Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

32 Rimble subsided with a parting protest as to how he would kiss a pig. ‘“How’s the tide?’ asked the vibrant voice. “Tt should have just turned ebb,” she answered, straining her eyes for him in the darkness. “Then we have luck with us—all but Jim Rimble.” The men laughed at this sally. ‘“‘Now then, lads, one foot right after the other now, and don’t go to sleep on the path. Lead on Devon, and we will take a dozen ships do you but say the word.” “Are any of you armed?” asked the girl. ‘fAll armed,” laughed the voice. “Good!”? she cried. “For the island swarms with cattle-hunters and buccaneers. Armed with what?” “British fists,” laughed the voice again, while the men shouted. “Fists!” “Aye. Don’t you worry about our arms, my girl.” “T have a musket, and thought you would care to take it from me.” “‘A good idea. Pass it to me, lads.” ‘‘And the boy here hath a pistol and a knife.” “Pass ’em along, too, little ’un.” “Faith! that I won’t,” rebelled Barney. my eyes if you get my pistol—but here’s the knife.’”’ He handed it to the man nearest him. ‘All ready, Devon?” ‘fAll ready! And we must go straight over the face of the cliff.” “Why not by the path—we know it well?” “The whole island is gathered at the set- tlement below, feasting and drinking.”’ “Feasting” —it was the husky voice again—‘‘and drinking! I say, fellows, we ought to go down and clean up the whole gang of ’em.” ‘Avast there, Jim Rimble. The maid is right. Over the cliff, lads, and step lively.” So they went scrambling through the un- dergrowth, clinging to the rocks and roots and branches of trees, and the thick tropical vines which grew in a network over the side of the mountain, Nancy and Barney, with Three-legs between them, helping the crip- pled dog who was hard put to find a grip for his toes and whined and moaned con- tinuously. Every man for himself it was, in that mad tumble through the jungle, until they Adventure came out at last upon the hard sand beach at the foot of the precipice, where they counted noses and found they had lost not aman in the descent, mad and reckless as it had been. Nancy and Barney undertaking to locate the small boats which had been drawn up on shore, went away now, and in the mouth of a little creek where they had landed from the ship earlier in the day, they found a longboat hauled up, and so, spying out no other, Barney went back for the men and brought them up. The fires on the beach had burned them- selves out, so that they were in little danger of detection as they slunk along, bending low, as close to the water’s edge as they could get. Up above them, on the rising grassy ground in the center of the settle- ment, a huge bonfire was still blazing, and the merrymakers were still at their drink- ing and carousing, for their songs and laughter floated down to them. Some of the men were for going up in a body, in a sudden rush, and squaring ac- counts with the French buccaneers, but the wiser among them prevailed upon the rash. Nancy, having located the position of the longboat, ran up to it and had laid hold upon the gunwale when a figure, seated in the shadows of the bow, rose with a scream of surprise. Nancy jumped back, her heart beating wildly; and then she laughed and sprang forward eagerly. It was Cherie, and with her, as Nancy saw upon a closer look, her new-found husband, Bras-de-Mort, stretch- ed out in the bottom of the boat, his head in her lap. “Pardon me, my friends,” said the girl, smiling. “I did not know I would disturb a courting couple here at such an hour, and right sorry I am to interrupt you. But I needs must have your trysting place.” “Have our trysting place!’ cried Bras- de-Mort. ‘‘You speak in riddles, Made- moiselle.’’ ‘‘Aye, the boat—and urgently do I need it; too,” ‘For what, Mademoiselle? You astound mre. ‘To sail away in, to be sure. What else should I want with a boat?” “Sail away in! Why, Mademoiselle, the tide has gone out so far now you could not budge it.” _ “Na’theless, an’ it shall be budged, never 99 CoOMmichoooks (©