Adventure Magazine Cover — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

“How’d I know you didn’t have a pistol hid in them gay clothes?” defended the man with the pistol. “I’d rather kill the devil then to have him kill me. We ain’t particular how we treat spies.” “IT am no spy, you idiot. I am Captain Claude Raymond Pean, aid to Chevalier de Levis. I am here in my uniform, detailed to make discoveries.” “Well, I guess you ain’t hurt much if you can talk as fast as that. By the way you handle the king’s English I’d say you was a renegade, and that’s worse than being a spy.” “_____ your distinctions, you imbecile! Take me to a surgeon where I can have this clumsy wound dressed. You not only knock a hole in my shoulder but you must spoil my coat, as though white coats grew on bushes out here. Given I had you in Ticonderoga I’d turn you over to our young petits-maitres to be drilled in the use of firearms.” As he finished taunting them he reeled and all but fell. The rangers sprang to assist him, one dropping his rifle, the other thrusting his empty pistol into his belt. With a low laugh of triumph the Frenchman whipped out two pistols, covered ‘the astounded men and gloated: “What children! I come and I go. I visit your town of Albany. I procure important papers. I come here alone and I pick up two prisoners, No one stops me. And yet the pig of a Loudoun says he will take Ticonderoga. “Now ahead of me, little ones. I have a canoe on the lake. You shall paddle me to the Carrying-Place in great state.” The ranger with the pistol caught a glimpse of Putnam’s face in the bushes and only his woods. training enabled him to conceal his joy. With a wink to his companion he mournfully said: “Guess you fooled us fine, Mr. Frenchy. I for one don’t go for to take any chances. You’re too smooth for me. Here we go.” And with his hands clasped behind his neck he started toward Putnam’s hiding-place. His friend, realizing some game was on, fell in be- hind him. The French officer strode after them, his pistols raised and ready, his wounded shoulder in no way seeming to inconvenience him. He chuckled as he herded them into the bush, taunting them with being the only Englishmen who had dared leave the fort. With never a swerve of the head toward Putnam’s ambush the rangers passed into the undergrowth, keeping close together and only a few feet ahead of their captor. The lake was near and so Srésumably was the officer’s hidden canoe. He stuck one of his pistols into his belt and commenced ridiculing his prisoners, demanding how they had dared to venture into the woods alone. He was in The Bushfighters the midst of his ironical remarks when two muscular hands shot from the bushes and seized his hands, and with a vicious twist caused the pistol to drop to the ground. The officer’s exclamation of rage was his prisoners’ cue to wheel about and shout triumphantly. “Stand back, you two,” ordered Putnam, who had closed in with his man. ‘You had your chance and he made fools of you.” Then to his struggling opponent: Z “You are hurt. If you do not give up I shall have to hurt you some more. Your case is hopeless.” “T make honorable surrender to you,” sighed the Frenchman. ‘“‘—— only knows why I should be punished thus and not allowed to at least surrender to an equal in rank. I am aid to Chevalier——” “Ves, yes. I know all that,” dryly cut in Putnam. “Also that you enter and leave Albany at your pleasure. It may make your mind easy to know I hold commission as cap- tain. You must have cut a brave eats in Albany.” “T did but make game of these simple ones. Of course I have not been in Albany. It was said to throw them off their guard. But we shall aJl be in Albany soon, please God!” “Certainly when it does please Him,” sternly said Putnam. ‘You make so free with the Almighty in your talk I wonder if your talk about a certain paper is just another way of talking.” The officer’s face grew ghastly. “T did but jest with the men. Take me toa surgeon.” “Fasten his arms behind him with his belt, Whitten,’ Putnam directed the tall ranger. “He’s a slippery varmint. Good. Now see if he has any little paper upon him. I’ve a notion he spoke truthfully in his boasting.” @ light only_another pistol, small and BA scematedl with silver, quite unlike any weapon any of the three had ever seen. “Release my arms. I feel very faint. I give my parole not to try to escape,” said the officer in a weak voice. 3 “The paper first,” gently replied Putnam. “Whitten couldn’t find it, but perhaps he didn’t look close enough.” As he spoke he passed his hands over the white coat and was rewarded by a faint rustling sound in the hem of the skirt. “This is much better, much better,” mured Putnam. He ripped open the skirt and pulled forth a narrow strip of paper folded to the width of the hem. Opening this he read it through and whistled softly. “?Mount to much, cap’n?” curiously asked one of the rangers. THE rangers searched but brought to mur- COMICGLOOOkKS