Adventure Magazine Cover — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

A Night in San Asensio patches of reeds and olive orchards, small farmhouses with clusters of sheds and out- buildings and hedges and clumps of aloes and prickly-pear. ‘““‘We’re here!”’ said the woman. Stunted trees that looked like cotton- woods had masked the approach to a small dark house with shuttered windows, lying some little distance off the road down a sandy wagon track. The woman led the way under the naked poles of a pergola into a small front garden, bare of all vegetation save weeds and long withered grass and a dead lemon-tree. She whistled softly. ‘“‘That’s our signal,’ she said. “Wait here, do you mind? I’m going round the back way. I'll have to explain to my husband.”’ Mr. Westcott seated himself on the step of the narrow veranda, over which grew a ragged bougainvillea. A broad-shouldered man approached and he sprang to his feet in sudden panic. HE captain of the Lockborough Inlet j stood under the poles of the pergola. “Hope I’ve not startled you, Mr. Westcott!” he said gruffly. “Well, sir, you have! I wasn’t exactly expecting you or any one else!” The front door opened. And then the woman said in a stifled voice— “For ’s sake, tell me who’s there?” “There’s nothing to be afraid of,” said Mr. Westcott hastily. “It’s a—a friend of mine.” He spoke to the captain. “This is an English lady who’s in trouble, sir. I’ve been seeing her home to her husband. Enemies are trying to find him.” “We can’t stay here talking, then!” said the captain. “Come inside, both of you!” said the woman. They entered an entrance hall, so dark it was impossible to see. Mr. Westcott closed the door and turned the key in the lock. ‘“‘Who are you?” said the woman. “My name’s Selby, ma’m. Captain Sel- by of the S. S. Lockborough Inlet. At your service, ma’m.” Mr. Westcott heard the woman catch her breath. He tried to reassure her. “Captain Selby will be able to help you much more than I shall,’’ he said. She did not speak, and he wondered for an 18I instant if she had crept silently away and left them alone together in the dark hall. Suddenly she clutched at his arm. ‘““Howhelp mer” she whispered. ‘‘How?” How’ Hedid not know. It all depended. Thoughts chased each other through his mind. Why was Captain Selby here, in this little dark house so far from San Asensio? Had he seen them and followed them, or what? “Mr. Westcott,” said the captain, ‘‘if ever you have to truss up a man again, don’t leave him where any one who happens to pass will see him! I carried him into the garden. No one will find him—not yet, at least. I hope not, anyway. I looked after his two friends, too. But I think it better to warn you there are probably others.” A door near where they stood opened an inch or so. A chink of yellow light shone in the blackness, and a man’s voice spoke in a language that Mr. Westcott could not un- derstand—Spanish, he thought, or Italian: he was not sure which. The woman said huskily in English: “Tt’s all right, Paul. “hese are my friends. English gentlemen. Will you come in here, both of you? My husband would like to meet you.” Mr. Westcott felt the captain’s hand press heavily on his shoulder and urge him forward. He entered a small hot room with the windows closed and shuttered and lighted by a candle set on an inverted saucer on the table. Aman witha drawn, haggard face, thin, regular features and dark eyes stood between the table and a small stove. Once he might have been handsome and distinguished looking, but now he was worn and ill and furtive. His black hair and black mustache enhanced the pallor of his skin. He said nothing but glanced first at Mr. Westcott and then at Captain Selby, last of all at the woman. ‘““My husband!”’ she said. She threw back her dark cloak and gazed defiantly at the two sailors. ‘“‘And I beg of you,” she said, “whatever happens, please, for my sake, do not raise your voices!”’ Mr. Westcott, watching her intently, waiting for her to explain, was impressed by her bigness of frame, her width of shoulder, her bearing. She was handsome in a virile, bold way that hinted at an independence of character and a strength of mind and a COnmiclboooks.c©