Adventure, June 1911 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

. 250 as no doubt offended the Princess more than the sight of steel. ‘‘Have you lost your tongues? You have lost your courage, at least, I see! And you have good cause to lose it, for you shall all pay for this! What, is there no one of you that dares stand for- ward and face me? Rally up your spirits, find a spokesman who will dare tell me what © all this may mean!” There was a growl of threatening anger, and, encouraged by the sound, the leader ventured to step forward. It was Jacques, as I had guessed from the beginning. I had kept him down with a strong hand and he had many a grudge against me to pay off. Knowing him as I did, I felt anew the danger of the moment. If I failed, if Madonna Giula fell into this man’s hands “So, it is you!” I cried contemptuously, as he came a pace forward. “A pity they could get no better leader! Let me tell you, my friend, an hour from now there will not be an inch of skin left on your back, so flaunt your time while you may, and act ‘the ao Go on—have you no tongue, after ? ? For a moment he quailed, then laughed maliciously. ‘‘ My back is safe enough, mon capitaine,” he mocked. “In an hour—in a half-hour—nay, in half of that—you will be dead! We have had enough of you—we are finished with the White Company! When you are gone we will go back to France and take service there. Say a prayer, Sir John, if you have not forgotten the art. We will give you a moment to save your soul!”’ The others, surging forward ominously, laughed in an evil fashion at the jest. “T am not dead yet,” I said coolly, “nor do I think that such rogues as you can ever kill me. But come, you make me curious. Why is it that you are all so angered against me?” And I began to rock on my heels, laughing as at the best joke in the world. “Because you are a traitor to us, mon capitaine!’”’ the ruffian answered, showing his teeth in a snarling smile. ‘You turned against Prince Antonio, giving us no warn- ing of it, and embarked in this scheme against his cousin. Now our lives are not worth a pin here in Verona. You have put all our heads into a noose, but it is only your neck that will be wrung! What do you say to that, Sir John Hawkwood?” He had come quite close to me, and was sneering mali- ciously into my face. Adventure RG THE situation was desperate and I mee took the only possible course, one which might, I knew, bring ruin on us, or might perhaps save us—there was no guessing which. “What do I say?” I re- torted. “TIsay that you need a lesson in the proper fashion of address to use to your captain, and that I shall give it to you!”’ And I caught him by the back of the neck and began to beat him lustily with the flat of my sword. At his cry of: rage and pain I was quite sure that his comrades would sweep forward and annihilate me; but they did nothing of the sort. among them, though ‘he had a large follow Jacques was not too well loved © ing in his rebellion, and I have small doubt . it was the general sentiment that one so - boastful as he should be able to defend = himself. of doing nothing more than struggle hélp= lessly in my grasp and yell to them for succor, they at once experienced a feeling of contempt for him, and an added respect forme. For the moment, at least, my bold move had succeeded. “Have you more to say, you dog?” I asked grimly, as I belabored. him: “Then let us hear it, by all means! , Are you turned coward already? Another time you will mind your manners with me, I think!” And I added another string of oaths. for the benefit of my hearers, who thought no speech emphatic which was not so garnished. ‘Well, is your lesson learned, or will you have more? Ah, would you then, knave?”’ He had made a desperate clutch at his dagger and got it out of its sheath; seeing which, and none too soon, I struck him full across the side of the head with the hilt of my sword, and he fell like a log at my feet, in a dead swoon. I kicked the body out of my way “Well ” T said coolly, turning to confront the others, ‘“‘and who comes next to ques- tion me?”’ No one answered. Had they rushed me where I stood, as I had looked for them to do, nothing on earth could have saved me. O’Meara and I stood alone, two against two- score. But as I looked about the circle, a feeling of triumph ran through my veins like wine. There were men at the rear of the crowd who had taken no part in the tumult, who - had merely waited to see how the tide would turn. These, I knew, were not unfriendly CORICLOO (C© Sirice he was apparently capable —