Adventure Magazine Cover — page 46: what you’re looking at

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

36 ____ girl, which had been denied him under the con- stant cross-examination of Lyman and _ his officers; and the retrospection revealed nothing ~~ but dead ashes. He was sorry to be there. He now realized she could not change her nature. He was nothing but an uncouth woodsman to 3 her, and his abrupt surrender to her charms ‘could only amuse her. He found the hill town seething with activity and excitement. The most absurd rumors were being passed along the street; so grotesque that Willis would not bother to deny them un- less asked pointblank. The Three Fires, or the league composed of the Chippewa, Ottawa and Potawatomi, were sending their entire warrior force to participate in a last drive against the English. Albany was doomed to capture and sack. Schenectady might fall any hour. Loudoun’s ten thousand men were strung all the way from the Hudson to Lake George, and by coming down the Mohawk River the 7m Western hordes would cut this line in two rolling one demoralized fragment back on the Hudson, __while a superior force from Ticonderoga would nail down by the head at Fort William Henry the remainder of the troops. The Iroquois were so strongly impressed by ~ the fall of Oswego, following on the defeat of _ Braddock, that they would offer no assistance. These and similar rumors were frantically re- peated and for the most part believed by the Naturally the citizens of the town clamored for more adequate defenses and the withholding of sufficient troops to protect the place. This : 2 _ panic did not permeate the army, however, and regulars and provincials with much purring of drums marched in and out, followed by artillery. With a slight limp in his walk Willis repaired to a tap-room and called for a mug of cider. A boisterous group filled the place, the flushed faces of untried rustics accentuating the leathern visages of men made old at the game by twelve montlis’ experience. The red and blue uniforms were worn and stained, and the men in home- spun sought to give themselves an air of military smartness through the medium of boastful speech. Could the tap-room threats have been trans- muted into military efficacy Louis the Fifteenth would have lost his throne forthwith. Willis heard the fiery speeches with lips curled in disgust. He knew these loiterers and brag- garts formed an infinitesimal percentage of the army, yet it angered him exceedingly that they could not be sent to the front lines. “Our chaplain preached that we should love our enemies,” guffawed one raw recruit who had yet to hear a gun fired in battle. ‘Just wait till old Kill-Sure gits a line on’ ’em!” And he patted his firelock. “Wait till they get you trussed up to a stake and nicely barbecued,” broke in Willis, his Adventure quarrel with the world in general driving him to criticize those bits of braggadocio he was usually pleased to accept as being humorous. The young man stared. at him with startled eyes. Another, a swaggering, muscular chap, lowered his mug with a thump and turned to glare balefully. “Who might you be to be telling his Majesty’ s soldiers that they'll be barbecued?” he de- manded. ‘ me, but your loyalty’ll be the better for your giving a cheer for King George.” “‘_____ your ignorant hides,” growled Willis. “T’ve fought for King George. I’ve dodged death a hundred times for King George, and I'll do it as many times more if I’m lucky; but there ain’t anything in my line of duty that . calls me to yowl hoorays for King George every time a crowd of tavern loungers take the notion to tell me to. If you folks be so bloodthirsty to slaughter the French and their Indians why ain’t you out where there’s plenty of fighting?” “Babble, bibble! ain’t you there instead of being here swilling cider?” challenged the other, sweeping his mug_ aside and leaning his gun against the wall where it would be out of his way should he decide to leave the table hurriedly. “T’ve been there, sir. I'll be there again as soon as a hole in my leg mends. I was there on the Ohio. I was there on the Monongahela. - I’ve already been at Lake George; and next time I’m going right through to Montreal. Now, you blood-drinker, go out and show you can do something besides killing New England rum.” The speech had been softly uttered, and until the derisive close the company believed that the ranger was anxious to avoid trouble. The ‘conclusion left them silent fora second; then rose a hum of anger. The man addressed choked over a suitably violent retort and struggled to his feet. A voice from the back of the low room called out— “T guess he’s a spy!” “That’s it! Spy! Spy!” yelled several. The soldier who had demanded a cheer for the king rushed round the table and fell upon Willis, crying— “T’ve got him, fellers!”’ | The table crashed over. Willis was knocked from his stool. He landed on his back, his assailant on top of him trying to choke him. With a grunt of rage the ranger raised his pewter mug and brought it against the man’s head, and then threw the limp form aside and leaped to his feet before the onlookers could take any action against him. It was not until he was making for his long rifle that the mob came to its senses and ad- vanced to seize him. Sweeping up the over- turned stool, he threw it, knocking down two men and driving the others back. He followed up the stool with the table. The crowd began to reply with bottles and mugs, one missile COmiclooolkKks By the same word why (E@) ==