Adventure Magazine Cover — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

- lived the daughter of Jan the Rogue. ~~ IO destroying the evidence that will hang him.”’ “Tl be off at once. And, cap’n, the capturg of Oswego. won’t put an end to good bush- fighting round George and Champlain, I hope.” - “A bellyful waiting for you, Ephraim Willis.” CHAPTER II : THE HOUSE WITH RED EYES DP ARTN G from his captain, Willis com- menced a methodical search of the town. The houses for the greater part were uniformly of Dutch design, the front door being divided. In the upper half of each door, or—and this less frequently—in the transom, were two bull’s-eyes of thick green glass. These glowed softly when the candles were burning within. His quest was for a house with red bull’s- eyes. Where houses showed lights he could eliminate them at a glance; where houses were in darkness: it was necessary for him to in- spect’ closely, even to the extent of striking a spark with his steel and flint. Beginning at the river he worked rapidly. The tall, steep roofs suggested the sharp-pointed hats of the early New Englanders, and the glowing green eyes -hinted at the sinister. While given to none of the superstitions which had caused the Salem furor of half a century back Willis could not help but think of witches as he glided along, soft-footed as a padded cat. For an hour he searched, and then as he -neared the top of the hill he glimpsed two spots of red pricking through the trees on the op- posite side of the main street. He crossed over and halted behind a tree before the house. It was much like its neighbors except for the red glass in the upper half of the door. Somewhere in the immediate neighborhood He leaned against the tree for a minute to meditate on the girl, whose charms were sufficient to push the disaster of Oswego to the back of his mind. It was a terrible thing when the French secured full control of Ontario and the west and were free to concentrate all their strength on the Lake George country....And the girl had flouted him most outrageously. Only a few weeks before, fifty Canadians, painted like the red allies accompanying them, had audaciously shown themselves across the river opposite the town and had carried off two captives. What would not their boldness permit them to dare now that there was no water gate on Ontario to guard?....And she had led him on only to make game of him... Elizabeth Lidindick. .. .He sighed lugubriously. His personal troubles were outweighing those of the colonies. He vowed to himself he would humble her pride. In the crucible of his hot thoughts he mixed anger with his hopeless devotion. He A Adventure berated the girl under his breath and at the ae time feared he loved her with all his soul. The sound of a door closing brought him back to realities and the realization that he had no business to tarry. Some one had come through the spy’s door. Had he been on the alert when the door stood open for a fraction of a moment and allowed the light to shine over the threshold he might have made a dis- covery. Now the door was closed and he could \ only make out a dark figure approaching down the walk. Instead of coming to the street the figure turned aside and remained motionless on the little green. The watcher behind the tree caught a sound that suggested some one sigh- ing in deep distress. With the stealth of an Iroquois he glided from the tree and on to the green and was startled to,find himself an eaves- dropper to a woman’s sobbing. This was a sorry plight for a man to find himself in. To take his luck in a running fight with a hundred painted warriors was a part of the game, but a woman in tears melted the heart out of him. Only by remembering. the terrible blow to the colonies’ fortunes through the fall of Oswego could he restrain himself from making his presence known and offering sympathy. He began to with- draw, but now the woman detected his presence, and with a startled little cry ran toward him a few. steps and in a low voice demanded: “Who are you standing there? I see you. Who are you?” ““May the —— cage me!” choked the ranger under his breath. Aloud he managed to explain— “Ephraim Willis, always at your service, ° Elizabeth Lidindick.” “The Connecticut lad!” she softly whispered, gliding to his side and running her fingers over the fringed seams of his hunting-shirt to make sure of his identity. “Ephraim Willis, who was kind to me, whom I used badly. Oh, lad, lad! Why should I act perverse with you, an honest man! God forgive me! I am a sad case.” “You seem to be in trouble,” faltered Willis, _still tingling from the swift touch of her light fingers. “In deep trouble,” she murmured. truth. In deep trouble.” “Tf I can help you—— » “Vou can not. My father is dying.” “Dying? I will go for aid.” “No, no. Nothing cam help him. It’s heart malady. -He has known it would take ‘Sad PP) him some day. The hour has struck. We’ have not been as close as some fathers and daughters; still he is my father. I find I shall need him and miss him.” “Who stays with him while you are out here?” EOLPMIE OO KS (E(@)