Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 54: what you’re looking at

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

52 wagging his head at a rate that threatened to send it any minute rolling into the scup- pers, ‘‘and give the alarm? We would be undone, I’m thinking.” “Then what is your plan, Jim Rimble?” ‘An island, Miss, I mean Captain, asking your pardon. A small island, say we, eh, mates?” The men grinned their approval of this sage advice, and Nancy, seeing the wisdom of it, said: “Very well, men, an’ as you are familiar in these parts, no doubt you have such a snug island in mind.” “Well, Miss, Captain, I mean, asking your pardon,” replied Jim Rimble, ‘‘and that we have, to be sure—or I will kiss a pig. Me and my mates have talked this over, and we think as how Cow Island would just about fit the bill.” “‘Cow Island?” “Ay, ‘tis but a short league off the south- west horn of the main of Hispaniola, and snug enough, too, and we can get wood and water there—and then!” He rolled his eyes at her and at the men in a most grotesque but significant manner, so that they burst into a roar of cheers. “‘Cow Island it is then,” said Nancy, and gave her orders to Pierre, so that, coming about, they stood away S. E. by E. All the night following and the next day, bearing away more to the East, they held this course in varying winds, and finally fell with the island, but rounding the point into the harbor, a shot came across her bow, and rushing on deck Nancy beheld at an- chor in the cove seven ships, of which the largest was a man-o’-war, a frigate of thirty- four guns. They were under the lea of the island. The sails hung lifeless. It was im- possible to go about upon the other tack. The men aboard the frigate were springing to quarters when the girl, her eyes aflame with excitement called out to her men who had tumbled below to the gun-deck: “‘Avast there, men, she’s English!” She hauled down the Spanish ancient now and ran up the British ensign with her own hands. There was scarcely wind enough to spread her folds, but the men aboard the _ frigate and the other ships, too, recognized the colors, and a great cheer came across the waters to her. So they came to, and drifting into the cove, came to an anchor in eight fathoms. The men were not long in making out Adventure now that the strangers they had come upon so suddenly were friends of their own kid- ney, so that Nancy, fearful for the treasure in the hold, and the danger they were in of one of the Spaniards disclosing the secret, decided to put a bold face upon the matter. She ordered out the captain’s gig. “But hark ye, men,” said she, speaking in a low tone, for they were now under the scrutiny of the other ships, “say no word to these strangers of the riches we have be- tween decks here, for though they be our countrymen, mayhap they would rob us with as easy a mind as though we were the Viceroy himself. Nor say any word soever of the Spaniards we have here, lest we lose at last what we have already gained at so much pains.” ‘The maid speaks truly,” cried Jim Rim- ble in half a roar, as if he tried to whisper, and there was a nodding of heads among the men, so that Nancy saw that they could be relied upon. ‘‘And now, men,” she went on, ‘“‘do you remove the Spanish Captain and his daugh- ter from their cabin and put them in the hold with their countrymen. And now, Captain Stillingfleet,” said she very coolly, turning upon him suddenly, “‘since he who is not with us is against us you will oblige me by stepping below—and as quickly as may be.” ‘“‘And what if I refuse?” he asked in that deep, vibrant voice of his, his Saxon eyes smiling at her quizzically. “Why, then sir,” says she, “that ship yonder is an English ship of war, an’ I make no mistake.”’ ‘Thou art quite right,” says he. ‘“‘It is an-English frigate, for ’tis H. M. S. Oxford, as I should know well enough, for I have served upon her. So you see you have come to the end of your rope all ready, as I knew thou wouldst, though much sooner, I con- fess, than I had expected.” ‘‘Nay, Master Stillingfleet,’’ she answered him very quietly, “thou art a poor prophet, for I have just begun, and you will go below, and quietly, and make no alarm or I will shoot thee dead upon the deck, for that thou shalt not betray me to this ship of war I am firmly resolved.” She suddenly pulled a cocked pistol from her bosom, and pointed it at his head. “Fie, Mistress Nancy,” says he, gazing at her like a great overgrown schoolboy, *‘you would not shoot, and that I know very COMmichoooks CO