Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

66 “Then up and at ’em!” shouted Davies, and led the charge up the sloping glacis of a strong fortification which seemed as deserted as a city of the dead. But the hubbub in the towh beyond and the hum of confusion nearer at hand gave evidence of life, and as the attackers swarmed up the slope, mounted the walls and peered into the seemingly empty fort a withering fire of musketry swept across the wide, open space between wall and buildings, while on the opposite, unseen side of the fort, big guns began to speak in earnest. XXVI WHATEVER the causes for lack of harmony when idle, or fretting under the strain of a dreary forest march, once the battle was on the attackers fought like bold blades, fought true to orders, and so well carried the rear of the town, in spite of the moving of the great guns, that when Davies led his own men in a helter- ‘skelter charge at the rallying musketeers it was against their own soldiers that the Spanish guns vomited iron and flame, fired by the roaring rovers who had captured them. The garrison were driven into the castle and secured before the sun had sunk into the broad Pacific, and Davies himself saw that the women and children were placed in temporary safety within the stout walls of the great church, where priests and sisters from the ¢onvent very willingly ministered to them out of regard for their own skins. Then, so that there might be as little fric- tion between the various parts of his force as possible, Davies allowed the looting of wine-shops and food-stores to go on while he drove, cajoled, and led the jubilant crew in making good his conquest. This he did by completing what the Spaniards had too tardily begun. The great guns from the walls were distributed so that a battery faced the sea, another commanded the forest approach, and still other single guns well placed swept the avenues of the town, guarding against surprize from the imprisoned garrison. Then what remained of the night he spent himself in rest, an example followed wisely by Carr and Goliath, and a great number of his own men from the Cadzz. The town resounded with the uproar of the tippling rovers until the dawn broke, ae Adventure and then the real rummaging of the place began while Davies put lookouts on fort flagstaff and forest trees to watch for the coming up of the ships. “What ha’ ye found?” he demanded as one by one the leaders camie to report in mid-forenoon. “Enough to take care on, and more than enough to whet th’ lads’ whistles, ”” roared Swan, drunk as Noah’s pig, begrimed with powder, smeared with blood and staggering under a sack which clanged musically as he hurled it from his shoulder. “Aye, y’ devil’s spawn!” rasped Cook, bursting through the crowd and facing Swan with blazing eyes. “Aye, aplenty for all, as ye say, an’ ye must needs steal what I ha’——” “Steal?” growled Swan savagely, and his hand stole to his knife-haft. He crouched menacingly, but Cook was mad with fury and advanced barehanded. wOteal, tsanel = “Goliath, take hold of him!’ snapped Davies, himself springing upon Swan and wrapping his long arms about him. The black took hold of Cook likewise, and Davies uttered his decree while every man of the venture except the lookouts were there to hear. “Hear me, lads! Here we are, established in our first conquest, wi’ stores 0’ food and wine galore, and sufficient o’ the yellow metal -to pay goodly shares. And here ye are, two o’ my leaders, seekin’ to fly at each other’s throats for the sake o’ a pot o’ gold or two. “Me ye made leader. So be it. Until one 0’ ye prove the better man then, I'll be leader and no other. “And this I tell ye now, so mark it: I ha’ bigger treasures in view than the paltry loot o’ such a town, and [ll not lose it for any such madman’s work as squabblin’ among yerselves. Cook, and you, Swan, an ye make not friends, and cease this wrang- ling, Pll string ye both to the highest tree o’ the forest as surely as I strung up Badoes and Bristol. ‘“‘Now, if any man hungers for leadership, let him step out and try his luck wi’ me. Goliath, let that man loose.” Swan and Cook slunk back into the crowd, glaring hate at Davies, but not a man ventured to take up the gantlet. Mutterings there were, oaths and grum- blings; L’Escuyler looked on with an evil’ COmiclbooks (C@