Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

The ‘Loreh- Bearers I bh . * weg: f 5 we é ae : e pra Bh ‘ ¢ ae | oe wr) a: f ’ F / 4A ap I W~ i 4 id OW 3m MAL ¥ xe eg x A ¢ di “ [oe 1f! 4 2 Oe £0 Oe ee hits | 4 y . Conclusion gs a lil 4 PENDEXTE Author of “‘The Road to El Dorado,” ‘The Floating Frontier,” etc. The first part of the story briefly retold in story form. HE ‘‘Swamp-Fox,” General Marion, was baffling the British troops in South Carolina during the doubtful days of the Revolution. I, James Lance, was sent by my uncle David Macson to take money to our kinsmen the Macsons of the backwoods. Uncle David was a Tory and our kinsmen rebels. I was neutral. Uncle David got me a pass through the British lines. In the British camp I came upon soldiers preparing to whip a half-witted youth. The victim was a native of the woods, and I thought of a plan to use him on my mission to my kinsmen. “Let me have the boy as a guide,” I demanded, and after much wrangling the officer in command permitted the boy to go with me. The half-wit guided me to the cabin of Ellis Am- bros, an old Tory. There we met four of Ganner’s ‘“‘Regulators,”’ a lawless mounted band hostile to both rebels and loyalists. In a skirmish Ambros in the cabin and I outside killed three and the other galloped away. My half-wit guide disappeared after the fight. Ambros directed me to the cabin of Angus Mac- son. There I met Big Simon, Angus’ boorish son, and my pretty cousin, Elsie Macson. They all re- garded me suspiciously and expressed their contempt of Uncle David. They were disgusted at my neu- trality in the struggle between Whig and Tory. Big Simon and I even had a fist-fight. They accepted the money and put me up grudg- ingly for the night. In the morning I rode away with my pretty cousin Elsie as my guide. Hisiz conducted me to General Marion’s camp, * where I met the Swamp-Fox himself. I found him more sympathetic toward my neutrality than the other rebels. On leaving the camp I met my former half-wit guide riding madly. I stopped him and discovered that the half-wit was the pretty Elsie in disguise. She was pursued by a troop of British soldiers. We had no chance to escape. I quickly gave her one of my two passes through the British lines before we were surrounded. Even with my passes our posing as British spies gained us little, for Captain Tick- ridge of the soldiers forced us to accompany him along the Georgetown trail. We stopped at Ellis Ambros’ cabin and there the soldiers discovered that Elsie was a woman. I de- clared that I was Major Wemyss of his Majesty’s troops. ~ Our position was desperate. Then came the sound of hoofs, and Captain Harrison of the Tories rode up with his detachment. He said that Major Wemyss was following. The major had been ambushed by rebels. In the excitement Elsie and I fled for our lives. The rebels attacked our captors and we were free to escape. I rode to Charleston and Elsie returned to her own people. On my journey I blundered into a band of Gan- ner’s Regulators. They held me for ransom in a cabin. In the cabin I stumbled on to Ellis Ambros, who was hiding there, and we escaped together. Ambros was spying on Ganner to settle old scores. I reached Charleston and there found the town aroused at my disloyalty to the Crown. News of my posing as Major Wemyss had arrived ahead of me, and my uncle was terrified. My friends rallied to my aid, but I was arrested and held for trial. Lieutenant Drance, a close Tory friend of Major Wemyss, arrived in Charleston just as my friends completed arrangements for my escape. I left the prison and fled to my uncle’s house. Again Elsie Macson had deceived the loyalists. “Lieutenant Drance”’ was Elsie in disguise. Elsie and I escaped together and joined General Marion’s forces. I renounced my neutrality and swore fidelicy to the Whigs. Hot fighting began shortly after my arrival. Big Simon Macson fell in the battle; but in the fight he had killed my old enemy, Captain Tickridge. * ** The Torch-Bearers,’ Ccpyrighi i921, by Hugh Pendexter. II2 COmicloo CO 5}