Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

62 She turned and with a quick gesture of anger left the room. As she turned, a faint metallic tinkle struck Andres’ ear and he thrust out his hand to pick up the little dagger from the floor. “A pretty toy enough,” he remarked to Coronado, turning the blade over in his hand. “I have seen‘a smaller blade than this do good service. I will send it to the lady.” Followed a silence. “Can you imagine Fonseca desiring to marry such a wife?’ “Eh? Why, mi amigo, the girl is in the right. She should not be forced.” “Then of course | am in the wrong.” | Mendoza’s voice was. cold with disfavor. “Of course you are wrong. What is it now?’ For the halberds, for the third time that eventful night, had lowered noisily as a voice instinct with emotion called out— : “Open, in the king’s name!” "THE doors flung open and a man staggered rather than walked into the room. He was dressed in a torn and dirty brown cassock, the frayed edges of which showed his feet. One foot was shod with a rawhide sandal; the other was bare and left traces of blood on the lime-washed floor as he came up the long room. In his hand he bore a long staff of thorny ocatilla wood with a small white cross atop and his eyes danced with a curious consuming fire. “Fray Marco himself.’ Mendoza flung himself forward over the _ table-edge. “Come up, man! Come up above the salt!’ “Nay, your Excellency! I have come to you with a tale to tell, for 1 come as one from the dead and I have seen “Wine here, men! Bring wine for the good fray.” He frowned them back with an impa- tient gesture. “No wine touches my lips, Sefor Gov- ernor, till I consecrate it in Cibola.” “Cibola? Cibola?’ The word passed along the tables and the eager adven- turers crowded forward to the foot of the dais. “Have you seen it? Where is it, father? How far?” “Where the good knight Don Fran- cisco will lead you, I doubt not. I tell you I have seen the wonders of the world. wae 9 Adventure Their houses are covered with sheeted silver and the sheen of their paved streets is as solid gold and copper. Their rivers are as full of gold-dust as our corn-bins are full of dust, and they have emeralds and rubies like grain ina wheat rick. All this I saw but—” His voice fell as he crossed himself devoutly. “Never a sign of the faith that we were looking for! I never saw a sign of the cross till they cut it on the body of Estevanico when they killed him.” “How? When?” “They crucified him over an ant-hill, senores, having first cut off his eyelids.” “Where is the rest of your party,—the twenty-nine men I gave you?” “Gone! Gone! All gone as snow goes from the peaks in Summer weather, They are all gone, sefiores; and who shall . say that God will not require their blood at my hands? The ‘blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.’ Some of it was very blighted seed, I fear me. When do you march, senor?” “As soon as you can set my column on the route,” said Coronado briefly. *“To- morrow.” “T fear me you must wait a day. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I will do better than write you a report, Senor Conquistador. I will march with ou.” “You? Why, man, another month of it would kill you. Even the king him- self would not ask it of you * “A higher than any earthly king com- mands it. It may be written that [ am to lift the cross in the marketplaces of the Seven Cities. In the mean time, senor, though I march with you in two days—with the—best will—in the—world —I]I—can—do—no more 4 He reeled against the table and slip- ping to the floor lay quiet.. Kindly hands raised him and bore him to a chamber; where eager women brought him hot chocolatl, for he would not touch the wine. Mendoza turned to his guests. “T- too bid you good night, caballeros! The expedition will start the day after tomorrow. Again I toast you—To all bold adventurers, and a double health to Don Francisco de Coronado, the adelan- tado of Cibola.” They drank. EOPMNIC LOOKS (EO)