Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

30 opportunity to accept it. I want that par- don, lads, for there’s been nothing in my career under the Black Ensign to enamor me of the life. “But the gold we lost by Lake Nicaragua was mine, is mine; and I’ll recover it, by Satan. Not as pirate did I take it, but as a fighting commander of a fighting force in a belligerent country. Spain was and is at war with our homeland, lads, and from the enemy that gold was taken as spoils of war.’ ‘An ally gave me cause to suspect him when twas lost mysteriously; that ally sus- pected me; but I remained seeking it until I was left without men or arms or transport, while that ally deserted me. “Which was the traitor? I leave it to you. But enough. Reaching the coast, all but mad with thirst and weariness and fear o the unknown lurking in swamp and jungle, I heard whispers of this venture of John Cook’s, and his joining with the French- ~ men who deserted me to seek my lost booty. And I shall tell ye, my bold fellows, what’s been done, and what’s. afoot wi’ John Cook——”’ “John Cook took his hook— He’s hiding out on Aves! “Cr-raw-awwk!” screeched Bravo, and a wave of laughter broke the tense silence that had fallen while.Davies was speaking. His face, however, was too grimly serious to encourage mirth; silence fell again when he warned the bird with a flicking finger and proceeded: “When I asked ye awhile agone would ye fight for me with the rope fitted to y’r necks or with it still but a threat o’ the future, I meant just this: I could not accept offer of pardon, so still Edward Davies sails as a known and threatened pirate; for well ye know Lord Vaughan but offered amnesty once, for a month ’twas, and thereafter be- gan those pleasant little afternoons that : ha’ made his name so sweet to all good subjects ashore and so black to all good rovers afloat. “By dozens he hangs ’em, in chains. And ‘tis but justice, I dare say. But because ‘tis justice, shall I creep to my lord on bended knees and plead for some of the same? Not I! And not you, either, says you! ‘And so I came to the gist o’ the matter. There are other ports than Jamaica; other governors than Vaughan. Time’s a healer, too. Adventure “Suppose ye follow John Cook? Ye’ll be pirates still. Follow me, and we’ll fight for our own legitimate booty, and another amnesty will be found, never fear ss “Good enough, cappen; but ’tain’t none too clear neither,’ objected Kestral, and many another seaman muttered in sym- pathy. ‘‘Why’s there difference atween us follering you and us follering John Cook or Swan? Ain’t we all pirates together? And will they gi? us softer rope, or will we hang less complete wi? Edward Davies than wi’ John Cook?” “Glad I am to answer ye, Kestral, and all the bold lads who .question,” replied Davies, smiling still, but with glittering eyes. “If ye hang, ye’ll hang as juicily with me as with any other pirate. That’s true. “Question is, why need ye hang at all? Ha’ ye done act o’ piracy since ve entered my ship? Was the taking of the Cadiz piracy? “T seé ye blinking, Kestral! Use thy woolly wits, Jad! She run us down, didn’t she? And we're at war wi’ Spain, ain’t we? Then we took an enemy ship to pay us for our own that she sunk, didn’t we? And since when has law been that a merchant- man must surrender to an enemy’s cruiser when attacked, if she has guts to fight? Didn’t the cruiser fire into us? Who shall bring us to task about it? “Here we are, peacefully plying our voyage to the west coast on private venture o’ mine. Somewhere astern’s John Cook— John Cook, who, frightened by Vaughan’s decree upon laggard pirates, irduced Swan to play hypocrite in England in order that he might get merchants to fit him out a ship or two to hunt the unrepentant rovers, meaning all the while to join issues with him and make this descent on Nicaragua for loot and my lost booty.” Davies paused, watching the effect of his speech on Kestral especially, for he alone seemed to waver. Goliath hung at Davies’ elbow, licking his thick red lips as if hungry for a chance to convince the doubter with steel; but Davies preferred to use other methods. Kestral uttered a thought that appeared to find sympathy in many others. “°Twas John Cook’s sloops that put us all afloat in stout ships, cappen. Iwas John Cook who planned the venture. "T'was John Cook who “°’Twas John Cook who set the Dons upon us, on me and on the Frenchman, and . CORNICGLOOKS (C@