Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 104: what you’re looking at

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

a 7A. PL a J hilt e* ; : h gee , 4 7 Wnt x) oe SeRUL lo el Ca es aT _s i) ee é V ¥, ‘ ; ‘ ie y © . TC 7 e ~ Ly (; ¢ *) ’ aig Ge » ~ WRAL x : it : 3 7? b Oat i tee WE ¢ rds, e <<) AD a al _ stupidly exc _ carrying 102 of the room and with a final effort I flung _ him across the threshold. We collided with the table and went to the floor within a few feet of the fireplace. I was uppermost -and reached for the poker to give him the quietus. Then, by the light of the fire, for the first time I beheld his countenance. I dropped the poker and released him, “Captain Sant!” He gained his feet and harshly cried: “Ambrose Kerry, you fool! And I can’t go back to the rebels so long as you live!” He jumped for the door and bumped into Bucks, who cried: “Cap’n Sant! What’n tarnation Sant hurled him one side and raced for the street door. “Stop him! Kill him!” I cried. _ Although he understood nothing of the situation Bucks was quick to respond and ran down the hall, I following more tardily. As Sant reached the door the knocker rose and fell and voices called out. Before we _could stop him Sant had turned the key and passed out. Bucks closed and relocked the door at once. Through the sidelight I beheld a group of soldiers, one of them lantern. Before Sant could open his mouth they seized him. He fought them as fiercely as his spent strength would permit, and managed to gasp: “You fools! I am Captain Ambrose Kerry. Inside there——”’ But a soldier cracked him with the barrel of his musket and as his form went limp, shouted: “We know who you are, you —— rebel spy! Changed your fine clothes, thinking to git away.” Two men supported the prisoner, and a voice of authority com- manded: “Sergeant, bring the men from the rear of the house. Take the prisoner to the Bridewell. Forward!” I clutched Bucks’ wrists and drew him — down the hall to the back door. : ““What’n —— does this mean?” he whis- red. “Sant is the leak. He’s been supplying - the British with information. We are free until he can tell a connected story and identify himself to some one from head- quarters. The town major has him now. _ Only one or two high officers know his secret. _ He must get in touch with one of them.” “So that’s the way it goes, eh? Think Adventure of any one being so cussed mean as to spy. Sorry, sarg, but you ain’t a regular spy. You’re—you’re just a Morgan, scouting a bit. Let’s git outdoors where we'll have more room. Left the clothes at the back door.” — As we stole into the shrubbery the night’s dénouement-stirred Bucks more keenly, as though he was realizing the situation by degrees. “Suffering alligators! head’s busting!” “His chase of the Betworths was all a game. He’s the genuine Ambrose Kerry, their cousin. They went to the Jerseys to meet him arid receive his batch of informa- tion. His chase of them was all a game. He passed over his papers when he caught them. They were to bring his report to- town. General Arnold spoiled it by de- taining them. He had tc change his plans, either bringing or sending his news. And be- fore leaving the American Army he planned the women’s escape.” ‘“‘But why did he come here before going to his friends at headquarters?’ mumbled Bucks. The question was very relevant, but it helped me to explain much that seemed inexplicable. “He sent the papers by Betsy Osmond, the maid. He came here to get them back. The girl burned the papers just before he arrived. Had he gone to headquarters first I would be wearing a rope within forty- eight hours.” Cap’n Sant! My CHAPTER V THE ONE WAY OUT E CUT across to New Street but did not enter it, preferring to keep parallel to it until’we believed we were outside any circle that troops thrown around the Bet- worth house would form. Not until then did I dare halt and change my clothing for the uncouth garments Bucks had brought. My pistols and gold pieces were all I shifted to my new disguise. The discarded finery was buried under some rubbish. In place of Cousin Jasper’s. exquisite. lace-trimmed hat I put on a ragged, shapeless thing which would have disgraced a scarecrow. I felt thoroughly disreputable, but Bucks in- sisted on smearing my face, hands and arms with dirt. Then he mussed my hair with 7 ~ = am Ise soe 0 ‘COM Se —-