Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

Days of Morgan “Ay, he is our captain,” said Jim Rim- ble huskily, clearing his throat and glaring in his turn at his comrades. ‘“‘ ’Tis a man’s work.” “T can talk with you as well as with an- other,’’ said Captain Morgan, addressing Captain Stillingfleet in a more conciliatory tone. “My business is come to quickly. I have urged this lady here to go away with me to Maracaibo on the Main, where the Spaniards have rich settlements, and where we can find gold and silver as well as huge quantities of dyes and goods withal, and precious gems.” “Think you we would be such fools as to do your fighting, only to have you in the end gain the lion’s share of the spoils?”’ de- manded Captain Stillingfleet, while the men behind him nodded their approval. “As for that, I can quiet your alarms,” replied the pirate briskly, “by offering to you the same terms I have offered to Ma- dame.” “*The same terms?” ‘‘No purchase, no pay—the law of the coast—you and your men to share equally with my own lieutenants and my own men. The same terms I offered her, save in one particular.” ‘‘And what was the exception?”’ ‘‘That she be my wife and share equally with me.” “That shall never be!” cried Captain Stillingfleet, more vehemently than he had yet spoken. ‘So she hath told me herself,’’ returned the buccaneer dryly. ‘“‘The lady it seems, will have naught of me.” A smile beamed in the eyes of Godfrey Stillingfleet. Then they darkened quickly as the pirate added with genuine feeling in his voice: ‘She hath promised herself to another. S’death!” he finished savagely, and putting his hand again upon the hilt of his pistol, ‘perchance thou art the man.” “Nay,” answered Captain Stillingfleet, while Nancy hung her head and would not look at him. “That is not my good for- tune.” ; ‘S’blood! Since we are both in the same boat, it should be easy for us to come to terms. Go away with me on this adventure and you shall fare as I do, forty shares be- tween us, and as for the girl, an you please, 61 we will let the dice decide that issue be- tween us two.” . It seemed to Nancy that Captain Stilling- fleet would never speak. She dared not look at him. There was no sound but the shuffling of the men’s feet upon the deck and the lapping of the tide along the side. . Then she heard his voice. All he said was— “! Nol”? But there was such a positive finality in his deep, vibrant tones that even Captain Morgan was struck. ‘You refuse me?”’ ‘“‘When we go pirating we go on our own account, asking favors of none, sharing our booty only among ourselves.” There was a murmur of approval behind him, and Barney’s shrill voice chortling as he capered about the deck outside. ‘As for the girl,’’ added Captain Stilling- fleet, “‘though she be not master here, she is mistress. We are guided not by her com- mands but by her wishes. If she declines to marry you or have ought to do with your schemes, Captain Morgan, rest assured she will not lack for arms to back up those re- fusals.”’ The satisfaction of the crew of the S ie dragon, that is to say, of the Englishmen - who had been taken off Tortuga, increased at this, and Barney’s countenance thrust between Jim Rimble’s knotty legs bore a smile so incredibly vast that one would have sworn he did not have a freckle to his name. “Ay!” boomed Jim Rimble, rolling his eyes at his mates as he spoke. “She will not lack for arms.” “Since that is your decision,” replied Captain Morgan, making no great effort to hide his chagrin, “‘mayhap you have pow- der and ball that you could spare me from your store. I do assure you, the loss of the Oxford just now, with all her ammunition, was a heavy blow.” “That is another matter, and may be ar- ranged,” answered Captain Stillingfleet. ‘“‘We have seven or eight hundred pigs of lead which we would gladly exchange for salted and smoked meat of hogs and cattle and such other provisions as you may have by you in greater abundance than you need.” “‘Call it settled then,’’ agreed the pirate with an attempt at good humor. “T will send aboard the victuals you stand in need of and my men will fetch away the lead.” CoMmicboooks (CO