Adventure Magazine Cover — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

Plunder 9 to the pinch he felt the qualms of physical fear as irresistibly as the seasick traveler loses control of his stomach, however he may master his affairs on land, however he may vow beforehand to subdue his nausea. Shipton had openly sneered at him when he had rebuked the man for slackness in his work. Horton was right; he should not have Jet the matter pass. Shipton was his inferior in almost every way. The chances were that he could have worsted him in fight he had not dared provoke. Hitherto, backed by the authority of his office as warranted officer under the crown, Avary had avoided such affairs. For a sailor to strike an officer was death. Ashore his wits had kept him out of brawls. Now he was alone. Supremacy was like- ly to be settled by physical rating alone. For all his cleverness in scheming he saw plamly that the master of a pirate crew must top the men in deviltry, in daring, in all the attributes that they considered su- preme or lose their respect and obedience, which meant ultimate loss of office. Re- duced to one of the crew Avary would fare miserably. He was very far from being a fool. He re- alized the truth and knew he must accept it. He withdrew his hand from his ruffles and sat with elbow on table, chewing his nails to the quick in sulky mortification. The men had power to depose and elect a cap- tain at will. forcing Avary to furnish them with his superior knowledge with a knife at his ribs. Such a situation if it suggested itself to them might appea! to their sense of humor. He had let loose a lot of dogs who, lacking the leash and the lash, had reverted toward wolfdom. “What to doe” he asked, forcing the question bitterly. “TI can call a ‘mast’ and lecture them, ordering Shipton for punish- ment.” “Twill not do. The matter was personal *tween you and Shipton. You dodged it. “One thing you can do. Appoint me mate. Let the men choose another quarter- master.’ Ill find a man for second to me within a day or two. But appoint me mate. No need for an election to that office. And they’ll jump to my orders or Til skin the hairy hides off of them. There'll be one master aboard the ship. “You've the brains, Avary, but you’re not a fighting man. A spaniel can follow They might choose Horton, ' the scent, but it tucks tail when teeth are shown. What to do when it comes to boarders away or repel boarders I know not. You'll have to make some showing. But we’ll let that dog sleep. Make me mate and there'll be no trouble with Shipton.” Avary covered his eyes with his hand to hide the relief he showed. In a way he still commanded the respect of Horton, and the latter was the only one who had weighed him truly. Horton would handle Shipton. It was a good way to settle matters, and their mutual understanding—obnoxious as it was to Avary’s sense of dignity—had been necessary. “You get an extra half-share as quarter- master,’ he demurred. —“‘As mate you'll share alike with the men.” Horton showed his crooked teeth in a rin. “Tl not lose,” he answered. ‘“‘You and I are going to stand back to back. You get two shares and I one. We'll split the three between us.” Avary checked the devil that leaped in him before it looked out of his eyes and stretched his hand across to Horton. It would be easy enough to make up his loss by holding out part of the loot secured. As captain all booty would be spread before him on maindeck or on beach and he would act as appraiser, portioning out the stuff into as many shares as there were dividers. Simple to palm some jewels and appropriate them for himself. He smoothed all villainy from his face as their palms touched and fingers gripped. “Done!” he cried. “Back to back, Hor- ton. We'll make arare partnership. Now we'll open a bottle of wine together.” Horton was nothing loath. Avary envied him his capacity. He himself found that liquor affected him swiftly, perhaps because of his haitual abstemiousness. It was a practise established deliberately to afford him advantage over those who drank on every occasion. He took two glasses of the Oporto wine, and Horton literally poured the rest down his hairy gullet, smacking his lips in approval. pee THE announcement of Horton’s Zz | promotion was made at the mast at \ noon, after the taking of the mid- day observation. It pleased the gunner of The Duke, and his example spread. The COMMICOOOKS (C@