Adventure Magazine Cover — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

Looking for Trouble d’Aton, a tool of Pimental and Cabral, was at once proclaimed President and _ hailed by the populace with the customary ac- claim. Instead of being killed at once, as I had expected, I was taken to a small fort on a hill near the town where, on the altogether false charge that I had fomented trouble and brought on civil war, I was tried by drumhead court-martial and sentenced to be shot at sunrise. The verdict was, of course, dictated by revenge, and execution of it was delayed because they wished to gloat over me for a while. This was a little the most serious pre- dicament I had ever been in and, with the idea of taking every chance that was open to me, rather than with any distinct hope that it would be answered, I gave the grand hailing-sign of a powerful secret order which I had joined while in Caracas. I thought I saw a sergeant raise his eyes, but, as he gave no further sign, I concluded that if there had been any movement it had been one of surprise and not of recognition. I was placed in a large sala with windows opening on the courtyard, and blank walls on the three other sides. The windows were barred and, after satisfying myself that they were secure and that there was no way of escape, I lay down and smoked, reflecting that if my time had come there was no way of interfering with the program scheduled for the break of day. The soldiers were drinking and celebra- ting their victory with shouts and songs, which lessened in volume and vehemence as the night wore on, but two sentries, who paced back and forth in front of my room and met under one of the windows, relig- iously kept sober. Now and then a drunken coterie would press their dirty faces against the bars to hurl at me denunciatory bursts of Spanish eloquence, to which I vigorously replied, but these enlivening visits grew less and less frequent as the consumption of tafia rum increased. Along about three o’clock, just as I had about made up my mind that in a couple of hours I should be due to start on an indef- inite exploration, I heard a short scuffle at each end of the path the sentries were patrolling, and a gurgling noise as though a man were choking. The next moment Lo- rensen’s voice came softly through the door: ** Are you in there, Captain?”’ I assured him that I was. 603 “Stand away from the door!” he said, and I obeyed the order with pleasurable alacrity. Three blows with a log of crutch mahog- any, taken from a pile in the courtyard, smashed in the door. Lorensen seized my arm and, led by the sergeant who had, after all, recognized the sign I had made, we climbed down a declivity back of the fort and made our way to the shore, where two boats were waiting for us. The smashing in of the door of my prison aroused the drowsy guard and we were hardly well out of the fort before there was a beating of drums and loud shouts from the few half-sober officers. They finally mustered a detachment which was sent in pursuit of us, but they were not in a condition to move rapidly and did not reach the shore until we were a con- siderable distance away from it. They fired a few shots in the general direction of the sea, but as we were in no danger of being hit we did not raise a gun. When we got out to the Julietie I heard the story of my deliverance. The sergeant, whose name was Alexandro, had under- stood my signal. He went into the city as soon as he could get away from the fort and, by persistent questioning of the na- tives, finally ascertained that I was in command of the American ship lying in the harbor, for I had not hoisted the Santo Domingan flag on the Juliette. He then rowed out to the ship and, after telling Lorensen what had happened, through a member of the crew who could speak Span- ish, offered to lead a rescuing party to the place where I was confined. He said it would be comparatively easy to get me away, as only a small body of troops had been left at the fort—the supply ot rum in the city being much larger—and_ they would be helpless from drink by that time. Lorensen, being a member of the same order, could well understand why a white man would take the deep personal interest in my welfare which Alexandro had mani- fested, but he was suspicious that the negro was seeking to lead him into a trap. He decided, however, to take no chances, so, after warning Alexandro that he would be the first man killed if he attempted any treachery, he went ashore, with sixteen well-armed men, six of whom were left with the boats while the others proceeded to the old fort. They surprised the two sen- CORMICLOOCKKS. ECO