Adventure Magazine Cover — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

santa Maria Main, and yet you believe a Spaniard!” “Tf ye’d come to the point now!’ said Captain Blood, his voice more than usually metallic. ‘Did I hear ye say he had not sent off the gold? D’ye mean that it is still here?” “No,” said Christian. is that after he had so fooled you with his lies that ye didn’t even trouble to make search, you allowed them to go off Scot free, taking the gold with them.” “What?” barked the captain. And there was a confused clamor among the bucca- neers behind him. ‘How do you know this?” ‘“‘A dozen miles or so from here, we came upon an Indian village; and we had the wit to stop and inquire how long it might.be since a Spanish fleet of canoes had gone that way. They answered us that no such fleet had passed today or yesterday, or any day since the last rains. That’s how we knew that your gallant Spaniard had lied. We put about at once to return, and midway back we ran into Don Domingo’s party. The meeting took him by surprize. He had not reckoned upon us seeking information so soon. But he was as smooth and specious as ever, and a deal more courteous. He confessed quite frankly that he had lied to” you, adding that subsequently, after our de- parture, he had purchased his* liberty and that of all who accompanied him by sur- rendering the gold to you. He was instruct- ed by you, he said, to order us to return at once, and share in the plunder which was being divided, and he showed us your note of hand, which made him safe.” And then Yberville took up the tale. “But we being not quite so trustful of Spaniards, and arguing that he who lies once will lie again, took them ashore and subjected them to a search.” “And d’ye tell me that you found the gold?” cried Blood, aghast. “What we mean 161 Yberville paused a moment and smiled. “You had permitted them to victual them- selves generously against that journey. Did you observe at what spring Don Domingo filled his water-casks?”’ “His water-cdsks?” quoth Blood. “Were casks of gold—there’s six or seven hundredweight of it at the least. -We’ve brought it with us.” By the time the joyous uproar excited by that announcement had settled down, Cap- tain Blood had recovered from his mo- mentary chagrin. He laughed. “T give you best,” he said to Christian and Yberville. ‘‘And the least I can do by way of amends for having suffered myself to be so utterly fooled, is to forego my share of the booty.” And then, on a graver note: “What did you do with Don Domingo?”’ he asked. “Y would have shot him for his perfidy,” said Christian, fiercely. “But Yberville htre—Yberville, of all men, this drinker of Spanish blood—turned mawkish, and be- sought me to let him go.” Shamefacedly the young F renehinalt hung his head, avoiding the Captain’s glance of questioning surprize. “Oh, but after all,”’ he flung out, defiant almost in his self-defense, “‘what would you? There was a lady in the case—his little In- dian wife.” “Faith now, it was of her that I was think- ing,’ said Blood. “‘And for her sake and his —oh, and also for our own—it will be best to tell Brazo Largo that Don Domingo and his wile were slain in the fight for the gold. The sight of the recovered water-casks will am- ply confirm the story. Thus there should be peace for all concerned, himself in- cluded.” And so, although they brought back that rich booty from Santa Maria, Blood’s part in the transaction was rated as one of his few failures. Not so, however, did he him- self account it. As aresult of the vote by our readers, Adventure is going to appear three times a month, beginning with the October issues (on the stands in September). The dates are the 10th, 20th and 30th. Remember them. (EO) VOOKS (Cay