Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

62 The bargain being struck, Captain Mor- gan called his boat and went off to his own ship anchored further up the cove, in shore, though not without a parting bow to Nancy, who sat now dejectedly at the cabin table, crestfallen at the course events had taken, yet considering herself fortunate, on the whole, at the successful termination of what had threatened to become an awk- ward situation for her. Already her mind was busy with the future, searching for some play whereby she would be able to gain once more the upper hand, and not doubting but that she should find one. Before Morgan had fairly pushed off Captain Stillingfleet, full of large schemes, was busily engaged putting them into exe- cution. He set the men at work, bringing up the pigs of lead, which fortunately were stowed away in the forward hold where they could be got at readily without dis- turbing or disclosing the Spanish prisoners. And by the time Captain Morgan returned, this time in a longboat full of men, great piles of the metal lay in the scuppers wait- ing to be taken off. & ful mood, paced the deck, and seemed much pleased at the sight of so much lead, but whether the brain be- hind his restless eyes was busy with thoughts of how he should use it against the Dons, or shaped a plot boding ill for Nancy and himself, Captain Stillingfleet, who watched the pirate and his tatterdema- lions narrowly, could by no means make out. The buccaneer made no move to return to his own ship when the first boat-load of lead went over the side and was pulled off, nor did any of the victuals and provisions he had promised in return make an appear- ance. Two of his men he dispatched to the island with orders which he whispered to them, and then fell to pacing the deck again moodily, as the Snapdragon’s crew toiled over their task in the broiling sun. Now and then the pirate turned upon Captain Stillingfleet his searching eyes, but there was something in the young fellow’s Saxon face that evidently did not wholly please him. For after such scrutinies he would scowl and grind his jaws and turn his attention to the men, as if mentally taking stock of them. And Stillingfleet, quite well aware that the buccaneer had CAPTAIN MORGAN, in thought- Adventure sailed with some of them in the past, was not easy in his mind. Casting an eye ashore, he observed that the buccaneers were flocking down to the beach in large numbers and putting off in small boats. Convincing himself of this, he turned from the rail to find Morgan deep in con- verse with Jim Rimble, and stepping quick- ly up to them, not liking the look he saw in the sailor’s eyes, he heard the pirate captain say something about ‘‘Maracaibo,” and saw Jim Rimble go off among the men forward. Stillingfleet pulled out a pistol. “Hark ye, Captain Morgan,” he said. “‘T am not the man to stand for anybody stir- ring up mutiny on my ship.” And with this he presented his piece at the pirate’s head, and cocked it. Morgan laughed in his face, a coarse, reckless, self-confident laugh of a strong man who felt sure of his ground. ‘“‘What if I did speak with these men,” he returned. “Will they hold it against me that I offer them a chance for gold?”’ Some of the men nearest them, seeing what was going on, stopped their work, now almost done, for the lead was all on deck, and slouched up. Captain Morgan caught Jim Rimble’s eye and smiled at him. Jim Rimble grinned back, pulling at his forelock and shifting uneasily on his feet. He had chipped off from some of the pigs of lead a handful of régged pieces of metal, and these he jingled nervously in his palms, so that they clinked and rattled music- ally. ‘“‘Ay, lads,” said Morgan mockingly, ‘suppose those were pieces - of - eight — money, lads, instead of sinkers for Jim Rim- ble’s fishing lines. Would you hold that, too, against Henry Morgan?” ‘“Have done with this talk, sir,”’ said Cap- tain Stillingfleet sternly, and went forward to superintend the removal of the last boat- loads of the lead, Morgan’s pirates having come back for the balance of it. He was anxious to get the work over with and clear his ship of these buccaneers. Leaning over the side he saw that the pi- rates had returned, this time heavily armed, and some of them had muskets concealed in their boats. When the last of the lead had been stowed away, instead of shoving off as they had done before, they swarmed back over the side and trooped down to the rail of the quarterdeck. CoOMmichoooks CO