Adventure Magazine Cover — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

~ Basha at once. there it is plain that she has no suspicion. He tossed back his turbaned head. “To understand is something,” said he. “Tt is half-way at least to forgiveness. But ere forgiveness can be accepted the evil done must be atoned for to the full.” “Tf possible,”’ said she. “Tt must be made possible,”’ he answered her with heat, and on that he checked abruptly, arrested by a sound of shouting from without. . He recognized the voice of Larocque, who _at dawn had returned to his sentinel’s post on the summit of the headland, relieving the man who had replaced him there during the night. “My lord! My lord!’ was the cry in a voice shaken by excitement, and succeeded. by.a shouting chorus from the crew. Sakr-el-Bahr turned swiftly to the en- trance, whisked aside the curtain, and stepped out upon the poop. Larocque was in the very act of clambering over the bul-. warks amidships, toward the waist-deck where Asad awaited him in company with Marzak and the trusty Biskaine. The prow, on which the corsairs had lounged at ease since yesterday, was now a seething mob of inquisitive babbling men, crowding to the rail and even down the gangway in. their eagerness to learn what news it was that brought the sentinel aboard in such excited haste. From where he stood Sakrcl Habs ise: Larocque’s loud announcement. “The ship I sighted at dawn, my lord!” “Well?” barked Asad. “She is here—in the bay beneath that - headland. She has just dropped anchor.” “No need for alarm in that,” replied the “Since she has anchored of our ‘presence. What manner of ship is she?” “A tall galleon of twenty guns, flying the flag of England.” “Of England!’ cried Asad-in surprize. “She'll need be a stout vessel to hazard - herself in Spanish waters.” Sakr-el-Bahr advanced to the rail. “Does she display no further device?” he. asked. Larocque turned at the question: _ “Aye,” he answered, “‘a narrow blue pen- nant on her mizzen is charged with a white bird—a stork, I think.” “A stork?” echoed Sakr-el-Bahr shourtie fully. : a: sates He could call to mind no such English: * blazon, nor did it seem to him that it could possibly be English. He caught the sound of a quickly indrawn breath behind him. He turned to find Rosamund standing in the entrance, not more than half concealed by the curtain. Her face showed white and eager, her eyes were wide. : “What is’t?”’ he asked her shortly. “A stork, he thinks,’’ she said as_if that ; a were answer enough. “T’faith an unlikely bird,” he commented. a “The fellows mistook.” “Yet not by much, Sir Oliver.” “How? Not by much?” : Intrigued by something in her tone and glance, he stepped quickly up to her, whilst — below the chatter of voices increased. - “That which he takes to be a stork is a heron—a white heron, and white is ‘argent in heraldry, is’t note” - “Tt is. What fhen?” Silver Heron.’ He looked at her. “ Slifel” said he, “I reck little whether it be the silver heron or the golden grass- ~ hopper. What odds?” “It is Sir John’s ship— Sir John Killi- grew’s,”’ she explained. - ready to sail when—when you came to Arwenack. He was for the Indies. In- stead—don’t you see?—out of love for me he will have come after me upon a forlorn hope of overtaking you ere you could make Barbary.” “God’s light!” said Sakr-el-Bahr, and fell to\musing. Then he raised his head and laughed. “Faith, he’s some days late for that!” ~ But the jest evoked no response from her. She continued to stare at him with those eager yet timid eyes. “And yet,’ he continued, “he comes opportunely enough. If the breeze that has ~ fetched him is faint, yet surely it blows from ~ Heaven.”’ “D’ye not see? That ship will ee the “She was all but — ‘4: “Were it—” she paused, faltering amo- ment. Then— a “Were it possible to communicate with - him?” | . ae “Possible—aye,” he answered. “Though ee we must needs devise the means, and that = will prove none so easy.” oe “‘And you would do it?” she inquired, an undercurrent of wonder in her question: Bie some reflection of it in her face. Bee COMMCIOO<Saceline