Adventure Magazine Cover — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

54 she threw him over for ol’ Jeffries. And so this chap Ox’ham took it hard and——” Buxton went off, swaying. “Qx’ham,” muttered ol’ Tom. ‘Ain’t that him?”’ ““Yes,’’ said Heddon broodingly. ‘Peg Cardan is old Benning’s first-born. The last thing he said to me was, ‘If daughter of mine ever plays with a man, [’lI——’ “And if she brought Oxenham to this, by ——, T’U—TI don’t know what’ll I do.” Heddon and Wateman then left the Gallows and went to the house of the consul, finding Mr. San- born dead and Roland, son of one of the wealthy planters, acting in his stead. To him Heddon reported the affair of Oxenham and Shanghai Ann. As nothing could be done until the return of the wedding party, Sanborn and Heddon went to the club where the news was broadcast. All seemed to think it a great joke and, later, went down to the beach with rice and pans that they might properly welcome the couple on their arrival. Heddon and Wateman were on hand, too, and taking possession of a gig drove off with Oxenham and the woman to Oxenham’s plantation. There Heddon endeavored to send the woman away. “T’ll shoot myself if you make me leave him,”’ she screamed, snatching a revolver from a near-by holster. ‘‘I’ll make him a good wife! I won’t go back to the beach!’ ‘Tell her to do it,” Heddon said coolly. “I’m going out on the veranda until her little scene’s over. Shoot yourself if you want, too.” He went out and again the woman threatened herself. “Don’t,” Oxenham pleaded. ‘You'll be taken care of. Give me the gun—it has a hair-trigger—it——”’ He took a step forward. She lurched backward to keep out of his reach and was half-falling when the gun went off. Oxenham was held for trial, accused of the mur- der of the woman, but was released the next day on the evidence of Wateman. “You'd better come with me,” Heddon advised Oxenham. : “T wish I could, but——”’ Heddon turned impatiently away and with Wate- man left the plantation, taking the winding path which led to the beach. On the way they met a woman on horseback. She tried to ride Heddon down but he pulled her off her horse. “So, Peg Cardan,”’ he cried, ‘‘you think you can trample any man underfoot! I’m going to take you with me—to the ship.” He lifted her up in his arms. “‘Let me go,” she pleaded. ‘‘What can I do?” “Nothing,” said Heddon, stepping off the trail and making a sliding drop down through a mass of ferns. XT FEW days later the morning sun A was coming red and clean and bright up out of the water while Heddon, with glass to eye, stared away toward the brigantine, some three miles off, which lay with idle sail and drifted Adventure That same day Black McGree boarded the Gloria. He was accompanied by two of his men. After threatening to carry off the girl, he bound and gagged her and Raeburn then, taking with him a picture of Gloria’s mother, set with pearls, he de- parted. Gloria and Raeburn endeavored to free them- selves but were unsuccessful. While they were still struggling Heddon and Wateman returned, bringing Peggy Cardan with them. Gloria and Raeburn both pleaded with Heddon, begging him to let the girl go free, but he refused. “Ym going to take her to Kulicos,” he said. “They buy women at auction there.” He gave orders to slip the cable and amid the bustle of getting the crew over the side with a towing hawser there came a hail off the water astern the Gloria. It was Oxenham. He came aboard and demanded that Heddon put Peggy Cardan ashore. Again Heddon refused—refused, too, to allow Oxenham to leave the ship. : Then the crew deserted, fearing that they would share the punishment which would surely come to Will Heddon for abducting a girl. Chang, the Chinese cook, later joined the deserters and the Gloria was left unmanned so that Heddon was obliged to call upon Oxenham and the two girls to assist him in sailing the ship. The days passed quickly, and every day the others expostulated with Heddon, endeavoring to change his mind. Between the two girls there was a sort of armed truce; Oxenham transferred his affections from Peggy to Gloria; Wateman and Raeburn were both ensnared by Peggy’s beauty. But Heddon seemed to be apart from them all, sneering at them—specially at Peggy. And then a heavy sea came aboard and carried Peggy over the side. = Heddon let go the wheel, kicked off his shoes and leaped after her. Hours passed. It was black on the water. Thin clouds lay before the stars. The sea tossed and smote the Gloria with reverberant thumps. A voice came up from the water like a weary echo— “Get a line over—quick!’’ “He’s got her! He’s got her!’ Raeburn yelled excitedly. ; “Of course,” said old Wateman. ‘He never let’s go o’ nothin’, Hold that lantern down.” They hauled Heddon and Peggy aboard. “‘Raeburn—” there was a weary echo of mockery in Heddon’s voice—‘you said man overboard.” They put Peggy to bed and cared for her but an hour went by before she showed signs of life. Presently she moved her head, coughed weakly, opened her eyes and stared. ““Cold—cold!”’ she said to Heddon, not knowing what she said. without visible motion. The Gloria too lay becalmed. ; “The ——,, he’s up an’ answered some- body’s prayer, he has!’ old Wateman grumbled, blinking his red eyes at the glare of the rising sun on the still surface of the ocean. oe: “It’s the Loftus Mork all right,” Raeburn 1LOOOLK (©