Adventure Magazine Cover — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

28 WILKESON middle course, and conducting sober and discreet as a deacon at a prayer-meeting, yet holding the men strickly in hand, while not jotting one tittle of their just rights and demands? By ——, sir, ye couldn’t do better yourself—and I say it with all due respect!” “Nay, Ill grant that he probably does it much better,” conceded Wayne drily, “considering that I am not much given to the practise of mutiny.” The men looked at each other. “Meaning that Fallen is, sir?’ asked Ban- nock uncertainly. “Well, I learn from Colonel Butler here, that he was discharged from Putnam’s for insubordinate conduct on the field of battle—’”’ “Firing afore the word given, one day in a skirmish, sir,” interrupted Riddle. “I know all about that. Heard it from a man as was on the spot at the time, and ’twas rather to Fallen’s credit than otherwise, taking it all in all.” “I suppose,” said Stewart, his eyes glued to the tracks in the snow, while his mouth was pinched white to prevent its laughter, “that it was no more than an amiable weakness, save from Putnam’s point of view.” “Will you also deny, then?” asked Wayne, “that the man is a British deserter?” “No, for he is,’ said Maine. ‘He was took, several years back, and held in one of them New York churches. He got out of that hell by ’listing with the enemy, and—”’ “Dinna think the worse of the lad for that, sir!” said Bannock hastily. “He was but saving his life as best he could, them church prisons being but anither name for slow murder, as ye know, sir.”’ Stewart nodded. He had seen terrible things during his own captivity, and un- derstood the force of Bannock’s excuse for Fallen. Life, in one of the church prisons in which the enlisted prisoners were con- fined, was so revolting that the captured officers visited the places as little as possible, when their spare cash had once been given. For it was impossible to relieve the suffer- ing, which was caused by neglect and over- crowding, even more than by the pitiful and unnourishing rations the British issued to the captive soldiers. “Ye can’t say as how he ever rightly served the enemy, sir.”’ said Maine, ‘‘for he O’CONNELL deserted his first night on guard, which was as soon as any man could.” ‘And now he hates the bloodybacks p’ison bad,” said Riddle, ‘“‘on account of what he saw and suffered in their lines.” “‘Dot’s true, sir.”’ “How absolute is his present command over you?” asked Wayne directly. ‘“**Tain’t ab-so-lute at all,’’ said Barstow. ‘““He’s just president over the board of sergeants, but don’t make no move, nor give no order, without consulting the rest of us; no more’n ye, yourself, would, sir, without hearing and heeding the opinions of your officers.”’ ‘“Jove, and you’ve almost persuaded me that he is a model of the purest patriotism!”’ exclaimed Wayne impulsively. ‘Instead of the deep-dyed traitor that he is in f—”’ “Fallen?” ‘The ejaculation came from all six sergeants. ‘‘No, sir!” ‘““How do you know?” Wayne’s glance went keenly from one to another. ‘What reason have you to be so sure of his loyalty?” ‘“**Cause he never talked treason,”’ sir,”’ said Maine, “not even when he was pulling hardest for the mutiny.”’ “In fact, Fallen always spoke again’ it,” said Riddle, ‘“‘whenever that sort of talk went ’roundincamp. And there’s been a deal of it lately, sir, as maybe ye don’t know.” ‘“Dot’s true,’’ came an interjection. ‘And if he’s laying to betray us,’’ asked Bannock reasonably, “‘why didn’t he turn the trick at Marbury, night afore last? He could ’a’ done it then with perfect safety to himself, for who’d ’a’ known it for be- trayal? We'd ’a’ thought it just anither streak of unco bad luck, such as is forever coming our way.” “And what’s the sense in his standing guard, and keeping up discipline, and so forth?” inquired Dockstader, ‘‘if he’s in- tending to turn us over to the enemy? ’Twould be sheer waste of time, strength, and risk, if that’s his object, which I nowise believe.” ‘“‘Nor me neider,”’ said Holtzburg. “And what about that petition he sent off to Congress last night?’ demanded Riddle. “ ’Twas written like a lawyer, save that it sounded as if his heart was in it. Twas a mighty moving appeal.” “Ay, so ’twas!”? agreed Bannock, and Holtzburg confirmed the opinion. “And ’twas good politics, into the bar- gain,” judged Riddle, “if he meant it true. COMICLOOO S CO