Adventure Magazine Cover, August 18, 1921 — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

76 Rodgers was as magic to their followers. “Ho,” said Brannigan, with a note of strain m his husky deep voice, ‘‘we’re bein’ as well off here as what we were any place. An’ what difference will it be makin’ whether your friends are white or black, Rod? Cheer up, my boy. Some o’ these girls aren’t so bad if you don’t look ’em in the face. Get yourself two or three. There’s plenty to eat an’ lots o’ fights. What more c’n a pair of Irishmen want!” “To feel we belong to the white breed,” said Rodgers morosely. Brannigan stared at him, not quite sure whether his friend was crazy or whether he, Brannigan, had heard aright. out to sea. It was the first white Gb man’s craft that had cut through the horizon line in the eight months Brannigan and Rodgers had been savages; and there was no way for them to reach it unless it came close and dropped anchor. They would have to steal away to it—if they got to it. Orokgo was a wise savage. He knew the call of blood was strong, and he liked his white men too well to trust them on board a ship. This was made plain when he urged them into his canoe. Formerly each had a canoe and from twenty to thirty rowers; but now with a white ship beating up into the sound, Orokgo wanted them ~inder his thumb. And when they got in, Orokgo kept the canoe so far off that it was impossible for the trader’s crew to distinguish the white men among the twoscore blacks in the war- canoe over a half-mile away. “She has nary“a chance if they rush er,” said Brannigan, critically noting the low freeboard of the trader, her flush deck and low railing. “An’ they’ll cut her out,” said Rodgers. “That’s what we’re for—to help them!” And Brannigan, whose hide was as thick as his sensibilities were coarse, was stung by the bitterness in the tone. “‘She hasn’t a chance anyway,” he came back, half-angrily and _half-heartedly. “T know it,”’ said Rodgers. “Must be idiots on board ’er.” “‘Are you going to help ’em cut her out?” Rodgers asked it slowly. IV THE little schooner was sighted far Adventure “She hasn’t a chance, Rod. An’ if we don’t——”’ Rodgers eyed him coldly from under half- drooped lids. It was the same thing that had been said when the labor recruits had been smothered under the Betty Bly’s grating; and again when Webb lay dead, and the eight months of a cannibal’s life had followed; and it was as if life were worth everything else. - As if there were some malevolent spirit at her helm, the little schooner was brought through the coral and shoals with the touch of a registered pilot and planted her mud-hook a hundred yards out from the coral landing place of the village. ‘“She’s gone!” Rodgers groaned as he heard the creak and whir of anchor cable. He could not understand her folly. Orokgo could not understand his luck: a little defenseless schooner had come through the channel and tied herself down right in front of his village. Orokgo was highly pleased. A dozen war-canoes were on the water and a hundred little outriggers. They scooted around and back and forth, keeping at a distance from the little schooner, but drawing nearer and nearer all the time. A strange thing among the Solomon Is- landers is that they are so cowardly that if there be a score of them and only one white man they will wait until his back is turned to strike; and a stranger thing is that thev are so careless of life that when the fight spirit is on them they will swarm in- differently on to decks swept by a rain of bullets. They are always treacherous and at times audacious. Chief Orokgo spoke to Brannigan: “Tell ’m fella stop along beach. Plenty much good friends. One, two, three—all come along beach. Much trade bimeby. Tell ’m fella.” Then the chief spoke to the paddlers and the long canoe with up-reared stem flut- tered its colored grass wisps and made for the trader. Rodgers suggested that it would be better ‘if he and Brannigan went on board; but the wise old chief grinned and said No, that wouldn’t do, for he was afraid the strangers might hurt his friends. Brannigan laughed and Rodgers swore; then in a whisper he said: “Bran, tell ’em for ’s sake to keep all canoes off and to get out with the evening | CoMmicboooks CO