Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

174 staggering back, the sun full in his eyes fora second as Todd regained his balanced foot- ing and leaped in. Spanish Jack dropped to one knee, shaded his eyes with his left hand for an all-impor- tant heart-beat and, with a sharp snap, threw his blade, beautifully balanced for the pur- pose, straight to the heart. Todd caught the flash of it and shrunk sideways in mid-< spring. The keen steel flayed the scant flesh of his outer ribs as he swerved and a great roar came from the crowd. Spanish Jack had missed! The pirate turned, dug fingers and toes in the sand and flung himself forward in a sprint with Todd at his heels. The turtler caught him at the slope and drove his knife to the guard between the shoulders. Span- ish Jack plunged coughing to the ground, wrenching his body from the dripping blade to lie twitching at the feet of his comrades. There was a sullen silence. ‘Todd felt its omen as he turned toward Bane. If he could gain what he wished for, his plan was well forwarded. Bane beckoned to him and led him apart. ‘““My bullies take the loss of that runaway amiss,’ he said. “Yet I have but lost a coward and kepta better man. And I have need for ye. Look, ye, ’twill not be pleas- ant aboard for ye ere this diesdown. ’Tis in my mind to build a stockade and maga- zine on this islet. The Venture is as foulas the beard of Poseidon. Once clean I can lead the corvette or any other keel the king sends out a merry chase. We shall sail to- night at dusk and clear him in the dark. In two weeks we will return, to come in by dawn. ‘There is wood enough. If ye can swing an ax I’ll leave ye here with tools and the shallop for towing. ’Tis leaky but ’twill serve. By the time we return the matter will have died down. What say ye?” Todd’s eyes held a gleam that Bane mis- took for gratitude. He had gained what he had\ meant to ask. ‘Where do ye careen?” he asked. Bane frowned. “‘T set my own courses,” he said. “T but meant to tell ye of a good place.” “T know of a dozen. So then, ’tis settled. - Ye can pilot us out as the sun drops and return in the shallop. They will never see us in the shore haze until the dark covers us. There is no moon until long after mid- night. And, a word in your ear. Adventure “‘Cultivate a more cheerful look on that black face of yours. The men will have it ye are a Jonah. Your face would sour the water casks. Learn to smile against we get back. A good jest is the best purge for sorrow. If’tis the matter of a faithless lass, forget it. Look not so sullen, man.” “I shall be smiling when we meet next time,” said Todd. Bane turned away then wheeled. “Keep a good fire going tonight and a smudge by day. ’Twill serve to keep the corvette certain that we are still within. Two days from now let it die down. That should leave the coast clear for us to put back. I have no mind to sail around the whole Jumentos.”’ Todd nodded. He had got the informa- tion he most wanted after all. The Venture was going north, probably to one of the Exuma group. Just as the sun dipped and spread a sud- den curtain between day and night the brigantine cleared the channel and, steering northeast, was swallowed up in the dusk. Todd, still with the gleam in his eyes that Bane had thought gratitude, rowed back to the islet with his tools and provisions and started a fire. He seemed in a hurry to commence his labors, taking up his pick after a hasty meal and commencing to dig. CHAPTER VIII THE ACCOUNT IS CLOSED | BAA had guessed right as to the actions of the corvette. Captain Sawtrell, loath to give up the so nearly captured pirate held his ship off the Jumentos where the red glow of a fire seemed to proclaim Bane and his men reveling in their retreat behind the protecting reefs. Sawtrell thought it probable that there were other openings to the south and roundly cursed the faulty Government charts. The look- out failed to see the brigantine creeping out through the murk at sunset and the cor- vette held off and on till morning. At dawn the course was set shoreward where a column of smoke showed faintly brown against the clear sky. “We'll not round the Jumentos,” de- clared Sawtrell. ‘If we do he’ll come out by this entrance and at least we can keep him off the line of commerce. Hang him for a crafty dog that has a dozen kennels. COmicloo ©