Adventure Magazine Cover — page 186: what you’re looking at

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

750 “Why don’t you send a messenger to tele- graph the Governor, if there is going to be any trouble?” “Tt would take ten days to get a detach- ment of regionales here, and I would rather have twenty of these fishermen than five hundred of those poor convicts, half-dead from fever and homesickness. Also, if it is Don Felipe that is threatening us, his cousin is the Governor. If it is the Mayas from the woods—well, the Government never has been able to get the best of them and lL believe I would rather handle the situation myself.” wus IT WAS late the next afternoon when set Haskell had his boats loaded and the sun was creeping down in the west. ‘The dozen men he had taken with him were waiting at the water’s edge to put off and, as he stood talking to the aged headman of the village, he called out to the boats to pro- ceed, with the exception of the lighter and swifter one. The sound of horses’ hoofs at the rear of the village! A party of horsemen riding through the gardens scattering the chickens and children! “Don Felipe! cried the old man. Haskell threw his hand to his hip. His gun was in the boat! They had not seen him yet. He stepped within the doorway, saying: “Lie for me, father, till I can get to the boat!’ “Oya, you old beggar!” cried Calderon y Ortegas, riding up and taking a playful slash at the patriarch of the village with a freshly cut withe. “How does it happen that the vultures have not got you yet? Where are the boys?” ‘All are working down the shore with the Senor Haskell, Don Felipe.” “Where are those boats going?”’ “They are taking my children food and water, Don Felipe.” “Call them back, before I brain you!” The old man pretended to call in his cracked voice, but it was too feeble to carry to the beach, so Don Felipe roared his own mandates. The two were already beyond the reach of his voice, and the men in the third that waited for Haskell showed signs of fear and gave no indication of putting out. The kaciendado cursed and threatened dire vengeance, stopping only to ask: The mercy of heaven!” !?? Adventure “Ts there a girl here, or down there with this American?” ‘“No, Don Felipe. I have seen no women this year but my own children.” “T hear they are cutting down my timber and are digging in my land. What is he trying to do?” “T do not know, Don Felipe, but he is building things on the sands by the water.” ‘“T shall go down to see.” Evidently the two spies were not Don Felipe’s men, thought Haskell. “The Sefior Peters says they will soon have ships here loading timber.” “Sefior Peters! Do I hear your words? A lad of little more than twenty?” “The same, Don Felipe. He came to my house wounded and grew well here.” The haciendedo ground his teeth in his rage and, turning to his elder son, said: ‘Now, do you see what we must do, and do at once?”’ Piainly he feared that, his attempt to kill young Peters having been open and inde- fensible, if Peters or Haskell were left alive long enough to get in touch with the Amer- ican consul at Merida, the Governor wou'd be forced to act. Peering through the wattle-work, Haskell could see the son nodding his head in acquiescence. “It seems that we rode over none too soon. Now bring us the best you have, you old dog, for we are hungry, and then we will go down where these gringo scoundrels are playing in my sand!” The party dismounted and Haskell counted them quickly—Don Felipe, the son and four mozos. ‘The mozos had no fire- arms, and the two white men left their carbines slung in rurale fashion on their horses. The son carried his heavy pistol in a saddle holster, and Don Felipe had his holster flap buttoned over the pistol at his belt. One of the mozos led the horses under a tree and stood them with their heads together, untethered. The old man, seeing they were about to enter the house, and knowing that there was no hiding-place within for Haskell, was trying to divert them by asking Don Felipe to choose his fowls from those about. Haskell determined on a desperate course of action. Don Felipe was within three feet of the doorway with his back turned. Step- ping quickly to his side, Haskell snatched both holster and pistol from his belt and, as the bulky haciendado wheeled to face the COMMICMOOCKKS. EO