Adventure Magazine Cover — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

66 reason back of the unusual design. He was reluctantly informed. “A devil, eh? Huh! bigger fools than the islanders.” Having expressed his opinion, Black Pete sailed northward, following along in the Mary's wake. “Tf I was sure I could find their cache,” he snarled to his mate, “‘I’d helped myself. Imagine that old fool Mashlugi believing You fellows are South Sea he was packing the devil around with him — in them mucklucks. We ought to learn em a lesson on trading and would have but for that —— Madison. Well, he didn’t get the stuff either. Mavbe he’ll be willing to listen to reason next time we meet.” SE back. Natives informed him that his rival had decided to make a dash to a remote village many miles to the north- westward. They expressed the opinion that the schooner would probably be caught in the ice and held for the Winter. Pete knew Madison had nearly two years’ pro- visions aboard for just such an emergency, and within his evil brain was born an idea. He abruptly headed southward and forced his schooner at top speed until once more he was anchored off Mashlugi’s vil- lage. With the greatest display of friend- liness he sent presents ashore to Mashlugi and the chief. His own dory returned, was hoisted aboard and Black Pete waited. Sooner or later he knew a skin-boat would put off from shore. If he was playing in big luck, Mashlugi himself would be aboard. Shortly thereafter a bidarka put out from the village. Under the skilful manipula- tion of its crew, the skin-craft was soon alongside. §Mashlugi himself climbed gravely aboard the schooner. In his arms he bore a present, which Pete accepted. No sooner had he turned the gift over to a seaman than he leaped upon the amazed native and threw him to the deck. Pinioning his arms and shoulders to the plank, he grinned cruelly at the medicine-man while he shouted his orders at the mate. “Pull off the mucklucks and be quick! Here you—” to a seaman—‘‘watch that bidarka!”’ With no little glee, the mate removed -Mashlugi’s mucklucks, despite the angry Adventure protests and violent struggles of the victim. “Now ‘search him for a knife,’ Black Pete directed. The search was productive of results and both a knife and revolver of rather ancient design were removed. Disarmed and in- dignant beyond words, Mashlugi leaped to his feet and glared. For a moment he contemplated an attack regardless of the other’s superior strength. Nothing would have suited Black Pete better than to crash his mighty fist into the angry face before him. “Now listen to me, Mashlugi,’ he snarled. “I don’t want your muck- lucks, but I do want them pelts and that ivory you've got hidden away. We'll pull out from shore so some of your misguided hunters don’t try to pick us off with rifles, and there we'll lay to. When you deliver your stuff, you'll get your mucklucks back —not before. And if you don’t come through, we’ll- pull out for Nome, and your mucklucks go with us.” Mashlugi did not understand quite all that was being said, but he grasped Black Pete’s ptoposition and with a mixture of bewilderment and rage at the unexpected turn his friendly call had taken, he stepped into his bidarka and was paddled ashore. A number of natives were on the beach the instant the craft grounded and a few seconds later the entire tribe surrounded the medicine-man. A great uproar arose, several young men springing to their skin- boats, only to be restrained with difficulty by the chief. Then the men apparently went into council. The younger men were keen for an attack upon the schooner, but the wiser heads pointed out that the white men were armed with guns and would quickly sink the skin-boats long before they could reach the schooner. On the other hand it was self-evident that without the mucklucks, Mashlugi could no longer guarantee immunity from disease and famine. Even now the devil was doubtless free and gathering his forces for an attack. Apparently they must submit and de- liver the fruits of many months’ hard labor, trusting that the white men at Nome would eventually give them justice, but it hurt their pride to submit so tamely to the outrage and so the debate continued. In the mean time Black Pete had pro- ceeded some two miles from the village and COmiclbook ©