Adventure Magazine Cover — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

36 “In a —— of a hurry, ar’n’t ye?” he bellowed across the fifty yards of water. Captain Mac, now rolling another cigaret, drew up one corner of his mouth in a thin, one-side smile. ‘“‘Harbor’s too small for ships, without cluttering it up with apple-wagons,’”’ he remarked in a clear, cool voice. ‘‘Apple-wagon!”’ snorted the seemingly furious schooner captain. For a moment he glowered at the somber little man on the steamer’s bridge; then his scowl disappeared; he grinned; he slapped his knee. Then peals of laughter rolled from his ps and carried far over the calm water of the harbor. Captain Mac’s smile became crooked; his somber eyes twinkled. “Hello, Black Michael,” he called. “Hello, One-Two Mac,” answered Black Michael, still laughing. “Going ashore?”’ “Yes,” Captain Mac nodded. more “Tl pick ye up, then, as soon as I can ~ get a boat away.” Black Michael waved his hand, turned and shouted for his boatswain. ray net's boat slid alongside the whari at Jacmel, and little One-Two Mac and Black Michael clambered over the string-piece. They left the wharf and walked into the town. The sea breeze had died and the land breeze did not descend into the valley. Perspiration dripped from Black Michael’s face and wrists. A dark patch appeared on his khaki coat at each shoulder-blade. The heat was terrific, and Black Michael, being bulky, felt it more than did the little man at his side. “Hot,” remarked Captain Mac. “Tis,” agreed Black Michael. Black, naked babies played with filthy curs in the dust of the street. Black men dozed on the flagstones in the shade of the ramshackle houses. Bare-footed women, glistening with sweat, squatted on door- sills. A myriad of flies hummed and droned in the torrid air and worried the sleepers. They came to a one-story building that had its entire front open wide to the street. Inside were a number of tables at which sat a half-score of white men, talking listlessly and weariedly across their glasses of rum and Rola. Black Michael halted. TWENTY minutes later the Gan- Adventure “This is the American Café,” he said. “Tis here that all the whites o’ Jacmel spind their time durin’ the hate o’ the afternoon. Will ye go in for a bit?” Captain Mac nodded. A scrawny, hollow-cheeked black child sat in the center of the doorway. Black Michael bent down, picked up the child and made as if to throw it out into the street, then he set it down, patted it on the head and placed a coim in its skinny fist. “Run along,” he said, scowling ferociously at the dazed child.. “Buy some rapadou to put in your httle tummy.”’ He turned to Captain Mac and said, shaking his head—. ‘Poor little nippers, they eat once ev’ry other day, no oftener.” . They passed into the café. : 7 In one corner of the café sat a big, bearded man who bore some resemblance to Black Michael. The man’s beard, however, al- though thick and curly like Black Michael’s, was red. His wrists and hands were big and bony; his forehead’ was low; his shoul- ders were broad and slightly hunched. His gray eyes were humorous and his mouth was wide, straight-lipped and hari but the mouth of a man in whom there is no great amount of harm. ‘The man was busv talking and had. not noticed their entrance. “T think I know that fellow,” said Cap- tain Mac to Black Michael, who was nod- ding to his acquaintances. ‘His name is— 1S dp) : He studied a moment, and then: ‘“‘By George, his name is the same as yours—McClone! Know him? Come over and——’’ Captain Mac sensed that something was wrong, that he had blundered. A sudden silence had come upon the occupants of the café. There was a feeling of expectancy in the air. He saw that men were moving silently from between Black Michael and the red-bearded one, that all eyes were on the two. He heard Black Michael, at his side, growling deep in his. throat, and glanced curiously at him. The big man was half-crouching, cat-like, as if about to spring... His lips were drawn back from his teeth and his countenance was black with fury. He was trembling with passion. His hot gaze was fastened on the red-bearded man across the room. The red-bearded McClone had risen from EO DOOK 1@)