Adventure Magazine Cover, October 1911 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

The Adventure of the French Captain fora moment. Presently, he got off the bed and took a turn up and down the room. Then he turned to Barnes. ““T might as well tell you the story. It may relieve me to do so.” “There isn’t any doubt about that. Go ahead now and don’t omit any part of it.”’ The sailor smiled grimly. “‘T’m not likely to forget any part of it. My name is Henri La Rue, Captain of the Mermaid and a native of Bordeaux, though my mother was English. I’ve been on the sea all my life and have had charge of this ship for the past six years. Ten days agolI sailed from my home port with a cargo of French champagne consigned to Bunn and Company of New York.” © “You got in with it safely?” interrupted Forward. “Oh, yes, I got in with it all right!” he said bitterly. “Then why “! ‘“‘Forward,’’ commanded the Chief, “please keep quiet and let the Captain tell his story in his own way.” ay | “THANK you,” acknowledged the feie! seaman, the flicker of a smile on his Lew! disturbed countenance, “that’s what I want to do. Well, to make the story clear Ishouldsay that your new tariff law increases the duty on champagne from $6 to $9.60 per case. Now, under the commercial treaty lately existing between the United States and France, this new tariff could not go into effect until after certain preliminaries had been complied with. One was a proclama- tion by your President. After that, it was agreed between the two countries that the treaty should be abrogated on a certain date —which date was to-day. Now, to win the benefit of the old—the lower duty—on my cargo of wine, it was necessary for me to get the Mermaid in port and to file my manifest at the Custom House before the closing hour to-day.” ‘‘And the closing hour?” interjected the . lawyer. “The closing hour,” replied the Captain, “was at half-past four this afternoon!” ‘What time did you arrive in port?” asked Barnes. ‘“‘At half-past three.” “Then it was all right,” cried Clancy. ‘So I thought,”’ resumed the Frenchman, sadly, ‘but it proved to be all wrong.” “Howr?’”’ 1009 ‘Well, the minute we touched the wharf I jumped ashore with my manifests and other ship’s papers and started for the Cus- _ tom House. A big, broad-shouldered fellow standing on the pier came forward and shook hands with me, congratulating me on my success in getting in on time. That pleased me, naturally—you would have been pleased yourself under the circumstances. “The fellow said, ‘Captain, you’re a game sport and if there’s anything I admire it’s a game sport. If you’ll jump into my automobile, Pll run you up to the Custom House in no time.’ ‘“‘T was so crazy to file my papers so as to make the transaction complete and legal that I accepted the invitation. On the way up he pulled out a flask of brandy and in- vited me to have a swig. Now, I’m not a drinking man. In fact, I’m so abstemious that you might almost call me a total ab- stainer, but I was nervous and excited from the strain of the voyage, and I thought a few drops would merely act as a stimulant. I took it and when I recovered consciousness an hour ago I found myself a prisoner in this room!’”’ “A plot!” ejaculated Clancy. “Beyond a doubt,” wailed the Captain, ‘Cand the worst part of it is that all of my papers are gone. But what difference does that make? I’ve lost the race, and Bunn and Company will lose a little fortune.” While he was talking, Barnes stooped down and picked up a newspaper that lay on the floor. ‘“‘What’s this?” asked the Chief. “Oh,” answered the other wearily, “that’s to-day’s issue of the New York Journal of Commerce. I always get it when I’m in port to read the shipping news. But ithasnointerest formenow. There’snothing in life for me now. I’m a broken man!” “Did you have your manifest in your pocket?” queried Barnes, ignoring the note of dejection. ‘“‘No; I had it with the other ship’s papers in a little red leather portfolio. It looked like a music-roll.”’ “Even if you were in time,’ said the Chief, ‘‘you could not do anything without your papers.” “No; I’m helpless without them.” “What did your obliging automobile friend look like?” “Broad shoulders, big, round, red face and hands like hams.” Comicbook CO