Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 32: what you’re looking at

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

30 Care, the black man is on our side. look after Yellow Eyes.” She bade the Fleming procure all the cordage he could find, and the man, disap- pearing and coming back in a moment with an armful of ropes, he and Barney first tied the feet of Yellow Eyes, then trip- ped him, and wound him round with cords, and rolled him into a corner. ‘“‘And now, Monsieur,” she said, address- ing the Governor, from whose face she had never once taken her eyes, and stepping closer to him, so that the muzzle of her bar- rel was but a foot from his heart, “iat is your turn.” D’Ogeron gulped down the anger that all but choked him. “The English prisoners!’ He finally managed to gasp out. ‘So that is your plot—and that is what the dumb man with the yellow eyes would have told me. Fool! Fool that I was. The English prisoners! Well, what if you do relieve them? My cattle-hunters will tear them limb from limb.” “That is as it may be,” replied Nancy coolly, ‘“‘but if they did it would be the first time that men of your race had got the bet- ter of men of mine. You forget that there is a ship in the harbor, Monsieur; and that my countrymen are the greatest sailors in all the world. And now—the keys.” “What keys?” “‘Those to the dungeon where the prison- ers are kept.” ‘“‘And what if I refuse?” “T will kill you and then batter down the walls.”’ ‘“‘Mon dieu! I believe you would. Made- moiselle, I will set the English prisoners free and let them depart in peace for the colony in Jamaica if you will but remain here with me and be my wife.” ‘“‘Time passes swiftly, Monsieur — the keys, at once!” , “Then let me pass, Mademoiselle; they are in my private apartment.” “Is that true?” asked Nancy, in Dutch, without looking behind her, never taking her eyes from the Governor’s face. ‘“‘He wears them in his belt,” replied the Fleming, in French, so that d’Ogeron, favor- ing him with a particularly vicious look, drew them forth and hurled them to the floor. “Now Barney,” said the girl softly, in English, “‘do you slip up behind him and You 9) Adventure deal him a blow with the butt of thy pis- , tol. It grieves me to have it done, but ’tis the only way, for I fear the consequences did he ever come to close quarters with me.”’ “Faith! I long for the chance,” answered the Irish lad, his million freckles blending into one great one, and then disappearing behind his mouth which opened in such a grin that it completely obliterated the rest of his features. ‘He passed softly behind the Governor, nonchalantly, as if inspecting the beamed ceiling, and then dealt him a blow behind the ear that stretched him senseless upon the floor. Then they fell upon him, tying his wrists and feet, and winding him about with ropes, and stuffed a gag in his mouth, and so left him there. Nancy secured the keys, and, guided by the Fleming, they started from the room. “Hist!” cried Barney, as they reached the door. ‘‘We’d better go back—we for- got to gag the dumb man.” “Don’t be silly, Barney,” laughed the girl, and the Irish boy looking foolish and downcast at this sally, she threw her arms about him impulsively and hugged him. “You are a brave lad, Barney boy,” she whispered, ‘‘and from my heart I thank you. But we idle. There is much to be done before the night is over.” And so they rushed out, pell-mell, across the passage, down a flight of stone steps, along another shorter corridor, the negro going ahead with a link-light to show the way. Another flight of stairs leading down- ward, and they came to an iron door set into the solid masonry. They had barely got this open with one of the keys from the Governor’s bunch, when the light blew out in the sudden draft which greeted them. ‘No time to go back for another light,” commanded the girl. ‘“‘We must go on in the dark.” They felt their way through a chamber so large that Nancy could touch no wall by stretching forth her arms on either side. At the far end they reached still another iron door, with a grating of iron bars in the upper half. ‘In there,” whispered the Fleming. Nancy, feeling for the lock, took the key he indicated. “Holloa!” she called. ‘‘Men of England! A friend to the rescue!”’ CoOMmichoooks (CO