the short vista of Broaò Street.
sergeant with quiet dignity. Had they really , as he hopefully sur-
“ Officer, this gentleman is my brother. mised , returned into the safe protection
He is subject to epileptic seizures. Just of their own day and age?
now he became separated f rom mè and High above , like a white ghost in the
from his-his attendant. The fit came searchlight, brooded the giant figure of
on him and he fell against the other that old Quaker, his stooy hand out-
gentleman. He is ill , and all he needs stretched in petrified blessing. An d be-
is to be taken home and put to bed. low hi ll1, across the face of the yellow-
Mr. Drayton , here , is his nurse. Please, lighted clock, .a wraith of vapör dri fted ,
sergeant I You wouldn't arrest my poor ob蛇uring the figures. Wh at difference
brother?" was there between it all as he sa w it
Trenmore perceived that Drayton now and as he had seen it-that very
had indeed taken his place at his other morning ，的 it seemed to him? The
side. Over the heads of the police dj 何erence stared him in the face.
he saw Arnold Bertram and-Miss Th ere was still an emblem above the
Skidoo! southern arch. That morning it had ~n
Feeling remarkably foolish , .he be- the ominous , sword-crossed Red Bell.
gan to wonder if what Viola was say- N ow it was a shield with the city col-
ing mig ht not be actual fact. Could ors, pale yellow and blue; above it
it be that he had been iIl-mad-and glowed a huge “ Welcome" and the let-
had dreamed that whole wild vision of ters “ A. A. M. W.;" beneath it the one
the year 2118? word “ TRUTH."
Fortunately Viola's pleadings, in “ Associated Advertising Men of the
which Drayton presently joined , proved World ," he muttered half aloud , "and
effective. With a number of good-na- their convention was here--I mean is
tured warnings that she "keep her crazy here. Yes , we're back in 0\且r- own cen-
brother at home , or at least under bet- tury again."
ter restraint," the sergeant wrote down
Hatf a square farther they a l1 walked ,
the name and address arid called 0缸 his
in the silence of prisoners too suddenly
myrmidons.
r e1 eased to believe their own good for- .
Robert Drayton and the two Tren-
tune. Then Tretlmore abruptly halted.
mores were free at last to walk quietly.
Bertram and Miss Skidoo coming up,
out of the 50uthern entrance into Broad
-they all stood grouped in the friendly
Street. They hastened to do so. They
had , in fact , seen quite enough of Phila- shadow of an awning.
delphia city hall , in any century. B e- “ Viola," excwmed Trenmore, “teU
hind followed Bertram and his compan- me the facts aod don't 呼a.re me! Was.
1011. that thing you said to the policemen
lt was 出en a little after ten , and the back the re-was it r ea11y 5O"f'
IBTbriD
 JI4 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
liêτeyes 呵咒ned wide. “What do
yof1 mean?"
“1 mean that if I've been crazy,
dreaming.-一一"
"Then we've aU been dreaming t o-
gether," broke in Drayton soberly. “ I
was never Ulore astounded in my life
than when that gorgeous temple sud-
dcnly dissolved, melted , and reformed
部 the old familiar public bu i1 dings.
I t's lucky for us that there were only
a few people passing through at the
time. We must have d..ropped into the
scene like figures in one of thest! faked
movie reels. ll's a wõnder no one n o-
ticed !"
“ An' uæ," put 泊 Bertram. “I've been
包 lkin' my head off tryin' to explain to
the kid here ho w- she's got back about
two hundred years before she was OO rn.
"1 know it by that 'Welcome Advertising
M 凹，由 ing over 也e city hall entrance.
'Tmth ,' it 妞ys under it. Gee , ies
.mighty hard to make some folks be-
lieve the 甘uth!"
“Mi ss Skid∞!" ejaculated Terence.
Again he brushed his eyes with his hand,
staring blankly at that bewildered but
defiant young lady.
“ Yes ," she retorted sharply,“and you
can't string me, neither' Sump'n cer-
tainly happened , but it couldn't be what
B~rt said. Wh y , 1 know this place
wbere we're standing like it was my
own kitchen '"
There she stood, certainly, green hat,
silk sw臼ter，缸ld all. The yellow but-
ton, insignia of the enslaved Numbérs
of a fu 個 re a阱， glared like a night-
mare eye from her lapel. Yet how,
granting 出at all the rest was so一-that
they had ac tmt.lly lived through some
foríY -eight hours in a centuηyet un-
born-how had she survived the ob-
livion which had swallowed her fellQw
citizens? Servants, Superlatives, po-
1肘.， N wnbers , and all had dissolved and
vanished. But No. 230∞ had made the
tw砂century jump unscathed: Could it
be that 扭扭扭，但s~andpJ"i臼ent were all
one, as he had once read in some book,
tossed aside after ten minutes of in-
credulous attention? "
“Let' s get home," exclaimed Tren-
more abruptly~ “ 1 feel my reason is
slipping. And let's walk, for it's not
far and 'tis agreeable to be loose in a
sane world agai n. At least," Terry co,c-
rected himself after a moment's sober
reßection ,“a comparatively sane wörld.
Yes, let's be moving, friends , for 1m
thinking we need a good meal and a
night's steep to save our own sanity!"
CHAPTER XXI.
THE LAST OF THE GRAY DUST.
AT ~~~惱的， five ti削 and hun-
gry people ascended the steps of
No. 17- Walnut Street and rang the
bell. lt was not immediately answered.
Then Drayton noticed that the door
was not latched. They all entered and
became aware that in the library on the
right something unusual was going on.
A "gurgling, choking noise was punctu-_
ated by several thumps , followed by the
crash of furniture violently overthrown.
Trenmore was first at the door. He
ßung it open and rushed inside. The
room seemed empty~ As the noises con-
tinued , however, Trenmore passed
a-round the big reading table and stoop-
ing over plucked his man ,- Martin, from
the prostrate body of an unknown an-
tagonist. He did it with the air of one
who sepa r:ates his bull pup from the
mangled corpse of the neighOOr's Pom-
eranian. With a sad. disgusted face
T erry glanced from the pugnacious one
to the figure on the ßoór.
“Ah. now , OOy," he demanded,“are
yo ti" not ashamed to be choking at ?- man
old enough to be your own grand-d;td ?"
Th en he dropped Martin , with an ex-
cla: mation. "Sure, 'tis my old friend ,
the little collector man 1"
“ Mr. _Tr~nmore/' begati Martin in ex-
cited self-defense,“he come in here and
h e-一 ..
 THE HEAD5 OF CERBERU5
“ N ever mind what he did till 1 count
what's left of the pieces, OOy. 1 take
back what 1 said , though. Be he alive
or dead, the old rascal's got no more
than was coming to him."
Kn eeling down , while the rest gath-
ered in an interested group , he put his
hand to the man's heart. He was an
elderly, smooth-shaven, gray-haired
person, with sharp, clean -c ut features.
The forehead was high and sloping, the
mouth thin and tight-pressed even in
unconsciousness. He was well d 1'essed,
and a gold pince-nez lay on the floo 1'
nea 1' by , mi 1'aculously unb 1'oken.
“ He's all right ," announced T 1'en-
nlo 1'e. “ Ma 1'tin , a d 1'op of liquor now
and we'll have the old scoundrel up
and able fo 1' an explanation."
His p 1'ophecy p 1'oved co 1'1'配t. Five
minutes late 1' the g 1'ay-hai 1'ed collector
sat in an a'r mchair , shaken but able to
talk and be talked to.
“ And now ," said T1'enmo呵，“ 1 '11 ask
you , Martin, to tell you 1' share in this ,
and then you' lJ go out and you' lI get
eve 1'ything in the house that is 臼table
and you'll set it out in the dining room,
fo 1' i t' s sta 1'ved to death we are , every
one of us."
“ Yes, Mr. T 1'enmore, 1'11 .tend to it.
This old pa 1't y he 1'e he come in on me
about half an hour ago. He asks . for
you, si 1'. 1 told him you'd been out
since this morning一一一"
“ This morning!" The exclamation
b 1'oke from three pai 1's of lips simul-
taneously. Martin sta 1'ed.
“ Never mind, OOy," said Terry hast-
ily. “l'd been out since this (Iωming.
And then?"
“ He wanted to know whe1'e you was.
1 says 1 didn't know , as you didn't say
nothing to m e. And then we got talk-
ing like, and-I'm so 1'ry, sir-but 1 let
out 出at it seemed mighty quee1', your
going that way. An d then he asked
me questions aOOut where I'd last saw
you and all that. 1 told him .aOOut find-
詛g this he 1'e gray stuff-i t' s wrapped
115
up in that newspaper on the tab胎， sir
-and not knowing what it was .or
whether you wanted it lçep' or thr6wed
out.
“ And then-honest, 1 don't know
how he done it , btit he got me to show
it to him. 1 brung it in here. And
then he says 1 ain't neve 1' going to see
you no mo 1'e, and would 1 sell him the
stuff. 1 says no , of course. Then he
pu lJ s a gun on m e--he 1'e it is-and 1
jumps fo 1' hi m-and then you come in.
1 didn't go to hurt the old guy -n one,
but he got me wild and一一一"
“ That's all right, Ma 1'tin. You did .
very we lJ, but don't eve 1' be doing. any
of it again. Nøw hurry up that sup-
pe 1'. 、九月1泣 's coming next would likely
strain you 1' poor b 1'ain to listen to. Get
along with you."
Reluctant旬， Martin vanished kitchen-
ward. The 1'est of the company pulled
up ~irs and made themselves com-
fortable. Fo 1' a time they found the
captive of Martin's p 1'owess inclined to
an attitude of silent defiance. Upon
Terry's th 1'eat , howeve 1', to rum . him
over to the police on charges of hòuse-
b 1'臼king， he exp 1'essed a willingness to
listen to 1'eason. Be 1't 1'am's p 1'esence
had a very chastening effect. He kncw
the burglar fo 1' one of the .men he had
hi)"ed to steal the Ce 1' be 1'us , and realized
that should his fo 1'me 1' accomplice go
on the stand , his testimony, togethe 1'
with the attack on Martin , would mean
penitentiary stripes for himself.
“ By the way," Drayton broke in , pick-
ing up._ the newspaper 悍ckage which
contained the Dust of Purgatory and
weighing it in his hand.! “ did you ever
ask Bert1'am , Teπy， if he knew what
had become of the 叫al this was in 尸
The bu 1'glar started and flushed.
“ 5ay, 1 done a mean trick then. 1
didn't mean to keep the thi ng, but you
left it laying on you 1' bureau that . day
aL 也e Be lleclaire , Mr. Trenmo1'e , and
I-well, 1 t∞k it along. 1 give - ~ to
Skid∞ here for a kee戶ake. r di dn,'t
u6 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
have nothin' e 1se pre位y to give her.
Bu t' she's. a straight girl and 1 hadn't
oughta done it. Skidoo, have you got
that bo仗le 1 give you for smellin'
salts ?"
“ Sure." No. 23α)() promptly prc•
duced it ffom her sweater pocket.
“Why , Bert, wasn't it your'n?"
Bertram . admitted that it was not.
With a rep r.o achful glance for Bertram,
she extended the Cerberus vial to Tren-
more. Trenmore reached for it and
took it in his hand. In the ßash of an
eye the space before him was empty.
Miss Skidoo had vanished more
abruptly than he had himse 1f di錯?
peared , upon his first experience with
the dust 1
With a startled ye l1, Terence leaped
to his feet and ßung the Cerberus across
the room. His feelings were shared
by all present, save the old collector,
who put up a thin , protesting hand.
“ Now, don't-I beg of you , don't be-
∞me excited t Mr. Trenmore, my
nerves are not in shape to stand this
50rt of thing. There is no harm done
一-ll叫ess 位le beautiful little curio is
broken, which would be a pity. Tell
me, did that violently costumed young
lady come here from-well , from the
place you ha ve been in since this morn-
ing ?"
‘. She did that!"
“ Then she has simply returned
there ," announced the collectot and he
settled placidly back in his chair. _
But Bertram , who had been stricken
tempora吋 ly dumb and paralyzed by the
abrupt vanishment of his beloved “ kid ,"
gave vent to one anguished cry of grief
and rage. Springing upon Drayton, he
wrenched . from him the newspaper
packet.
“What the deuce are you about?" ex-
claimed the lawyer, snatching at it.
“ Y ou lemme alone!" panted the bur-
glar, bacJång away. “ 1 want a dose
of 也is yere dust，也前's wba t. I'm g o-
姐， after Skid∞， 1 am ,"
“ Y ou are not!"
Trenmore pounced on bim and re-
covered the dangerous package. “ You
poor little maniac," he said. .“ Do you
think that 1 rang the Red Bel1 in that
temple for nothing? Don't you realize
that the place where we were isn't any-
where no凹， wherever it was before?"
A moment the burglar stood cogitat-
ing this puzzling statement , his face the
picture of woe. Then he sank slowly
into a chair and droþped his head in his
hands.
“ The brightest kid!" . he muttered de-
spairingly. “ The best kid-and now
she ain't nothing no more! He l1-beg
pardon, lady , but ain't that fierce on a
fellow? 1 don't care whaf happens
now!"
They all sincerely pitied him. As,
however, there is no known remedy for
the loss of a sweetheart who has melted
into the circumambient atmosphere,
and as he repulsed their sympathy with
almost savage impatience , they once
more turned their attention to the gray-
haired collector.
Trenmore began by asking his name.
The old fellow fumbled in his pock-
ets a moment.“ I 且nd 1 have left my
card case," he said, '"but 1 am Phineas
Dodd Scarboro. By profession 1 am
an oculis t. 1 am willing to tell you
the history and nature of that dust. In
order that 1 may do so intelligent旬， how­
ever, 1 must ask that you first relate
your own experience with it."
τ~e seemed nothing unreasonable
in this request. Beginning with the first
uncapping of the vial, they unfolded
their remarkable narrative. Long be-
fore that tale was done, Martin h a,d
announced supper. The collector ad-
journed with them to the dining room.
Bertra閉， however, dec1 ined , saying 出at
he had no appetite and preferred to stay
where he was. So he w,as left alone,
hunched over ìn his chair, a figure of
sorrow inconsolable. Trenmore t∞k
也e precàution of bringing 也e packet
 THE HEADS OF CERBERüS
of dust into tHe di吋ng r∞瓜 It was
not good ∞mpany for Bertram.
“ And so," concluded Trenmore over
the coffee cups, “ we got back to our
own day again , and a very good job
it was. I' d sooner put up with any
hardships of our own time , than live
out my life in the year 2118!"
Phineas Scarboro sniffed scorrifully
at Terry's last remark.
“ The year -fiddlesticks 1" he exclaimed
impatiently. “ You might , if you had
used that powder intelligently, have
reached a plane where the vibration
was so rapid that a year there was the
equivalent of one day here. That , how-
ever , is the only form of trick you
could play with time. To talk of time
as a dimension through which one might
travel is the merest nonsense. Time
is--not a dimension. It is a sequence,
。r rather a comparative sequence, of
vibrations."
Trenmore threw up his hand. “ Mar且，
man , don't confuse us tbat way; we'll
be worse off than we are now!"
-“ The sun rose and set at least twice
while we were there," said Drayto扎
“ And if it was not the year21 18,
then what was it and where were we?"
This from Viola.
Scarboro placed his fingers together,
tip to tip. He contemplated them for
a moment without replying.
“ Perhaps," he said at last, “1 had
best beg臼 where your adventures be-
gan-with the Du st of Purgatory. In
1884 I entered n可 fr-esnman year at
Harvard. In that-. same ~ 1 made.
the acquaintance of a young man des-
tined to inßuenc企 my 1i fe 甘a.-v四y re­
E旭rkable n旭nner. His name was An-
drew Power. Y ou appear startled.
That was the name, was it Bot, which
you , M_r. Drayt凹， encountered in the
temple library 品 the man who had car-
ried out the scheme fOI state isolatiori?
The appearance of tbat name is one
of those inexplicable circumstanc自
wbich 旭 my own investigations have
I'I 7
of世n obtruded themselves. Whe n yèu
ha ve heard all , you will be at least å.S
we l1 able as myself to explain its 0(:-
currence there.
“ Andrew Power, then , was a young
man of very unusual abilities. He w訟，
in fact , a theorist along lines 80 novel
that he became þersona non grata to
more than one member of the faculty.
In those days they were coovinced that
science had achieved ber ultimate -ðc-
tories. Any one who pointed out new
worlds to conquer was a beretic or
worse. Finding no sympathy in his
instructors , Power brought his theories
to me and to Thaddeus B. Crane, wbo
was then my roommate. The three of
us struck up one of those intense
friendships of boyhood. On many a
nighi we argued and wrangled Ulto the
small hours over subjects of whose
very existence Thaddeus and 1 would
scarc~ly have been aware, save for An-
-drew Power. The involutions of his
reasoning were so intricate that 1 doubt
if any man alive even t~y could have
fo l1 owed him , though science has made
g也nt strides since then.
“ His chief interest lay in the fields
of the occu址， which he approached
from th e-- angle of sheer malerialism.
To expound his theories even in brief
would require more time than you , '~:I
am sure, would care to expend in. listeñ-
ing. Enough _that he was deeply 姐­
terested in the Eastem religions斗le
was bom in India, by -the way, and had
stuùied under some of their gr臼 te~t
pw:Klit s--a nd cootended that their mys-
ticism was founded - on scientifically
demonstrable facts."
In spite of himse旺 Trenmor.e
yawned. Was the man never going to
reach the dust?
“ In his own words ," continued Scar-
boro ,“ Power believed it possible to 're-
duce psychic experiences to a tI旭terial
basis.' You smile"-They hadn't一“ but
Andrew Power, whom we secretly COQ-
sidered a mad theorist , proved him揖茵
II8 THE HEAD5 OF CERBERU5
far more practical than Crane and 1,
who merely talked. The faculty ob-
jected to experiments along any line
not in the regular curriculum. Power,
however , had set up for himself a s ma11
private laboratory.
“ One night he came to us ablaze with
excitement. In his hand was a glass
specimen jar, half filled with this gray,
powdery stuff. 'Fellows,' h巴 said， 'I' ve
done the thing at last. I've precipitated
it !' Though we hadn't the vaguest idea
what he was talking about, we managed
not to give ourselves away. We led
him on tσexplanation. This powder,
he said, was of a substance more magi-
caI than the fabled philosopher's stone,
which could at most but transmute one
element into another. Taken into the
system of a Iiving cr臼ture this sub-
stance so altered the vibrations of the
electron•-h e called them atomic cor-
puscles, but electrons is the modern
tenn一-o f not only the body but of any
other ma.tter within the immediate ra-
dius of its magnetism that these vibra-
tions were modi且ed to function on an
entirely different plane from this with
whic b. w e- are familiar from birth. Thi s
other world, or rather these wor-lds ,
lie within or in the same place as our
own. The old axiom , that two bodi臼
C缸100t exist &i multaneously in the same
place, w品， according ~o Power , an ax-
iom no more. Two bodies, a hundred
bodi 白， could by intervibration exist in
preclse旬 .the same place. An d therein
lay the explanation of every material-
izatior且， every 'miracle ,' every 'super-
natural' wonder since the world began.
Mediums , cI airvoyants , prophe缸， and
YOg1 S, all had their occasional spiritual
glimpses of these hidden planes or
worlds. Wh at Power desired-what
he had accomplished-was the actual
physical entry.
“ Needless to 組歹， we scofied. We
angered Power to the point where he
was ready to actually demonstrate.
Later we leamed from his not倡“過t
he had only translated an unlucky cat
or 50 to these secret realms , 'and was
personally inexperienced. Driven , how-
ever, by our laughter , Power took about
ten grains of the powder and placed
it on his tongue. He disappeared.
From that day to this no one, not even
1, who have many times gone the same
road and returned. has ever seen An-
drew Power.
“ We two escaped arrest only because
our unfortunate friend had not been
seen coming to our rooms that night.
There was a great fuss made over his
supposed murder, and the country for
miles around was searched for days.
Thaddeus and 1, two frightened boys,
kept still. The first day or so we had
access to his laboratory, where we read
his notes in the hope of being able
to reverse ms disastrous experiment on
himself. Then everything was locked
up and later his effects were shipped
to his only living relative, an unc扭扭
Delhi. But the fo口nula for the dU5t
was not among them. That, before .JJ1Y
ey.臼 and in the face of my frantic pro-
test , Thaddeus Crane had destroyed!
“ He would have destroyed the pow-
der also , had 1 not persuaded him that
it was our moral du句 to hold it in case
of Andrew Power法. -return. He was
always a bit afraid of Andrew. In the
face of that contingency hé suddenly
saw his arbitrary act with the formula
in its true Ji ght. 50 Crane and 1 di-
vided the powder between us , promis-
ing each other to hold it in case Power
should ever retum.
“ But Crane had had enough and
more than enough. He would never
afterward discuss even with me 'the the-
ories which had cost humanity that
great and daring mind. 1 think Crane
privately considered that the devil had
包ken his own. He became very re-
ligious , a . rigid church member, and '
died , 1 am told , in a firm conviction
of grace.
“ But 1 was of different stuft Pow-
 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
ers notes had given me a few ideas of
my OWD. For fifteen yωr5 ， though 1
followed the profession for which 1
had trained myself , 1 worked , studied,
and experimented. At last 1 felt that
1, too , had solved a problem , not of th自
dust , the secret of which passed with
its creator, but of a means to recover
the original vibratory rhythm after it
had been altered by the dust , that is , a
means to return to our OWD world.
“ 1 am proud to 泊y 出at 1 had 仕le
courage to make the tria l. 1, too , have
wandered across the wide Ulithian
plain. 1, too , ha ve passed the Gateway
of the Moon into places and amid peo-
ples more strange than even you 臼n
dream. The thought of those wand臼』
ings became to me an obsession. 1 was
like a drug fiend , who can neither rest
nor sleep unless he knows 由此 the
means are at hand to rebuild his dream
castles - reanimate his wondrous and
seductive houris.
“ But the time came when my share
of the dust was at last exhausted. Nat-
ura11y 1 went to Crane. 1 think 1 hinted
to Y個且 that he was a superstitious fool
He had bought that 訂訓， the Cerberus ,
and he dumped out the absurdly impos-
sible relic of Dante, replacing it with
Power's stuff. ‘ Dust from the Rocks
~f_" Purgatory' appealed to him , 1 su p-
pose, as better applicable to this pow-
der than to the very earthy dust the
vial had before contained.
“ Well , 1 found Crane utterly unap-
proachable on the subject. 1 begged,
pleaded , threatene d, offered him a11 in
my power to give; but he would not
let me have it. At his death 1 was
vrild with rage when 1 learned of its
sale to a mere collector of curios. Y ou
know the resf of that e戶sode. Can yω
blame me now?
“ To-day science herself is síeadily
approachi跨出e ~何ic boundaries of
those realms which were once my fa-
miliar playground. S∞n she can no
longer ignore the actua1, material ex-
119
istence of the 'astral 抖副院， as it h ëlS
been misnamed by investigators wm
only recognize it as a psychical possi-
b山ty.
“ But I-in the flesh , 1 have known
such adventures as o n1y you in aU
the world would credit! Th ere, ever
changing, continually forming , are
born the nucleii of events , condition、
inventions, idωs ， which later 'br~
through' as it w亡 re and recr臼te this
more stable world to which we are
born. The inspiration of the poet , the"
philosopher, or th~ inventor , is no more
than a flickεr from that swiiter, dif-
ferent vibration within our o wn.
“ And those lands have their mon~
ters-devils , even. The spirit can at
times attune itself and in our worid a
prophet ari ses. But let him beware!
They are wild realms which he
glimpses , neither good nor bad , but
alive with their own never-cea sing,
half-aimle笛， half-purposeful activities.
1 know them as no other man sa ve
Andrew Power alone. Many times ha ve
1 sought him there. Many times has
his name come up in some such f a.n-
tastic connection as it came to you. 1
have seen , as it were , the shadow of
his thought sketched in the tangible
phantasmagoria which surrounded m e.
But either he eludes me purposely, or
he is dead , and only his mind endures
as an invisible force. But if he still
lives and we meet , he can make this
stuff that 1 can't make; 1 can show him
the way back to our own world; and
after that the door wi l1 be open for
a l1 to pass I
“Thi nk of the discoveries that wiU
be hastene d--the mira c1es that tmly be
wrought by 1個owledge acquired at first
hand acn:活s that threshold f 1 could
almost lcill myself for sbeer rage wheø
1 think how 1 was used to waste glo-
nous opp。此u也ties in the pursuit of
mere _unproátable adventure I Why~
you your叫V自 brou~ht b a.ck at l~
one idea-the idea of matter-destroy-:-
 120 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
ing sound waves. Had it been Andrew
Power or 1, we wou1d ha ve searched
those archives until we found the for-
mu\a by which the Red Bell was made.
Wc would have brought that back, in-
steaJ 0 f the bare and use1ess id臼!"
.. An d a fine - 10t of good that wou 1d
ha ve been to the world!" exploded
Trcnmore. “I'd as soon give the
rnatches to a child and bid it go play
in the 也ce powder mill~ 的 tum 1∞se
thc men of this world in that one we've
come from , if all you say is true. This
dust h 巴 re 1'11 toss in the river , the way
no man shaU go that road again. 'Tis
not right not decent , Mr. Scarboro, that
on亡 should 50 thrust onesel f into the
very workshop of the ALmighty!"
By the gleam in Scarbor。這 eye hos-
tilities threatened.
Drayton intervened. “ Before we
di&lUSS the ul世 niate fate of the dust ,
M r. Scarboro, won't you run over our
own experience and ex: plain a few lit-
tJ e things? Now , in the first place you
say that Andrew Power ‘placed the
powder on his tongue and disappeared.'
1 arn sure none of us even tried to
taste the stuff."
“ 1 said," corrected Sca rboro ,“that it
must ‘ enter the system of a living crea-
個 rc.' It is 問.ually effective when
. breathed into the lungs. That is the
way every one of you went. As to
what you found , Ulithia is a place, or
rather a condition , which is the one
invariable pr~lude to every adventure
1 have ha d. lts phantasmagoria are
well-nigh as fi.x ed in their nature as
what we please to call ‘ reality.' But of
the character of its inhabitants or of
the laws which govern its various phe-
nomena , 1 can te I1 you but little.
"After liv訂19' in this commonplace
world of ou I"S so many thousand cen-
turi 的， mankind stands b1ank-faced be-
fore its greater mysteries. How can 1,
then, who have but one lifetime, and
of that have spent but a sma lJ propor-
tion in this other world , be e:司>ected to
explain Ulithia? lt is there. Every
one present has seen it. We have seen
its starry sky that is like our own sky;
its sun that is not our sun; it 且 moon
that is a mys位c gateway. While in our
world the sun set once, you passed
three days and two whole nights in
Ulithia and the next inner world. Our
astronomy is not theirs , however much
it may resemble it in appearance. An d
we have all talked with Ulithia's
ghost 旬， phantasmal inhabitants. Spir-
its? Demons? Elves? 1 do not know.
That they are more familiar with our
nature than we with theirs is certain.
In Ulithia they recognize our alien
passing. As the whim pleases them , they
speed or hinder us. But, just as hap-
pened to aU of you , one always does
fi.n ally pass through there.
“ What lies beyond varies. Those
worlds are reaL Their matter is solid
-while it lasts. But the form passes.
'The h i11 s are shadows 缸ld they ßow
from form to form and nothing st剖lds.
They melt like mists, the solid lands;
like clouds they shape themselves- and
go!' That was written of earth as we
know it. How much better it applies
to those inner , wilder realms!
“ To one who knows the conditions,
who has power to go and come at wi l1,
their perils are negligible; their wonder
and delight inexhaustible. But 'woe to
the stranger in the Ho l1 ow Lan ds!'
You people were singula rI y fortunate.
By a millionth chance, when the great
Red Bell dissolved the astral vibrations,
you were restored to your own. The
distance which you had moved through
space , even the direction was the same.
1n traversing Ulithia you actually trav-
ersed Philad e1 phia. Wh en you went
through the moon gate , y Olt turned in-
ward upon another - plane and came
back through the false city as if it
were the real one. Thus , because your
t臼nple occupied the same space as the
r個1 city ha11, it was there you finally
found yourselves.
 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
“That girl who retumed with you
came because she was temporarily in
contact with a thing of this world一­
the Ce rberus. When contact with that
particular object ceased一-she went. 1
say 'she ,' but she was nothing一-a phan-
tasm-the materialized figment of a
drea. m. All those phantasmagoria
which you met , touched , which might
and would have slain you had not the
Red Bell been one of the m--they were
the changing forms of a world which
may be created and recreated in a sin-
gle day.
“ A prophecy of the actual future of
this city and nation? Perhaps. More
likely some one of the forces that rule
there , for its own sardonic amusement ,
twisted the ßuent astral matter into a
distorted and mocking retlection of the
real city. Oh , yes , there are forces
there , as here , at whose nature we can
only guess. Matter does not form or
vivify itself , either in those worlds or
in this.
“ As to the general moral tone of your
Philadelphia in the y ea. r A. D . 2118
-pardon me-一-but that moral tone
seems to have been a distinct reflec-
tion of your own. At least , you met
guile with treachery , and the inference
is not hard to draw!"
At this gratuitous and \1 nexpected in-
.;u祉， Drayto~ tlushed uncomfortably,
Viola drew herse ]f up with great dig-
nity , and Trenmore rose from the ta-
ble so violently that his chair crashed
over.
“ Y ou old scala wag一一一"
Just here the door was tlung open.
There stood Martin , panting and stam-
mering incoherently.
"What is it now?" demanded his em-
ploycr.
“ ls it-Mr. Bertram , Martin?" que-
ried Viola , tuπlÍ ng quite pale. A vi-
sion had tlashed up of the disconsolate
burglar, lying in a pool of blood , slain
by his own hand in exc的sive grief fo r.
the loss of his phantasmal sweetheart.
121
“ Y -yes, ma'am! At least, 1 'guess
so. Was Mr. Bertram that other party
that didn't want no supper?"
By now Viola's fears had communi-
cated themselves to her brother a l1 d
Drayton. Without pausing , all thrce
pushed past Martin and reac hed the
library. Bertram:s chair wås empty.
His body was nowhere in sigh t.
、 Trenmore turned on Martin. “ \Vherc
is he , then?"
“ 1 don't know , sir. 1 ain 't saying
nothing against a guest of yours , Mr.
Trenmore , but all 1 knows is he went
upstairs a while back an' 1 just now
went to your rοom ， sir, to lay out your
pajamas , and-and the safe's open, sir
-and-一一"
But Trenmore waited for no more.
He bounded up the stairs three steps
at a time. Martin's tale proved only
too true. The silk curtain was pushcd
back, the steel door in the wall swung
wide , and the floor was as littered as
that of the third-floor bedroom upon
Drayton's first awakening in this much-
burglarized hou se.
“ The money ," moaned Martin,
wringing his hands. “ All the money
1 seen you put in there yesterday一-it's
gone!'
Trenmore was rapidly running over
,
the leather boxes , trays and the like
which were scattered about. He rose
with a sigh of relie f . “ At least , he 's
taken nothing e1 se. The money was
on1y a couple of hundred that 1 can
spare; but these trinkets of mine 1
cou1d not easi1y replace."
“ 1 don't believe it was Bertram ,"
broke in Viola , with the eager 10)孔1t y
of youth for one who has been , jf not
a f riend , at least a companion . “ He
cou1dn't rob you , Terry , after all we've
been through together!"
“ \Vhat's thi s?" Dra戶 on had. picked
up a folded scrap of paper from 廿le
dresser. “ \Vhy i t' s addressed to you , •
Terry !"
 122 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS
The Irishman took the paper, hastily
opened it , and read:
Dear Mr. Trenmorc, 1 herd what )'1r.
SlGl rboro said. Skidoo wasnt anything.
Then 1 aint anything neither. 1 was goin to
go strate but whats the Qse. 1 need 由is kale
wurse then you so Ive took it and bete it.
Goodby. B.
T o the astonishment of all present ,
Trenmore's face suddenly cleared artd
with a whoop of joy he rushed toward
the door.
“ Moral tone, is it? Wait till 1 show
this to the old scalawag below there.
N ow whom w i\l he blame for the moral
tone , when he reads this letter? And
1 never thought of Bertram, the thievin'
little crook!"
\Vaving the missive triumphant旬， he
thundered down the stairs. Viola burst
into almost hysterical laughter and
Drayton was forced to laugh with her.
“ That shot of Scarboro's rcmkled ," he
said. “Let' s go down and hear them
argue it out."
III the dining room , however , ye~ an-
other surprise awaited them. Terry
was there, a picture of chagrin , but no
Scarboro.
“ The old -yi11 ain skipped out," he said
disgustedly, “while we were tearing
about after the other scoundrel! And
what's worse, he took the dust with
him! Well, I'd not chase after either
of them if 'twas to win me a kingdom."
Very thoughtfully the three t ook
their way to the library. Drayton
picked up the crystal vial which Tren-
more had flung away. One of its sil-
ver heads ....as dented to a yet more
savage expression. Otherwise the Cer-
berus was unharmed. He offered it
to Trenmore, but his friend waved the
vial aside.
“ 1 don't want it," he said grimly.
“ Sure, Bobby my lad , 1 think I'll just
give the thing to yourself and Viola
for a wedding presen• -if you fèar no
il1 luck fr個n it.
“ A weddlng present 1" stammered
Drayton. “ See here , Terry, I-Viola,
child , 1 love you too well to mariy you !
You don't know of the disgrace into
which 1 have fallen , nor, far worse,
of the infamy of which 1 discovered
myse 1f capable. on the edge of death
and in those strange su叮oundings， it
didn't seem .to matter so much; but we
are back in a real world again and-
and by heaven! 1 think for me the
other .was the better place!"
Viola went to him and with her two
hands on his arm Iooked up into his
face. “ Bobby ," she said ,“1 know what
you mean. My brother told me of your
sorrows and griefs, while we stood
waiting for the examina位 ons to begin,
in . the Green Room of the temple. He
told me everything. Do you think 1
love you the less that you ha ve su f-
fered ?"
“ You don'，吐 unders旭lld!" he 阻id
hoarsely. Somehow he held hims c.l f
from taking her in his arms. He Iooked
to Trenmore, but that large , discrcet
gentleman had wandered over to the
window and was staring out into the
night. Drayton choked. “ You might
as well marry-that thief-Bertram !"
he forced out.
“ Marry Bertram !" She laugheò
softly and hid the flush of her cheek
against his coa t . “ Why , but so 1 would
marry Bert ra.m--di d 1 love him as 1-
love you , Bobby, darling!"
No attempt to persuade him of his
own moral inn仗ence could have had
the least effect. That last naive ass~r­
tion , however , was too much for Dray-
ton. His arms s....ept about her.
Trenmore， l酬謝 ng over his shoulder,
grinned and hastily resumed his scru-
tiny of the emp句 pavement outside.
“ And so," he murmured ,“we' l1 just
take our worlds as we find 崗位n ， Bobby,
my lad! An d we'll see wbat can be
done out there in Cincinnati. The
scoundrels that downed him have gold.
:H ut I've gold .myse1f. Wc'll give them
a chancc to down a 6ghtinc lrishman.
 THE HEADS OF CERBERUS 123

And -maybe--who knows ?-there's a Aud with a smile of pleased antici-

Red Bell hung for them , too , in the pation for that Olympian battle he
Dome of Justice. Aye , we' U- go spy S l1l旺亡 d afar , Trenmore turned to the
out the land and think well and then immediate and more di 而cult ta :;k of
st 討 ke一-hard! The way they' lI be wish- exerting his Celtic wit and eloqucnce
ing they'd crept in their holes and to persuade Robert Drayton to let h;m
stayed there." undertake it.
TH-E END.

A BALLADE OF MORGAN
By W i1liain Van Wyck

BL~αK is 吋
m y 油刮帥
sl1討i中
叩
P 伽 sa
缸i川 e 叭S凹 ,
An d black my flag witb crossbones whit~
My surly crew drink no~sily ，
Deep in their cups 出 ey pass the night.
1 ]ove the Ca ribbean days ,
Scudding before the hurricane ,
Or sheltered in empurpled bays
Al ong the rainbow Spanish Main.

Th ere is no craft too swift for me.

Th e boldest ones may try a fligh t.
Lord! Wh at a royal butchery!
Sometimes 出e corpses will a 在ri ght.
But fear a weakling moment stays,
And soon am 1 mysel f ag也n.
Dear are my wind-tom waterways
Along the rainbow Spanish Ma in.

Tb e rover life is short and free.

明I e harry , pillage , shoot on sigb t.
Tb e merchant shi p--a coward she一
Ever wi lJ run before a fight.
1 know ber tricks ere sbe belays
An d salve my wounded , sink my sla妞，
Lurking behind a friendly haze ,
Along the rainbow Spanish Mai n.

L'Envoi.
My merchant princes, no debys!
The plank is but a moment's p位n.
Odds nails! A pirate's liie repay每一
A.Jong the rainbow Spanisb Maín!
 N缸~
二~~.ð..t~
、γ蓮3"..~'~~、v﹒
可/HENh 叫ation came to
Stace, he was sprawling awk-
wardly on the ßoo r. But had
you been a sharer of the little , narrow-
windowed attic room you would not
have seen what Staçe saw , nor would
you have heard what Stace heard. For,
yO l1 see, Stace was not at a11 the man
., .he had been a month before.
Often a. great misfortune like his sets
the poor fellow it hits more desper-
ately than ever in his old ruts ; but
sometimes it throws him c1 ean off his
menta1 balance, tortures his brain tiU 祉
. snaps , and then chain s him tD strange
ha l1 ucinations. That is what happ巴ned
to Stace. . He was n9t crazy , not in-
sane, except on one pùint-the matter
of the Figure Nine.
The Figure Nine , detached from its
white ledg亡 r-paper background, fol-
lowed him a Il about. And now it was
the Figure Nine , a bloated digit poising
in rnid-air, that had revealed to Stace
what it was necessary for him to know.
人.'s Stace sprang to his feet with his
tr l1 e mission in the wo r1 d spread plain
before him , who sho u1 d open the door
but the merry medical student himse1f?
He stunk vil e1 y from carbo1ic acid , for
a lJ day long he had been in the dissect-
ing rooIÌ1, cuttin~ up dead bodi臼 into
﹒ 隘的le pieces. An d surely Stace had de-
- cided, it is a shéÚlle and an abomination
出at men and women , who have lived
and walked , should be laid on a table..
and cut to tatters in order t11at the curi-
ous may see how they are made. Yet
continually the 5tudent laughed and
jeered at these horrors , and , even now ,
his lips were set for that senseless jingle
which he whistled and 5ang from morn-
ing till midnight.
“ Hello, 'you ," he caUed, as he stampea
泊，“how you makin' out? Any luck
to-day?"
、Nïth an effort Stace held himself
back , and answered calmly:
“ Yes , 1 had luck to-day一-a little luck
一-enough luck 50 that 1 can sleep
soundly to-night."
“ 1月fell ， you need the sleep , a11 right.
Gee! 1 need it myself , but I've got an
exam to-rnonow , so me and Bi l1 y
Bones' l1 have to plug anatomy. See you
later."
So the young man withdrew , whis-
tling, and , as the door slammed, Stace
sprang to his feet with the soul in him
shouting for joy. At 1ast , for the first
time in six weeks his cares were van-
ished, and a l1 those things wliich had
been hidden lay clear and untangled in
the open.
He crept up to the hole in the wall
which the Figure Nine had c'omma且ded
him to make, and peeped càutiously into
也e next r∞瓜 . As he had beeq warned ,
 FIGURE NINE
the skull rested on the table facing the
student who occasionally leaned a叮臼S
to pat lt or stare at ltS top , or peer Up
into its attic through the opening below.
AIl也is was torment to Stace, ahd he
could barely refrain from bursting in
and doing at once what had to be dooe.
But “ Wait 1 Ge t all the dope!" That
was the commaod of the Figure Nioe;
鉤. he looked on at the sacrilege for an
hour or more, till the student picked up
a 切仗， and， ωssing 00 Jús hat , left the
hous e, wrustling. At this he knew his
vigil was ov釘 for the night , so he un-
dressed , and , his mind beiog oow quite
free from its great anxie旬， he fell
asl個p， chuckling loto the bedclothes.
Believe me or not, the Figure Nine
had come strangely into Stace's life.
Stace was a bookkeeper ..drudging out
the- years in Mr. Sinaiko!s gloomy
o伍ce. Every hour in the day Mr. Sin-
aiko would rush in with some new ac-
count, and refer it to Stace with rus one
piece of English slang: “Get all the
dope 00 that 1" Th e expression io itself,
to 詞y oothing of Mr. Sinaiko's way of
pronouncing 尬 1πitated Stace ex.
甘em~ly.
StUl, life did not seem s \lch a bad
job, because each oight when lre came
home his wife ran dowostairs to meet
him and kiss him , aod then made him
. happy with the most savory dinner 出at
ever was cooked. An d Staceand rus
wife wer~ the best friends and lovers
in the worJd. They laughed at 也e
same jokes; they wept at the same
plays; they 也rilled at the same music;
and they were happy io a sense 也at
most _people never koow.
'Iñen one ni~t there sprang up be-
tW eeD them otte of those littJe tiffs 曲at
oow and then disturb the most har-
mooious coupìes. 1t was really nothing
at aD , but it -ended with Stace sticking
his hands into his pockets, aod góing
out 主o buy _ a cigar.
when he Qme back his wife was
~e.
125
She was not 扭曲e 蚯tchen or lnthe
bedr∞m or the little parlor; she was
oot visiting Mrs. Smeediog, across the
hall ; neither were her hat or ∞at any--
where to be seen. He waited for her
one hour-two hour• three hours ;
then- he went out to search.
“ But how ridiculous 1" you say. "'A
woman could not be absolutely swal-
lowed 坤， even iñ a big city; and if it
were a matter .of choice for her to dis-
appear, in spite of every precaution , she
w()uld be sure to leave some clew;"
But her disappearance was a fact ,
and to Stace a cruel and appalling fact.
She ha d- gooe--vanishφutter1y， leavjng
behind 00 trace. An d it was the
stranger because she cou1d have no ,
mooey with her unless it was.‘ the single
dime wruch had lain 00 tbe mantel.
Stace was sure of this，趴~ause _ he
found the week' s 組討ngs in a drawer
of t;þ e b ttf'Cau.
When he told rus story to tbe police
at the station they bestowed 00 the
case o n1y a languid intere拭“Run off
with some guy," commented 也e 戶lice
sergëa剖， when he thought Stace was
out of hearing. But Stace cåught the
bitter words and ground his teeth be-
cause he knew they w e-re untru e.
After 也at he trusted mosfly to him-
self, for there w這s no strong hand
reached out tσhelp him. Even the
newspapers had other things t。但Ik~
about , for a big political campai伊，，'as
reaching its climax. Th ey needed thc:r
columns for bigger matters. 50 nit:ht
after night Stace walked the city strccts
to see if by SOlI)e chance he might not
glimpse her; hospitals he went through ,
and morgt肘， and all the grisly places
where a man must seek his 105t ones.
But wh~er she had run away for ad-
venture，前 been bumed by lightning, or
carried off by slavers, ooe thing ,,'as
αr包in--she came back no mÓTe to the
- four-roorned home.
An d night after night _he madehis
expeditiOD$.. and ev訂y momu喀 found.
126 FIGURE NINE
him r喀ularly at work, for a married
man with the fiat fumiture not yet
paid for canoot 也row up a job t∞
thoughtlessly. Accordingly he untan-
gled long rows of figures during a11 his
working hours, while Mr. Sinaiko said
缸ld re 三 aid: “Get a11 the dope on 也at."
11.
50!t _~_~~~c~ 伽t one morning , after
a week of agonizing nights , Stace
found himself-for some reason-q uite
u :lable to do anything with the Figure
~ine.
1 f he were adding up a column which
had reached , say , twenty-four , and to
which he must add nine一try as he
Dl ight he was bound to fai l. Evenwhen
he worked forward step by step , saying,
“ Tw臼lty-four and six is thirty; twenty-
four and seven is thirty-one; twenty-
fo LtT and eight is thirty-two ," when he
came to twenty-four and nine, he 00
more knew the tota1 than he knew the
number of bricks in the Great Pyrarnid.
T 0 work s~h a problem he had to
add six to the sum , and then an a1ien
three to that. Even then , unless he
could convince himself that he was
adding the three independmtly, and DOt
as a part o f. the nine, he was very apt
to fai l.
After a litt1e of this , as you may im-
a gi ne for yourse1f, the Figure Nine be-
gân to weigh heavily on Stace. And he
bccame additionally worried whm he
discovered that, except for a slight
stoutness , Mr. .:S inaiko resembled the
Figure Nine as brother resembles
brother. Also , if 1∞ks counted for
anything, the woman who swept oot the
。前ce was at 1 包 st a se∞nd cousin to
the Figure Nine.
lforeoyer, twisted in wall patterns,
wound in stone carvings, tangled in
shifting sh,adows, the digit leered at
Stace wherever he went.
He had just begun to be a little aw e-
struck by its omnipresence, wh.'凹， one
m叮uing， he di缸overed 出at he could
not add oine even by dividing it ioto Ìts
smallest parts. At the end of 出at
morning Mr. Sinaiko caHed him into
the private 0伍 cc.
"Mister Stace," he said , “you got
something the matter of you. Y ou ain't
no good any more. You go away some-
wheres-that's the dope-go away , and
get wcll , and then triaybe we can use
you again. Understand me what 1
sa}' ?"
And with much confusion Stace
stumbled out into the sun1igh t.
He had spent much money in his
search; the imtallments on the furni-
ture had fallen behind; the rent was
due;ωhe left the little fl前， and on the
oth-e r 5ide of the city moved into an
attic room next door to the merry med-
ica1 student. But he .did not leave the
Figure Kine behind , for that night , ly-
ing on his bed , he 5aw the thing , for the
first time a defiant enti句， floating just
out of range of the gas jet. 1t was
thin _and glittering，的自ough it had
been bent from an enormous need1e ,
and its single eye glared un ",'inking1y.
“ Get a11 the dope! Get all the dope !"
it croaked, p1agiarizing Mr. Sinaiko's
favorite saying; and , having uttered
this profound thought, it faded grad-
ua t1 y away. Every night for a week
it did this , and thm , one evening when
Stace came back from his search-for
. riow he sought by day and níght OOth-
a new and much taller Figure Nine
appeared.
“ You ain't no g∞d any more ," said
the Figure Nine suddenly. “ Why don't
you get the dope一-get a11 the dope?
Your wife i5 gone, and here you sit like
a f∞1. U nderstand me what 1 sãy?
Howabo叫出at medica1 student next
d∞ r? He whistles 剖 1 day; he laughs
50 you won't suspect him; but listen
h 前e.' ，
Thus, whi1e the Fi伊間 Nine ßoated
calmly back and forth across his vision ,
it told him everything. ∞uching its
message in the diction of Mr. Sinaiko.
 FlGURE NlNE
"Tha t' s 出e dope ," it concluded.
“ Tha t' s what you gotta do. Tha t' s what
you was born for-tha t' s the dope for
you.'
So it happened that Stace saw the
pu中ose of his existence , and was glaa ,
and rejoiced , even although each night
after 出at he had to torture himself by
watching the merry medical student as
he whistled and fondled the sku l1 on
the table. Still he kept himself well in
hand until he had prepared a l1 things
as the Figure Nine had commanded.
II I.
1T fa~~ISl1. a The
!:.ll~s訓， brisk night of early
air outside, crisp and
chi l1 y , blew an invitation to pedestrians ,
and this wa s wind for Stace's sails. He
knew the tim亡 had come , 50 he did not
wait for the student to knock at his
door-he reversed the pr仗的s ， and was
smiling broadly as he entered.
The student looked 口p. “ 1月Ihat's 也e
matter? Hit a job?"
“ Y es ," said Stace,“1 have found a
job--the gr臼 test job of my life, and
now all 1 want is for you to come 祖d
take a ' walk with me."
“If tha t' l1 make you happy-me for
it. 1 couldn't plug t o- night if 1 wanted
to , could 1, Bilfy Bon的?" he said to 出e
skul l . “ Where we going to walk?"
“ 1 ~aw an interesting house to -d ay ,"
said Stace, as cunningly he slipped the
bag f rom his pocket into his hand. “ I
want to show it to you-very much."
As the student worried on his coat,
S tace turned off the light sudden'旬， and.
while it was too dark for the s個dent to
notice him , got what he had been sent
to get.
“ Tha t' s the dope! Tha t' s the dope!"
, give më three of a kind any day in
said the voice of the Figure Nine.
"ì\ ine tim 白 r個lember， and at 也e
ninth you got him. Understand me
what 1 say ?"
“ \Vha t' s in the bag?" asked the stu-
dent , noting it for the first time as 也可
left the house.
Z勾
“ Oh , I'm just carrying it，"品id Stace
clumsily. "l'm just carryin~ it."
Together the two strode down the
street , the student whistling his jig of a
tune , a s though his heart were as clean
as a sain t' s.
“ You' l1 stop whistling s∞n enough,"
said Stace to hims e1 f.
Without seeming to guide , he di-
rected their course toward the 司x>t
which the Figure Nine had chosen to
be honored , and as he walked along, be
was gratified to see the needle-eyed
Figure N ine appear for a moment in
the glass of each street lamp. But the
dull eyes of the student were blind to
this.
“ Suppose," said Stace sudden紗，
“ suppose you were looking for houses
numbered nine or nine句-nine. or nine
hundred and ninety-nine-一一"
“ Wh y should 1 do any such f∞1
也 ing ?"
“ But suppose you did一-which would
you 詞y was the þest house to ch∞se?"
“ What have numbers got to do \VÏ th
it? If you're going to rent a house. get
one with plenty of sunlight and g90d
plumbing, and一一"
Stace gestured impatiently.
“ There is a magic in numbers," he
said. “ Nine is the most perf配 t of a11
numbers."
“ You're going crazy ," remarked the
student plea 耳an tIy .
Stace contro l1 ed himself. “ Nine 1S
the most perfect of all numbers-but
which is the best of the 也 ree: one
m肘， or two nines , or 也 ree nines?"
“ Iγs bad for a man to mess with
甘uck like that ," said 出e student ，可ot
if you want to know my opinion. why ,
the wee k." An d he chuckled over his
little joke.
But Stace was much grati且 ed ， for, in
this matter, the Figure Nine had left
him fn;e choice. and he had chosen a
house whosenumber was three .nines.
He looked at his watch. and slackened
128 FIGURE NINE
their pace as 也ough - something de-
pended on their rate of progress. They
left the lighted streets, and, passing
bare, blank walls of warehouses , came
to one of the older residence districts.
Once 也is street might have been fash-
ionable, but now it was t∞ common­
place for the rich , and too dear or too
out of 也e way for the poor. But the
doctors and th-e dentists had found it;
their signs .s tared like price tickets at a
bargain sale.
Suddenly Stace stopped before a
d4. rk , mansionlike place. From the
front d∞r ， a ßight of steps, bordered
by a )ow balustrade, ran down to the
sidewal k. He caught the student by the
arm.
“ Look-above the door. Do you see
the numbers ?"
“ H'm! Nine ninety-nine. 1 see. By
the way, Mr. Stace, there's a good many
other houses in town with that num-
b訂 You don't want to think too much
along that line of rot , or you'll go bug-
house."
But Stace did not lose control of him-
self. “ Come to the top of the steps-
because 1 ask you t o- just to oblige me.
There! Now count the steps. How
many are there?"
“ One, two, thre←一- H'm! Nine
steps. What's the point, old man? 1
tell you you've been sitting up too latε"
“ Look at my watch."
“ Nine minutes tò nine. You seem to
run to nines t o- night. Hadn't we bet-
ter start back? You've got too much
white around 也e . eyes for me."
“ \Vait，"詞 id Stace. “See this." He
opened the black bag, an<! drew out the
skul J.“ 00 you know 出 is ?"
“ Do 1 know it! Why, it's old Billy
Eones! It's mine!"
And at this Stace's anger found vent.
“ Y ours! Y 00 think it is yours be-
cause you have touched it with your
di.rty finger s. Suppose 也is is the skull
of a man? Does it stop being his be-
cause he is dead? Suppose it is the
skull of a woman? Do臼 it become
yours because she is dead? What about
her friends? What about her husband ?
Do you think he would stand by and
smile to s問 you rubbing it with your
foul hands?"
“ Y ou're off!" said the merry medical
student. “If this was a man , he doe5n't
care now; if it was some man's wife ,
she wouldn't have come our way if her
h i.t sband hadn't forgotten about he r.""
“ Forgotten!" cried Stace, white, and
shaking with rage. “ You lie! 1 never
forgot. Night and day 1 looked for her
一一tha t' s the dope一-till 1 found this on
your table. And you call it yours!
What 1 do now 1 do not for myself, but
for the world. Y ou. shall never steal
any other man's wife to cut her up into
little pi仗的 and put her head on your
table. Y ou shall die now , and bum in
hell forever! Murderer! Thief!"
And swinging the skull, Stace sprang
at the student , who , not anticipating
such a c1 imax, had been listening with
an amused and patronizing interes t.
But if Stace had meant to strike the
student nine times , and 50 send him
rolling down the nine steps to the side-
walk, A.e was destined to be disap-
pointed. As the skull w èl} t crashing at
his head, the student guarded it off
with a- quick forearm , and grappled
Stace around the neck. Choking and
straining, they pushed back and forth,
ti l1, by a suddeo jerk , the student
found himself released, .and thereupon
sprawled down the nine steps to the
cem eï1 t bdow. But he could not have
been much hurt , for at once he jumped
to his feet , and ran shouting aTOund the
comer.
IV.
THE next sound 也at ftToped to
Stace's consciousness was a deep ,
reassuring: “ Drink this.
“ Keep quiet ," the voice continued.
“ You're all right. 1 h個rd the row and
carried you in."
 FIGURE NINE
“ Doctor，"組id some one-and at the
c1 ear, vibrant tones Stace th 1'Ïlled curi-
ously-' ‘ are you ~oin~ to take a stitch
in that cut? Shall 1 get you the new
needl白?"
Needl e.s/
With the word S包ce experienced a
spasm of contrition. For no reason at
all he said in a shamed voice: “Good
heavens !"
“ Hush!" said the doctor. “Don~t
tal k." An d to the woman: “ He needs
court-plaster more than stitches一-still，
yoti might bring them."
Stace o~ned hi~ eyes, and lay 1∞k­
in~ dully at the painted , pea r1-c olored
walls of the little, bare room , ilI umined
by a low-burning gas jet. In its B.i cker-
ing light nine Figure Nines grouped
and regrouped themselv也a.gainst the
wal1 in a steplike conformation. The
tones of the woman's voice rang haunt-
wgly through his mind. Then he
heard her speak again to some one oot-
side his door.
She said, a little sharply: “ Did y-Ou
get the needles?"
Again Stac己 experienced the sensa-
tion of contrition ，也is time ωkeenly
that he strug~led into a sitting posture
against 出 e doctor's r臼training hand.
He knew what he ought to say in
answer, but there was no one to say
it to. Consequently he waited , his eyes
on the door, until the nurse entered the
roo m. Then he said peniten t1y: “ I
meant to,- but 1 forgot the number."
“ Doctor," began she,“I -h e is my
husband ," sbe fi叫 shed iÌlcons問uent1y.
Then she shrieked: “ He is my hus-
band!" and stumbled forward , falling
on her kne臼 beside Stace's bed.
Later bis mind was able 是o follow
va~ely the exp1anation of it all; the
.BTItriU
E句
injUIγof his wife by the d叫~or's wild
auto; 也e removal to the doctor's pri-
vate hospital; 仕le long siege of uncon-
sciousness; the slow recovery; the fruit-
less search for himself; .and, finally ,
with the d前tor's aid , the new life that
wou1d be op個 to both of them.
“ But why-" began Stace, and
stopped.
“What?" cooed his wife tende r1 y.
“ Nothinc," he answered, for an in-
ner some仕lÏng told him it cpuld not
be that his wife's pretty bair was held
up by innumerable Figure Nin自﹒
“ Darling!" she murmured , as if 扭扭1-
swer to something.
“1月Ihy did you leave me?" he asked
pa~etically.
“ Oh , tbat is wbat has almost ki l1 ed
me," she cried. “ lt was so foolish. 1
∞uld have got on without them , but
when you forgot th也n the third time
一一- 50, a fter you le 缸， 1 made up my
mind I'd go out and get them myself."
“ Get what?" asked Stace.
“Th e needles. Oon't you remember?
We had a real quarrel about 祉， and you
went off half angry?" Th e weight of
all he must have suffered through her
whim suddenly bore down upon her.
She hid her face ~ainst his br但哎， and
burst into t組rs. “And 1 caused all this
trouble to you over a s ilIy package of
Number Nine needl的 1"
An d promptI y those po前entous digits
in his wife's hair resolvcd tbemselves
Ïn to plain celluloid hairpins.
At this identical moment the merry
medical student was teUinc his troubles
for the ninth time to an incredulous
police station.
But of course 也at was Þ'叫hing but
coincidence.
 ~ni~e.
ARED 'O
mmhungMbluing
ver the little Sulu village. lt
struck a cold fire from the squat
buIk 'O f tbe gunboat outside, and made
landmarks of th~ white surveying ßags
that'showed above the ∞gon gra5S. The
heat was pitiless, crushing. The pores
of the air seemed t 'O be clogged with
it, 50 that no wind could filter througb.
S~r~個nt Harvey wiped his 甘ickling
face and moved -1:0 a c∞1訂 spot on 也e
1Ug.
“ Hanged if 1 個n make out Leroy,"
be saÏ<l.“There isn't another man in
the Ph ilippines wh'O could h 'Old his j 'Ob
d 'O Ylt1 and keep this bunch together.
He tak白白e scum 'O f the islands and
knocks them into sol d.i er學-his soldiers,
因ind- you-li tt1 e the Lambs ud 臼re
what side they fought for 部 long 品
he led them! Leroy沾自~so討 ，'Of man
who makes revolutions 戶ssible."
CI'Ose by, a V 'OUP 'O f m凹， blacl笠， white,
yell 'O w, and brown, were sprawling on
the gras~. Th e j 'Ournalist looked them
over. “ H e's got an assortment, all
righ丸" he said.
甘扭扭啥也nt g吋nned. “τñ~re 逅的
a col'Or , 'Or any other line in Leroy's
Larnbs. S扭曲at litt1e peon? He was
a runaway sailor who'd bashed a mate
with a belaying pi且 He got that stripe
OD .his arm for br叮叮Y at Bayand.
That chap with the bandaged head's a
bit '0' white ßotsam fr 'O m God's-forgot-
where. H e g'Ot an 臼r sliced 'O ff with
a bar'O ng, balking the rush of a J ura-
m eÌltad'O 1ast week."
C '"What is a Juramentad'O, anyh'Ow?"
“ A lunatic, as near as 1 can get it.
Th'Ose damned native priest•-pa n d.i tas,
扭曲eyα11 themselv~s--take 'One 'O f the
tribe, shave his head , and pull his eye-
lashes. Then they 血1 him up wi出
P組1ms and d 'Ope andωthiml∞闊的也
his litt1e barong t 'O kill an enemy 也ey
bave eond也BDedωd扭曲"
Th e j 'Ournalist aimed the butt 'Of his
ciga r' at a sω柄。n tickling al'Ong .a nipa
leaf. “Don't any of ' em ever fall down
on it?"
“ Never! Th ey fight till th句'ré dead
一咀'Ot wound ed, mind y 'O ti , but dead.
Guess the priests w 'O u1 <.l get 'em any-
_ h 'OW if 也ey went back with'Out killing
t也hei白rm缸組1 ，" He 油 sh'O叫t an un臼s句y glance
刮
at the distant 吭vilIa 喀geξ， where the white-
washed h'Ous倡 sh'One like pebb 訓le
倡 s in the
m∞n 凶ligβh仁
He
仇，旭
s ∞
no 討gβht tω
'0 伊'0
g' al 'One wbi
吋ile 由
tlle
叮 re
白 s ，沾
such a feeling against him--didn't even
take an orderly." He got up. “Think
1'11 w a1k ov訂 t'O也.e villagé and meet
M且"
叮當 go with you." . The j 'Oo.malist
rose from tl蛤 rug where be bad been
 A RECRUIT FOR THE LAMBS
trying to fan himself wi 出 a palm 1臼 f.
The exertion brought beads of moisture
to his face. He cursed weakly. ‘ 'Suf-
fering Mos臼 What a climate 1"
The sergeant lifted a parched yellow
face and grinned. “ You're only here
a week-wait 凶- you've had a year of
it."
A hundred yards from the village
they met the captain. He came t o-
ward them with an easy, loping stride,
his head throst a li tt1e in advance of
his body. There was a peculiar luster
in his ey臼. They 1∞ked yellow in the
moonlight. He gave them no greeting
except a short nod as they tumed and
went with him to the camp.
“ M∞n seems to throw off heat t o-
night ，"由e journalist remarked conver-
sationally.
Le roy did not seem to hear, but the
sergeant grunted acquiescence. “Th ere
won't be any let-up of the cholera while
this spell lasts."
The captain began to speak as though
continuing a conversation.
Datto wants me to yank those ß ag-s
out." He indicated a surveying ßag
a few yards away. “ Priests have told
the people they're causing the cholera."
He laughed shortly. “ N eedn't repeat
what 1 told him ("
The sergeant glanced obliquely at h is
superior. “ J uramentado'll be g.e他ng
busy again."
“ The Juramentado'(" The capta旭
spat an oath at the row of rickety
houses. “If they cut up any more of
the OOys, 1'11 wipe out "t.heir damned
city."
“ Listen!" The journa1ist ha1teq，仰，
ing at the mosque some fifty yards
away. Through the hi~h bamboo fence
arouJ1d it came a ßare of torch白 mlX­
ing weirdly wi曲曲 em∞剖 igh仁 A low,
monotonous chanting rose through the
torpid air. “Rather effective--that.
G酬地 thing for a sta~e set~."
Th e ca阱血n swung his lean head to
the sound. “ It's 也e hynúi of the Ju-
13 1
ramentado," he said grimly. "They've
sentenced some one to death." Tbe
chant swelled in volume, and the move-
ment became fierce and rapid. “That's
the stuff for a cavalry charg←-ge扭
扭to a feUow's bl∞d. 1 can see how
these chaps have ∞ fear.一直hey're h yp-
notized."
The ser~eant noddedωm.berly.
“ There was the fellow who slic吋 up
Bruce last week-一" He turned to the
journ a1 is t . “ Y ou didn't see that 1
Bruce would have dropped him a l1 right
-he had him covered when the beggar
grabbed the muzzle of the fU n ~een
his teeth. Bruce wavered a second一-
1 guess he just couldn't sh∞t. Next
thing 1 saw the bl 00d spurtin' from his
throat , an' tbe Sulu atop of him. O~
man , how tha t' fellow fouεht! \\;hen
I' d got bim skewered on the end of my
bayonet be forced the 戶int through to
the otber side, clawin' to get at me."
“ He was 仕le makings of a soldie斤，
the captain 詞id regretfulIy.
The joumalist touched his a nn,
pointing to a c1 ump of bamboos a few
yards away. “ Sometbing's mov回g
there," he said. “S個ne也ing shini~.
Now一出e moon's on it 1"
The sere'eant st∞p吋， and, picking
,
up a stone, ftung it mto the cane. There
was a scattering sound, and a hu e bat
rose, ftappinc h臼vilyaway.
The journalist laughed weakly. “ A
bat (" he said, rela也ng. “1 could have
swom it was a man's hωd~ sbaven
head." But from time to time he
l∞ked behind.
“ What' s the matter?" the sercea.nt
asked. “Lost any也血，?"
、 “ No. 1 think some one's trailing us:.
“ N erves ! N 0 one'd have ener軍yto
trail a moving bank note in this heat."
The journalist looked away to where
the smootb dome of Mount Ba1ut
showed like a shaven skuU in the mωF
ligh t. “leu ess 也is Juramentado busi...
ness bas COt on my nerves a b丸" he
admitted.
 13 2 A RECRU IT FOR T HE L AMBS
As they neared the c剖np a sound of
stamping mingled with a sputtering of
furious profanity issued from a white-
washed buildinεtopp ed by a corrugated-
iron rωi
“ That's Hogan ," the sergeant 阻 id to
Leroy. “ He got a skinful of rum
and went mad again just after you'd
ld t. Took four men to &et him into
the guardhouse."
“ Send him to me一-1' 11 put him on
~ntry duty t o- night instead of Ki ng."
“ 1 don't 也ink he's 6t一一一" the ser-
geant began.
“ Send him out," said the αptain.
Harvey turned silently to the guard-
hO l1 se, thc journalist at his heels. The
next moment a huge-bodied, red-
bea rd~d man stumbled into the m∞n­
light, glaring ~bout him furiously.
“ Looks l i.ke a bull 1 saw once in the
ring in Mexico," the journalist mut-
. tered to Harvey.
] ust then Hogan saw the captain.
He straightened and staggered over to
him , lifti[喀 an unsteady hand in salute.
A f ew minutes later he was pacing un-
cvenly up and down the little _wonden
\， cran缸， hiccupping, but subdùed;
“ Isn't the cap.tain taking chances?"
the jou rnalist asked later, as he
5t retched 'himsel f out under the hot
rubberoid roof of the sergeant' s quar-
ters _
“ I三very訕地.y takes chances in- the
Phi Iippines，"也 e 5ergeant growled.
“ Gimmc tbe quinine."
One by -one, the lights blinked out in
thc little military camp, and the 5we1-
tering night wore on. It was ve 句也ll.
Now and theo a bird screech吋 or a
bat flapped heavily through the teak-
wood.
1n the loog grass 00 the rim of the
jungle, a man was squattiog. He was
resting easily 扭曲e native fashion, with
haullches on his heeIs. His eyes , star-
mg 也 rough bald eye1 ids, were fixed on
theαptain's bunplow. From tìme to
time he raised his head and looked at
the moon , drooping like a ~reat orange
tlower over the sky line. The light
stru ck oddly on his shaven skull , and
caught the hilt of the ugly barong
swung by his side.
An hour passe d-two hours. The
stride of the sentry had become a wa b-
ble. Preseotly he sat down. The bob-
bing head lurched sideways; almost 世卜
perceptibly the big sho ulders sub-
sided一-the gli5tening, f亡line eyes peer-
ing throuεh 仕le spear grass watched un-
blinkingly.
Another hour passed. The sentry
had not mov ed. The watcher in the
jungle placed his finger tips to the
ground , and brought up standing. His
supple, tigerish body looked like a
brown sapling in the darkness. He
glanced at the sky line and grunte也
The gorgeous orange flower had dwin-
d1 ed to a fiery bud. Crouching, he
glided into the op凹，缸ld gained 出e
veranda.
Hogan was lýmg supinely; the S叫u's
bare foot brushed his rifle as he crept
past him through the open door of the
bunεalow.
The captain was lying on a cot uq-
der the open window. His eyes were
closed, his hands locked together be-
hind his head. A 1ighted kerosene lamp
projected from the w a11 J) ear by. ^
varied asω口ment of winged things
hummed droningly about its glass fun-
nel.
Gathering himself together, the Sulu
drew his barong, and swung it upward.
] ust then the captain opened his eyes.
He looked at the native 5t個di1y ， wi也­
out panic, in the manner of a man who
is used to str缸1ge awakenings.
TQ.e Sulu found himse1f 1∞king Ïnto a
p也 r of eyes , hard , shining, merci1ess 扭
曲的e of 出 e pandita一一only yellow, lil但
white mica when the sun shines on it.
A quiver went through his supple brown
body; then it 5to個i motionl臼 s. Ex-
ternal objects blurred, and a gray fi1tn
 A RECRUIT FOR THE LAMBS
closed about him. In the slow brain
ωmething had suddenly clouded over.
His mind groped stupi ä1 y. There was
somcthinc-一-a ~reat purpos e.
Out of the vagueness came a voice,
authoritative, cool, ea甜tion1 e自﹒“1月fhat
do you want?'" it asked in halting Fili-
pmo.
“ To ki Jl. you," some automatic pa 此
of him made answer.
“Whyd側't you do it?" Th ere was
a touch of ∞Jd 側的SIηin thc tone.
The Sulu 且 w two shining eyes rise,
expand, ti且也ey fiamed into hi s own-
fe It his wrist seized. Slowly the film
di ssolved itscl f. He saw the captain
standing, the barong in his hand , a cold
smile on his lips. Like the roar of a
dammed-up s 凹， the chant of the pan-
ditas rusbed back into his ears; mock-
ing, inexorabl e--a hymn of ven~nce.
A great despair fell upon him. He
fiung out his arms.
“Ki ll me!" he said. His head sank
upon his chest , he waited f 01" the stroke,
but none fell. “Why do y~n not ki l1
me?" Th ere was no reply , and he lifted
his hairless lids.
The captain was staring at him
thoughtfu l1 y. “ 1 have a better use for
you ," he said curtly. “ Come out here."
He stepped without. The Sulu fot-
lowed, walking unsteadily. Hogan's
133
big body was sprawting across the
veranda. He was snoring gently.τhe
captain lifted hi s foot -o nce , twice,
thrice. With a choking oath , the man
sat up, cla wing for lU s riße.
“ Get up，"也~ca伊拉n com mande也
明fhite- fac亡d ， stuttering, the sentry
stumbled to his {ee t.“Get into tl揖
guardho l1 se. Leave your rifle here戶
Hogan slunk away , his legs tottering.
Leroy picked up the rifte , arid handed
it to the Sulu. “ Take this man 's place
and see that yO l1 keep ít better than he
di d."
\ Vithout more words , he turn~<l
within , and Bung himself back upon 由e
cot.
The next morning the sergeant was
petrified to see a half-naked S ulu with
a shaven skull and oiled body glisten-
ing in the yellow dawn , pacing somberly
up and down before the captaÎn's
bungalów. C1 earing the in tervening
space by a few bounds , he reached the
veranda , but the muzzle of the rifle
swung toward -him , and he stopped.
Th e captain thrust his head through
the d凹)r.
“ Hey!- Salu 凹， you dog ! T hat's
your officer."τnen he tumed to the
dazed sergeant. “ R eI ieve this man , and
take him to 出 e quarters. He's the Iat-
est recruit for the Lambs."

已紗
THE FALSE APEGA
NA~芯， tyrant of Sp叫…心 new form 州州nent. He 心研
structed an automaton , Apega , called after his wife , and resembling het
in appearance. Th is false Apega , magnificently dressed , was seated in a
chair. Its arms and bosom were studded with sharp blades, hidden by the
gannents.
Wh en the tyrant failed to get what he wanted from that subject whom he
solicited , he used to say calmly 出 at he was sure Apega could persua de him.
Tb en Nabis t()()k the figure by the hand , putting in action some internal mechan-
ism whjch caused it to nse and advance to the victim. Embracing him , it put
jts arms about the victim and drew him upon the blad臼 of its bosom. Deatl\
follow虹1
 H a.nds
缸2月"isible，
~鳴11i Æ1:tXL
h ‘:. 3益。￡ρ‘主éL
CHAPTER I.
A 1l1NUTE OF DARKNESS.
ITW心 long-pe心 a year or two
-‘after Oro Bamba won her inde-
P個 dei:1ce from Bolivia in 1907 ，出at
weird st。而es of tropic madness , of mys-
tery and sudden death came out of the
new-bom republic, resulting in a vague
national uneasiness bordering on posi-
tive fea r. At first , numbers of for-
eigners ha~ Bocked there, carrying with
them an era of expansion and business
dev e10pment nnequaled in any other
portion of South Am erica. For Oro
Bamba had been much heralded by 出e
newspapers of 也e world as a rich coun:.
try , and a wann , beautiful , fragrant one.
.o ro Bambian boostersαI1 ed their
country “ the land of unclouded skies ,"
but Ùe title fe l1 short of permanency
with the publiαtion of the first of those
dreadful ta1 es.
1n tbe ear1 ier days , a dozen toylike
cities , laid out in squares of broad ,
paln~-bordered s甘甜的， had sprung into
being. The last of these--Carmabal-
was in process of construction when the
~eat fear d也cended upon Oro Bamba ,
and many workers 但ed. Development
came to a standstill.
Ou tside Cãnnabal lay a superb vi lI a
which , although not entirely completed ,
was furnished according to the best Oro
Bambian standards, and occupied by
Señor Dagh , a gen t1 eman high in 0伍也
cial circles , who scoffed at tal的 that
臼used others to shudder and labeled
出 e situation “ like the Dark Ages."
One hot and ominously quiet evening
in September, Dagh was seated in a
wi lI ow chair on bis spacious veranda.
Beside him st∞d a ta I1, sleek , rapacious-
featured individual examining a fir e-
arm. The deepening twilight of the
tropics threw a hazy mantle over them,
adding a touch of unreali 句 to the scene.
“ The countηT is going to the dogs,"
Dagh said in English,“as you N orthem
people express it. Only to-day the pa-
pers carried a story of a man who had
strangled and died while at work in
an open fie肘，的 though an unseen hand
had reached down out of nothingness
and finished him. The natives are
growing wild-eyed , señor. Property
here is diminishing in value. lf this
ma也less continues, it is my prediction
th前， within the year , tiÜes to land in
Oro Bamba will sel1 for the price of old
paper. . We must conch且de our con甘act
before it is t∞ late， eh?"
The rapacious individua.l nodded ab-
sent旬， his eyes still on the w個pon.
Dagh paused and 1∞ked at him. “ lt
is good.? It has you worried , seño月，
 HANDS INVISIBLE
“ 1 loaded it 也is mom~ and made a
test ," replied the other with noticeable
dissatisfaction . “ It is, 1 must admit ,
the best 1 have seen. Unless we can
forestall h~ Steele will land the con-
tract with your government on 由e
strength of his product alon巴"
“ Patience, Señor N oy竿﹒ He isωm­
ing to"nigh t. 1 have sent for him. We
sha11 see if we cannot perhap每一一"
The Oro Bambi祖 rolled his eyes sig-
nifican t1 y.
“ And the old man一出e Basch Com-
pany's man , Vantin• -you have ar-
ranged it with him'"
“ Not yet. He, also , ha5 promisedω
come. 1 think he w il1 give .us little dif-
6αd句， señor. But of Steele, 1 am not
so sure; he is 50 ambitiou5. He seeks
achievemení rather 出an money. Señor
Vantine, on the other hand, i5 not a
young man. He is comp e11ed to 1∞k
to his 后nanc的 1 ha ve 11eard it 詞id
that failure to get the _order for his
firm will what you call finish him witb
出e且 T en thousand American dollars
wo叫d-ah-about reimburse him for
his. downfall. N ot ?"
“ How do臼 it h.appen that you know
50 much about Vantine?" asked N oyes
uneasily.
“ Espionage is not unknown in Oro
Bamba," said Dagh , placidly toying with
rus square-cu t b臼 rd.
“ You know, then , that Vantine h.as
a daugbter?"
“ 1 know 出 at and more. Steele i5 in
love with Vantine's daughter. Odd,
romantic , is it not? And duty, plus an
abominable desire for achievement ,
compels him to oust the old fellow from
a liftetime position-all because he hap-
pens to repr白白 t a bigger and better
firm."
“ Gad! Th a t's an argument 個 U揖 011
Steele ," cried Noy臼﹒
“ Not 50, señor. It ha5 a1 ready been
used. The little lady hersel f has used
it. She has promised to hate him eter-
naUy if be seiz自由e contract from her
135
parent' s h.and. But even then would
he surrender? No, no. His sen~ of
duty is all but celcstial , señor. He suf..
fers. He laments; but he will not be-
tray his employers. You see with whom
we h.a ve to dea1."
‘ “ Perhaps a wad of real money，出rust
at him一一一"
“ Assuredly cash in hand i5 worth
much idle tal丸 "a帥itted Dagh. “It is
our great hope, 1 admh."
“ You're quite marvelous to know aU
也包e things ," said Noyes enthus~sti­
cal旬， but there was a hint of sarαsm
in his voice. “ With such splendid as-
5Î stance, 1 should surely win this arms
contract-and you your divvy 1"
“ \Vhat a vulgar tenn一-divvy!" com-
mented 由e Oro Bambian smilingly.
Noyes suddenly cautioned him to si-
lence wi 也 a gesture. A h.azy figure was
approacrung through the purple half-
light.
Dagh arose. “Good evening, Se ñor
Steele," heα11ed，祖d bowed his sho rt.
corp叫ent form with considerable grace
for a man of his dimensions. “ Witb 也e
blood-ch山ing sto討的 that are current,
señor, it would seem advi組ble， as a
mattèr of self-protection , to anriounce
on臼elf 品 far off 品 possible. But no
matter. Wel∞me to the V iUa Dagh!"
Steele took the stone steps to 也e
veranda two at a time and grasped
Dagh's outstretched band.
“ Good evening," he said quietI y.
Dagb winced away from his tight-
ening grip, and called irnmediate atten-
tion to N oyes. “ Meet Señor N一一"
he began.
S胎ele interrupted with: “ 1 have met
him several tim的 in tbe ∞urse of my
business. How are you , Noyes? Stjll
with 出e Consolidated?" He knew that
the sleek f e11 0w had obta.ined his posi-
討on by mail and cable through the in-
Buence of Señor Dagh and not through
anyactivi句 of his O W1l. He knew, tω，
也at such men do not last L個g in good
jobs.
136 HANDS INVISIBLE
“ Have a 認at， S~ñor St~le ，" said
Dagh. “ But no. Perhaps we had bct-
ter go within. It is growing dark , and
we cann ot talk btisiness in the dark.
y..' e become preoccupied with the mys-
teríous. Ah, these tales, these tales!"
Th e Oro Bambian led his guests in-
doo rs. “ Y ou must pardon the appear-
anc e. gentlemen ," he apologized. “ 1月l e
are DO ‘ yet what yo~α11 fixed. The
electric wírcs wer~ strung only to-day
-strung by a handful of workmen
bra 、利e enough to ndicule the silly things
on c hears. Notice they ~re but carned
along the wall. A temporary job.
How~ver ， we are fortunate to have the
Jighl~ Not?"
"Quite 50," Steele agreed.
The room was large and high -ce i1-
臼ged， with cI oth-shrouded furniture
rearing. upward likc motionless ghosts
in tbe gloom.
Dagh touched a button and the e1 ec-
1ric cuπent courscd into the bulbs of an
immense rose-tinted chandelier.
N oyes went to a table b個“th the
li~hts and tossed the automatic revolver
UpO Il it. 1t was a defiant act ; and Doug-
las 污te eIe， recognizing the make of the
wea j)()n, f rowned.
“ With your permission , Señor Steele,
we will get down to business," said
Daεh suddenly. “ You know , and 1
kn ow , tha.t 也is is not merely a social
gathering. Th ree North Amencan
finns are striving for a big arms con-
trac t: from th~ Oro Bambian govern-
ment. 1 am in a position to influence
thc placing of this order; and for vari-
ous reason s-among th~m that 1 like
best of all tb~ Conso1i dated Company's
product• -1 have agreed to ' lend my
support to Señor Noyes. But there is
oppC1sition. Sotn~ of my contempo-
raries who do not understand my COUl卜 ，
try's needs as w eIl as 1, prefer your
firm. To forestall an ~rror on 出 e pa討
of these enthusiasts, 1 am willing to
band you tm thou臼nd dollars now-
tQ:-night-pro吋ded you promise to C個se
your efforts in this line, and leave Oro
Bamba! What say yO l1?"
Steele did not attcmpt to conceal hi s
di sgus t . “ And YOll' re a m3n íntru sted
with seríous public missions!" he ex-
cI aimed. “ We l1一一一"
The sma lI patch of cheek visible
above Dagh's heavy , black beard grew
livid. His fingers clenched menacingly ,
and the observing Steele prepared for
conflict. But D agh crushed down hi s
fiery temper and shortly managed to
coax another smile to his face. “ Ten .
thou sand do l1 a rs," he repeated, ' reach-
ing into an inncr pocket of hi s coat.
“ What say you , señor?"
The señor laughed without mirth.
“ No , Dagh ," he said , simulating sweet-
ness. “1'11 lose more than a roll of
ye Il owbacks if 1 land thi s contract-and
believe me , I'm going to land it!"
Noyes and the Oro Bambian ex-
changed glances; but the situation ,
which had steadily grown more tense
and disagreeable , was suddenly r e1 ieved
when a bell tinkled somewhere and a
turbaned servant glided , snakelike ,
through the ha Il to the f ront door.
“ Vantine!" muttered N oyes.
The servant reappeared. “ Señor and
Señonta Vantine!" he announced , and
a white-haired , "1l1i1 d-eyed , kindly ' a p-
pearing gentleman entered the r∞m ，
fo l1 owed by an extraordinarily pre前y
young lady , who had paused in the hall
to allow 出 e servant to remove her inan-
t iII a.
“ PhyIlis !" crid . SteeI e , advancing
with outstretched hand.
“ Good evening, Mr. Stee1 e," greeted
the little lady coo 1J y.
Noyes smothered a chuckle and , ob-
serving Phy lIi s Vantine's quickly dis-
approving eyes upon him , bowed low ,
in imitation of Dagh. Douglas Steele
went disgustedly to a window and
stared out into 出 e darkness.
“ \Ve1come r Welcome to the V i1la
Dagh!" cried the Oro Bambian, pre-
tendin,. CTeat mthusiasm. Th凹. a p-
 HANDS INVISIBLE
proaching Phyll泊;， he added: “It is a
delight , Señorita Vantine, to 6nd you
here to-night-一"
Old man Vantine had drawn toward
the table under the ros e- tinted chande-
lier. The new-model automatic caught
his eye. He took it into his hands and
examined it.
“ W 旬， i t' s loaded 1" he exclaimed.
“ Testing, eh , Señor Dagh? Well ,
I一一一"
Without warning the lights in the
chandelier faded. The room was
plunged into absolute darkn es,8. There
was a hasty stirring, a muttered ejacu-
lation from Vantine , fo l1 owed by a blaze
of fire througb the void-and a r e-
volver's detonation reverberating from
wa l1 to wal l.
Somewher e---near the hall door , it
seemed--a body crashed to the 600r.
Douglas Steele heard Phyllis cry out
in alarm. He rushed across the room ,
arms extended in search ~f her. Dagh
was calling loudly and 位citedly for
his servant to bring lights. Th ere was
a ttutter of something white through
one of the open windows. A voice kept
repeating a number over and over again.
The place was in seething turmoi l.
“ What the devil does this mean r'
shouted Steele. “ Phyllis! Phy 1lis !
\Vhere are you? 1f that girl is harmed ,
Dagh , 1'11 hold you persona l1y respon-
sible."
“ Please don't scream 鉤， Douglas."
Steele f e1 t the girl's quivering hand laid
on his ann , and a sigh of r e1 ief escaped
hiPl. “ What-why一一- 、 Oh， 1 am 50
frightened !"
A light projected itself down the hal1.
Dagh's turbaned servant appeared at 出e
door , an o i1 lamp in hand. Th e 6. icker-
ing rays , weakened and 也reatened to
extinction though 出ey were by huge
leaping, grotesque shadows , proved suf-
ficien tJ y strong to ou t1 ine a figure lyir喀
very quietly on the 6.oor.
Wide-eyed，出e litt1 e group s祖red
137
down at a strange, altogether unknown
face.
The revolver old man Vantine -bad
held in his hands was on the 6.oor n也r
the b叫y. Dagh stooped and picked . it
up.
From a corner of the room came
Noyes' voice at the telephone. “If曲的
is police headquarters," he was saying
in the native tongue,“if this is police
headquarters , send a detachment of
gendarmes to the Dagh villa immedi-
ately 1" He hung up , and came slowly
over to the white-faced group. “ Well ,
here's another gruesome story for the
newspapers ," he mumbled.
CHAPTER II.
THE FINGER OF SUSPICION.
ST~~L_:， ~~:!~曙 by the b吋， 1叫“
up at a circle of horrified faces.
“ This is odd ," he said quietly. “Th ere
isn't a letter or paper, or any other iden-
tifying mark upon him. None of you
know him? Yo仕-Mr. Vantine?"
“ Why J, more than the rest of y:ou?
sp~ttered the white-haired old gerítle-
man. “ No, 1 never met him before. 1
never saw him before. 1 haven't the
faintest idea who he is. 1 rep臼t， as_
soon as the lights went out , 1 fe1t 也e
gun tom from my hand s-一一"
“ You-Daghr'
Th e Oro Bambian wagged his square-
cut black beard decisively from side to
side. “ Gladly would 1 tel1 you if 1
knew, Señor Steele," he declare也
“An d your servant?"
Dagh started; then tumed quickly- to
his man "!nd put the question. A storm
of deni a1 s- 6. owed upon the air.
“ He 回 ys no , no , 00 ," translated Da gh.
“ He insists he knows nothing about it.
Th e stranger was not admitted by 鼠m.
He is innocent under high heaven-一"
“ All right ," muttered Steele, who w.as
as much upset as his companions our
the murder. “ Tell hirn to shut up. I'm
not the jury."
138 HANDS INVISIBLE
The m，ω由 of the dead n過n was
slightly open, very much as though he
were about to utter a sharp word when
the silencing pe1 1et cut into his heart.
The face was aggr倡“呃) the eyes
shrewd even in their glassiness. As
Do uglas looked，出 e strangen 臼s，也e
blank mystery surrounding the sitl且­
tion, impressed itself upon him, and
brought to mind the weird tales of the
natlv es.
He reached absently for 出e sti 征­
brimmed s甘aw hat which lay nearby ,
covered the f a<::e from view , and arose,
saying : “1 wond前 why the lights went
o 仔 at just the right momen t. Sure1 y
the electric company-一一"
He paused as a tramping sounded on
the veranda and a heavy knocking at the
door.
“Ope n 崗位時 genda口nes!" came the
gru在 C個nmand.
Dagh hustled his servant into the ha l1
and bade hi 回 thro\V wide the d∞r. A
αptain of police in resp1 en <knt red and
blue unifonn strode in U]X>n 由 em ， fol-
lowed rather reluc旭ntly by four mem-
bers of the Ca rrnabal force.
The situation was presented in
smoothly ßowing words by Da阱， who
received marked resp配t f rom the gen-
darrnes.
The captain himself set about exam-
tntng the room. His initial move was
to trace the newly s甘ung electric wires
a]ong the wall. Sh ortJ y he emitted a
gasp of satisfacti 個.
“ As 1 thought," he said s~ly. “ See!
They have been cut."
“ It is so. He is 句ht ，" a伍rmed
D曙b ， peering ov甘 the 0伍cer's shoul-
der. “ But who could have cot them?
Ah! Stay! It is near the window.
Some one from Otl臼id e， perhaps-一"
“ Perhaps ,.. admitted 出 e uniforrned
one. “ J acques! Zea∞ Go to the la wn
with your ßash lights. Look below this
window. Th訂e may be f∞tprints."
Th ey waited , and shortly a gen-
darme's 個p appeared above the sil l.
“ Wel1, Jacques , what have you
found?" cried' the captain.
“ N othing," whispered J acques , whose
face was white with fear of the un-
known. “ The grouru:t within a radius
of three n揖ters is unbroken."
The captain 1∞ked at Dagh , wbo r e-
turned his gaze ,
“ 1t was dooe fr個n inside, of course ,"
was the chief investigator's decision.
Like Dagh , he refused. to entertain
theories of the supernatura l.
Dagh nodd目i “ Of course. But who
did it?"
That was dif五cult; so they let it pass
for a tim e, while the gendarmes en-
deavored toα)Dceal their obvious aver-
sion for the w boJe creepy and inexplic-
able affair behind a mask of imperturb-
ability.
“This weapon，"也 e 0品cer began
agam, “it is your proper句 Señor
Dagh ?"
The Oro Bambi缸1 gov位nment 0伍cial
besitated before answering. “ Yes , it
!s mine. 1t was submitted yesterday to
the Committee on Ordnance, and 1
brought it home with 'me to make tests.
1 have been serving the committee in
an advisory way , you I{ now一一一"
可'1 had h 臼 rd of your work , sir ," the
captain replied respectfully enough ,
though with a hint of impatience in可11S
v Ot ce. “ But surely this"一-he motioned
'toward the silent figure on the ßoor一
“surely 也 is is not the accidental result
of your tests?"
“ We would not shoot within doors,"
said Dagh tolerantly.
“ Assuredly not. And yet it has been
discharged. See! The empty shel1!"
A new nervousness fell upon the
grou~the nervousnass of an approach-.
mg 甘lS1S . EveτÝ one seemed to shrink
from a straightforward recita 1.
“ Wh o-一一一... queried the captain of
gendannes , sof t1 y impressive. “Wh o
h e1 d the weapon before the wires were
torn and the room darkened?"
No one s戶ke.
 HANPS INVISIBLE
“ It was lying 5Omewhere? on the
table? on the 'inantel?" pursued the
captam.
“on 也e table/ι murmured Dagh.
White-haired Mr. Vantine stepped
fonvard. His face was drawn , and
f.ear of the accusing finger of circum-
S包ntia~ evidence was in his eyes. Phyl-
lis went to him~ and they stood side by
side, facing the .gendarmes.
“ I-wel1, 1 had taken the w~pon
from the table to一切 examine it. I'm
interested in such things, pf course.
They are in my line，"位plained 出e
oJd gentleman. “ 1 commented on its
oong loaded atld inquired of Señor
Dagh concerning his tests. Before 1
could receive ao answer, the lights were
位tinguished， and 1-1 fe1t the revotver
'Yrenched away from me. Th妞，也e
shot-一"
Again silence. All ey臼 were on the
captain, who was deep in thought. It
seemed to the waiting ones that hours
passed before the 0佑cer d的ded on a
course of actio.. At length he stepped
forward and addres 3ed Mr. Vantine:
“ 1 am 50叮y， señor, but there 5自ms 切
be only .one thing for me to d o-how-
ever much 1 dislike it-and 出at is to
auest you for the murder of this un-
known man. Señor Dagh, 1 ask your
pardon, and yours , S eñ.orita Vantine. It
is my duty."
Phytlis drew herse1f beautifully er前t.
Her flashing disdainful eyes turned
fìrst upon 伽 αptain of gendarm的，
也en upon Dagh. “ Of course you gen-
d凹nen know," she began wi也 remark­
able coolness,“about the arms contract
_for which three N orth American firms
are competing~'
Th ey nodded wonderingly. What
had this to do with the gru峙。me my s-
tery that surrounded th em:? She c∞­
tinued speak~ng in a low釘 voi.C'e， but
still scornfu1, st it1 bitterly insinuating.
叮ñe competition for your govem-
ment's con廿act h臼 b價n keen , h臼 it
not, Señor D苟h? 50 extraordinarily
139
keen 出at even a murder might be 倒n­
mitted to cast suspicion on one of the
contestants ωas t o-to eliminate him
- to put him out of the running，的 to
sμak? It has been f叫ly that keen , has
it not , senor?"
Dagh fell back, aghast. “ You accuse
me of--o f-一"
“ 1 accuse you of no more 出an you
would accuse my father. Y01;l see, 1
merely cite a probability, sefior."
Douglas Steele felt a surge of ad-
miration sweep over him for this gir l' s
courageous defense of her father.
Vantine struck the pãlms of his hands
sharpty together. “ That's it," he cried.
“ That's it I -A frame-up 1"
Dagh raised his hands expostu1a ting.
“ Oh , come; come, se白orl You make
such rash statements," he protested.
“ Y ou've been after më for weeks. 1
see it now. 1 understand your miser-
able ~ame. Even my daughter se白
into it. Tetl me, Dagh. 15 the Carma-
bat police force subject 10 your dicta-
tion ?"
“So ftly, softly," itlterposed the 白?
扭扭. “ Y ou are treading on dangerous
ground , señor. Is it 1句ical to suppose
that an innocent stranger would be
dra~ged in here and assassinated meréty
to prevent the placing of a contract with
your finn? 1 have been 1個 ient with
you because you are an acquaintance
of Señor Dagh's; but 1 must wam you
now 也at anything further you say wi t1
be used against you."
“ You see, dad," said Phyl1i認 mean­
ingtý,“it's no u se. With these men the
matter is settled. But why place your
case before th也n? Wbo are 出ey to
judge? Come. ' Get your hat and go
with the captain. 1 sha11 report the
affair at once to the Unifed States con-
su1."
“ Again 1 am soπy， sêfíori妞" mur-
mt且red 也e 0伍C肘，“but yó~，切0， must
come wi也 me. All of you must come
with m e. Are you not JDaterial 電it­
nesses? It is my duty.-'
 140 HANDS INVISIBLE
“ Devil take your duty," . grumbled
Noyes under his breatn. “ You're as
bad a.s Steele. 1 say , Dagh "一thi s in
a whisper intended for the Oro Bam-
bian's ears only一“ 1 s旬. can't you cross
出 is toy soldier's palm witb a bit of
silver and bring bim to his senses?"
The captain's ultimatum had brought
a 1∞k of pained surprise to Dagh's
swartby features, a.n d now Noyes' 6ip-
pancy in tbe pr臼ence of deatb irritated
him. “ Plωse to use your brains , i f
you have any ," he answered , spe訕。 ng
into the t a.lJ fellow's ear. “It would be
very w ise, w ou1 d it not , to allow this
V a.n tine a.n d this Stee1 e the opportunity
to hurl the char穹e of bribery in our
faces? Please use your brains. We are
not without friends at court."
He turned a suddenly placid face
upon the officer in red and bl.e.“Of
course we shall accomp a.n y you , ca p-
.Jain. It was to be expected ," he said.
Then , facing the others , he added in
a. paternal voice:
“ We must meet the wild tales，也e
morbidity a. nd unreasoning fear preva-
lent in our unhappy country with com-
mon . sense , selíors. Come ! Let us be
on our way-',
CHAPTER III.
AT THE CONSULATE.
STEELE smiled w 吶 to himsel f a.s
he tr a.m ped a.l ong with the others
toward Carmabal. He felt quite sure
that Dagh had not expected tbis. It
would b a.ve been a. master stroke, rea-
soned Douglas, if the black-bearded
Oro Bambi a.n had succeeded in emmesh-
îng his two competitors for the arms
contract in the mysterious crime a.n d
thus removed them from the field , but
he had succeeded only in involving tbe
whole group, induding himself. Doug-
1品 1∞ked up at tbe star-spattered sky
a.nd lTinned. The grin faded.
Wbo in 也at blackened roonÌ had dis-
，charged 也e revolver? And who was
the strange dead man who had made
his appearance from nowhere? These
questi ons troubled S teele, for he could
not believe Vantine the guilty pa前y，
much less the fantastic thωry of the
um:een hand. Yet the case against tbe
white-haired old gentl位nan was by no
means weak. He had held the gun be-
fore the lights 6ashed out, èlnd the roar-
ing di scharge of the weapon had been
a.lm ost simultaneous with the c~osing
in of total darkness.
Douglas recalled that he himself had
been standing atωe of the south win-
dows wi出 his back to the scene. He
remembered that ûl@ window was open
一出訕訕 1 the windows were- open.
How easy it wo uJ d bave been for some
one outside to reach an arm through
one of these apert 山的 . and cut tbrough
the exposed electric wire 1 How easy I
And yet there were no accusing foot-
prints to lend plausibility to their tbeory.
Steele was roused from his contem-
plations by the 50ft swish of skirts and
looked down to 品 nd Phyllis beside him.
“ Never mind, Phy l1i s," he said sooth-
ingly; theo added with more vehemence
than conviction: “ N oth Ùfg can come
of such uncertain evidence."
“吋Than忱k you,"
叫tr
s 吋lV
叫m 哼g 切
to 叩s up
仰 pr
閃 es
臼 s the quiver 站
o h叮
voice and appear un>afraid. “ But,
Douglas , it's circumstantial and-and
ugly. Oh , poor dad 1"
Steele was at .a loss for words . In
his heart he knew she had good ground
for fear. For a while oo1 y the regular
striking of he e1 s 00 the roadway dis-
turbed the mysterious , tropical night.
Then Phyllis said: “ Do yOll think it
m ight have been a conspiracy between
Señor Dagh and that m a.n Noyes to put
dad out of the way?"
“ Do you , Phyllis?"
“ 1 hardly know what to thin k. Those
weird rumors--一t，
“ Surely you b e1ieved it when you ac-
ωsed them to 出eir faces!" Steele per-
. sisted.
 HANDS INV1SIBLE
“ 1 don't believe 1 thought deeply
about it at the time. All the evidence
pointed to dad; and it wasthe one thing
1 had to grasp at. So 1 tried to make
the most of it. 1 tned to show the pos-
sibility of some one else having a hand
in it. For 1 know , Dougla s- I know
as surely as if 1 were dad himself一­
that he is innocent!"
“ Of course，悅 's innocent ," echoed
Steele.
“ But wh o-who killed-that-man?"
faltered the girl . “ Who did it, Doug-
las? 1 cannot believe it came about
through supernatttral causes."
At the city hall , they were taken into
a lar阱， bare r∞m. Dagh a~ked to
be allowed to wire to friends in Anna
Mato, the capital city , which lay about
fifteen miles distant, and was readily
granted it.
The messages were sent. Several
hours passed. It was verging upon
midnight and the entire party was mani-
festing signs of uneasiness when a petty
otfltial n'lade his appearance at the door.
“ Now for it," thought Steele. “ We
stay or we go. And they can't release
Dagh and N oyes without doing the same
for Phy1li s and me."
“ 1 have been instructed ," announced
the newcomer,“to release the wit-
nesses on their own recognizance. Y ou
have been ordered to repo討 here to-
morrow at eleven for the pr eI iminary
hearing. Please fo l1 ow me."
“ A sample of pull in youth ful Oro
Bamba ," muttered Steele. “ 1 hope con-
tracts aren't landed that way."
Phyllis and her father were com-
pelled to separate, the old gentleman
being led to another part of the build-
ing. There was no scene. Both were
very qUlet.
At length it was over, and Do uglas
and Phy 1tis found thems e1 ves again in
the open. Now the gÎ rl's smothered
fe e1 ings sought ou t1 et, and Steele felt
very miserable to be a witness of her
sufferi嗯， yet incapable of lending aid.
141
He tried to bolster up her courage,
and finally got her to her room in the
American House. She was more s ub-
dued now. She gave him her hand and .
bade him good nigh t.
ln spite of tÀe exciting events through
which he had passed, Douglas Steele
arose at six in the morning and caught
the first train out of Carmaba l. His
destination was Anna Mato and the
United States consul, whom he knew
intimately. There was work to be done
if old M r. Vantine was to be saved from
paying the extreme penalty for the ex-
traordìnary crime of the night before.
Steele meant to pu l1 a few wires just
as Dagh had done.
He did not , however, go direct to the
consulate. He went first to a prominent
lawyer frÎend who was doing big things
for the Oro Bambian department of
justice and whose assistance in this ca:;e
wouldmean much. A persuasive hour
with the gentlep:t an , while he was still
at breakfast , succeeded in enlisting his
aid , whereupon Douglas hurried away
to the American l~ation.
The consul was engaged. His sec-
retary urged Ste e1 e to return later , or
take a seat and wait; but Steele was
impatient. lt was then approaching ten
o'c1 ock, and he must be at the Carma-
bal city hall within an hour and a quar-
ter. A train left at ten twenty-six.
He seized the secretary by his coat
lapels and pleaded the importanc~ of his
mission. As this met with no response ,
Steele dashed by the fellow and push~d
unbidden into the consul's private of-
fice.
The consul-a lean , vigorous man ()f
middle age-was . at his desk; Leside
him sat a lavishly costumed army of-
ficer. “ 1 beg your pardon ," apologized
Steete , entenng and closing the door ,
"but-一一"
“ Ah, Steele, just the man 1 want to
see ," cned ' Consul Rogers. “ General
Banno has ca l1 ed on me in quest of
specific in formation regarding the three "
 142 HANDS lNVISIBLE
.u.
,
S. A. firms competing for Oro Bam-
ba's latest and lar est arms contract. I
have given him the facts at my disposal ,
but of course the weapons themselves
are what coun t. Have you by chance
.3 sample of that new Detwiler auto-
matic-一一"
Steele had. And he proceeded to get
the every-ready sample out and demon-
strate its working to the leading military
man . in Oro Bamba. In a moment he
had the weapon lyin~ in a dozen pieces
011 the desk and was r臼ssembli~ it
before the eyes of the sarprised genera l.
Mr. Rogers kept up a running comment :
“ You've met General Banno before, of
course , Steele? No? Well , well , we
mU5t remedy that. General , allow me
to present--"
The hurried demonstration was inter-
rupted to pe口nit of a formal handshak-
ing with the senous-faced 0的cer.
“ You 5ee, Steele, General Banno is
chairman of the committee on ord-
nance ," continued the consu1 . “He
rea Jl y doesn't care who lands the con-
tract 50 long a5 his army is equipped
with the most efficient weapons. The
fjrm that can produce the goods is the
Hπn he'll be glad to do business with.
That is the general's way of looking at
things , and has been ever since he helped
Oro Bamba win her freedom."
“ Then the contract is ours." Steele
was again the master saI 的 man ， forgetful
for the time of his residence in mys-
terious Oro Bamba. “ The Detwiler
automa t1 c 1S qUlte supenor to any Slml-
lar weapon on to-day's market. The
、~.ise thing , it seems to me , general ,
叭'ould be for you to sign a pre1i minary
contract with me nght now! It needn't
be a binding one. We can arrange it
that , should the committee vote it down ,
it w i11 be null and void between us.
\Vhat do you say , sir?"
A.l though visibly impressed by Steele's
sample of the Detwiler automatic , the
genera1 was reluctant to sign contracts
on a moment's notice. Y es , h~ had the
power to do so, but, as in the past , he
preferred to vest that power 也 the com-
mittee. Douglas met his objection with
an avalanche of arguments. He urged
that non-military men might drift into
error, that experts alone could judge
such things impartial1 y.
“ Of course you understand ," he con-
ëluded ,“ that 1 am not seeking the re-
volver contract alone , but the entire
arms equipment order for which pro-
posals were asked by your governm目前­
If this is to be given our factories , it
must be done as quickly as possible , for
conditions of labor and supplies are
rather uncertain. I repeat , the advis-
able thing一-the only thin~.一-to do , sir,
is to sign up this tentative contract at
once !"
Steele placed the copy of a prelimi-
nary agreement-which he had been
carrying in his pocket for weeks-im-
mediately under General Banno's
thumb.
The serious-faced general fumbled
with a gold tassel for some seconds ,
tben did what even Steele hardly dared
hope 0哎 expect of hi m-signed the or-
der!
Five minutes later , the elated Poug-
las and his friend the consul were alone.
“ Whew!" gasped Steele , mopping his
forehead. “ Tha t' s over-and a num-
ber of other things with it , I guess ," he
added soberly, thìnking of Phy1li s' early
threat to sever their friendship if he
won -the much-disputed contrac t.
“ The quickest and c1 eanest bit of
salesmanship I've never witnessed ,"
commented Rogers admiringly.
“ But , by George , I didn't come here
to sel1 arms equipment ," cried Steele ,
his mind returning with a rush to the
unseen crime of the night before. “ My
friend Vantin令一you've heard of him ,
of cours•-h as been arrested on a--<> D-
a charge of murder. He's innocent;
and I want you to help me prove it."
 HANDS n. V1 SIBLE
CHAPTER IV.
THE STOC K Y STRANGER.
D OllGLi\ ~ ，m~ 明ed to get back 出
Carmabal by eleven o 'c1 ock , but
the hearing developed nothing, Mr.
Vantme being held withoul bail , while
the witnesses were liberated under
lxmds, a pr仗eeding 祖sily pqssible in
Oro Bamba at that time.
A week passed. The outlook was
gloomier than ever. Steele spent much
of his time with Phyllis, doing his best
to hearten her for the strain to come.
Meanwhile 出e story spread through
the country, adding to the gr~t fear
already prevalen t.
DetaiIs of the murder mystery, as
suppIi ed by the various Oro Bambian
new~apers ， were of a character caI-
culated to send shivers up and down the
spine. Th e gruesome and un位plainable
side was ~ featured in . glaring headlines
and to such an 也xtent that even the bet-
ter educated citizens of Carmabal came
to shun th e.. new Dagh v iII a as a haunt
of the dark forces of the invisible uni-
verse.
Late one night, several hours after
Phyllis had retired , Stee1 e sat alone
in the lobby of the Am erican House,
turning over the details of the case while
he putfed at his brier and gazed dream-
ily into the blu e-gray smoke clouds
drifting about hi且 Who was the mur-
dered man? How was it 出 at a person
so weIl dressed as he should be with-
out a walI et , lette呵， or papers of sO me
so討? Had the fellow been robbed of
his valuables? 1 f so, by whom? And
had the depredation been committed be-
fore or after hi~ appearance at the draw-
lOg-r∞m door?
Th ese questi∞ s wereextremely per-
plexing. Like Phyll站， Douglas refused
to give credence to 出e 曲的可 of the
unseen hand. He was inclined for a
while to lay the crime to some one on
也 e 9Utsid←可>erhaps an enemy of the
strang甘池， or perhaps on1 y an ordinary
143
thief who had broken the electric wire,
leaped into the room under the protect-
ing c1 0ak o f d a rkne s~ ， and seized the
re vo l 、 er f rom Mr. 丸 - antine 's hand.
Too , it fllight have ~en an employee of
the electric company, or one of the
gafdeners, or the chattering servant;
for who else knew of the t也nporarily
strung wires ? Now the A~rican's '
mind recalled a ßutter of white through
one of the windows, and it strengthened
his theory o f the criminal making his
appearance and disappearance through
these apertures. He was about to dis-
count the turbaned servant and the
gardener as suspects whell the fact of
the gendarme's failure to di~over foot-
prints near the window put a sud d.en
crimp in his deductions. Perhaps, after
all , the shooting had been committeq by
a person or person5 , 50 far unknown ,
who were inside the house at the time
of the tragedy, but who had fled by the
rear door or elsewhere quickly enough
to escape detection.
At this point the midnight quiet of
the lobby was disturbed by the entr缸lce
of a ' short , stoc旬， and rather hard-look-
,
ing individual who strode to the hotel
desk and demanded of the ni ht clerk
m per臼nptory tones:
“ Man named Morris on your r句1S­
t前?"
“ May~，" retorted the c1 erk, not rel-
ishing the other's tone. “ You may hunt
for it, if you wish ." He thrust the reg-
ister toward the stocky chap, who , after
retuming the clerk's look with one
equally sharp, gave his atten tÏ on to the
big book and ran his finger down its
lists.
A moment later his growl sounded
agam. “Th e devil! He's .not here.
Seems we're always losing 個ch other."
“ Huh! If you've got a date with
the devil , this towl) 'S a good place to
keep it," sneered the clerk.
Th e other grinned and said 5個lething
in a lower tone which Stee1 e failed to
catch. He then ' tumed on his heel and
 144 HANDS lNVISlBL];:
went out into the street. Stee1e r e-
turned to his musings.
One thou<<ht persisted with him.
That concemed the white ßutter
through the open window of the mur-
der room. Once resurrected from the
gra ve of the subconscious , this ghost
o f a happening-this mere impression
-now dominated his mind.
、Ñ11at would f1 utter like that? A a smalt object micht not escape him." It
white恥shirted person leaping from sill
to lawn. HardJy. The white patch
wasn't . more than a few inches square,
if that.
A letter! Documents ! PersonaI
possessions 1 By the shades of every
great detective that ever lived , that was
it! Th e contents of the dead man's
pockets had ~en hurled out into the
Q. i~ht! 1t seemed certain now that
Dagh's servant was the guilty party.
Of course, after returning from the po-
lice station , the fellow had retneved
:the stolen artic1es. But at that , "there
might be a pa pet" or two , a card or some
other tri f1 e which , lying in the grass ,
had escaped him. Steele thought it
wou1d be an ex-cellent plan to search
Dagh's grounds for a clew Qf this char-
acter. A fragment might serve to iden-
tify the man and aid in c1earing up the
mystery. Motivated by visions of Phy1-
lis' gratitude, Douglas forgot the hour
of the night , forgot everything but 出 is
new mission. Acting on impulse, he
startecl .unmediately for the Dagh villa.
N ot a c10ud obscured the flood of
soft light that poured down upon Oro
Bamha from a - rich , full moon. Doug-
las could see well in front of him. It
was a splendid night for the "search he
contemplated. He swung bris k1 y along ,
wrapped in thought , and untroubled by
those intangible fears which would have
restrained the natives from any such
rash undertakin~. He pictured , not his
imm~iate suroundings , but Dagh's
lawn; and his nerves were aquiver with
expectancy.
When at last he came in view of the
se益or's residence , he was pleased to see
that no lights were burning. Without
hesitation , he strode across "the lawn
and proceeded to the windows of the
room wherein the tragecly had occurred.
Measuring off possibly fifteen feet from
the ledge, he knelt in the untrimmed
grass and swe戶 his hands througb 訣，
peerÎng close to the ground so that even
was tedious , ey e- straining work , but he
kept at it , unmindful of the passage of
time , unmindful of the subdued racket
of disturbed insects , unmindful of
everything but the thought that he was
doing this for Phy1tis.
Once he believed he had found som e-
thing of value ，缸ld pounced upon 祉， but
it was on1y aglittering chip of mica ,
which he threw down disgustedly. Ten
minutes passed, and he was about to
give up and return to the hote1, when
his wandering hand toucbed paper. R e-
pressing the cry of exu1tation that rose
to his lips , Do u g1 as scrambled erect and
began smoothing out the rumpled sheet.
“ Measured by your eagemess , it must
be worth a fortune ," said a calm voice
behind him, and he whi r1 ed to behold in
the moonlight , not a transparent , spirit-
ual form , not a fearsome ogre such as
the natives pictured , not even Dagh
himself , but the face of 出e sfocky
stran~er who had approached the hot e1
desk not an hour before r
CHAPTER V.
SHADOWS IN THE NIGHT.
WE~I:.~'_~仰叫 the man , who held
a revolver loosely in his hand.
“ Well?" responded Do uglas.
“ Suppose you ~ve it up?" He ex-
tended a palm for the paper.
“ Not while I'm conscious."
The newcomer ignored the chaltenge
in Steele's voice and continued:
“ What are you doing here at this
hour? Who are you ?"
“ Re.illy, 1 can't see that it is any of
 HANDS lNVlSIBLE
your business. Suppose 1 should ask
you the. same questions?"
“ Now don't get impertinent, young
fe l1 ow," came the warning, and atop it
出 e quick command; “ Hand over that
paper !"
“ What if 1 refuse?"
The revolver quivered menacingly.
For answer, Steele ducked and
launched himself in a ßying tackle at
the ~an's knees. They crashed to the
ground together, the weapon flying off
somewhere in the deep grass.
The stránger, cursing under his
bre~曲， reached for Steele's throat.
Steele held him 0缸， and for some sec-
onds they writhed and tussled fierc e1y
without either gaining advantage.
At length the fellow's fingers did find
Steele's throat , and Douglas , fee1 ing his
wind choked 0宜， lashed out with his
fists. The blows proved effective. His
antagonist r e1 axed and ro l1 ed over on
his back.
Steele leaped to his feet , surveyed his
dazed opponent ior a moment, then
picked up the disputed paper which lay
near by and merged hims e1 f in 出 e shad司
ows of the v il1 a , where he waited and
watched.
The belligerent newcomer regained
his sens臼 shortly and struggled to a sit-
ting 'posture. He gazed about in search
of Douglas and , finding him gone,
grumbled with disappointment. His
next move was to cast around in the
grass for his weapon.
Steele sa w the barre1 gleaming in the
moon1ight just outside the c1 0aking
shadows of his observation post. Xhe
stocky liUle man caught sight of it and'
began crawling closer一-closer. Doug-
las' mus c1 es bunched for a spring. He
felt quite sure the o t4er participan.t in
this game 01 hide and seek wou1 d dis-
cover hi01. and make quick a l)d dωdly
use of his firearm.
But the stranger remained absolutely
unaware of Steele's pr.es~ce. He
10BThrW
145
grasped the revolv吭 thrust it into a
pocket, and got to his feet , shaking b im-
s e1 f , doglike , to recover his scattered
wits. He threw one more look around
him , then walked away and down the
ro 4d toward the town.
Douglas fo l1 owed , stealing softly
along in fhe roadside shadows. His
thoughts were on the scrap of paper ,
缸ld his fingers tightened upon it in his
pocket. So far he had had no oppor-
tunity to examine the writing , but by
the stranger's eagerness to possess 祉，
he was 100 to assume it valuable. Hope
surged high within him. This migh~
be the needed c1 ew to an understanding
of the murder mystery. Perhaps it in-
criminated this man on the road in
front of him. Whatever the contents
of the paper, it would surely pay to
keep the fellow under surveillance.
And now Steele's sharp eyes caught a
stea1thy mov位nent in the foliage fifty
yards ahead. The stranger, swinging
along in the very center of the moonlit
road , had barely passed this point of
Ieafy disturbance when five crouching
figur臼 dashed upon h血1 ， and bore hi血，
struggling, to the ground.
CHAPTER V r.
ONE CONSPIRA TOR IDENTIFIED.
DO~~~~~-， S.:~~~E:~ fir~~ in1~~sLe-，
unarmed though he was , was to
rgsh forward and aid the chap, but he
thought better of it in time.
The smaU f e1 low was a doughty
fighter and apparent1y not given to
throwing up the sponge while strength .
remained in him. He . writhed and
kicked and thrashed about with his
fists in the dust of the road, but his
splendid opposition was quite useless.
In short order the five had 廿ussed him
up with a gag in his mouth. PUSh.llg
him before th臼ñ， they sIipped back in
the bushes.
Cautious旬， Stee1e approached the,
spot. He heard twigs sna即ing beneàth
 I .ot(主 HANDS I NV1 SIBLE
the feet of the little pa前y as they
traruped along. Unafraid and quite as
deterτnined as ever, he followed.一 By
exercising great care, he managed to
keep in their wake without being dis-
co ver亡d .
Half an llour later 由 ey came upon a
tar-papered shack in a clearing. Heavy
brass padlock-s, gleaming iti the moon-
light , fastened the single door and win-
dow. One of the five brought out a
key.
\ 'V hen a 1l were widti J1, and 出 e door
closed aga i.n , Douglas crept toward the
window.
1月，r the light of three tallow candles
sunk in the spindle necks of whisky bot-
tles , Steele säw tbe stocky man on a
pile of blankets in a remote comer; he
wa s still trussed 旬， but the gag had
heen removed. The ~n~ had comfort-
abl y disposed itself about the place as
thotl~h for an indefinite 5tay.
The captive was reviling his abduc-
tors in English. They talked among
them seI ves and paid little attention to
him.
As clearly as pωsible Steele mapped
out the location of the place in his mind ,
then stole back among the trees and
undergrowth and made for the road
to Cannaba l.
D awn had come; and the flaming
sun crept stealthily from its hiding place
behind the distant mountain ran g-es , sud-
denly flooding the land with the glory
of a new day. Unobserved now , St e e1 e
brought forth the scrap of paper for
which he had fought and found it to
be mere1 y 也e upper portion of a war-
rant issued by the police department of
the ci句 of Sacramento , Cali fomia , for
one Alexander Hull.τne pape.r was
tom across at that 戶)1 肘， and furtber
details were missin~. As he sh吋 ied the
sheet, DouglaS ~n to feel 位13t he bad
gone astray. in his search for evid e:nce.
B rea1c fast was ~in~ servèd at 也e
botel when he entered, and the picture
。f Phyl日 s Vantine 旭 a memÍJ司， grown
of d e1icate tea-rose, moving lis t1ess1y
toward the dining hall , greeted his eye.
“ Phyllis!" he called and sprang for-
ward , the nigh t' s experiences on his
I lips. Her greeting was . a cold un-
friendly stare.
“ Really , you are almost too familiar ,
Mr. Steele," she said. Her attitude was
也at of a strange r. 1n its very unex-
pectedness, it came like a blow in th c
face to Ste e1 e.
“ Why-why-what do you me仙 ，
Phy 11i s?" he cried.
“ Not Phyllis-Miss Vantine ," she
corrected him.
He staied uncomprekendingly at he r.
She returned his gaze. Then it came
to him like an electric shock. She had
learned of the preliminary order given
him by General Banno I He recal1 ed her
threat. But faced now by the actuality
of their separation, he . fought the
thought and told himsel f it could not
be.
“ Surely it is not-the arms contract?"
he queried.
She re~arded him for a momen t.
“Wh at else? You knew how 1 felt
about it. - And it was anything but
manly to take advantage of . a - compet-
itor's misfortune. One might a1 most be-
lieve you had put him - there. 1 mean
it when 1 say I'd rather not see you
any more , Mr. Steele. As for father's
case, 1 rather think we can fight it out
without your assistance."
“ But, Phy11i s一-一一"
“ Miss Vantine, pl 個 se . "
Steele's heart sank. He made a mo-
tion of resignation. She tumed her
back and went into the dining room ,
Douglas following her lithe fonn with
wistful ey自 Even now he believed
she still cared for him , but he knew her
for a strong-w i1l ed little person who ,
once committed to a course of action ,
would probably persist , even though
the hurt were her o wn.
Douglas' appeti妞， which until 也at
moment had been -of . Ia穗ed泊ensi∞S，
 HANDS INVISIBLE
s u.ddenly deserted him. He crossed the
lobby and tlunεhimself on a lounge,
brooding. He had always held out the
half hope that Phy Il is Vantine's 出 reat
to cast him aside was a jes t. And per-
haps it had been little more than that
when first uttered. But of course 出at
w a, s before the perpetratiop of the in-
visible crime; before her father was
th l'O wn into jail, a suspected murderer.
After a11 , it 加ay have been his mistake,
placing the order in such a dark hour
-a s this. Perhaps it had been the in-
opportune time he had chosen for the
act rather than the act itself which llad
angered Phy l1 is. He began . berating
himself for his eagerness to land the
order. His ardor had go..t the best
of his sense of fair play , he told him-
self.
A hand came down on his b 4 ck , jar-
ring him out of his reverie. He 1001直是d
up to find the consul at hÎs side.
“ Well , ooy," ~reeted Rogers ,“what
progress have you made in the case of
your friend Vantine? The papers are
fi11ed with most ridiculous tales - abO\-l t
him and the crim~ he is supposed .t o
have committed. One would think they
had been preserved from the days of
the witch burners."
“ The case is standing sti lI•-c xcept
for this." Steele handed him the scrap
cf paper.
“ A potice warrant for somebQdy or
other. 可iVhere did you (et it?"
Douglas told of his eXplorations in
the night , and of his playin~ detective
at the heels of the abductors.
The consul pursed his lips. “ This
may mean somethin~， Stee1e ," he com-
mented. “ Itseems a bit queer that
you should meet this man at the scene
of the .murder, and queerer sti11出at he
should be made off with. Why the . in-
difference? Why the lack of interest on
your part? Come, arouse yôurself.
We'll borrow a couple of gen d.a rmes
and round up that band and see what
we can learn from them. 1 h訂閱't
147
done a whole lot to assist ye~ ÏI;\ this
affair sofar, . my boy. Can't you see
I'm volunteérini?"
Rogers' enthusiasm quickly communi-
q.ted itself to. Steele, for here again
he saw a possible chance to be of ~是 to
Phyllis and her father , whether they
desired it or not. He &,ot to his feet.
“ Have you a gun?" he asked.
Rogers said he hadn't.
“ Wai t. 1'11 get you one. I' ve a dòzen
sample automatics in my room."
1t so happened that Douglas and. the
Cônsul secured the services of the çap-
tain öf gendarmes who had arrest e4 old
Mr. Vantine. The captain , recogni 2; ing
Dou(las , smiled affably 缸吐， turniog to
his men, s~id in the Oro Bambian
tongue:
“ We may ~o into a fi.ght. .Do not
give the Am erican reason to doubt your
coun~，e or your loyalty to the cause of
,
justice."
,
Dou la5 , thinkini Qf the brutes in
,
the hut, muttered in Ro ers' ear:
“ They'l1 n ed 411 their courage when
they collide with tws gang of apaches."
ln spite of the care with whic h- Steele
had m.apped out the shack's location , a
good th r:ee hours of beating through the
un d.e rbrush passed before its rude out-
lines were sighted. The captain , more
resplendent than ever wi 也 the noon-
day sunshine playing on his red and
blue uniform and gold braid , issued a
soft order, and his men mclted away
from him.
“ Surrounding the place ?" SteeIe
asked.
“ S-sh! Yes," said the captain. He
consulted his watch. . “1汽r e sha l1 allow
them five minutes."
To Stee1 e , the officer's .t imepi-ece
seemed ~ wretchedly constructed in-
strument , ticking off seconds where , in...
reali旬I? inutes had passed. FinaIly,
eagerness ~ot the De tter of þim 副1d，
disre~rdi"<<" .the Oro Bambian's w~rn-
inf, he crept forward to a po Ïp t where
the hut was clea r1 y visible. What he
l~ HANDS IN Vl SIBLE
saw brought a gasp of astonishment ω
his lips.
Nσyes， Da阱's pet in the contract
scramble, was standing some little dis-
tanc~ from the hut , talking in low tones
with the swarthy leader of the apache
gangl
CHAPTER VII.
T lI K BATTLE IN THE W OOD5.
AT 也at - moment 也 e swarthy fellow
must have caught sight of Stee1e ,
for he whipped a . revolver from his
Þelt and p山nped a bullet into the woods.
His aim was t∞ hasty to be etIecti惘，
boweyer, and the pellet cut harm1 essly
through the branches, sending a sbower
of leaves down upon the American who
had ftattened himself close to 出e
CTound.
The Oro Bambian pelice mist∞k this
move for an attack upon 出eir capta泊，
and a voll 句 of shots came from all an-
&, les of the c1 earing. The unfortünate
apache crUJDpled up in a hωp.
N oyes, a surprised 1∞k upon his face ,
fled to 出 e shelter of the shack. No
sooner had the heavy door slammed shut
than 由e gendarmes' 益re was answered
from the window-a dozen explosions
a Jl d little pu tIs of white smoke curliI喀
skyward.
Steele, lyin~ like a sha中shooter in
the grass , was emptying his automatic.
Th e window in the hut was shattered
to bits 缸ld the woodwork around it was
chipped and scarred. Some one within
lev e1 ed a rifie through the opening; the
barrel and the tnan's guiding h aÍld alone
were visibl e. Dour1as saw the black
muzzle pointed strai~ht at hi且 He
shi fted his position a bit and cut loose
with th~ automatic. A screaming curse
totd him that a b nJlet had found the
man 冶 hand.
“ General Banno should have wit-
nessed this demonstratron ," muttered
the salesman to himse1f. His face was
ftushed an d- bis eyes ~lear世nc w司也 the
heat of con1lict.
Steele heard the captain of gendarm的
calling his orders- across the c1earing,
and by the soùod of the weapons, knew
they were closing in. He f e1 t some-
thing moving on the ground beside him.
It was Consul Rogers , who was hav-
ing the time of h i-s life
“ This is San Juan H il1 ~ll over again ,"
panted the consul , wiggling forward a
few feet , pausing to empty his Detwiler
automatic , and repeating this se討 es of
movem臼1t8 .again and arain with ma-
chinelike pre白 sl0n _
The fire from the hut rose now to
its greatest intensity; then slowly sub-
sided. A white handkerchief fluttered
at the window.
“ Not .a nother step, men ," the captain
shouted warningly to his associates ,
“ Remain where you are. We cannot
甘ust them."
“ Tell them to march out 缸ld leave
their weapons at the door ," suggested
Steele.
The captain did so; and one by one
the dark-skinned ru蚯蚓 5 passed out
and lined up in the c1 earing.
Neither Noyes nor the stOCKy stranger
was among them.
“ Come, . come' There are others .."
cried Douglas , from h.is position in the
deep grass , and the captain of gen-
darmes echoed him in the Oro Bambian
tongue.
On e of the band shook his head from
side to side in simulated bewilderment.
“ No n盼悶" he growled. “ No more.
We are all."
Heedless of treachery , Steele leaped
toward the hut. The stranger, he ad-
mitted to himself , might have been dis-
posed of in some manner or other be-
fore t~ police arrived , but as for Nöy筒，
there was no avenue of escape. Wi也
是1is own eye~γ he had observed the tall ,
sleek representative of the Consolidated
Anns Equipment 臼mpany dodge be-
hind the sha~k d∞f. He must be tbel"e
now.
Do呵。as. didn't wait to analyze the
 HANDS 1NV1SIBLE
why of Noyes' presefice he呵， but 臼ta'"
p u1 ted through the opening with his re-
volver ready. He ran several steps , ex-
P缸tant1y surveying each corner , then
came to a bewildered halt. The place
was q山te empty.
Consul Rogers' forrn appeared in the
doorway. “ Well '" he queried , sti1l
smiling excitedly. “ Require assistance,
boy?"
“ Hardly," replied Stee1 e in a tone
of deep disgust. “It seems the fellow
Noye• -if it was Noye每一made his es-
cape. As for the kidnaped chap，出ey
probabJy spirited him away before we
arrived."
“ What? More mystery?"
“ S-sh !" Douglas flicked a warning
finger to his lips. They drew together ,
and the American satesmaa continued
in a whisper: “ 1 f he's hiding, he's got
to come out in time. Let him believe
we are deceived. We'U place a watch
and send the others away."
“ The idea is good , but where could
a human being hide in this shack?
Ea rth floor! Log walls' N 0 , Steele,
I 30m afraid一一一"
“ Sure1y , consul , you a t:e not so af-
fected by this crazy country as to sug-
gest the supernatural again?"
“ Not I. StiH-he's gone, isn't he?"
“ We were on all sides. Further-
more, if there is such a cJ ever hiding
place in here that we can't discem 祉，
then I say there's nothing to do but
stay-',
“ Don't mistake me. 1 am qui~e will-
ing," m 1.!rtnured Rogers. “ I assure you ,
1 am enjoying myself."
The gaudy captain entered , stepping
briskly and with a 1most military preci-
sion. He jangled a pair of handcu宜S.
His certainty was amusing. Steele
could not repress a smite.
“ They've gone, captain I Gone with-
out making their adieux 1"
“Gone, señor? “
“ Gone!" echoed 也e c個su1.
The captain w臼 depres5ed and my9.
149
tified. He, too , had seen Noyes ftee to
the shelter of the hut. Memories o f.
other st Tél.h ge and inexplicable occur-
rences clouded his eyes. But when
Steele broached his plan, the captain
took heart again , for maneuvers of this
sort appealed strongly to his Latin im-
agmahon.
They went out into the c1 earing and
watched the police handcuff one pri s--
oner to the other. Douglas , suddenly
reminded of his effective shot througb
the window, bent an 臼ger， scrutiniz-
ing gaze upon each hand in turn. N on e-
among these bore so much as a scratch.
1t must have been Noyes himself 也at
was wounded!
At l~ngth the entire party set off
through t4e woods. Immediately 出 ey
were screened from view , the capt迫ri
ordered a ha1t, mu~ured some instruû-
tions -i n the ear of his chief aid , and
then , with. Steele and the consul 0 0-
either side, stole back to the edge of
the cJ earing, while the captured banditti
marched away to Carmaba1.
The trio lay in the grass and waited.
They were queerly contrasted , these
men: the captain, brilliantly decked , and
very much col'l cemed with the things
dust was doing to his cos~me ， though
suave and se1f-contained withal; Consu1
Rogers , lean , vigorous , middle-aged in
years, b前 sti11 youth臼 in manner;
Douglas Steele, broad-shouldered, ac-
tive, eager.
Time wore slowly through the hot
aftemoon. Again and again Steele
consnlted his watch only to berate the
lagging little - hands , _as though they
made and regulated time, rather than
innocently recorded it.
- Two hours passed, and even. the ca p-.
tain was growing impatient. Douglas
was'. on the point of adnùtting the in-
correctness of his theory when 也ed∞r
of the shack trembled slight1 y , and wa-
vered open. Instantly three pairs 01-
eyes leaped to the 叩瓜Three hidden
bodíes tensed.
150 HANDS INVISIBLE
Noyes stepped cautiously into the
。 pen. On e hand was bound in a bloody
handkerchie í. The other clutched a
revolver.
Rogers moved to ~raw his gun and
a twig snapped. Th e cσrnered one~
weapon swung immediately in that di-
rechon.
“ Come out of there," he ordered , ad-
vancing slowly.
“ Great Scott! He's turned the
tabJ 臼 I He's got us!" muttered the con-
su J.
“ Hold tight and trust to luck," whis-
pered Dou~las ， and his words might -
1V ell have been a premonition of what
was going to happen , for the verynext
1Il0ment N oyes stumbled oTer the body
of the gang's leader, where it lay in
tk Gearing, and kllaat upon-his face.
Stunned thou:h he was , he reacbed
lll.i討 nctively for his weap個1， but it was
t∞ late. ln that fortuitous moment
~ tables were turned again. He was
hemmed in. Caught !
H e got ttp nonchalantly and brushed
~ff his clothes with his uninjured hand.
" Wen ?" he said. “ What do you want
with me?"
“ Of al1也e colossal nerve!" Rogers
exploded. “ Apparently , my m訓， your
audacity is only exceeded 8y your lack
of 咒rnpl 妞"
“ Whoever yotl are," sneered Noyes ,
"I'd advise you to keep your r臼narks
to yourse旺， where 也 ey might better be
applied."
The consul' s face blazed. He looked
as though ∞thing would suit him better
tban a stand-up hst fight wi由 this sleek
Ta sc a1. But the man was injured.
Rf'，~ers turned away and w a1ked into
the hut.
The captain snapped the unwelcome
Ja andcuffs on Noyes' wri st5. Douglas
kgan questioning him.
A c可臼l1le from with旭 the sh缸k.
-"Stæle I Steele !" It w訟 Rog甘d
v吋ce. “H叮的 your kidnaped man-
tied aød I荷pd and waitinc for us 1"
CHAPTER VII I.
STEELE EXPLAINS.
THRUSTING Noyes before them,
Steele and the captain entered the
shabby lit t1 e building. A dirt -c<>vered
trapdoor lay open , revealing a dark
bas臼nent beneath. Consul Rogers stood
by the opening, a charred match in his
fingers.
“Do wn there," he said.
Douglas seized one of the candles ,
gave it to Rogers to light , and set about
lowering himself into theεxcavation.
When he again felt a firm foundation
beneath his feet , he reached up for the
ßickering candl令~nd was surprised to
find himsel f in a room hy no mfans
p∞ rly fumished and quite cozy.
The stranger lay c1 0se by , his anns
and legs bound with heavy rope , a ban-
danna handkerchief thrust into his
mooth.
Steele ripped 0仔 the g<lI'.
“ About time," ~put記 red 也e stranger
ungraciously.
“ What did they want with y(}U f" 組id
Douglas , hacking with his pocket knife
at 出 e ropes.
“ 1 guess you know better than 1."
“1 wish 1 thought 50."
Freed at last , the stocky fellow -arose
stiffiy and put in some time a 1ternately
stretching and chafin~ his limbs.
His curiosity aroused by the hidden
apartrnent , Steele began an extended ex-
ammatton.
Wood ftoor , carpeted , an oil heater
to dispel the dampness , chairs , a leather-
upholstered couch , a roll-top desk-all
this was so extraordinary that it might
have been taken from the pages of a
nov e1, Steele told himsel f as be walked
over to the littered des k. I d1 y , Doug-
las picked up a sheet of paper and
scanned it. His fa~ t∞k on a strange
I∞k. His eyes fastened eager1 y ttpon
tbe written words and he read on and
00 , as though oàlivious of the ò曲ier
man's pre認DCe.
 HANDS INVISIBLE
You're a great reader , aren't you?"
remarked the released prisoner, wno
was watching with interest.
Dougla~ tossed the sheet on the desk
and picked up a handful more. “ Come
here ," he said , over his shoulder.
The other approached. Douglas con-
tinued his investigation , pawing in the
drawers and pigeonholes.
“ Here's the most remarkable conspir-
acy I' ve ever heard of !" he cried at last.
“ What ?" said the man calmly.
“ Y ou've heard of the weird-doings in
this country-the stories of hands reach-
ing down from nowhere and choking
people to death; of mystery and mad-
ness and a11 sorts of terrible occult
manifestations ?"
“ Y es. They've traveled down the
coast. All bosh , 1 say."
“ Y ou've said something. Look at
this." And Steele handed him copy,
already prepared for newspaper publi-
cation , which related a fear-inspiring in-
cident supposed to have occurred in 出e
province of Pamp a. It was dated in
advance.
Scores of other similar fabricated
stories littered the desk. None , how-
ever, pertained to the invisible crime;
but secret correspondence,- of which
there was an abundance , revealed the
a stounding fact that no less a personage
than Señor Dagh was the leader of a
corporation of private individuals en-
gaged in the work of undoing Oro
Bamba , of reducing land and property
values wi出 no other intent than that of
buying up the rich little country at a
song.
“ So this sanctum under the ground
is Dagh's propaganda headquarters!"
Steele exclaimed. “ We11--"
He paused , for his wandering eye had
caught sight of a clipping from an
A meri~ periodical and pasted in a
little frame which hung on the wall.
DougJas read it aloud:
“If the combined newspapers of a ∞untry
should set out to make the popuI ace believe
1$1
出at witches actually exi5teι-ßnd bam-
mered unceasingly at that point , making usc.
incidentally, of al1 sorts of psucdo and quasi-
scicnti lÌ c proofs tσward 出 at end-in sixth
months' time, 1 say, they would gain their
point. Such js the power of the press."
Steele reached for the fr ame and
pocketed i t . “ That , apparently , was
Dagh's inspiration," he concluded.
“ But come! We've got ωget out of
here and te l1 the world."
They found a ladder, which the
stranger quickly ascended. Steele fol- ~
lowed , c1 0sing the trapdoor after him.
The effect of solid earth was so deceiv-
ing that he could not restrain the com-
ment , "Mighty c1 ever work 1"
Then the other man did the unex-
pected.
The butt of Steele's automatic pro-
jected from his back pocket , where he
had thrust it prior to his descent into
the pit. The man reached over and,
with a quick , jerky movement , pos-
sessed himself of i't.
“ You're all under arrest!" he an-
nounced calmly and , flipping back his
coat-lapel , displayed a badge of the
United States secret service. “B. C.
Briggs is my name."
“ Tha t' s twice I' ve been arrested to-
day ," said Noyes , in a sneering aside to
the captain.
If the stranger expected a crashing
d臼oueme肘， he must have heen disa p-
pointed , for it fe Il ßat.
Steele laugbed. Saving a man only
to be made a prison叮 by him seemed
rather incongruous.
的 1 am consul to Oro Bamba , fr但n the
States ," -announced Rogers , dignified
now in spite of the grime of battle.
“ What is the charge, señor?" ques-
tioned the capta-i n smoothly.
“ Come out in the light and let me look
you over," said the secret-service oper-
ative.
The party moved through the door.
“ First of all ," began B-: C. Briggs.-
pointing at N oyes, “1 want this ma ll.
for absconding with ten thousand dol..
152 HANDS INVISIBLE
Jars from the funds of the Union Na-
tional Bank of Sacramento. 1 don't
know what he calls himself in these
parts, but his real name is Hull-A1 ex-
ander Hull!"
A .thrill of surprise coursed through
Steele's body. He r閉ched into his coat
pocket and brought forth the scrap of
paper over which he and Briggs had
fought the night before.
“ Here's the warrant , if you care to
5e內e it in the formal manner , Mr. D e-
tective," he sai d.
Briggs stared. “ Where did you get
that ?"
Do uglas told him.
呵'11 be damned!" said Briggs.
“ 1 would suggest, señor," interrupted
the captain ,“that you put the weapon
away tirst and talk after. You have no
char~e against us. 1 am a captain of
gendar區的， and Señor Steele and Señor
Rogers were aiding me in rescuing you
from your abductors/ 1 have 出 IS man
you ca11 H u11 in charge. 1 shall take
him to Carmabal, and then it remains
with you to arrange for his extradition.
Meaawhile , !f you wish to explain - "
For the first time, apparen t1 y , Briggs
ftO ticed the captain's uniform. “ Par-
don ，。伍cer ，" he said readily enough.
“ It seems 1 have acted a bit hastily , but
one can't be too careful in this game,
y'know. Here's the whole situation:
Do n Morris and 1 had been working
the Ch itean coast when lV ord came from
àeadquarters that this chap Alex Hull
was. somewhere in Oro Bamba. The
warrant for his arrest , wi出 a rogues-
C<l ltery photo attached , reached us a
week later. We were mighty busy just
th 凹， so Don arranged to chase up here
and ret started on the Hull case while
1 finished in Chile. Don kBew the man
he was after: had had a run-in with
him once before, 1 believe. So he came,
with the understanding that 1 was to
fotIow 泊 soon as possible.
“ We were to meet at 也e American
House in Carmabal ; but when 1 bωnced
in there at twelve o'clock last night ,
Don was nowhere abóut; hadn't so
much as registered. It got me worried.
1 went out in the street with the idea
of looking him up. Then this fellow"
-he indicated Steel e--“ comes bowling
a1 0ng in a way that gives me a hunch
something is wrong. 1 wasn't tired , so
1 just obeyed a fool whim and followed
him. He was snooping around the
lawn of a big house out in the suburbs ,
when 1 tackled him. He knows the rest.
But it wasn't until long-nosed Alex
here rushed into the shack and proved
himself boss of that gang of apaches ,
that the reason in back of this kidnap-
ing affair began to dawn on me. He
was doing his best to forestall arrest ,
of course. But even now 1 don't know
what part you outsiders are playing ,
nor why 出 is man was sneaking around
in the country at midnight , nor how this
scrap of warrant came to àe where it
was , nor---"
“ 1. believe all these things can be ex-
plained easily enough if we be~n with
the premise that Alexander Hull , alias
Noy 凹 , “ kkil
ωlled Detech'仇如
仰v/均
e Do
翎" Mo何d訂
"Ìs !'尸，
詞
sai泊d Steele solernnly.
Noyes' face blanched. “ It'g a lie;
damn you , Steele-a lie!"
“ Say, what do you Dlean?" cried
Briggs , bewildered. “ Don d個d? What
do you mean?"
“ Picture, i f you can ，由e reception
hall in Señor Dagh's unfinished though
occupied villa ," urged the Am erican
salesman. “ It is night. A conference
has been arranged b.e tween three repre-
sentatives of arms factories to see if
some agreement might not be conèluded
whereby two of tlie bidders for Oro
.
Bamba's latest ar的 s-equipment contract
would drop out , leaving the field free
o a third man , who is Señor Dagh's
choice. A loaded sample automatic lays
on the table. The guests arrive one
hy one, among them Noyes. Old Mr.
Vantine picks up the 組mple weapon
and offers comment upon it. Everγ ∞e
 HANDS INVISIBLE 153
but Noyes is 如ndinc wi也 hís \)ack t。 一 arT1臼t
ah d- Dagh's sub把qUeQt light into
出e hall d∞r when a 益gure ~p戶a閃 Bolivì a -as the' papers , with their glar-
出ere，也 e fìgure of-who else than De- ing disclosur倍， proved-but she was
t配tive Morris? N oyes knows why he nowhere about; had been away a l1 dây.
Ra S come, and his hand goes out in- And 的 he had. retired to his quarters
stinctively, grasping an . electrìc wire to lounge in the dark and d r'eam.
temporarily struag along the wall. 、iV ith The scattered lights of Carmabal
lightninglike rapidity , he cuts the wirewinked up at him like stars reßected
with his clasp knife , plunging the placein a pool , while off to the north the _h ü1 s
m darkness , Tips the autoæatic from rolled up in great , black undulations
Vantine's hand, and fir臼. until they met and merged with the
“ In 出e turmoil that ensu徊， the mur- tropic sky.
derer creeps quickly to t-he body on the A breeze came in at the window , s tÏ r-
hall ftoor and removes a l1 identifying ring the curt:ains. Stee1 e closed his 可m
pap白令 among them the warrant, wmch and let the warm air caress his cheek.
he hurls far out through an open win- He was ve可 tire也His cigar dr∞ped
60W. Next his voice is heard at the in his fÏ ngers.
phone, summoning the police and so Phy1lis had said she woutd þate him
diverting suspicion. Mr. Vantine is ar- if he won that contract. And he had .
rested 尋nd charged with the crim e." won it , taken it from her father , fr個n
“ One man killed to keep the secret, Noyes , and a11 the rest. But, having
another kidnaped ," summed u J> the con- achieved this victory , he wasn't nea r1 y
lul quietJ y. 部 proud 部 he tho咚ht he w。“ld be.
Absolute silence held sway amoftg the He sighed and stirred 益tful1y in his
little group in the clearing. Th e sun , chair. After a11, success is an 個Dfl句
a blazÎn g red bal1, was sinking below thin~ without love.
the treetops. Off in the .green under- He seemed to hear a 50ft step be恤ld
ÐTUSh , tropic insects set up their nighthirn , but was not certain. The flutter-
not提吭 while somewhere in the darken- ing curtain , perhaps. Concentration
ing depths of the forest an owl hooted, was a thing abhorred , for þe was revel-
it seemed , in derision at a l1 the weird ,
ing now in the boundless fields of the
inexplainable tates of Oro Bamba. half-d ream world. Vague men哩ries of
N oyes drew a loag brea位1. “ He's Noyes' detailed confession came back c
right ," he muttered, bope ，明e. 叮 to him, of how the traitor and arch-
did it." swindler, Dagh , daily gaining more
confidence in his rapacious confederate,
“An d , after al1, this at least was not
a fram e- up of Señor Dagh's to win tbe had shortly after the murder taken hirn .
arms cootract?" whispered Steele. into the propaganda bureau , and ghren
Another-and 6nal-headshake; and him important work to do; of how
the mystery surroundin~ the invisible Noy凹. violently afraid of other det缸，
crime dissolyed 旭 the face ef his ad- tives pu位ing in appearanc•-h ired the
mlSS10D. apaches . who trailed 訕地 k泊naped
CHAPTER. IX. ßriw; of-一
Again the step, and now a 90ft hand
K(遮B INVISIaLE STUl"P'.
upon his brow. It was so like a dream
CTEELE sat in his ro<閹 割也e Amen- come to ti fe that he dared not stir for
...., CaIl House, pu血ng dejected1y at a fear of shattering it.
ÔC訊 、 lIe bad endeavored to fì“~yl- “Douglas ," came 出e faint但t kind of
1is, to tell h訂出e splendid news óf her .a whisper. “ Oh. Dougla學-I'm so付y!"
. fa出缸'8 pmVed iñn∞ence， of Noyes' Steele was wide awake in a ftaI,b.
154 HANDS INVIS1BLE

“ Phyllis 1" He arose and reached Steele looked suddenly troubled.“I

eagerly for her through the shadows.
“ Little gi r1, little girl! Y ou've heard?"
She clung to him. “ Heard what ,
Douglas ?"
“ The wonderful news , of course,
dear. They've caught the Jll urderer.
1t was Noyes , and he has confessed.
Y ()ur father has been liberated."
He fe 1t the burden of hdr on his
arm. She was sobbing her joy.
“ And you didn't know?" he asked.
“ Y ou came back to me only because ý.o u
loved me 宇"
With a warm kiss he smothered the
“ yes" upon her lips. “I' ve been away
in the fields for hours-fighting it out
with mysdf. 1 came to you first ," she
told him.
hope your dad w i1l not begrudge the
lost contract," he said.
“ Oh , 1 know he won't," cried Phyllis ,
brightening. “ A wire c'a me from his
firm this morning. They've pensioned
him . for his long service to them-a
splendidIy liberal pension , too. He w iU
be able to live comfortabIy-一一"
He drew her to him again.
A noise startl~d them. They turned ,
still in each other's arms. It was Con-
sul Rogers at the door. Observing the
situation , he dosed it quickly, his hearty
laugh echoing down the hall.
“ You know , Stee1 e," he calIed through
the panel,“there mi~ht be some virtue
in that invisible stu宜， after al1. Don't
you think so?"

••••••••••••
UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
MmIN，叫 cient Briti叭叭的 ose name is … ined with 伽
heroes of the Arthurian legends, met his d C4 th in a curious manner.
His last adventura was to build a wall of brass around his native town
of Carmarthen. He intrusted 也e work to a multitude of fiends who were set
to work in a gigëlD tic cavem in the nei~hborhood. It was a lon~ job even for
busy 白白色， and du巾g i~ progress Me r1 in fe l1 in love wjth a supernatural being
called the Lady of the Lake.
For al1 his arts Mertin made little headway and was accordingly inuch pleased
one day when she invited him to visit her. Before he went he called his fiend
foreman to him and tol Cl him on no account to let up on the job.
The La dy of the. La ke had only sent for the magician to make sport of him
and show that , no matter how powerful he was , sñe could elude him. Me r1 in ,
hoping to melt her , revealed to her .some of the wonders of his art. He showed
her a tomb constructed to receive two bodies at the same time, teachin~ ner the
magic word which would Iock it until Judgment Day.
She pretended she did not believe that the tomb was wide enough at the
mouth to receive even one person. Merlin , anxious to' prove that it was , went in
and lay down on the slab. Thereupon the La dy of the Lake-who may have
been afraid of the magician--dosed the door of the sepulcher and , repeating
the spell he liad tau~ht her, shut him in until the Last Day. Mer1 in was abIe to
speak, and his tomb became an ora c1 e's shrine.
But the fiendish brassworkers are st il1 at their task. They have as yet no
command to cease. An y visitor to the neighborhood of the Welsh town of
Ca rmarthen can go to the cavern's mouth and listen. From it issues the c1 ang
of forges，也e clanking of chains, the ringing of anvils and the groans of work-
menωndemned to toil until 出e end of the world.
 STRANGE EXPERIENCES
E
“
some bona- e experience of à partic叫arly unusual or thrilüng character cominC
:
within ‘ their personal knowledce. lt may be an açtual, pbysical adventur e, or a wa~';
.dering exploration 血to the mysterious p 'lllid borderland between 也is life and the
- rea1m of the umeen. lt mus已 however， be distinc t1y out of the ordinary and have
a- psychological value as a study 扭曲e rea必ions of . the individual figuring in th~
“experieoce," in order to receive recognitioo in these columns. It oeed "oot be eo-
tirely serious or tragic, thou gb, at 也e tim已 it may seem so. Many appareotly im-
pem~trablem~eries have ridicu1ously. simple solutions. All letters must be accom吧 ?
pånied by the oame aod address of the. sender, al也ough 也叮 will be publis~ed .
únder initials ør 110m tle 仰me， if 也is is d吋 red. Payment at manuscript rat的 W也a
be made for äU material ~ppearing in this deþar包neot. lt wi l1 not, howev~. be prac- . ,i
討回ble to re徊m lette自由at . ar6 . found unavailable. Contributors，也erefore， are
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IN THE SHADOWS OF INFINITY

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DEAR SIR: It was on one of the nights 1

my greatest-in fact my only--e xperience
went to see Sam -Barton's sister, Elsie, that

Sam and 1 were aJways cJ ose f riend s. and

with thc world of wraiths aod shadow pcople

lar fellow. We used to have lots of good

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叭叭叭川刊的

To the Editor 01 THE THRILL BOOK.

The Retum of Sam
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 IN THE SHADOWS OF INF1NITY
vile brand of cigarette that sam a10ne of a1t
rny acquaintancesfavore d.
This wandering-soldier theory rnay be true,
and then a伊in一一- EBWAG L. STAINTON.
Providence, Rhode Island.
Spirit Raþs Explained
T 0 the Editor 01 lüE THRILL B∞K .
D!:AR Sa: :U y summer vacations were
usually spent .t an old rambling farmhouse
near the Jersey shore, just the place to con-
;ure up a storied pas t, not necessarily a sad
one, but wiÚla l touched by melancholy. 1
had gone tbe rt. for seTeral seasons, without
any save pleasant experiences, when sorne-
thing happened 由 is summer that nearly
spoiled my joy in tlle ~entle spo t.
For one thing, 1 "'.s assigned a new room
instead of the one 1 generally occupied when
on my boliday. :U y dislike of it was imme-
diat e. Being sensitive to 啊atmosphere，" 1
felt repdled by the very wa11s and windows
of the room. 1 spoke of this curious feeling
to a fe l1 0w boarder. He did not help me any
by saying he tbought it was the room 扭
which “ U ncle Timothy" had killed himself
b:r cutting his 出 roat with a broken p祖e of
glass.
In bed the 益 rst night, before getting .to
sleep, 1 was uneasy. But finalty 1 argued
myself into some sense of quie t, and finally
dozed off.
A rappinc at the headboard of my bed
wakened me. Somelaow, 1 lay motionless.
1 may laave been what th句也 lt in your
.
IÞtories “ frozen wi t1t horror;" 1 do not know.
At any rate, my . head was clear, though my
heart beat a~st my br臼st like a piston
ro d. 1 listened. Yes , ther e- were the knocks,
measured and regular at the headboard.
One-two-th月 e - pause - Ðne-two-th ,.ee-
pause-one-t wð-three.
1 had read enoogh of spiritualistic litera-
ture to know 出at three raps were one of the
favorite si~als of ~unication .
。 ne-two-th內， - pause - "ne-two-thru-
paus e---o ne-t", e-th ,.u.
My next observation sent a chill over me,
and my scal{>> priclded. There ,!as a . strang~
sort of glow in the room , and a patch of
hllllinescence in tbe comer opposite the bu-
rcau riveted my gaze.
Instinctive紗， 1 slaut my eyes and Qared not
move. My breathing 1 noticed was heavy
and di侃cuIt. Perhaps five minutes passed,
a terrible zon of tirne. Tbe rapping was
regular. Perhaps it was this fact which 詛ved
me from an outbreak. 1 grew conscious of
the regularity. My mind suddenly connected
two 也ings: My inbreathings corresponded
WI也 the triple raps 1
157
Almost w恤out volitíon, 1 moved f l'Odl
my positiou in the bed and. waited with e ärS
sharpened, my eyes stiU dose d.
The knocks on the headboard stopped. My
terrible tension lessene d, 1 then moved back
to my first position in the bed and experi-
mented with my breathing. With cvery deep '
intake of breath the three .raps sounded. It
was explained. The supernatural visitant
went aglimrnering. 1t was my breathing in
that particular position that set up a motion
in the headboard joints and produced the
ghostly knocks.
üpening my 叮res， rather ashamed of my
f位同 1 looked for the mysterious glow in
the corner of the room. It was there. But-
jumping out of bed , 1 soon discovered that
it was the reßection of the moon on a hand
glass which, rnirror side up, Iay ou the
bureau.
N ext morning with great gusto 1 told my
story, and it afforded a lot of amusement to
my feUow boarders.
But 1 often wonder what 1 would have
handed dOWD in the form of a .ghost story if
1 had jumped out of bed in a fright at once
and refused to return. 1 never would have
suspected the hand glass of making 3D appa.
rition , 1 am sure , nor my hr~atlùng of col- 叫
laborating with theheadboard of that old '
wooden bed to produce “ spirit rappings."
J VDITII W AIN WllIGHT.
Camèen, N ew J ersey.
r"
An Apparition
the Editor 01 THE THRILL B∞K.
DEAR Snt: The death of my brother Jack .
was a great shock to me. He passed awaý .
after a lingering illness during whiclf 1 was 、
his nurse. W~. had many serious talks in
the long night watches and often discussed
the future life. These last months brought
us closer to each other than we had ever
been in our previous lives. In the COl1TSe of
our conversations, J ack had promised tha t,
if . it were possible, he would come. back and
visit me after his death.
About three months subsequent to the
event, as 1 was entering ll1y kitchen one eve-
ning 扭曲e semidarkness preceding nightfa It,
1 saw him. 1 shall never forget . 也e look
of sulfering on his face. It was terribl e--
worse than in the most agonizing momcnts
of his last iJ1 ness. He just stood gazing at
me without speaking.
“'Jacl丸.. 1 cried out. "Are you in great
pain? Why do you look 的?"
He did not answer, but gradualty seemed
to fade through the doorway .iuto 也e fast-.
gathering 叫ght shadows.
158 IN THE SHADOWS OF INFINITY

The visi o. n was terribly vivid and realistic.
It may have been purely subjective, arising
fr o. m my morbid th o. ughts and run-d o. wn co. n-
diti o. n after nursing my br o. ther thr o. ugh his
last illness. N evertheless it is iny 為 rm be1 ief
出at Jack saw a way t o. kecp his promise.
MARGARET E. M.
The Double Stain
T 0 the Editor 01 THE THRILL B∞x:
,
DEAR SlR The minute 1 was ushered into.
出e sbabby bedr o.o. m , 1 n o. ticed the peculiar
white stain o. n the carpet. S o. meh o. w , it 自1-
mediately struck me as peculia r. H o. wever, it
叭r as late at night， ωld 1 had n o. o. ther ch o. ice.
Besides, what was a carpet stain , anyh o. w?
1 was o. n a m o. t o. r-cycle trip and my ma-
chine had been wrecked ab o. ut tw o. mile$
aT o. ng the r o.ad fr o. m thls farm o. use. 1 was
lucky n o. t t o. be sleeping o. ut by the r o. adside
o. r in a barn.
Dead . tire d, 1 r o. lled int o. the creaking
w o.o. den f o. ur-p o. ster bed , expecting t o. be
asleep the minute my head t o. uched the pil-
l o. w. 1 am n o. t o. f a nerv o. us temperamen t.
Usu a1ly 1 sleep like a l o. g-heavily apd
dreamlessly.
T o- night, in spite o. f my fatigue , 1 1ay
awake f o. r at kast two. h o. urs and then
slept o. nly brokblly. S o. meh o. w , a ray o. f
moonlight that came thr o. ugh a chink in the
shutter slats seemed t o. cast a gh o. stly radi-
ance about the stain o. n the ' carpet; The
spot fascinated me. 1 f o. und myse 1f rivet-
ing my gaze，的 if trying t o. see s o. me sig-
nificance in its irregu1ar o. ut 1ine.
After o. ne o. f these intetvals o. f co. ncentra-
ti o. n , 1 suddenly disco. vered that a fünn had
taken shape o. ver the stained place. It was
the figure o. f a w o. man , ta l1, white-r o. be d,
wraithlike. She said n o. thing. Hcr back was
t o. ward me and she seemed t o. be wringing
her hands , all the- while m o.aning faintly .
1 d o. n't kn o. w h o. w lo. ng 1 gazed at the
V1 s lO n , but 1 was suddenly startled by an
ear-piercing scream. A req line was dis-
tinctly visible agaínst the whÌte draperies o. f
the figure. 1 cl o. sed my eyes f o. r a m o. ment;
tnen o. pened them again.
The w o. man had vanished. 1 saw n o. thing
but the m o.o. n ray and the peculiar stain.
In the m o. rning 1 examined the r o.o. m very
cardul 勻， but discüvered n o. thing except 出at
there was a disc o. lo. red area o. n the fl o.o. r c o. r-
resp o. nding t o. the white mark o.n 出 e car-
pet. 1 asked the o. wner o. f the h o. use if a
murder had ever been cümmitted in that
r o.o. m. He said that, t o. his kno.wled阱， nQne
ha d, but 由 at he had n o. t had the place very
l o. ng. He menti o. ned, tüo.，由at he had ac-
QúÎ red it an extreme Jy reas o. nable figur e. 1
tried t o. get in t o. uch with the f o. nner o. wner,
but was unsuccessfu 1. He had m o. ved away
fr o.m that secti o. n o. f the cçlUntry after the
death o. f his wife, was a1 1 也e inf o. nnati o. n 1
c o. uld get.
S o. m; doct o. rs t o. wh o. m 1 have to.ld 出is
st o. ry say that it was a case o. f aut o.hypn o.sis,
superindoced by the Fay o. f fT!o.o. nlight and
my o.verfatigu~d co. nditiün. Wh o. -kn o. ws?
AUGUSTUS RAu TON.
Halifax. N o. va Sco. ti a.

餅濃

PUNISHMENT WITH WATER

TH~ 出 ird degree by water was in use in countries where the Inquisition
was in force , and in pa 此 s of France , notably in criminal trials in Pans.
When the accused had heard the charge against him and failed to answer ,
he was stretched on a sl; one bench with feet and hands tied to rings so that the
body was extended to its limits. The torturer inserted a horn or funnel into
the mouth of the victim through which he poured water , four pints for ordinary
cases, eiglH for obstinate cases. During the intervals of pouring, the tortured
'was interrogate<;l to confess his crime or reveal the names of his accomplices.
Further refinements were sometimes l added. The victim was stretched as
þefore , sometimes on a raçk , his feet higher than his h 臼 d ， and the skin of
the abdomen drawn tight. 、 In this position the executioner thrust a piece of fine
cloth into throat and nostrils through which water was slowly filtered. During
an hour the subject could not take a complete br臼 th. He tried to swallow,
hoping to make pas s.age for air, but was foiled by the constan t1 y moistened cloth.
 Fashions in Nove1s. wit," with its four hundred thousand;'
THE dayof 伽由 ree volume novel the eighteenth-century English novel;
is past in so far as production is“ Oarissa Harlowe," by Ri chardso岱­
concerned; yet one would hardly which has the distinction of being the
care to say that Dumas, Scott, Dickens , longest 扭曲e languag• -with its eight
and other master romancers who could hundred 出 ousand; and the old French'

spin a yarn 出at would run through sev- novel by La Ca lprende,“Oeopatra."

eral bulky tomes have lost 也 eir vogue. which ran its course in twen句，也ree.
Th ey. are still good old stand-bys for vol wÌl es , and was widely read in its daý
any publisher who cares to exploit them at 也 at.
in good, moderate-priced editions. A1 1 of which brings me around to 也e
_ subject 也at is really on my mind-the
For the leisurely narrative, people
arrangement and length of the seria.l
seemed satisfied to {O back to 也 e old
novels appearing 扭曲.e THRILL B∞E
master~; but when 也 ey want sJories
Beginning in the pext issue, a new
by contemporary writers，也 ey seem to
policy wiU be inaugurated.
r ef1 ect the spirit of the age , and demand
Personally , 1 have never been able to
sho吋， swift-moving novels that they
read a story in monthly or bimonthly ~r
can almost finish at a sitting. even weekly installments. 1 always savè
Eighty thousand words nowadays is them up until the novel is completed
considered a ~Iα迅 length for a book of or else wait till 也e 切ok is published
fiction. . This is eXt remeIy smal1 when and then go to it.
we think of Dickens' “ Martin Chuzzle- The new p1an for Tu uu. a∞Et
 160 CROSS-T~S

serials w i1t, 1 am sure, appeàl to im- Other Features in “ our Next."

patient minds like my own , as well as LESLIE BURTON BLADES , the
to those who are content to wait a little famous b 1ind author of “ Claire ,"
while-but not too long-for -Hwhat contriblltes a complete nove 1. lt is
happens next" in a particula r1 y good ca l1 ed "Gifts of Tsin Lee." This is
. yarn. Mr. B1 ades' first bow before THRILL
Hereafter THRILL BOOK serials w il1 B∞ K readers, aod 1 am pre)ty sure that
beωmplete in two parts , appearing in they wiU want more of hi m. The scenes
two consecutive iSSlles. Tbe first story are laid in Ch ina , that land of magic
to be . presented in 出 is way will be and sorcery t:lìat our Occidental minds
“ For Art's Sake," by Tod Robbins in can never comprehend, but which at-
thc Nov臼nber 1St number. tracts us witb a com~lling glamour
1Ir. Robbins is the man who wrote \的 at is all the more potent ~cause of
"The BibulollS Baby,"“ Fragments," its atmosphere of mystery.
“ A Voice from B 句rond ，"“ Crimson Thenthere is our old favorite story-
Flowers ," and other vivid litt1 e stories teller , H. Bedford-Jones , with a r e-
in recent issues of this marazine. In markable little tale,“ Medusa's Veño m,"
“ For Art's Sake," he has used his un- a weird adventure-in the mountain last-
usual gift of graphic narrative and nesses of Greece. Prancis Stevens con-
character drawing in weaving an ex- tributes “ Impulse," a wonde"rf ully dra-
tended ptot abollt a siníster figure fu l1 y matic piece of writing; and there is an-
as maliciously evil and grim ~S Stev 位F other inslallment of 也at colorful
son's Mr. Hyde; yet the story之10 00 way Oriental romance by Rupert Hughes,
resembles “ The Stran 2" e Case of Do ctor “ The Gift-Wif e." There w i1l be other
jekyll and M r. Hyde ," although it has short s t6 ries , too , a11 of -the unusual
a good deal of the strange , fearsome type , with a distinctly novel basic idea
fascination of 也 at masterpiece. or an odd tOllch of whimsical hlltnor to
You wiIl not have to wait several entitle them to a -p lace in this ma~azine.
wee~s or montbs to finish this seri at;" 1 have been receiving some highly
eithèr. It will appear in its entirety in complimentary letters recen t1 y about
the issues of November 1St and Nov臼E the THRILL Bα)K， and 1 want to thank
her IS 也. Then in the N ovember I Sth the writers for taking the trouble to
issue, another serial will begin-a show their appreciation in this way.
Franéis Stevens story-a nd that w廿1 A.lso 1 have received some “ knocks ,"
be completed in the December 1st iSSll e:.- wbich 1 ha ve studi 亡 d veηr carefully
Of course any THRILL BOOK readers with a view to improving things. Oh ,
who do not approve of thÌs innovation yes. Criticism is always welcorned in
are invited to write in and... offer sugges唔 this 。而 ce; and it needn't be all bouqllets
tions. The readers are Ùre ∞es we are either. The brickbats are just as wel-
atm lO g to satisfy , and 1 have an idea come , because they show where the
that the new scheme of things is going faults are and give me a . chance to
to please most of th em. remedy them. THE EOITORλ
 Com-p are It with a Diamond
To _quickly introduce into e....ery locality our beautiful TIFNITE GEMS , we will a~sol，!悟ly
and pOsitiv e1 y send them out FREÉ and oñ trial for 10 days' wear. You simply pay only $_3 .50
m ariiva1, balance $3.00 per mont h if 且tisfactory. ln appearance and by every test ，也自e
wonderful gems are so much like a 迅iamond that even an 叮t 位a
So1i d Gold I hardly tell -the d:旺erence . But only 10，側 will be shipped on this p他
Mountings Tot這計泣t說it丸志也?哼SZitcEZh叮 Tell us which 也g you
prefer. We'll send it at once. Af ter you 以!e - the beautiful , dazzling gem
F1a t Be lcher Ri nc
No. 1 . _SoIId_ &'世d.國G n.tiøc' .
and the handsome solid gold mounting-after you have carefully made an
lDcb:t
__
t!la. .
Cte.iCD with
A_祠t
ðat
• carat.. exa血ination and decid ed that you have a wonderful bargain and want.~
位于D~ 晶宮?LJB-
_ _ arriYaJ.
E個.ÛL
IS Der
~
ia
c..n be ...:t.arDecS - at
注:志當ZPE32 位ζri 怨起路設立全古巴拉拉拉笛
--﹒血妞"“n. 一if ， for any reason at all you do not wish to keep it, return it at our exp扭扭-
""'" _.
•... La dã..' Riuc
L
a___祖--
8oIIdGold _M _ ,..
'1'1 1圖個a.圖aJlIMIe&.
.....
• c:ar﹒‘自.
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國-

Remarkable New Discovery

_ ...神世. _SS .帥 _r
__u.. c扭曲 "'__at 個2
e.s:øe- witJ:úD 10 clu"a.
J'he c1。主est thing to a diamond ever di民over吋 1n app臼rance a
TIF‘三~ITE and a diamond are as alike as two p位s. TIF :-J ITE GEMS
Tooth Be lch.r R inC have the wonderful pure white color of diamonds of the first water, tlíe
No. a. 80IId coId. 01:1: -_唱
t.OOC.II ~d... . Caaraateed
_ _ _ TlJ aI" ~ aI""且壘，
dazzling fire , br旭an句， cut and polish. Stand every diamo~d t品t-fire.
c..... ... oiuo. ~I~:
-圓 _1iG﹒.poa .rñ-y世~
acid and diamond fil e. . Mountings 缸e exc1 usivcly iash.i oned in lat自td自ign
-扭曲 ，前圓圓üõ:-êa"b; -and 巳品ranteed solid gold.
~ af ..,. e s:petIIM wtd:I.ID

Send No 1\哩。'ney
J .~..

B_ 壘o Onler Riap~'::拉拉拘
誼民間，叫M 也逗U垂ZFTZL-42 send ∞upon.
Just Send no ref釘ences， no money , no
一一……
曹悶悶，圓白叮叮自由的; 于一 hH}溢
?~ligationωyou iñ any _w ay! _y，∞ run no risk. The ∞upon
血-mT自:..-=r"'~ ‘Z玄凱f-_ brings y。咀 any.o{ the exquisitely beauti!ul rings shown and des叮1bed
..-...，也﹒-----
h叮快 {or 10 days' weår Crëι Bé sure to encl晶e strip oC paper sbowing
exact finger measurement as explained abovι

Do This Today-Now
官"HE "J"Ui'ND"E GEM CO. Send now and I!et a TIF‘N1TE GEM on this lib釘al
1. Eaot>>‘s-.c. .,.,.. 511 C恤.，.. ID..
offer. Wear it (or 10 days on triaJ. Every 0聞自t in \a t晶t style
個li d gold mountingsμDecide then whether yO \1 want 10 keep it
Send me RinR No........ .OD 10 days' approval. or nõt. Send Cor -yours 且。w-to-da y-sure. Se nd DO money.
r ~ 吋呵 呵一… ωencl扭扭 asd自叮耐心的
agree 10 par $3 .50 upon 缸rivaJ. and balance at rate
of $3.∞PeT mon tb. !f not satisfactory. 1 will return
Th e Tifnite GeD'l COl'l'lpany
same ...itrun ten days at your expense.. ch1c:aco. w.
到圖且