Adventure Magazine Cover — page 166: what you’re looking at

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

190 “Ye’re pushing matters rather far, cap- tain, to risk trouble with the Indians for the sake of those Spanish dogs!”’ “Oh, not for their sake. For the sake of my pledged word and that bit of an Indian girl with her baby. The Spanish com- mander has been good to her, and he’s a gallant fellow.’ “Lord help us!” said Wolverstone, and swung away in disgust. An hour later the Spaniards were embark- ing from the jetty, under the eyes of the buc- caneers, who from the mud wall of the fort watched their departure with some misgiv- ings. The only weapons Blood allowed the voyagers were a half-dozen fowling-pieces. They took with them, however, a plentiful supply of victuals, and Don Domingo, like a prudent captain, was very particular in the matter of water. Himself he saw the casks stowed aboard the canoes. Then he took his leave of Captain Blood. “Don Pedro,” he said, “I have no words in which to praise your generosity. I am proud to have had you for my enemy.”’ “Let us say that you are fortunate.” “Fortunate, too. I shall tell it wherever there are Spaniards to hear me that Don Pedro Sangre is a very gallant gentleman.” “T shouldn’t,”’ said Captain Blood. ‘‘For no one will believe you.” Protesting still, Don Domingo stepped aboard the piragua that carried his Indian wife and their half-caste baby. His men pushed the vessel off into the current, and he started on his journey to Panama, armed with a note in Captain Blood’s hand order- ing Yberyille and Christian to pass him un- scathed in the event of his coming up with them. is z IN THE cool of the evening the buccaneers sat down to a feast in the open square of the fort. They had found great store of fowls in the town and some goats, besides several hogsheads of excellent wine in the house of the Domin- ican fathers. Blood, with Wolverstone and Ogle supped in the departed commander’s well-equipped quarters, and through the open windows watched with satisfaction the gaiety of his feasting followers. But his sat- isfaction was not shared by Wolverstone, whose humor,was pessimistic. “Stick to the sea in future, captain, says I,” he grumbled between mouthfuls. “There’s no packing off a treasure there Adventure when we come within saker-shot. Here we are aiter ten days’ marching, with an- other ten days marching in front of us! And Ill thank God if we get back as light as we came, for as likely as not we shall have differences to settle with old Brazo Largo, and we'll be lucky if we get back at all, ever. Ye’ve bungled it this time, captain.” “Ye’re just a foolish heap of brawn, Ned,” said the captain. ‘l’ve bungled nothing at all. And as for Brazo Largo, he’s an understanding savage, so he is, who’ll keep friends with us if only because he hates the Spaniards.” “And ye behave as if ye loved ’em,” said Wolverstone. ‘Ye’re all smirks and bows for this plaguey commander who cheated us of the gold, and ye——”’ ‘Sure now, he was a gallant fellow, Span- iard or no Spaniard,” said Blood. ‘In packing off the gold when he heard of our approach, he did his duty. Had he been less gallant, he would have gone off with it him- self, instead of remaining here at his post. Gallantry calls to gallantry; and that’s all I have to say about it.” And then before Wolverstone could make answer, sharp and clear above the noise the buccaneers were making, rang the note of a bugle from the side of the river. Blood leapt to his feet. “Tt will be Christian and Yberville return- ing!” he cried. ‘Pray God they’ve got the gold at least,” said Wolverstone. | They dashed out into the oper’, and made for the parapet to which the men were al- ready swarming. As Blood reached it, the first of the returning canoes swung alongside of the jetty, and Christian sprang out of it. ““Ye’re soon returned,” cried Blood, leap- ing down to meet him. ‘“‘What luck?” Christian, tall and square, his head swathed in a yellow kerchief, faced him in the dusk. © “Certainly not the luck that you deserve, captain.”’ His tone was curious. ‘Do you mean that you didn’t overtake them?” Yberville, stepping aboard at that mo- ment, answered for his fellow leader. ‘There was nobody to overtake, captain. He fooled you, that treacherous Spaniard; he lied when he told you that he had sent off the gold; and you—you believed him—you believed a Spaniard! You have made your name what it is among the Brothers of the CORnNICLOOOKS (E@)