Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 74: what you’re looking at

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

60 Adventure The youngest of the conquistadores who | ‘was with Cortez. It was he who, when Cortez ran out of powder, was lowered with ropes into the flaming crater of the great volcano Popocatepetl to get the sulfur without which our guns would _have been silent forever—” }?? “By all the saints “Tt was Avilez who was with Alvarado in Honduras. If there has been a brave venture for tert years and he not in it, I for one do not know what it was.” “Where have you sought him?” “Tn all the ports along the Gold Coast. What the Poee HE halberds at the door clattered on the stone-flagged corridor. The doors clanged open and a man came in, striding freely up the long hall, picking his way among the banqueters. For a moment Coronado stood staring; then with a shout that rang along the tim- bered roof, he sprang forward, his eyes gleaming. “Andres! Andres de Avilez! The man of all men whom I have sought! Welcome, man! Thrice welcome!” He pushed a filled wine-cup ready to his hand. “Drink.” _ Avilez raised the cup, touched with it lips and breast and with—‘‘A health to you, brave sevor, and to all gallant ad- venturers”—drained it to the bottom. Coronado pushed him into the vacant chair and turned to Mendoza. “See, your Excellency; the vacant place is filled. My count is complete. Where did you come from, lad? Did you get my letters?” “Never a letter, sewor. I heard in Vera Cruz that you were to take the field. I knew of old that there would be shrewd blows and red gold. So I came.” “But how?” “By horse to Mexico City. Thence on foot to Durango, herding my men along at the sword’s point till they ran off and left me. Then I gambled with a cabal- lero for a horse and on it came to Culi- acan and—here I am.” “And as welcome as a drink of water to a soul in purgatory. Eat, lad! We will talk later.” The guests, standing from respect to the governor, sank into their seats, and the soft- -footed Indian servants overran the place in their eagerness to serve quickly their Spanish masters. Great haunches of venison were there, with wild ducks in dozens, spitted on long iron rods; delicate fish from the sea and smoking rounds of beef and mut- ton with camotes baked and roasted and delicate tortillas made from the finest maize flour. Sweets of all -kinds filled the beautiful earthenware cups and wine was there in plenty. Chocolatl too, that ‘the Spaniards had learned from the con- quered natives to love and, best of all to those thirsty souls, great jars of to- guila, the fiery native brandy, and skins- of fresh-made pulque that hung on the walls. Followed a clash and clatter as the guests fell to. For a while Mendoza watched them, playing with his wine- cup, from time to time responding to a toast. ates “Good men all,” he whispered to Coro- nado. “An excellent gathering. I am glad to have seen them. Now’—he turned to a waiting servant—“have all the wine-cups filled. Now comes the real reason for the banquet.” He nodded his head toward a seat on his left into which a girl had swept with all the grace and dignity known only to Spanish women. Tall she was and very graceful, in spite of the ugly, tight bodice and long sleeves ordained by Spanish custom. A great rope of pearls accentuated the creamy whiteness of her throat. Lips as red as a new wound dis- closed perfect teeth that slightly pressed her lower lip. Above them the eyes blazed like turquoises under a great coil of golden hair—for the girl was of the highest type of Spanish beauty—that was held in place by a delicate dagger no longer than a man’s hand. Its hilt was curiously wrought of yellow tor- toise-shell and twisted gold. “My ward. The daughter of my old comrade-in-arms, Pedro de Acasta. You remember him?” ' Coronado shook his head. “She has been a great trial to me. I am too old a man, mi compaiero, to be oppressed with the guardianship of youth and beauty. When I spoke to her of marriage she would have none Of it “T warrant a rere Spanish caya- COPMICGLOOOKS (COL