Adventure Magazine Cover — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

Plunder 5 and Howard and a dozen more who went ‘“‘on the account” and were rich men all— from cabin-boy to captain—in one voyage. Burgess came back to Bristol five years ago with ten thousand pounds and the price of three hundred slaves. “That beats hardtack and salt horse, hard work and little pay. Eh? Ill war- rant you. A free life and a merry one. Fill up, there’s plenty of liquor yet.” He nodded at them across his own tank- ard; chuckled under cover of it as he noted them gulp down the wine and set down their measures with their inflamed faces chal- lenging him. His eyes held those of Horton for the space of a breath and mutual under- standing was exchanged. The train was laid; it needed only the match set to the powder. ‘There was none of these men who had such a ship, for instance, as this of ours: well found, well provisioned, with thirty guns and full magazines of powder and shot, a fast sailer. I have been in many ships, but never did I know a sweeter vessel to her helm than The Duke, nor a better on the wind. Given a good crew aboard such a ship, joining with others on the Madagascar coast, we could sweep the Persian Gulf and all the Indian Ocean and toss treasure over- beard for lack of space aboard to stow it.” Horton® brought down his great fist on the table with a thwack that set the bottles jigging. “By ——!’ he cried. trying, my hearties!”’ They were all with him, pounding the table, swearing, bragging — a stampede of villainy; the quickmatch fired, sputtering to an explosion. “What to do?” “Come, Avary, give us your plan. have the brains of us.” “Plan? There is no plan! ‘Tis already set for us. Simple as taking a cake from a tray. Here we are in Corunna awaiting orders that are not expected for two days or more. We'll make it one. Here is our skipper, a good man enough at sea, I grant you, handy with his reckoning, weather- wise but a drunkard. His fortune les drowned at the bottom of his glass. “Tonight he is ashore as he has been ever since we came to Corunna. When he comes aboard he will be brought off in a shoreboat in the morning after he has slept off some of the fumes. “°Tis worth the demanded Horton. You “What if he came, not tomorrow morning —for Horton has yet to sound out others on The Lion, so that we get all the men available—but the morning after that; and suppose he found that we had slipped cable in the night, drifted out on the ebb and that there was no ship of his in sight nor none to tell him she was speeding south for the Cape and Madagascar? What of that, bullies! There is no moon; the nights are dark; we are well placed for a flitting. What say your Who.is game to join the Gentry of the Sea? To go on the account? “Equal shares to all, an extra half-share to the quartermaster who speaks for the men, an extra share for the captain. What say you, bullies? Are you game?” Avary rose to his feet and stood at the table head with his arms outstretched. The mate was not without his good looks when he was at his best. He was tall and well built, and the wenches of Bristol were apt to look after him as he passed. To the fascinated crew he seemed every inch a leader and a prophet. The cabin echoed with huzzas while he surveyed them with glowing eyes, striving to temper them a little. “Softly, softly,’ he cried through the clamor, gesturing for order. ‘“They may think strangely of the uproar aboard The Lion. So. ’Tis settled. We sail under the Skull. Tomorrow night Horton comes aboard with such men as he can muster. At two bells in the midwatch.” “What if the skipper should not stay ashore?” asked Horton. ‘““°Twill make no difference. He will be drunk. And drunk asea or ashore he will be stupid at that hour. Row over to us with your party. You can all get shore leave without trouble. Here is the word. Call up to us as in a jest— “Ts your drunken boatswain aboard?’ “Tf all is well Dll answer ‘yes.’ Then we'll secure hatches, weigh anchor or slip cable and so to sea without bustle or noise. Is it agreed? Then finish the wine in a bumper to our luck. We'll get more and make a night of it.” THE symptoms experienced by the / captain of The Duke when he awak- : ened were not unknown to him, for he had a raging thirst, a splitting head anda most villainous taste of saltpeter in his mouth. But he was not usually dizzy the COMmiclboookxs (C@