Adventure Magazine Cover — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

“Tvory—hm! Sure it’s good ivory? Shall we take it, Leiken?”’ “Bubbles all over the deck skating like bugs on the sea,” said Leiken. ” | thought so,” Charley rejoined. “Tell ’em that! And I guess we'll take the gold; some silver, too, I think, if it’s shined up properly. If you haven’t got any copper I’m just as satisfied; they only make pennies out of that, and what can you get for a penny?” Back in the thicket Jahlet groaned at this repudiation. ‘The crew were edging peril- ously into the sunlight, forgetful of danger. Plack blinked his eyes. “Understand,” Charley went on, “I won’t trade with ’em here. \ They’ll have to bring a whole lot more than this and tote it down to the shore where this man of mine left the rest of the enchanted cloth and the magic paper that talks. They'll have to hurry, too, or we can’t wait for ’°em. We really intended to get rubies for it in India, but I like to give everybody a chance. ‘Tell’em that!’ Captain Plack heard this and ceased to struggle. A deep sigh he emitted from the bottom of his harassed soul. A wave of glory tumulted into his face. “—_ stowed it in barrels—rain oil that’s better than sperm—drink yourself to death and blow up—and full of stars and starfish,” chanted Leiken. -“Five yards for the - tusk!” shrilled Charley above the jabbermg, and he proceeded to measure off the allow- ance. “Six for the band! And cheap at that!”’ “Thank God!” fervently broke out Plack, rubbing his hands, oblivious of his fate now, seeing, believing, shuffling off a score “of hapless years. The sound reached Charley. He turned round eyes upon the gaping countenances of his former comrades. A youthful delight sang in his voice. : “Chase it out—how about that nose- piece there? Yes, I’ve got enough. You with the ear-rings, the silver néecklace— bring it along!” His ease of bearing was the outgrowth of a supreme joy that those gawking-sailors from a rude mast-hand. ‘Adventure could never begin to understand. They had no use for him, hadn’t they? pant with greed while their hopes were as baubles in his hands. He who had lost his belief In romance upon the high seas had found it again. It was very sweet. Hap- piness radiated from him like an aura. And his active gaze rested for a fleeting instant on his father. Plack was leaning forward, weighing an elephant’s tusk with his eye. Where was the sadness here? Let them — Water-soaked cloth going at terrific rates » for the treasures of the East! His vessel redeemed! Honor and earthly salvation— they were his. “My boy!’ he muttered. “My boy, don’t haggle over yards! Bolts, Charley! Bolts; piles and cartons! ‘Tons of paper— bless you, Leiken! Where in heaven was he going with it, Jahlet? But Charley stopped him! What a boy, Jahlet! Don’t trade here Charley; that would make trouble with the authorities; lead ’em south—a good ten miles. We'll join you there.” The scramble grew too strong. Charley howled for quiet. The interpreter waved to his countrymen to be silent. of the bark trod upon one another. ‘Hold on!’ shouted the youthful mer- chant. ‘Of course, I’m going on the idea that I’m bosun of the Lynn Reed, as I told you I was. There’s the rest of ’em.” He gestured to the trees. “If these fellows say I’m not bosun, then i “Who says you ain’t?” hoarsely burst “Tl eat “im! Go on! I’m fer yuh!” ‘“Aye, aye, sir!” rose the echo in a dozen mouths. “Bosun, that’s you, sir! Jes’ like was said—you’re all the bosun we wants in ourn, sir—lay tuh thet!” “Whatever you say, boys!” grinned Charley. “Is it a go, dad?” | “Tut, Charley! Don’t lose’em! Takea turn around ’em! Due to collect, Jahlet! My boy—he’s learning the ropes, man! Charley, all the ivory!” Leiken described untroubled arcs in the air and nodded to a ferocious face directly before him. “Tt rained blue and yellow, ”” he declared; “and that’s good luck.” The crew COPMIC KOOKS (e@)