Adventure Magazine Cover, June 18, 1921 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

38 left no room for further doubt. Con- sidering it afterward, Captain Blood con- fessed to Pitt that it was absurd to have suspected Don Diego. Pirate though he was, he had proved his quality when he had announced himself ready to die sooner than enter into any undertaking that could hurt his honor. New to the sea and to the ways of adven- turers who sailed it, Captain Blood still en- tertained illusions. But the next dawn was to shatter them rudely and forever. : COMING on deck before the sun was up, he saw land ahead, as the Spaniard had promised them last Some ten miles ahead it lay, a long night. -coast-line filling the horizon east and west, | with a massive headland jutting forward straight before them. | Staring at it, he frowned. He had not conceived that Curacao was of such con- siderable dimensions. Indeed, this looked less like an island than the main itself. Beating out against the gentle landward breeze he beheld a great ship on their star- . beard bow, that he conceived to be some four or five miles off, and—as well as he could judge her at that distance—of a ton- nage equal if not superior to their own. Even as he watched her she altered her course, and, going about, came heading toward them close-hauled. A score of his fellows were astir on the forecastle, looking eagerly ahead, and the sound of their voices and laughter reached him across the length of the stately Cinco Liagas. ‘“‘There,”’ said a*soft. voice behind him in liquid Spanish, ‘‘is the Promised Land, Don Pedro.” It was something in that voice, a muffled note of exultation, that awoke his suspicion and mate whole the half-doubt that he had been entertaining. He turned sharply to face Don Diego, so sharply that the sly smile was not effaced from the Spaniard’s countenance before Captain Blood’s eyes had flashed upon it. ‘You find an odd satisfaction in the sight of it—all things considered.”’ “Of course.”’ The Spaniard rubbed his hands, and Cap- tain Blood observed that they were un- steady. | “The satisfaction of a mariner.”’ “Or of a traitor—which?” snapped. the Irishman. Adventure And as the Spaniard fell back before him with suddenly altered countenance that confirmed his every suspicion he flung an arm out in the direction of the distant shore. | ‘What land is that?” he blazed at him. “Will you have the effrontery to tell me that is the coast of Curacao?” He ad- vanced upon Don Diego furiously, and Don Diego, step by step, fell back. “Shall I tell you what land it is? Shall I tell you?”’ His fierce assumption of knowledge seemed to dazzle and daze the Spaniard. For still he made no answer. And then Captain Blood drew a bow at a venture— or not quite at a venture. Such a coast-line as that, if not of the main itself—and the main he knew it could not be—must be- long to either Cuba or Hispaniola. Now, knowing Cuba to lie farther north and west of the two, it followed, he reasoned swiftly, that if Don Diego meant betrayal he would steer for the nearer of these Span- ish territories. “That land, vou treacherous, forsworn Spanish dog, is the island of Hispaniola.” Having said it, he closely watched that swarthy face, now overspread with pallor, to see the truth or falsehood of his guess reflected there. But now the retreating Spaniard had come to the middle of the quarter-deck, wkere the mizzen-sail made a screen to shut them off from the eyes of the Englishmen below. His lips writhed in a snarling smile. “Ah, perro inglez! You know too much,” he said under his breath, and sprang for the captain’s throat. Tight-locked in each other’s arms, they Swayed a moment, then together went down upon the deck, the Spaniard’s feet jerked from under him by the Irishman’s crooked right leg. Don Diego had confi- dently thought to choke the life out of Cap- tain Blood, and so gain the half-hour that might be necessary to bring up that fine ship that was beating toward them—a . Spanish ship perforce, he assumed, since none other would be so boldly cruising in these Spanish waters off Hispaniola. But alf that he had accomplished was completest self-betrayal, as he realized when he found himself upon his back with his opponent kneeling on his chest, whilst the men, sum- moned by their leader’s shout, came clatter- ing up the companionway to his assistance. COmicloo oN Uf) CO