explained to Guran the nature and location of the place where he was headed. Guran and the others pleaded with him to eat before leaving. They knew he was hungry. He glanced at the feast, sighed, but
shook his head, then leaped upon Hero. As he wheeled the great steed about, he swung low off the saddle, grabbed a roasted fowl from the mat, then raced off. The pygmies laughed and cheered, as he disappeared behind the roaring waterfall, pursued by Devil.
The jungle does not have planes, trains, superhighways, or even roads. Only thickly overgrown paths. But there is one way to move fast. The Phantom on Hero sped through the jungle, leaping over bushes and logs where no path existed, and reached the bank of a swift, foaming mountain stream. A drum message from the Deep Woods had preceded him, so that a large raft was waiting for him with two Mori raftsmen. They were of the Mori fisher folk, the most expert of jungle people in the skills of the sea and streams. The two men, wearing only loin cloths, smiled at the sight of their big masked friend. The Phantom dismounted, 5 shook their hands, then led Hero and Devil onto the raft. Without further ado, the Mori untied the raft and, wielding their nine-foot poles, pushed the raft into the channel of the stream.
This was icy water from the Misty Mountains. The grade here was steep, and the stream roared and foamed as it raced toward the distant sea, carrying the raft with it. It was a wild, bumpy ride. Devil, the wolf, remained in a crouch to keep his balance. The Phantom held tightly to Hero's reins as the stallion braced himself. The raft pitched and rolled, bounced over rocks, leaped through the air over low waterfalls, landing with a crash; rumbled over rapids, drenching men and animals in the icy spray. After three hours of this, the pace lessened, as the mountain torrent widened into a calm river nearing the sea. The Mori poled the raft to the bank. Another handshake and the Phantom, Hero, and Devil leaped onto the bank and were gone.
The Mori watched until they were out of sight. Usually their big friend joked with them, and was easy and relaxed. This time, he was grim and in a hurry, headed for some trouble he hadn't explained. Whoever was causing the trouble would wish they hadn't, now that the Phantom was on the way, the Mori told each other as they poled out into the stream.
From the top of a high tree that grew only a hundred feet from the wall, the Phantom could look into Killer's Town. He saw a few men walking idly in the streets. He noted the guard at the gate, and guards patrolling inside the wall. And he could see the cage hanging by the inn sign, with the girl sitting inside. It appeared to be an old tiger
cage, used by some long-gone animal dealer. Several men stopped beneath the cage and called up to her, but he was too far away to hear their words. He could hear their laughter as they walked on into the inn, and he saw her cover her face with her hands. On the other side of the town, he could see the wharf on the salt-water inlet A speedboat had pulled up, discharging several men with boxes. The Phantom climbed down, and made his way quickly through the bushes, around the town, getting close to the wharf. As he waited, a big amphibian plane roared down from the sky and made a smooth landing near the wharf. Several men rushed out to meet the plane and its passengers. The Phantom, crouched under bushes, was close enough to hear them.
"Killer, this here's Pug and Ossie. Broke out of a limey pen. Plenty of lettuce. Want room and board."
"Sure. We're expecting you boys. Rooms ready. Five hundred a night. Pay at the desk," said Killer.
"Five hundred? The bloke told us three," protested one of the arrivals.
"Ain't you heard of inflation? Everything's gone up," said the one called Killer. They all laughed, but without enjoyment.
"We also want to see your heist" continued Killer, pointing to a suitcase one man was carrying. "Diamonds, wasn't
it?"
"That's our business," said
shook his head, then leaped upon Hero. As he wheeled the great steed about, he swung low off the saddle, grabbed a roasted fowl from the mat, then raced off. The pygmies laughed and cheered, as he disappeared behind the roaring waterfall, pursued by Devil.
The jungle does not have planes, trains, superhighways, or even roads. Only thickly overgrown paths. But there is one way to move fast. The Phantom on Hero sped through the jungle, leaping over bushes and logs where no path existed, and reached the bank of a swift, foaming mountain stream. A drum message from the Deep Woods had preceded him, so that a large raft was waiting for him with two Mori raftsmen. They were of the Mori fisher folk, the most expert of jungle people in the skills of the sea and streams. The two men, wearing only loin cloths, smiled at the sight of their big masked friend. The Phantom dismounted, 5 shook their hands, then led Hero and Devil onto the raft. Without further ado, the Mori untied the raft and, wielding their nine-foot poles, pushed the raft into the channel of the stream.
This was icy water from the Misty Mountains. The grade here was steep, and the stream roared and foamed as it raced toward the distant sea, carrying the raft with it. It was a wild, bumpy ride. Devil, the wolf, remained in a crouch to keep his balance. The Phantom held tightly to Hero's reins as the stallion braced himself. The raft pitched and rolled, bounced over rocks, leaped through the air over low waterfalls, landing with a crash; rumbled over rapids, drenching men and animals in the icy spray. After three hours of this, the pace lessened, as the mountain torrent widened into a calm river nearing the sea. The Mori poled the raft to the bank. Another handshake and the Phantom, Hero, and Devil leaped onto the bank and were gone.
The Mori watched until they were out of sight. Usually their big friend joked with them, and was easy and relaxed. This time, he was grim and in a hurry, headed for some trouble he hadn't explained. Whoever was causing the trouble would wish they hadn't, now that the Phantom was on the way, the Mori told each other as they poled out into the stream.
From the top of a high tree that grew only a hundred feet from the wall, the Phantom could look into Killer's Town. He saw a few men walking idly in the streets. He noted the guard at the gate, and guards patrolling inside the wall. And he could see the cage hanging by the inn sign, with the girl sitting inside. It appeared to be an old tiger
cage, used by some long-gone animal dealer. Several men stopped beneath the cage and called up to her, but he was too far away to hear their words. He could hear their laughter as they walked on into the inn, and he saw her cover her face with her hands. On the other side of the town, he could see the wharf on the salt-water inlet A speedboat had pulled up, discharging several men with boxes. The Phantom climbed down, and made his way quickly through the bushes, around the town, getting close to the wharf. As he waited, a big amphibian plane roared down from the sky and made a smooth landing near the wharf. Several men rushed out to meet the plane and its passengers. The Phantom, crouched under bushes, was close enough to hear them.
"Killer, this here's Pug and Ossie. Broke out of a limey pen. Plenty of lettuce. Want room and board."
"Sure. We're expecting you boys. Rooms ready. Five hundred a night. Pay at the desk," said Killer.
"Five hundred? The bloke told us three," protested one of the arrivals.
"Ain't you heard of inflation? Everything's gone up," said the one called Killer. They all laughed, but without enjoyment.
"We also want to see your heist" continued Killer, pointing to a suitcase one man was carrying. "Diamonds, wasn't
it?"
"That's our business," said
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