Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

20 “No,” she answered softly, “not while that cliff is yonder!” “Faith! Don’t say that,” interrupted Barney. ‘‘Why, it’s wicked. And besides, we’re all here to look out for you.” “Thank you, Barney. I know I can de- pend upon you—but what can you do?” “Oh, there’ll be a way out of this. But I don’t blame you for being down at the mouth. Why, if they tried to make me marry one of those men down there, I’d— I’d—I don’t know what I’d do. Id kill him!’’ Nancy threw back her head and laughed, a merry, ringing laugh. ‘“‘Ah, Barney boy,” she said, “‘with you for my defender, I should not fear.” ‘““Mademoiselle leaves me out!” cried the Frenchman in an injured tone, and thump- ing himself grandly upon the chest. ‘While Bras-de-Mort has a bullet for his musket, it is at her service.” “Hein! So Iam to be Madame Bras-de- Mort, yes?” cried Cherie. “I thought you had no name, Monsieur. I assure you ’tis a good one and satisfies me. But if you had seen how well our friend defends herself, maybe you would not think it necessary to offer your deadly arm. Yellow Eyes would not think so.” It was the first time Nancy had heard the dumb man’s name mentioned since her encounter with him on the deck. Now, as she glanced off down the beach, she saw him plowing along through the sand toward her. CHAPTER VI THE CASTLE ON THE HILL gps ESCAPE the baneful eyes of the tongueless man, and the hideous sight of his fleshless skull and bloodshot lips, Mistress Nancy made a wide detour through the palm-trees, followed by Barney. She knew not whither she was going; her sole desire: was to be alone, to collect her thoughts and have an opportunity to dis- cuss in peace and quiet with the Irish boy plans for their escape, for that she would die rather than submit to the fate that awaited her here in Tortuga she was firmly resolved. But the blood that had been resolute enough to send an English king to the scaf- fold flowed in the girl’s veins. She felt a strengthening of all the fibers of her being Adventure under the pressure of her troubles, which, instead of making her weary, clarified her mind and gave her unwonted energy. First, to see in what sort of place she was, and to determine then what avenues of escape of- fered. She was hungry, and Three-legs, the mas- tiff dog, which trotted at her side, looked up into her face with eloquent eyes which proclaimed in unmistakable language just what he would have thought of a bone. As for Barney, he had been half-starved so - often that his stomach gave him little trouble, seeing that it expected nothing much of anything and was always as grate- ful as astonished at any titbit which came its way. Still, they had eaten no food since the night before, when they had dined on a couple of biscuit and a little brandy and water in the bottom of their tankard. So they turned their attention to the beach where there was every evidence of culinary activity, and whence was wafted to them a delicious odor. A great fire had been lighted in the open space between the sea and the cluster of shacks and huts which served the colonists for a town, a short distance from the water’s edge. Over it a whole ox was roasting on an enormous spit, sending forth an aroma that, as they drew near, became madden- ing. The blaze was surrounded by a noisy throng, those who had landed that day from the Baptiste mingling with their new- found friends and fellow-countrymen, who paid clumsy court to the women or fought among themselves for the favors of the more attractive ones, who, finding them- selves eagerly sought after among so many men, were not slow to exercise those arts of coquetry best calculated to win for them- selves the pick of the prospective hus- bands. | Scarcely a damsel but was surrounded by a dozen rough gallants, who proffered them the choicest cuts from the barbecue, offered them cups of wine from the casks which had been broached under the palm-trees, show- ering them at the same time with uncouth compliments and speeches that were as pretty as they, who had been so long out- side the pale of civilization, knew, or re- membered, how to make. A squalid lot of wretches they were, too, the scrapings of the slums and alleys of COMmichoooks (©