Adventure Magazine Cover — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

The My WELL-BELOVED: I am in the Dutch brig Jongvrouw, which is about to sail. Resolved to separate us forever my cruel father is sending me to Europe, in my brother’s charge. I implore you, come to my rescue! Deliver me, my well-beloved hero! Your desolated MADELEINE, who loves you. The well-beloved hero was moved to the soul of him by that passionate appeal. His scowling glance swept the bay for the Dutch brig that had been riding there. She was nowhere to be seen. He roared out the question in his mind. In answer the half-caste pointed to a sail standing out to sea a mile or so away. “There she go,” he said. “There!” The Frenchman gasped and stared, his face empurpling. ‘And where have you been that you come here only now with this? Answer me!” The half-caste cowered terrified before his fury. His explanation, if he had one, was paralyzed by fear. Levasseur caught him by the throat, shook him twice, snarl- ing the while, then hurled him into the scuppers. His head struck the gunwale, and he lay there, quite still, a trickle of blood issuing from his mouth. Levasseur dashed one hand against the other as if dusting them. ‘“Feave that filth overboard,” he ordered those who stood behind him in the waist. “Then up anchor, and let us after her.” “Steady, captain. What’s this?” There was a restraining hand upon his arm, and the broad face of his lieutenant, -Cahusac, a burly, fearless, Breton scoundrel, was stolidly regarding him. Levasseur made clear his purpose with a deal of unnecessary obscenity. Cahusac shook his head. “A Dutch brig!” said he. We should never be allowed.” “And who will deny us?” Levasseur was between amazement and anger. “For one thing, there’s your own crew will be none too willing. For another there’s Captain Blood.” “T care nothing for Captain Blood.” “But it is necessary that you should. He has the power, the weight of metal and of men.” “Ah!” said Levasseur, showing his teeth. But his eyes, riveted upon that distant sail, were gloomily thoughtful. Cursing in his soul, even before the “Tmpossible! Prize 73 anchor was weighed, the association into which he had entered, he was already studying ways of evasion. What Cahusac implied was true. Blood would never suffer violence to be done in his presence to a Dutchman; but it might be done in his absence; and, being done, he must perforce condone it. Within the hour the Colleen and La Foudre were beating out to sea together. All day the Dutch brig was in sight, though by evening she had dwindled to the merest speck on the northern horizon. Their own course lay eastward along the northern coast of Hispaniola. To that course the Colleen held steadily through the night, with the result that when day broke again she was alone. La Foudre, under cover of the darkness, had struck away to the northeast with every rag of canvas on her yards. Cahusac had attempted yet again to protest, but feebly. “The take you!” Levasseur had answered him. “A ship’s a ship, whether she be Dutch or Spanish, and ships are our present need. That will suffice for the men.” Dawn found La Foudre close on the Dutchman’s heels, not a mile astern, and the sight of her very evidently flustered the Jongvrouw. No doubt mademoiselle’s broth- er, recognizing Levasseur’s ship, would be responsible for this. They saw her crowd- ing canvas in a futile endeavor to outsail them, whereupon they stood off to star- board and raced on until they were in such a position as to send a warning shot across her bow. The /Jongvrouw veered, showed them her rudder and opened fire with her stern- chasers. The small shot went whistling through La Foudre’s rigging with some slight damage to her canvas. Followed a brief running fight, in the course of which the Dutchman let fly a broadside. Five minutes after that they were board and board. The Jongvrouw was held tight in the clutches of the La Foudre’s grapnelS” with the buccaneers storming noisily into her waist. THE Dutchman’s master, purple in the face, stood forward to beard the pirate, and at his heels came an elegant, pale-faced young gentleman in whom Levasseur recognized his brother-in- law elect. COMIGIOO <SiiGO