Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

7 106 < é heard here. A group about a tree drew our attention and we lounged near enough to see it was a bill, hastily painted with black paint and brush. A fair description of me as I appeared when posing as Ambrose . Kerry was given, together with an offer ~ of five hundred guineas for me alive, two hundred for m me ¢ dead. “Tf any one gits that it’ll be old Mother _ Baff. She’s inside there now,” growled a citizen. “Good lack! But she do have the run of where her betters are kicked out, ”” com- _ plained another. Old Mother Baff was the last person I = _. cared to meet and I turned to walk back to Fulton Street. Bucks caught my arm and 4 forced me to continue our lounging gait, - and whispered for me to keep my mouth open. We were opposite the tavern when _I saw her white head, bowed low, and she me aS was about to come through the doorway. 2 I turned my back on the entrance and began _--—s«:pointing to the building across the way. _. The tap-tap of the long staff made the back ~~ of my neck feel cold. Now she was close behind us and I was hoping she would pass -__-without heeding us when she broke into a _ cackling laugh, and I heard her softly ‘mutter— _ “Dirt ahind the ears and a white neck _ where it sets on the shoulders.” Next she was beside me, pawing back her _ straggling hair and peering up into my face. I glanced at her blankly, then shifted my as I pointed out some new wonder for _ Bucks to explain. “You look like some one I know, dear,” she croaked. I gaped. at her stupidly. She made a -move to pass on, but there must have been - something reminiscently familiar in my fea- tures, for she pressed closer and again shook back the tangled ropes of hair. = “Your featur’s look like what I’ve seen before, dear,” she persisted. “Git away, old lady,” gruffly commanded Bucks. “You’re slowing us up from listing.” B “Speak softly to the old, dear,” she said -with a leer. “Hands brown, but never by city air.” Then to me, “Your skin’s __ white, dear, where the sun ain’t touched it.” - She reached forward a withered hand and _ tested it where my arm showed through a rent In my-_ragged coat; and it burned like 22 _ fire. I growled and shook her hand off. It ran wih 7 wet a + hae \ Tay Wl A ; Mi Te TRY ape Ry \ > ‘ asa ye ¥y ‘ + Adventure | F fell against my side and I felt the fingers rest on the butt of my Highland pistol. “‘God’s mercy!” she faintly cried and hobbled away from me. I sent my elbow into Bucks’ side as a signal that the situation was becoming desperate. Already the group about the tree were making toward us. Bucks took my arm and led me into the tavern and in a loud voice called for Cornet Spencer. The officer was called down-stairs and proved to be a red-cheeked youngster, scarcely more than a boy. He walked with an exaggerated swagger, and said to us: ‘What is it »my man? Two good loyalists I can easily see.’ “T fetched him here to ’list,’’ announced Bucks. ‘I’m after them two guineas.”’ ‘“‘Native thrift and shrewdness,” said the cornet admiringly. ‘‘We’ll soon have your two names on the rolls.” “ There’ s a matter of two guineas for this recruit,” persisted Bucks. Behind me came the tap-tap of the long staff. I did not look around but I could feel her evil presence behind me even before I heard her hurried breathing. “Two guineas,” repeated Bucks ‘firmly. “Curse it! Can’t you wait until the man’s name is down?” ‘Then more graciously, for we were birds in the bush as yet. “Just a bit of form to sign your names. His Majesty is glad to pay the guineas. Now, Mother Baff; stand aside, please. That’s a good creature.” “‘We come way from Westchester village. I’m Will Bucks. This is my cousin, Job Merick. He didn’t want to come. But I fetched him. It’s worth a dozen guineas to fight his notions, him being that given. to backing and filling. So’s if you want this settled now, young sir, I'll ‘collect my guineas before we write down our names.”’ “Have it so! Have it so! But draw me, if you aren’t a cautious blade! You're after my own heart. You know what you want. _ Come back to the table and we'll settle this business before a porter can drink a pint. A shilling apiece to bind the bargain, and two guineas for my sturdy recruiting agent.” He led us to the table and Mother Baff kept close behind’us, determined to see the end of it. A sergeant brought the -rolls. Now I ventured to steal a glance at Mother Baff and wa pleased to observe perplexity her face. We received a shilling Te ® IC boo Ss (0) my S a a ~~ * ~ > =) - — See °F ae ~ a4 | tr i, oe