Adventure Magazine Cover — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

Forward the time we had reached the last one in- shore, the night had grown a little brighter. The mist had cleared and the stars shone down on us. I heard Tatars talking to- gether in the waist of the last galley, and some one playing upon a fiddle. They had good eyes those Tatars because present- ly they hailed us, asking for vodka. Nassau repeated the words to John Paul, who went closer, until the sheer of the stern was nearly Over US. He tossed up a flask that he carried and some one caught it. ‘Allah reward the giver! Are you going to the captain-pasha with an order?” I could hear Nassau breathing heavily, but John. Paul made not a sound. He waited patiently and God put into my head the words of his command spoken on the Vladimir: “Ask for the countersign—the admiral wishes to learn it.” ‘“‘Nay,” I made response boldly in their tongue, ‘“‘we are taking salt to the ship of the captain-pasha.”” . ‘But do you know the countersign?”’ So far I was following the right path; if I had said we were carrying dispatches they would have expected us to know the pass- word. I began to grunt like a burlak. ‘“How could we know it? Wecame from the island.” If I had asked for it they would have felt suspicion. It had not come into their heads that any but friends of the Turks would be here; yet a small stone may make aman stumble. “The Turks might send bullets through you,” they said. “The - { Then tell us the counter- sign, So we will not have the bullets.” They talked among themselves, and the vodka gurgled. My throat was beginning to dry up when one flung out careless— “*Stamboul!l” “‘Stamboul!” I repeated, to make cer- tain, and Paul Jones said one word, the one he always spoke— “Forward.” I thought he meant to go back, but he steered forward and we went on, passing close under the ramparts of the great Turk- ish fort, so that we could see the dark patches which were embrasures for cannon. For the last time doubt of John Paul as- sailed me, and I thought: “May the dogs eat me! Does he mean to bl turn over Nassau to the Turks? Is this American playing a double game, after all?” Nassau’s teeth were clicking together, but he dared not say a word for fear of being overheard by the sentries who were visible, when they moved, against the stars. A great mass towered up, over us. This was the Turkish flagship, the one of seventy guns, and as we rounded its prow we saw many lights in the rump of it, and small craft clustered around the ladder. Officers were passing about on the deck, and all was stir and bustle. “What boat is that? Give the counter- sign!’ A voice hailed us at once. ‘“Stamboul!’’ responded John Paul betas out hesitation. ‘‘What are you about?” ‘“‘We are Tatars from the galley,” I said, not daring to take time to think. ‘We came to look at the flagship and the officers.” “May dogs litter on your graves! Don’t you skulkers know that all men who stray from their ships are to be shot? The dawn of the day after the morrow the whole see advances against the unbelievers.” The sentries on the ship cursed us again, and perhaps they would-have loosed mus- kets at us but refrained for fear of bringing out the officers who were shut up in the after cabins, debating together. We rowed away then and John Paul steered the skiff for quite a while to one side until the oars caught in seaweed and the gleam of phos- phorescent salt was to be seen, flickering along the shore. That is what the Russians call it, but we Cossacks know that it is the spirits of the drowned running along the edge of the waves seeking a resting place. No fort or house was near, and after John Paul has listened a little he made me change places with him. ‘Then he began to speak to Nassau in a low voice. The prince sprang to his feet and an- swered vehemently, laughing without any merriment at all. Then he peered at the American, who begun to take off his coat. ‘““Sotnik!” Nassau cried, at me. “This foreigner is mad—no doubt of it. After leading me through all the Turkish fleet he threatens me with a duel in a boat. Help me disarm him—seize him from behind.” I caught my breath and stared at the two officers. ‘‘Why should his Excellency, the admiral, comicloool< (©