Adventure Magazine Cover — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

6 Adventure next morning. And now the bunk heaved under him; walls and floor and ceiling of his cabin slid and changed angle. He had drunk heavily the night before, starting at supper with the visiting captain of his consort 7he Lion; and before the meal was over he had been at once too sluggish and too comfortable to shift ashore. He could not remember turning in. Still fuddled, he watched the unfixed motion of his cabin. His seaman’s instinct reasserted itself before his will achieved reason. They were at sea! And should be at anchor in the peaceful harbor of Corunna! With an effort he xang his bell. The door opened as if swung to the bell rope. Avary backed by Horton entered, grinning at the sleepy skipper, who lifted himself on one elbow and stared at them with set, stupid eyes. “What’s wrong with the ship? drive? What weather is’t?” “All’s well,” answered Avary. “Fair wind and good weather. We’ve cleared the cape and we’re making all of nine knots onabowline. Shecan walk, can The Duke.” The sleepiness and stupidity vanished from the skipper’s eyes as a breath vanishes from the face of a mirror. Apprehension began to creep into them as he met the twinkling triumph in Avary’s glance, saw the grinning bulldog face of Horton— Horton who belonged aboard The Lion. “At sea?” he ventured. ‘“‘How can that be?” While he parleyed a dozen well-authen- ticated tales of ships taken from their law- ful captains surged through his muddled brain and stayed there in ominous record. Prominent was the story of Fly, boatswain of the Elizabeth of Bristol, the skipper’s own home port and that of The Duke. Fly had led a mutiny, and they had flung over Captain Green, chopping off his hand as he clung to the main sheet. True, Fly had been hanged at Boston, in New England, for other villainies only four years before, but that had not saved Captain Green. Full accounts of the trial had been printed on both sides of the Atlantic and read avidly by every seafaring man. The Duke’s captain, looking into the mocking gaze of Avary, remembered how it had been testi- fied that Fly had asked Green whether he “would take a leap like a brave fellow or be tossed over like a sneaking rascal?” Does she “Short prayers are best,” Fly had sneered to his skipper. “Repeat after me, ‘Lord have mercy on me.’ So—no more words; and over with him, my lads!’ Avary—he had always mistrusted Avary for a man who would not share in a fair bout of drinking—Avary, the sleek devil, was just such another as Fly! Recollection raced through the mind of the captain like waves of the sea, summoned by his fear. “Come,” said Avary, “don’t be in a fright, but put on your clothes and I’ll put you into a secret. You must know that I am captain of this ship now, and Horton is quartermaster. This is my cabin and you must walk out. I am bound to Madagas- car with a design of making my own fortune, and all the brave fellows have agreed to join with me.” “You have turned pirates?” “Gentlemen of Fortune is the name we prefer.” Avary’s tone crispened; his smile changed to a snarl. “We have no time for answering imperti- nent questions further,” he said. “Turn out and go on deck quietly and it will save us the trouble of scraping the cabin. If not—a few buckets of water and a scraper will take the blood out of the planks. Suit yourself.” Reaction from the liquor and his fear of death left the captain without coordination. He could only beg for mercy in a voice that mumbled of his unfitness for sudden death and judgment, that begged for time to pre- pare himself for the great change. “T ask no more mercy, Avary,” he plead- ed, “than justice and compassion that the law shall allow you if you be hereafter taken.” ‘‘____ your blood,”’ preach to me!” Then he broke into a laugh. “A fighting man and yet afraid of sudden death,” he jeered. “It is as well we changed captains, upon my soul. Come, don’t grovel there, man. Get up, and if you have a mind to make one of us we will receive you; if not you can take a boat and you shall be set ashore with the other faint- hearts of the crew.’ Horton grumbled something under his breath about imprudence. “Tf they go we'll see they have a walk to give them appetite for breakfast,”’ returned started Avary, “don’t CORMICLOO© <S) (C@