Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 180: what you’re looking at

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

178 fore him, cutlas aloft. As the blades grated for a second he saw Denton’s puz- zled eyes staring at him in amazement. The quartermaster had recognized the turtler from Green Key, though, shaven clean and clipped, he did not know him for the pilot they had recruited at San Domingo until Todd shouted as he lunged. ‘‘Ah, Shark-eyes,’’ answered the pirate. “Have at ye, trickster!” His arm shot up ashe avoided the lunge but never descended. A shot from Hardy, first officer of the corvette, pierced his neck and he fell, grasping futilely at Todd’s legs as the turtler passed over him. The sailor in front of Bane dropped to his knees, his skull gaping, and Todd jumped in, parrying the smashing blow the pirate swung at him. The tempered Arabian blade shore through the coarser steel and Todd found himself with a shattered weapon clutching a hilt that held only a few inches of jagged blade. Bane laughed, swinging his sword in a hissing circle. “Come on, bullies,’ he cried. ’em, the dogs. Drive——” The word died in his throat as Todd leaped, heedless of the keen edge that bit into his shoulder, sending his broken spike of steel into Bane’s face, full into the bush of black beard, smashing the grinning teeth and, as Bane staggered, clutching the throat his fingers had so long itched to reach. The pirate’s eyes rolled upward, pro- jecting from their sockets as his sword clat- tered to the deck and he strove to tear loose the iron claws that were compressing his windpipe. Back to the rail Todd bore him, back until he bent Bane’s spine across the edge and the buccaneer’s tongue protruded from his.cut and swollen lips. Todd’s strength was rapidly ebbing with the stream of blood that poured from his shoulder but he knew nothing but the glut of his revenge, the sight of Bane’s protud- ing eyes, the purpling of his face, the lax- ness of the body that sagged, dragging Todd with it, his fingers still sunk into the flesh and muscles about the throttled gullet. The cheering of the king’s men as they drove the pirates below, overboard, or beg- ‘Drive Adventure ging quarter in herded groups, sounded to Todd like the roaring of deep seas as he sank beneath them to unconsciousness. eC. THE Honorable William Dummer, ye Esq., Lieutenant-Governor and com- ~~ mander-in-chief of the province of Massachusetts Bay, President of the Special Court of the Admiralty, at the court- house of Boston, assisted by eighteen gentle- men of the council, found Bane and the survivors of his crew guilty of murder and piracy. “Before I sentence ye to be executed and hung in chains in Boston Harbor, regretting that such a villain has but one life to make atonement for the barbarity of which you have been found guilty,” said the governor, ‘“‘you are permitted to speak and say why sentence should not be passed upon ye.”’ “Hang me and be to ye all,” said Bane. ‘I will meet many of ye sleek gen- tlemen in hell where I shall have the ad- vantage of my quicker turning off. Yet I would ask one question of this witness.”’ He turned his baleful eyes upon Tom Todd, who had testified in secret session to the death of Mary Todd and his own ad- ventures aboard the Venture, for which he had received full remission from the court and the promise of a substantial reward. ‘“‘Before I swing,” said Bane, as the gov- ernor nodded and Todd, his eyes still holding hatred, stepped forward, ‘“‘tell me the trick ye played on us in the Jumentos pas- sage.” Todd’s eyes gleamed. “Twas easy to gull ye,’ he said. “Ye left me tools and a shallop. Before I put off to the Juno I shifted the palm on the islet five paces to the west.” The bailiffs stopped the curses of the hoodwinked pirate and Todd turned to the presiding officer. “My lord,” he said. “Ye have made mention of some reward. I ask for one favor that shall cancel all the rest.” ***Tis granted, within reason.” “There is wide reason in the request, my lord. Grant me the hangman’s office.” COmicloo C©