Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 7, 1928 — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

' 62 netic north, its eastern wall as clean cut as a slab of granite, was the citadel fortress of Henri Christophe, the mar- vel of the western world. Along the indented shore line was the town of Cap Francois, all white and pink. Beyond, emerald verdure stretched to the blue-misted hills, and just ahead of the ship was a white- winged cutter beating out to sea, to meet Le Diable Noir. On deck the grumbling and cursing had changed to open threats which prophesied mutiny as De Banana con- tinued to loudly demand the capture of the thief. Still, Basil was not greatly afraid now. Quarreling men make poor antagonists. He was waiting for a moment when their wits would suggest the expedient of musketry trained on his perch aloft. He knew they could eventually capture him, although he might kill and wound a few. He sighed; he was so-near Vio- lette, and yet so far away. Le Diable Noir showed fast heels to the free wind. High in his perch over the dizzy sea Basil swayed and wished it were still higher and that he might be tossed far out as a sling casts a stone. The wish was father to a thought which grew and spread. He saw the boat which had put out from the har- bor, white sailed and manned by a dark skinned crew. It floated colors he had never seen before, and a small figure- head of gold which glistened in the sun. “Sail ho!” he cried below, a note of impudent gayety in his voice. Immediately they saw the cutter and there was a fresh confusion. “The emperor’s craft!” came the hoarse cry of Gordo-the-Butt. De Banana seemed overwhelmed by the news and the immediate need of preparing to receive the emissary of Henri Christophe. Basil realized that he would be reserved for being taken prisoner when that visit was over. And ever Le Diable Noir came near- ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY, er port with a fair wind and flooding tide. He puzzled his brain to know how he could escape this cul-de-sac into which he had climbed. The sun, already dropping toward the western sea when he came on deck, slipped down like a plate of molten brass into gold-rimmed blueness. Night, swift winged in the tropics, tossed her sable scarf of lace, star- gemmed, while the speedy little cutter with flapping sails came into the wind as a boat was lowered. The crew of Le Diable Noir hur- ried about tasks more to their liking than fetching this treed usurper of the peace down on deck. Themselves thieves, they knew the ridiculousness of quibbling over the theft Basil as- sumed. For De Banana had howled his loss to the winds—a woman’s face on ivory! Not a man on board would have treasured such a thing, except if it might be bartered for rum. For now they were near port, and there were women aplenty to smile on seamen. Also, since they had been vastly en- tertained by Trelawney’s songs and dances, now that the cruise was over it was a poor stomach they brought to the task of hanging him with port joys in sight. Fate, the jade, having found a pup- pet to her liking, was playing pranks with young Basil Trelawney. CHAPTER VIII. VooDoo. N deck the pirates of Le Diable Noir awaited the arrival of the cutter’s small boat. The Baron de Banana had donned a cloak of er- mine over his gaudy velvets, and in the yellow lights his face shone with drip- ping sweat. Basil saw him wipe his chin with a curved forefinger and fling away the drops. He saw also that foremost of those ascending the rope ladder of the Eomicbooks - “—- . ~ - (E(©)