Adventure Magazine Cover — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

a ie, “park, ‘story Spark too Author of ‘The Floating Frontier,” “The Road to El Dorado,” etc. The first part of the story briefly retold in story form HE ‘‘Swamp-Fox,’’ General Marion, was baffling the British troops in South Carolina during the doubtful days of the Revolution. I, James Lance, was sent by my uncle David Macson to take money to our kinsmen the Macsons of the backwoods. Uncle David was a Tory and our kinsmen rebels. I was neutral. Uncle David got me a pass through the British lines. In the British camp I came upon soldiers preparing to whip a half-witted youth. The victim was a native of the woods, and I thought of a plan to use him on my mission to my kinsmen. “Let me have the boy as a guide,”’ I demanded, and after much wrangling the officer in command permitted the boy to go with me. The half-wit guided me to the cabin of Ellis Am-. CHAPTER IV SOME COUSINLY FAVORS SIE MACSON would talk none | with me as we rode down the ' creek. She had called me ‘“‘Cou- is promised much. Had big Simon been my guide I should have been uneasy as to my destination. I went with her gladly, be- lieving no ill could happen to me. Several times I endeavored to make her talk but, always riding in the lead, she would give her tacky the timber and gallop away as if wish- ing to leave me behiggl. It was not until we had passed the ford with the flat stones and were nearing the junction of the creek with the Pedee that she addressed me. ‘You won’t mind,”’ she said, allowing me —_— ‘S Copyright, 1921, by Hugh Pendexter. sin James” when we started, and 7O bros, an old Tory. There we met four of Ganner’s ‘Regulators,’ a lawless mounted band hostile to both rebels and loyalists. In a skirmish Ambros in the cabin and I outside killed three and the other galloped away. My half-wit guide disappeared after the fight. Ambros directed me to the cabin of Angus Mac- son. There I met Big Simon, Angus’ boorish son, and my pretty cousin, Elsie Macson. They all re- garded me suspiciously and expressed their con- tempt of Uncle David. They were disgusted at my neutrality in the struggle between Whig and Tory. Big Simon and I even had a fist-fight. They accepted the money and put me up grudg- ingly for the night. In the morning I rode away with my pretty cousin [Elsie as my guide. to ride beside her. She was removing a ker- chief from her hair. I did not understand until she leaned toward me and deftly band- aged my eves. My last glimpse was of her sober face and the creek choked with river- drift bevond. ‘Then I am as dangerous as that!” I cried. “It’s orders. I'll guide your horse.’’ We advanced in silence which was only broken by occasional stirrings in the woods on our right. Sometimes she spoke in a low voice as if addressing some one, and I as- sumed we were passing videttes. We splashed into the water and I felt it against my boots; then we were on land again, pass- ing through canebrake. After quitting the cane, the way ascended sharply and had many a turn and twist. At last I knew men were about me for I heard the low mur- mur of their voices. The girl directed— E® NOOO CO