Adventure Magazine Cover — page 193: what you’re looking at

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

The Mahogany Garden tion, and there was an answer from the line of the enemy, three round cheers and a “Viva Haskell!’ ‘““Maybe they don’t know a good thing when they see it!” said Peters, refilling his magazine. “But I would rather they had yelled loud enough to reach the ears of Nufiez José!” panted Haskell. ‘It is getting too bright for any man to try to get through on foot, Jack, and there must be a hundred of them out there. We have eighteen men, seven rifles and nine pistols. And will you look up there!”’ In the first light two sailboats could be seen coming down the coast, the reflected flash of arms showing among the scores of men that crowded them. “But see here, Haskell, suppose they do kill us off; you know there is such a thing as ' law in this country after all. This will make a big muss.”’ “No, Jack, I have learned that Yucateco haciendados stand by each other. All that Don Felipe will have to prove is that I assaulted him, disarmed him and nearly killed him and then that I and my men resisted arrest from an entrenched camp. The American State Department is accus- tomed to swallowing tales like that. If we were British subjects there would have been a gunboat flying the flag of St. George in the offing this very minute.” “Well, what are we going to do about it?” “Fight!” All day long under the burning sun the little band, keeping close under cover, fired at every movement of the enemy in the bush, and every time a rifle spoke after a half-hour’s stillness a veritable shower of bullets would hurtle over the camp, spat against the defenses and throw up little spurts of sand about. Only three found human targets. One of the men from the village had a wound in the shoulder; Jack Peters had the back of his left hand seared, and once, when the Maya who had ridden back wounded raised from his couch in his delirium, a bullet, coming through the wattie-work, had struck him fairly and he fell back, his suffering at an end. In the early part of the day it was plain that the attacking party was interested in perfecting the investiture, but when they at- tempted to advance they were driven off the bare ridge to the north and south, and 757 gradually the main body massed in the thick cover to landward, the low bushes of the dried marsh affording excellent cover. Utilizing the first darkness, two swimmers struck out from camp and, assembling driit- wood up the beach, simultaneously started two chains of fire and then swam back safe- ly. This was in accordance with a plan of Haskell’s. About two hours after sunset he saw that what he had foreseen was com- ing to pass. The increasing fire from the landward, though it was doing no harm, signified an added activity there and an effort to cover some movement. “Direct all your fire to the right!" was his order. “Gee!” responded Jack Peters insub- ordinately. “Are you going to let those fellows down there do as they please? ”’ “Wait and see, Jack, wait and see,’’re- plied Haskell. A little after midnight there were whistles and signal-calls from the bush, then some <houted orders, and with wild yells the mass of the enemy now assembled in the marsh roke into the open, dashing forward fora grand assault. _idere they come!”’ cried Peters witha green. “TI guess it’s good-by, old man!”’ T.e was pumping away with his carbine, and suddenly stopped short at the sight of Haskell dashing to the sluice-gate and throwing his weight against the levers. The tide was nearly at its full height and with a roar the water poured in on the very ground over which the attack was advanc- ing—great yellow overwhelming waves. There were wild shouts of triumph and derision from the defenders, cries of fear from the hacienda men. Those in the rear had time to withdraw, but the van was caught among the bushes, and their own confusion militated against their escape. It was not likely that there would be much loss of life, save among those who could not swim, but their arms went down out of sight in the water. By the light of the fires men could be seen struggling in the yellow swirl in the undergrowth, and the two Americans forebore to fire on them in their helplessness. Suddenly little old withered Juan gave a shriek of joy. He had descried something the others had not seen—a bearded man tangled in some vines, with the water rising about him. Into the water up to his arm- pits went the little man, breasting his way COMMICLOOCKKS. ECO