Adventure Magazine Cover, December 18, 1919 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

The Seven Cities of Cibola liers would willingly relieve you of your responsibility.” “No doubt. The difficulty is to get her to choose one. Since she has refused to select a hisband, I have chosen one for her and, as her guardian, I have given this banquet to announce it. I warrant a scene presently when she learns that she is to marry se. He stopped and toyed with his dagger. “The king’s fiscal, Don Onontio de Fonseca.” “Fonseca? A proper man to trust either with the king’s taxes or a maid’s hfe.”, Mendoza’s eyes followed Coronado’s scornful gaze. The Sefior Onontio de Fonseca, un- worthy nephew of the great bishop who had believed in Magellan, who had helped Balboa, who had dictated the policy of the India House of Seville, sat slouched in his chair like a none-too-wise owl: His gray beard was disheveled, his ruff:awry. He rolled heavily in his chair from time to time as he played with his wine- cup. Plainly the man was drunk, a rare enough vice among the abstemious Span- iards. Bestiality showed in every line of the heavy face; vice and groundless pride in his every movement. The girl sitting next to him eyed him with disfavor. His every lurch toward her made her draw farther away in deep disdain. Plainly he was no favorite of hers. A servant bent over the governor and a whispered. word passed. His excel- lency rose presently and with a sweeping gesture bade all men stand: The great men hove themselves up with a clat- ter of arms and stood with filled cups poised. “A toast, gentlemen-and soldiers all! Such a toast as you may never drink again! I bid you drink the health of the lovely Sefiorita Mercedes de Acasta, the bride-to-be of Don Onontio de Fon- seca “ For a moment-a hush fell over the hall. Men saw the girl spring to her feet, her wine-cup, brushed from the table by her sleeve, falling unheeded to the floor. “It is false,’ she cried. “T, Mercedes eS eee 61 de Acasta, say it is false. It shall not be. It is false, I say Men who were about to drink the toast, paused and looked askance at the hulking figure in the chair next hers, where the King’s fiscal leered openly at her as he sat. Mendoza swept on unheeding. “By this betrothal, which I now for- mally announce, two great houses of Old Spain will be united——” “Your Excellency,’ she cried piti- fully, “am I not to be heard ?” “Two large estates joined and a beau- tiful_ and pious lady is taken in marriage - by a brave and worthy cavalier Mercedes stood erect, every line of her tense figure silhouetted against the smoky haze of the guttering candles. And still men stood; they felt that there was more to come. “The betrothal made this night will be consummated at Easter, when ws A. coarse wine-roughened voice broke in upon Mendoza’s words. “And I bid you all as guests to the wedding. Is it not so, carissima?” Fonseca leaned forward and touched the girl familiarly upon the arm. “Ask them yourself if-you prefer,” he said. “If I prefer?” The girl fairly blazed forth. “Your Excellency! Surely you are jesting. You can not mean that you will enforce your right to make my mar- riage; that I am to be given away as one would give a horse or a dog. Was it for this that my father, your old com- rade-in-arms, made you my guardian? I tell you, sevior, governor or no governor, it shall not be.” Mendoza smiled a little as he stood, leaning on his hands, his knuckles whitening beneath his weight. “How will you prevent it?” he asked presently. “My word is law here.” “But not my law,” she flashed forth. “There is‘an appeal to the king that they dare not refuse. My family has the right of royal appeal. Until then, [ have the means to prevent it.”’ She raised her hands to her beautiful hair, in which the curiously wrought dag- ger ‘of steel and gold and tortoise-shell ~ shone and twinkled venomously. “Your Excellency, you have promised that which you can not fulfil.” (E@) — comichbook