Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

Days of Morgan . ‘‘And then when the storm broke, the scuttle-hatch was battened down,’ Nancy went on. ‘And so he has been in the hold all this day. And what with the frightful heat and lack of water I fear me he hath perished.” ‘“‘Ay, like enough he hath perished, who- ever he may be, but by St. Bride of Doug- las! Who was the fellow? I saw him not, nor even dreamed such a one was aboard.” “True, I had forgotten,” answered Nancy. ‘You saw him not. Ge is the dumb man—the man with the yellow eyes. ’Tis all I know of him, save that ’twas he who escaped from d’Ogeron’s castle, where I had him securely bound with cords, and gave the alarm to the buccaneers.” “Split my wizen!” cried out Jim Rimble at hearing this. ‘Then let him rot there. What, men?” ‘“‘How now, Jim Rimble,” said the Cap- tain quietly, but with a deeper vibration in his voice. “When did you take command of this craft?” But there was an answering roar of ap- proval from the men, and it was not approv- al of what the Captain had said, but of Jim Rimble’s verdict, so that Nancy, fear- ing that they would carry the day, sprang up and appealed to them to go back. “Faith!”’ said Barney, breaking in im- petuously at this juncture, when the men seemed inclined to listen to the girl. ‘“‘Much you should concern yourself with this dog of a dumb man, seeing what he hath done to us.” ‘‘Why, and what’s that, lad?” asked the Captain. “He kidnaped us, for one thing,’ re- plied the Irish lad bitterly. ‘“‘Kidnaped thee? Where?” ‘Somewhere outside of Lille, in France. *T was thus we came here.” A roar from the men, and there was the sound of oars striking the water. “Nay, hold, I pray you!” There was winning appeal in Nancy’s voice. ‘‘I feel a pity for the fellow, vile as he is. I wouldst have thee go back and fetch him aboard. I can not bear the thought of leaving him there to die like a trapped rat.” “And he tried to kill her, too!’ Barney was full of animosity; besides, the sound of his voice was pleasant in his ears. ‘‘Ay,” he went on, “‘he tried to kill her on the old Baptiste.” “Then may God have mercy on his soul,” AI said Jim Rimble in a deep rumble, “for there he stays till his bones rot, eh, mates?” ‘“‘Ay, Jim Rimble, there he stays, right enough. Thou didst speak truly then—as truly as any fisherman can.” There was a laugh all around at this sally. ‘“‘Let him rest where he is, Mademoiselle,” whispered Barney. “Nay, I will save him with God’s help,” she answered. ‘‘Now men, wilt go back for me?” ‘Well, Miss,’ answered Jim Rimble, “we'd do most anything for you that you asked us to do, except this. Here’s a man we're devilish well rid of. First he kidnaps you, then he fights you, then he betrays you—and us. If we had him here right now we’d cut his throat and throw him in the pickle, eh, mates?” “That we would, Jim Rimble!” roared the men heartily. “That we would. In the pickle with the fishes.” The Captain had kept silent, for he was in no mood to waste precious ‘time in the rescue of a fellow so worthless as the dumb man, by all accounts, appeared to be. Now Nancy, seeing that she could expect no aid from him, sprang quickly to the gunwale and poised there. ““Go back, or I shall throw myself into the sea!’ said she. One of the seamen left his place and start- ed toward her in the darkness, but she saw him coming. “Nay,” she said, “‘come no nearer. If you do I will hurl myself overboard. Wilt go back, men?” “Ay, we'll go back, Devon,” said the Captain, and gave the order. The men pulled back to the black hulk of the Baptiste. Half a dozen then went aboard, Nancy following them, pried off the forward scuttle-hatch, and Pierre, the Frenchman, thrusting his head into the nar- row opening, just large enough to admit the body of one man, called out: “Hein! You there with the yellow eyes. Why are you loafing below when honest men are at work?” But there was no answer. ‘(Dumb men can’t hear, can they?” asked Pierre, when he had called again and again with the same result. ‘“‘Ay, they can hear well enough,” an- swered Nancy. ‘‘Leastways, this fellow can. He is not dumb from birth, but hath had his tongue cut out.” CoOMmicboooks CO