Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

Tides of Hate — the horizon, an influence worked among them, fostered by Goliath and Nell Clark, and in less degree by Kestral, who was not yet convinced, which gradually showed them how they stood to win all and lose little by following Edward Davies in any direction he choose to travel, ignoring Cook and Swan and the Frenchman himself if necessary. On the day when St. Paul rocks slipped over the sternward sea-line and the fore- foot all but touched the equator, Davies came on deck after working out his position and took his stand on a quarter-deck gun, whistle in hand. For fifteen minutes he stood motionless; keenly regarding the broad decks on which a full crew worked leisurely yet well, in a manner which a real merchantman sailor might well attribute, had he seen it, to visions and hallucinations; in a manner, in truth, telling of satisfied seamen, good seamen, who still hugged the knowledge that they were free and equal men, pirates avowed and committed, and as such subject to no such restrictions as governed the miserable Jacks who cringed within the law. There were no laws, save those of brother- hood, among the Cadzz’ company, as _ be- came proper, fearnaught pirates; but, whether they wanted to believe or not, certain it was that Edward Davies held a sway over them which, even so far in the cruise, none knew the manner of its attain- ment. Smiling in quiet triumph, Davies blew his whistle shrilly, and waited while every man save the helmsman tumbled up or down, from below or aloft, quitting tasks as well as .pastimes, to gather about the leader they had learned to respect as pirates rarely respected any man. Goliath took up a position near the cap- tain, and upon his ebony visage sat an ex- pression of blind devotion. Nell Clark as- sumed her favorite position in the skylight, standing on a cabin chair; and now, a rank deserter, Bravo the parrot perched on her shoulder, ruffling his feathers and leering with a sidewise red eye up at his master. “Men, ye have to cast a vote afore we sail further,” cried Davies with,a searching glance over the crew. Many a fat pirate started and looked at his fellow askance, for the abrupt announce- ment seemed to hint at default in some one. But Davies smiled amusedly, with nothing approaching guile in his eye, and proceeded: 29 ‘What ye have to vote on is, will ye fight for me with your necks in the noose before ye begin, or will ye rather fight as well while yet the rope is dangling before your eyes but not yet fitted?” A silence ensued in which creaking masts and slatting gear made a riot like pistol- shots, and the thrum of the bow wave was. music to be heard throughout the structure of the ship. Men peered questions into men’s faces; dark brows contracted in doubt of the captain’s meaning; for all pirates fought with the noose in view, and all pirates hated to have the rope dangled verbally. Upon the uneasy silence volleyed Bravo, fluttering up from the skylight to sit swing- ing upon the footrope of the crossjack. “Tohn Cook took his hook— He’s hiding out on Avesl’’ A laugh greeted the parrot’s interruption, and Kestral stepped forward and spoke for the rest. “Cappen, we ain’t your l’arnin’,” he said awkwardly, yet with a glitter in his eye which spoke well of his resolution. ‘Free and ekal, the Jolly Roger siggifies, and free and ekal we is, so to speak. Well we knows as we sails wi’ a rope at throats; an’ so do you, wiout offense, cappen; and so do the woman as sails as a man. “There ain’t a man in the company as wants election so long as they knows what’s in yer mind, cappen, so we all yotes as you open the book and tells the plain tally of yer ideas afore we does a thing about it.” Davies leaped from the gun, drew him- self erect, and faced the men with a satisfied smile. Bravo squawked and flew to his shoulder, and with one hand smoothing the bird’s ruffled plumage, the captain launched upon a recital that had occupied his waking and sleeping thoughts for many days. “Vere speaking straight and manly, Kestral,” he acknowledged. “So be it. I'll do the same, and mayhap we'll all come out o’ the venture the better for it. “Ve ask, or wonder, about the noose I spoke of. I mean this: “Ve all know of the amnesty offered to free rovers since my Lord Vaughan stepped on the tail of the traitor Morgan. Had ye served any but John Cook ye had all enjoyed the pardon offered. ‘As for me, I was lost in the jungle o’ the Isthmus when the offer was made, so lackéd COMMICLOOOkKS (C@ eX viedelt A i rod ay ees ‘