Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

26 altogether, thereby making his capture a burden rather than a prize. Moreover, by the manner in which his rascals had ‘followed him in the taking of the ship, he was sanguine of further proving their mettle; and it was no wish of his to cripple the warship until she had beaten them off. Time enough to make practise at her motive power when he turned fugitive and she turned chaser. “Hold, gunner!” he roared. The men at the guns paused with their matches at the glow. Davies turned the wheel to bring his ship parallel with the enemy, and when he saw the Spaniard’s matches flare up again, he gave his orders. “Give ’em one dose o’ cannister, lads. Fire as your muzzles bear on his guns. Then stand by to board.” A skilful touch on the helm brought the ship nearer her foe, and when but a pistol- shot separated them Davies’ gunner touched off his own piece and roared— “Now, lads, fire an’ foller me!” | One by one the pirates’ guns belched their iron hail into the Don’s gaping ports, and shrieks and yells told of shot well sped. Davies threw his helm hard down; then, righting it again before his vessel quite lost headway, he crashed alongside the war- ship and leaped to the rail, chain and grap- pling-hook in hand. ‘““Awa-a-ay boarders!” he yelled, cast his grapnel, and sprang down upon the Don’s quarter-deck cutlas in hand with a hundred snarling rufhians at his heels. xX ee NELL CLARK stood on the mer- —== chantman’s poop, in charge of the — ditiful remnant of crew. Battle lanterns flashed on the warship’s decks, and clearing skies overhead let through great stars to contribute their light. The tall figure of Davies was easy to follow as he led his men aft to where the Spanish officers rallied in defense of their ship. Taken by surprize though they were at finding a strange ship flung alongside them so recklessly when no more than a hundred men appeared to oppose their own three hundred seasoned sea warriors, the Spaniards proved of stuff far too stout to yield the pirates an easy conquest. A stately Don, ruffled and bearded, faced Davies with a cunning sword, and his Adventure officers and after-guard backed him so courageously that the pirates found them- selves hurled down the high poop ladders before they had got a foothold. me, ye cringing dogs! Will ye let ‘em beat ye off again?” roared Davies, at- tacking the tall Don furiously. He alone remained on the poop, and already his doublet showed red in patches. “Lay on, blast ye!” he cried. “But the poop and ye have a ship indeed.” A lightning-like assault forced the Den on the defense, and out of the rapid en- counter the pirate emerged with a grim laugh, for the Spaniard’s neck ruffle was reddening fast from a shrewd puncture of the throat. Attacked in turn by three officers, Davies retreated stubbornly fight- ing, bawling for support that never came. Leaping aside, he snatched a glance be- hind him, and a bitter curse burst from his dry throat at sight of his rufhans, already giving way and edging #sshamelessly back toward their own ship. He choked down a sob of despairing rage, and hurled himself more furiously upon his antagonists. None knew better than Edward Davies that a noosed rope was the tenderest fate awaiting the pirate who survived defeat. He cursed his cowardly rascals from their nativity to their ultimate end, and knew that his curses fell upon heedless ears. Then suddenly a shot rang out behind him; he heard the ringing laugh of Nell, and a swift glance over his shoulder showed him the widening gulf between the ships. “Now ye’ll fight, ye dirty scum!” cried Nell; and again her pistol spat fire and lead, toppling a leaping pirate from the high bulwarks as he attempted the gulf. It was then that Davies realized that she had deliberately cast off the grappling- irons, setting herself adrift alone with the trader’s own crew, in order that desperation might force the wavering pirates to give Davies the support which could alone save him. “Oh, a pretty piece o’ work, Nell!” roared ~ Davies, again advancing toward the poop. »“Now, ye jolly dogs, ye’ll carry the ship or hang, by Satan! Shall a woman shame ye? Then come! Huzza! That’s you, lousy curs! Ah, it takes the fear o’ a dangling rope to stiffen the guts 0’ ye!” Through the crowded press in the deep waist the pirates stormed, fighting now with such cold savagery that the Spaniards - S CORnICLOO (C@