Adventure Magazine Cover — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

40 foolishness in beating the pan, Pete,” he said. ‘“‘Afore he’s done with you he may kill you. I know him better’n you do— once he gits an idea into his head, there’s no stopping him. If you’re wise you'll yell when he gives you the rope. That’s all he’s aiming to do—make you yelp like a dog. You hark to what I say, and give him a good squeal. We'll be in Tangeru to- morrow anyway, and you'll be alive if you beg for mercy.”’ “T understand, sir,” said Pete, and sub- mitted: his hands to the bosun to be bound. Then a line was rove through the main- shrouds, and Pete’s hands were snugged up to the ratlines till his toes barely touched the deck. Gedge was out by this time, carrying a cat-o’-nine-tails, made from heaving-line— a hard-laid line as supple as a ribbon but its body as hard as wire. Though the moon was bright, Gedge or- dered Filson and the bosun to hold lanterns up to Pete’s face so the captain would be able to observe the effect of his punishment on the cook. “Cap’en, please don’t whip me,” Pete quietly. “Not such a gay bird now, eh?” snarled Gedge, and, reaching out, grasped the cook’s light cotton shirt at the neck and ripped it off him. Then he stepped beck and swung his many-lashed whip with all his strength upon the naked back of the cook. Pete screamed, and then broke out into an incoherent torrent of pleading, twisting his body about. At that there came mut- terings of protest from some of the crew. “Less noise for’ard!”’ roared Gedge. “Tf I hear any more I'll serve some of you the same!” He brought the whip into play again, snorting through his nostrils like an en- raged animal as he struck out. Once more Pete cried out in agony, but Gedge did not take any rest between blows. He rained the whip unceasingly upon the black man’s back. “{ think that’s enough, sir!’’ cried Filson, and interposed himself between Gedge and the cook so as to interrupt the swing of Gedge’s arm. But Gedge slipped aside and slashed at Pete wildly. He had a taste of savage cruelty, and his appetite for it had been whetted by days of brooding over Pete’s said Adventure calm resistance to the torments he had devised. “That’s enough, sir! That’s enough!’ warned Filson, trying to push Gedge out of reach of Pete. The mate did manage to keep him out of reach of the cook, and the bosun contrived to get himself in the way. By this time the muttering crew was gathering near. The bosun dared to cut the lashing, and Pete dropped to the deck, limp and bleed- ing. Gedge struggled with Filson to get in reach of the cook, and finally Filson and the bosun dragged the skipper into the main-cabin, snarling like a madman, and slashing right and left with the whip. Fil- son wrenched it out of his hands. “You'll kill him, and then be hanged, sir,’ said Filson. ‘Don’t go too far—or the crew * “‘T’m master here!’ bawled Gedge, and he thrust the mate and the bosun away. Then, running out on deck again, he shrieked at Pete: “Git out of this ship. I said I’d make you squeal, and I have. But I don’t want any squealers aboard me! You’re so crazy to play the tom-tom—git ashore before——’”’ ‘‘That means death, sir,”’ son. “The natives hunters.” ‘He belongs in the jungle!’ raged Gedge. “ll log him as having jumped overboard and deserted. Any man aboard who wants to argue about it, I'll hold his pay up in Manila. There’s no consul in Tangeru. “This nigger ain’t fit to mix with white men. Give him his blasted dishpan and let him go to his own kind—that, or I’ll trice him up again and beat him to death!” Pete staggered to his feet and stumbled forward along the bulwark. He kicked off his slippers and shed his trousers, and before anybody knew what he was about, he dived overboard and began to swim for the beach. Filson and the crew stood and watched Pete’s body cutting through the smooth, moonlit water of the bay. Gedge gave a snort of triumph and went back to his cabin, cursing and throwing things about. But Filson felt as if he had had a hand in murder. He was sure that Pete would not survive long, even if he reached shore. He watched the cook’s head disappear into the shadows of the mangrove-trees and the coco-palms, cautioned Fil- ashore are _ head- Go 1INOO S (©