Adventure Magazine Cover — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

The Gold Ship was now almost up to the thwarts of the canoe which was ready to sink beneath them. ‘Now!’ They rose to Pierre’s whisper as if it had been a bugle call and swarmed up the side of the galleon like so many cats, spurning the scuttled boat that sank in a swirl as Sanderson leaped for the muzzle of a culverin and clawed up after the rest. A few startled sailors confronted the leaders. Two were struck down. The rest fled with Tague and his men hard after them. De Blois leaped up the carven ladder to the poop, lit by its three lanterns. The officer of the deck was staring overside when de Blois jumped him. Pierre caught the quick ring of steel. A shot sounded forward where the Britisher Tremaine tackled the forecastle. The cross-eyed Fallon and his seven fighters had rushed below to the powder room. The Spanish sailors, panic-stricken,; had dived below believing themsélves attacked by seafiends as, dripping wet, the ragged, unshaven buccaneers flourished their naked steel or clapped pistols to the,heads of will- ingly surrendering prisoners. UNDER the rail of the poop, in a gallery formed by the hood projec- tion of the upper deck, a sentinel had been set. So swift had been the rush of Pierre and his four that the man, unsur- prized, was still gawping through the glazed windows at his superiors in the cabin. He was armed with sword and arquebus, hel- meted with a light morion. Michel, anxious to: distinguish himself, snatched off the helmet with one hand and struck the sentry a blow with the butt of his pistol upon the base of his skull. The man toppled, pitched forward, trying to spin on his neck as Pierre flung open the door. Beneath four flaring candles that were set in a ceiling lantern of wrought iron, four richly dressed hidalgo officers in ruff and ruffle, sat about a massive table playing cards. The cabin was handsomely paneled and hung with tapestry. There was a valuable Eastern rug on the floor. There were flagons and goblets on the table. The luck seemed to have been going all the way of the man who sat facing the cabin door. Gold pieces were piled in front of him. He 65 was holding up a card, displaying it with a smile and gay words that suddenly -froze to silence. “You will observe,” he was saying, “that once more I hold the winning card. I— in the name of , what is e. Pierre reached the table in a bound, leaning across it with one hand outspread upon the scattered cards and stakes, his pistol leveled at the player’s breast. “You will observe,” he cried, in fair Spanish, “that you have overlooked this little ace—this ace of trumps that will as- suredly spoil your suit of hearts unless you quietly surrender.”’ The commander of the galleon dropped his cards and held up his ruffled wrists as he shrank back against the paneling. Four savages, foul and fierce looking, puddling his cabin rug, grinned at him sardonically behind the man who.covered him with a pistol muzzle that had grown as large around as ‘a porthole. At the temple of each of his officers was a similar menace. A lean, red-stubbled devil with hairy legs and arms stood in the middle of the floor holding a great cutlas by hilt and blade in hands that swung low towards his bare knees. A cross-eyed, panting pirate appeared in the cabin door. ‘All secured below,” he reported ex- ultantly. “Tremaine has ’em herded. The ship is ours.”’ Don Sebastien de Rueza y Dourado, vice- admiral of Spain, was a proud man but he did not let his pride interfere with ex- pediency. “Your ace wins, sefior,” he said. “I take it you are Frenchmen. May I ask the name of your leader?” “You may call me Pierre le Grand,” said the Norman, the battle-flame of his eyes changing to milder complacency. “Since I have won the game, may I ask the exact amount of the stakes? It may save some searching and inconvenience on both sides.”’ ; Don Sebastien heaved a sigh of resigna- tion. “This is the Santa Ysabel, bound for Cadiz, laden with gold bullion,” he said. “You have made a rich haul. Now take that pistol away from my head. And tell me what you propose to do with me and—my command.” “Since we are rich, we can afford to be GOMIIGooOoO S (© iin