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‘Farnham Bishoj

Arthur D. Hows orge E. Holt

Robert’ Simpson

jharles Tenney Jackson

William Byron Mowery

|Robert Emerick

|Harvey J. Case

|John Webb

5 | Complete Novel

1 Complete Novelette ain

$s}

Are You a Systematic

MAN with a Hafhazard WIFE

Does money run through her fingers? Is she forever overdrawn—always changing servants—always needing clothes? Every man, whether or not he has a wife as yet, should read “The Critic on the Hearth,” a very amusing story on this subject written by Ernest Poole, famous author of “The Harbor,” “His Family,” “The Avalanche,” etc. If you are a married man read this story, before you go home to-night, “The Critic on the Hearth”

By ERNEST POOLE

Everybody's A ds , First in Fiction On Enry Nosestand YOUN 0 S

Magazine

FOR APRIL

ADVENTURE I

Feel like a New Man in Iwo Minutes

Amazing Restoration in SPINE-MOTION

OU never give a

thought tothat spine

of yours, do you? If you did you would be an- other man altogether. You’d have twice the en- ergy you have—twice the strength and stamina. You’d pitch into your work with the avidity of aboyforplay. You’drevel in anything that meantac- tivity. You'd be a super- # man compared to what you are.

But, vital as it is, you pay no attention to your spine. What are the con- sequences? A word about the spine will explain.

The spine is a series of small bones placed one above the other. Between each pair of bones (vertebrae) is a cartilage which acts as a cushion or

Hopart BRADSTREET 65 Years Young

than one minute, so the whole process means but five minutes a day. But those movements, simple as they are, bring a wonderful change—a/most instantly! have had many people come to me saying they were in perfect health and wanted to try my motion just out of curiosity, only to be amazed with the feeling of new exhilaration experienced in one execution of my spinal-motions. Only the other day a prominent Chicago business man, known as a human dynamo, remarked to me after a few days of my system, ‘‘I didn’t realize until nowthat Iwas only 50 per centalive.””

I have seen my spinal motions put sick people on their feet in a few days. I have seen many a chronic case of headache, nervousness, stomach trouble and constipation completely relieved in a matter of weeks. Speaking of constipation, I have one motion—a peculiar, writhing and twisting movement—that will, in fifteen minutes, in nine cases out of ten, bring a complete evacuation.

I Promise You Startling Results

I know that there is something

shock absorber, taking up the weight and shocks thrown on the spinal column as we stand or walk. Since nothing in the ordinary activities of us humans stretches the spine, these once soft and resilient pads are flattened down, become thin and hard. One’s spine then does not absorb the shocks sustained ut transmits them straight to the base of the brains Then come head- aches — backaches — ‘‘nerves’>— insomnia—habitual tiredness. We have not one-half the force and ‘pep’? we should have. We do not get the joy out of work or play we should. We are only about 50 per cent efficient.

How bones close in on the delicate nerves when the spine ‘‘set- tles,”” shriveling the nerves and draining vitality.

| Why You Must Keep Your Spine “ELONGATED”

in my method for everyone, and Linvite everyone to try it. Linvite the young and the apparently ‘‘vig- orous’’ to see what difference spine motion will make in their energies and capacities. I invite the ailing to see the direct relation between spinal mechanics and health. I in- vite men who are ageing prema- turely to put to test my statement that a man’s powers(in everysense) by nature, should continue full flush up to the age of 60, being only a matter of a sound nerve- mechanism.

How ‘“‘ elongating’”’ the spine keeps the bones apart and the nerves full and free toperformtheir functions.

No ‘‘apparatus’? is required with my method. Just my few

When the cartilage is worn down to a certain point, nerve impingement may result. That is, two of the vertebrae may curve so close together-as to ‘‘pinch’’ or press upon a nerve leading from the spinal column to an organ which the nerve controls. ‘Then there zs trouble! If the impinged nerve has to do with the liver, then liver trouble. If with the stomach, stomach trouble. If with the bowels, constipation. And so on.

Why the Spine Needs Stretching

The spine needs the peculiar motion, the flexing, the laxation, it would get if we lived as man primeval did, in order to loosen up the spine—to ‘‘elongate” it—to take the burden off the cartilage and the pressure off the nerves. No amount of violent exercise will do the trick, we know from experience, for often the most inveterate gymnast is a striking case of sub-lax- ation of the spine.

Fromr my 25-year experience with spinal mechanics, I have evolved a method of SPINE-MOTION which seems to be the answer to the problem. My method of ‘‘Jaxating’? the spine is a simple, boiled-down formula of just five movements. Neither takes more

simple instructions made doubly clear by my photograph poses of the five positions,

Send No Money

The small fee of $3 pays in full for my method. But I do not ask you to send the $3 in advance nor to make any payment or deposit whatever on delivery. I give you 5 days’ free trial wholly at my risk! See the re- sults you get in 5 days. If you do not experience something striking in the way of new health, new ap- petite, new desires and new capacities, just return the material and you won’t owe me a penny. If you do see and feel the most wonderful benefits and wish to con- tinue with the method, remit $3 in 5 days and every- thing is yours to keep. Mail the coupon today and get my method for 5 days’ free trial.

eS SY ST

HOBART BRADSTREET, Suite 5545 630 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, II.

I will try your SpIne-MOoTIoN without risk if you will provide neces- sary instructions. Send everything postpaid without any c © OF obligation, and I will try it five days. If I find SpINE-MoTion highly beneficial I can remit just $3 in full payment; otherwise’! will retarn the material and will owe you nothing.

PO ORC8B sco oissxs suseune das sastuacanedoaneuessssnsnesacssy§asadasassspeacasssnasessioesaeson

ADVENTURE April 30th, 1925

Published three times a month by The Ridgway Company at Spring and Macdougal Sts., New York, N. Y. Yearly subscription $6.00 in advance; single copy 25 cents. matter Oct. 1, 1910, at the post-office at New York, N. Y.,

Volume 52 Number 3

Entered as second-class under the act of March 3, 1879,

ADVENTURE

Watch Their Eyes

OT so many years ago a boy was born ina luxurioushome. His parents tried to give

him every advantage that a boy should are normal.

have. He loved Nature and de- lighted in long walks in the woods. One day when the boy was about thirteen years old a companion pointed out an in- teresting object. The boy could barely see it. For the first time he realized that something was wrong with his eyes and he told his father. Then came glasses and constant joy and astonish- ment at the bright new world with clean-cut outlines. All the wonders of the woods which he never dreamed existed were spread before his happy eyes. Books were no longer pages of letters with fuzzy tails. * * * * This boy was Theodore Roose- velt, who became President of the United States.

If parents such as his never knew that their son had defec- tive vision, ‘can anyone doubt that there are thousands of

boys and girls today whose poor sight has

Thetime to begin to protect the eyes is from the hour the baby is born. See that the doctor or nurse puts a drop of a prophylactic solution into the baby’s eyes to prevent the serious disease commonly known as “babies’ sore eyes’”’ which often results in blindness.

Much of the eye trouble of later years comes from injury in babyhood. Never let the sun shine on a child’s eyes—even when asleep. Baby eyelids are not sufficient protection. Diseases of childhood sometimes leave the eyes in a weakened condition. Children’s eyes require attention during and after serious illness, especially measles and diphtheria.

If glasses are necessary he will

quire attention youought toknow it. Youcannot tell from the appearance of the eyes whether they Many of the eye diseases that lead

to blindness are catching. If treated in time they can be cured.

Impress upon your boys and girls the danger of using towels that have been used by other people. Try to keep them from rubbing their eyes. Great dan- ger comes from infection anddirt.

Watch almost any group of boys and girls learning to write. Faces turned sidewise, little doubled-up fists clutching pen- cils within a few inches of their eyes. There is the be- ginning of eye-strain. Children are frequently accused of inat- tention and stupidity when the. truth is they cannot see clearly.

Get a good eye specialist. He will aa quickly discover ce A whetheryourchild “¢ ~ needs eye treat °° ment or glasses.

not been discovered by theif fathers and

mothers?

Only to children in 100 at the age of nine years have even so-called perfect eyesight. One out of every eight school children has seri- ously defective sight or some disease of the eye

which needs immediate attention.

There are upward of 100,000 blind people in the United States. According to the National Com- mittee for Prevention of Blindness more than half of them are needlessly blind. 2

Only 20 of our 48 States have statutes providing for eye tests in schools. Less than one-third of the school children of the entire country have their eyes examined each year.

While parents may not suspect that there is any- thing wrong with their children’s eyes it is some- times easy for a teacher to detect difficulties.

METROPOLITAN

If your child is the one out of eight whose eyes re-

Published by ae LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY~NE

prescribe them.

You would not willingly de- prive your children of happiness in life and yet, unknowingly, you may deprive them of more than happiness. You may rob them of the power to be self- supporting citizens. You may deny them possible greatness.

They have an opportunity to watch the way the children use their eves—to see whether they squint when looking at the blackboard.

Teachers are doing a kindly and humane act in helping to prevent misery and possible blindness when they notify the parents of children who

need to have their eyes examined.

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company will be glad to mail, free to any one who writes for it, a booklet, “Eyesight and Health’? which will be

found helpful. HALEY FISKE, President.

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Published Three Times a Month by Tue Ringway Company

J. H. GANNON, President Cc. H. HOLMES, Secretary and Treasurer Spring and Macdougal Streets -_ - New York,N.Y. 6, Henrietta St., Covent Garden, London, W. C., England Entered as Second-Class Matter, October 1, 1910, at th a Post Office at New York, NY. under the Act of March 3, 1879. ARTHUR SULLIVANT HOFFMAN, Editor Yearly Subscription, $6.00 in Advance Single Copy, Twenty-Five Cents

Foreign Postage, $3.00 additional. Canadian Postage, 90 cents.

‘Trade-Mark Registered; Copyright, 1925, by The Ridgway Company in the United States and Great Britain. Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London, England.

The editor assumes no risk for manuscripts and illustrations submitted to this magazine, but he will use all due care while they are in his hands.

Contents for April 30th, 1925, Issue

Libertatia A Complete Novel . ; ‘ : ; ; Farnham Bishop 1 Madagascar—the pirates were more honorable than My Lord Wornington.

Vigilante Justice Short Shrift to Lawbreakers . . . J. R. Johnston 73

The Quest of the E Pluribus . se ss Harvey J. Case 74 Goldfields—the old prospector follows the eagle.

Observation Ce Sohn Webb 80 Panama—Captain Mac has no sympathy for blackmailers.

Wimmen and Worry. ‘ : i Cherles Teazey Jerkeon . 86 Mississippi—there’s Scotch in the air.

Calvert of Allobar A Four-Part Story Part III : : : Robert Simpson 95 Nigeria—the baiting of Biko.

The Fog Coe Robert Emerick 127 Sea—“Shut up or I’ll—” and then came the storm.

The Answer Verse . |. . . «~~~ S. Omar Barker 133

*Occasionally one of our storses will be called an “Off-the-Trail’’ story, a warning that it is in some way different from the usual magazine stories, perhaps a little different, perhaps a good deal. It may violate a canon of literature or a custom of maga- zines, or merely be different from the type usually found in this. magazine. The difference may lie in unusual theme, material, ending, or manner of telling. No question of relative merit ts involved.

(Continued on next page) 3

(Continued from preceding page)

The Black Magician 2 ©. . . tt; George E. Holt 134 Morocco—dexterous hands and some diplomats.

The Claw Necklace ©. |. |. . = . . ~~. ~~. William Byron Mowery 141 North—none dare face the great Polar bear.

Swain Fostri A Complete Novelette . : J : ; . Arthur D. Howden Smith 145 Norse Country—the jarl-maker makes a king.

The Camp-Fire A free-to-all meeting-place for readers, writers and adventurers . 176

Camp-Fire Stations 183

Old Songs That Men Have Sung 183

Various Practical Services Free to Any Reader . 184

Ask Adventure Sato es fe ae ee ee ee 185 A free question and answer service bureau of information on outdoor. iife and activities every- where. Comprising seventy geographical sub-divisions, with special sections on Radio, Min- ing and Prospecting, Weapons, Fishing, Forestry, Aviation, Army Matters, North American, Anthropology, Health on the Trail, Railroading, Herpetology and Entomology.

Lost Trails 191

The Trail Ahead . 192

Headings . . . . . 2... B. Westmacott

Cover Design C. Huerlin

A New Serial and Three Complete Novelettes

OR years the feud between “Hard”? Wood and the Coopers dragged on. They bided their time, fearing to meet him face to face, for his fists were iron-hard and his will was unswerv- ing. But the day came when ‘“‘Hard” left his home in the New York hills, and as soon as his

back was turned the Coopers struck. ‘HARD WOOD,” a three-part story, by Arthur O. Friel, begins in the next issue.

HE WAS a convict who rather liked his berth. Because Adam Fule was a good convict, a “trusty,” and because the jail was one of the strongest and best-guarded in the state, the sheriff never once dreamed that a little bet would cause a State-wide furor. “ADAM FULE,” a complete novelette by Hobart C. Montee, will appear in the next issue.

ie HIS degraded condition George Treniff was ashamed to meet his uncle for the first time. But

in a brawl he saved the life of Michael Blake, who agreed to act as substitute in making the long journey to the elder Treniff’s trading-post. “AN IMPOSTOR,” a complete novelette of the Canadian fur country, by Leslie McFarlane, is in the next issue.

[NTO the city of Auch rode Cercamon the Troubador, to hear a strange tale and to meet “THE BLACK THIEF.” Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur’s story of medieval France in the next issue is a complete novelette.

Other stories in the next issue are forecast on the last page of this one.

Adventure is out on the 10th, 20th and 30th of each month

ADVENTURE

Jon

Can You solve

this

No Opening

Free Flowing

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Again no Opening

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In fact, you cant remove the top

Ask your druggist to show you the new Mennen Shaving Cream tube—capless but capable. Then you'llrealize thatthe patented Mennen container is as unique as the cream inside. Words can’t say more. Nowthe tube, like its contents, saves time for busy men.

° “ tone Hema. (Mennen Salesman)

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SHAVING CREAM

New writer wins $1000 prize

HE $1000 prize offered by the Mission Film

Corporation for the best screen story based on the title, ‘‘The Sunshine of Paradise Alley,’’ has just been awarded to Otto E. A. Schmidt, of San Francisco,

Mr. Schmidt’s story was chosen because of its high rating in dramatic strength, entertainment value and picturable action—a tribute to the character of the training he received from the Palmer Institute of Authorship.

Scores of other students of the Palmer Institute are also selling short stories, novels, plays, special articles and photoplays.

The list includes Anita Pettibone, whose novel, “The Bitter Country,’’ was recently published by Doubleday, Page & Co.; Phyllis Cumberland, who sold ‘‘Tangled Lives’* to Thomas H. Ince; Miss Bernadine King, who wrote ‘‘What Did the Bishop Say?”?; John M. Byers, who sold his first play to a New York Producer; Charles Shepherd, who wrote ‘“The Ways of Ah Sin”; Tadema Bussiere, whose play, ‘The Open Gate,’’ was given its premiere at the Morosco Theatre, Los Angeles, in October, 1924; Jane Hurrle, who wrote ‘‘Robes of Redemption”’; Paul Schofield, who produced ‘*Through the Dark,”’ and Miss Winifred Kimball, who won the $10,000 prize in the scenario contest conducted by the Chicago Daily News.

Write for This Book and Free Creative Test

The Palmer Institute is unique among educational institu tions because it seeks for training only those with natura) creative ability who can profit by its instruction. There fore, no one is invited to enroll for its home-study courses until he or she has passed the Palmer Creative Test.

This test is the most novel means ever devised for enabling you to obtain an accurate analysis of your writing ability, The filling out of this Creative Test and our analysis and subsequent training have enabled scores of Palmer students to sell stories and photoplays. Our Board of Examiners grades your reply without cost or obligation,

Just mark and mail the coupon and we will send the Creative Test to you free—together with a copy of our 96-page book, “The New Road to Authorship.”

PALMER INSTITUTE OF AUTHORSHIP Affiliated with Palmer Photoplay Corporation Dept. 73-R, Palmer Bldg. Hollywood, Calif.

Please send me, without cost or obligation, a copy of your Creative Test and your 96-page book, ‘‘The New Road to Authorship.’’ I am most interested in—

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6 ADVENTURE

WAIT

—before you eat another mouthful!

Do you know all about your digestive tract? Are you eating the right amount of fruits, vegetables, meat, water, etc.? What about sweets—what happens when you eat too many? What foods leave the stomach quickly; what foods stay? When you know and observe these facts you will enjoy better health than you have ever known! Where will you get this information? In

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ADVENTURE

Notall of us can journey to the Klondyke or South Seas for adventure, and easy gold. But that isn’t really necessary. There’s plenty of it lying around you. In your own home town you have the opportunity of making $5, $10, $15 every week,

during your spare time.

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HE building trades are

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8 ADVENTURE

NNQNHNWW ey

WOM UUM LE

« : ae é . My rear rrovsie was chronic constipation, which had caused pimples, acne and

frequent headaches . .

. Skeptical, I began to eat Fleischmann’s Yeast. ‘Then—after a

little over a month—the miracle became an established fact: pimples gone, headaches gone,

acne fast going, and no more constipation.”

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Miss Heten W. Younc, Philadelphia, Pa.

day by day it releases new stores of energy .. . Eat two or three cakes a day before meals: on crackers—in fruit juices or milk—or just plain. For constipation especially, dissolve one cake in hot water (not scalding) night and morning. Buy sev- eral cakes at a time—they will keep fresh in a cool dry place for two or three days. All grocers have Fleischmann’s Yeast. Start eating it teday!

And let us send you a free copy of our latest booklet on Yeast for Health. Health Research Dept. Z-15, The Fleischmann Company, 70! Washington Street, New York.

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LIBE! A Compote Novel --“4->Farnhem Bishop

Author of ‘The Eighteen-Twelver,” ‘The Deacon's Seventy-Four,” ete.

CHAPTER I THE UNKNOWN FLAG

OUNG Harry Fairfax, Lieutenant of Foot in the service of the Honorable East India Company, braced himself between the bunk

and the bulkhead of his tiny cabin on board

the heavily rolling East Indiaman Scar- borough, outward bound from London to

Madras, and made the following entry in

his pocket diary:

SOMEWHERE TO THE NORTH- EASTWARD OF MADAGASCAR

Monday, September 21st, 1713. Yesterday evening, the weather taking a turn

“Libertatia,” copyright, 1925, by Farnham Bishop.

for the worse, Captain Parker made preparations accordingly. He ordered the mainsail to be close- reefed, the topgallant masts struck and mizzenyard sent down, though at that time it did not blow very strong. Towards midnight it blew a gale and this ancient and overladen hulk began to leak most alarmingly. Turned up my soldiers to spell the seamen at the pumps.

About two in the morning the wind lulled, and we flattered ourselves the gale was breaking. Soon afterwards, we had much thunder and lightning from the northeast with rain, when it began to blow strong in gusts of wind, forcing the captain to take in the mainsail, leaving the ship under bare poles.

Scarcely had this been done when a gust of wind, exceeding in violence anything of the kind I have ever seen or had any conception of, laid the Scar- borough on her beam-ends. The water forsook the hold and appeared between decks, so’as to fill the men’s hammocks to leeward. The ship lay motion- less and to all appearances irrevocably overset.

Captain Parker shouted: “Cut away the main and mizzen-masts.”

2 Adventure

The mainmast went first, upon the bos’n’s cutting one or two of the lanyards, without producing the smallest effect on the ship. Below, the pressure of the water was bursting in the lower deck port- lids. Scaling the slope of the deck, I clambered into the channels and with my sword slashed through one lanyard of the weather mizzen-shrouds. The rest snapped off like pack-threads, and the mizzen went by the board, followed an instant later by the foremast and the bowsprit.

The ship upon this immediately righted, quickly and with great violence. Three guns broke loose in the ’tween-decks, and wrought great havoc before they could be secured. Several men were maimed and every movable destroyed, either from the shot thrown loose from the lockers or the wreck- age of the deck. What guns remained were then thrown overboard to lighten the ship.

The masts had not been overside long, before we were informed that the tiller was broken short in the rudder-head and the rudder itself gone. Thus we are as much disastered as would seem pos- sible, and lying utterly at the mercy of the wind and sea. Yet we have two comforts: first, that the weather has moderated, and secondly, that although the ship is still leaking, the quantity of water in the hold is being steadily reduced by the pumps——

At that word, Fairfax paused, pen in air, and listened intently. The loud, rhythmic cling-clang of the brakes, that had rung in his ears continuously for the past ten hours, had suddenly ceased. The pumps had stopped!

It was characteristic of Fairfax that he corked his ink bottle, put the pen in his traveling-desk and even sanded the wet ink of the last few lines before closing his diary and going on deck. He liked to do one thing at a time and tidy up the loose ends neatly before beginning the next.

He found almost the entire ship’s com- pany gathered in the waist, where as many as could find a hand hold were tugging at the jammed and motionless brake beams of the old-fashioned chain pump.

“Vast heaving!’’ ordered Captain Park- er, arriving on deck at the same time, hav- ing been roused from the deep sleep of exhaustion by the sudden cessation of the pumps. ‘“What’s the matter, Chips?”

“Roller’s jammed at the bottom of the well and fouled the pump-chain hard and fast, sir,” reported the carpenter.

“Can’t you clear it?”

“Not bein’ a mermaid, sir, I can’t. There’s seven foot of water in the well and risin’ steady. I gives her two hours.”

By the feel of the waterlogged hulk sod- denly pitching and rolling beneath their feet, even the passengers could tell that the Scarborough’s end was near. She was

riding to a drag of four gun-carriages and an anchor lashed to a boom that kept her head to wind and acted, to some extent, as a breakwater. Although the storm had passed and the sky cleared, there was still a heavy sea running.

“Pick your men, Chips, and build a raft,” directed Captain Parker, “Keep the rest bailing at the forehatch, Mr. Kennedy. Steward, provision the boats.”

“The boat, you mean,” drawled a cynical voice at the captain’s elbow. ‘“There’s only one left, you know.”

There was a sneering note of amused superiority in the speaker’s tones that harmonized perfectly with the hard, selfish lines about his mouth and the insolent stare of his protruberant black eyes. Now that the masts were gone, he was the tallest thing left standing on the ship, and his shoulder breadth was in proportion to his height. He looked all the bigger because he was wearing a loose Cashmere dressing gown, and a red silk bandanna knotted about his head.

Such was the regular morning attire for a gentleman of the period to wear while his coat was being brushed and his periwig curled and powdered for the day. Thus robed and turbaned, his chain bristling with blue-black stubble, his arms folded and his feet braced wide apart as he stood there on the deck of the sinking ship, he looked half raja, half pirate. As a matter of fact, he was Lord Mornington, the newly appointed Governor of Madras.

“Only one boat,” he repeated, as if chal- lenging contradiction, “and precious little material for a raft.”

No one contradicted him, for the state- ment was only too obviously true. Long- boat and yawl, housed on the booms, jolly- boat and gig, had all been swept overboard and lost when the ship went on her beam- ends. At the same time the lee quarter- boat, hanging at the davits, had been car- ried away. Only the starboard cutter remained. She was built to carry ten— and there were one hundred and fourteen men and two women aboard.

Captain Parker nodded gravely and beckoned Lord Mornington and Lieutenant Fairfax to follow him aft, until they stood by the wheel, beneath the projecting quarter deck. There was no one at the helm, since the rudder was gone, and they could speak without being overheard.

Libertatia 3

“Go to your cabins and load your pistols, gentlemen,” said the grizzled skipper, as quietly as if he were reminding his passen- gers that it was time to dress for dinner. “My compliments to Lady Mornington, and warn her to dress warm and come on deck, with her maid, as quickly as she can. The sooner all four of you are in that boat and away, the better.”

“Are you coming with us, Captain?” asked Fairfax.

“Tt is the first officer’s boat,” replied the captain reproachfully. “Mr. Kennedy is an excellent navigator. Her regular crew and four others are as much as she can carry safely in this sea.”

Fairfax nodded comprehendingly.

“And if every one else comes rushing aft and tries to jump into her—and almost everybody will, of course—why then the boat will be swamped and nobody saved, unless you succeed in holding the poop ladder long enough for us to lower away.”

“Til try my best to, gentlemen,’”’ prom- ised Captain Parker.

“But there are two poop ladders and you can’t very well hold both at once, you know,” Fairfax pointed out. ‘Suppose you take one and I the other, with a brace of pistols and a blade apiece.”

“And give up your place in the boat?”

“Give it to young Ellison, the writer.’’*

“Don’t want him,” growled Lord Morn- ington. “He’d never live to reach land and he’d be no use if he did. What we need in India isn’t inky-fingered milksops scrib- bling in ledgers, but veteran soldiers like yourself. Besides, you’ve picked up a lot of seamanship on this voyage and are worth your weight in the boat.”

“Very true, my lord,’”’ approved Captain Parker.

The skipper’s duty, as he saw it plain, was to save the governor and his lady, then the one other woman on board, and finally the male passenger who would be most use- ful to the company. The rest would have to look out for themselves, as they undoubt- edly would, with knives and anything else handy, the minute they saw the boat being lowered away.

Fairfax, however, shook his head.

“Tl stay and take my chance on the raft, thank you.”

“Why?” demanded Mornington, staring down at him incredulously.

* Clerk or factor’s assistant.

A London wit had said of Mornington that he looked at every woman as if she were a street walker, and at every man as if he had his price writ plain upon his face. He sought for the selfish motive behind every action and, to do him justice, seldom failed to find it. He had no faith im any- thing except the utter sordiness of human nature, no fears, no manners, and no lack of success, except lately, at the card table.

Having gambled away half his patri- mony, he had invested the other half judiciously in bribes, married a parvenu director’s daughter, and so obtained his post at Madras. He frankly avowed his intention of recouping himself and returning home as soon as possible with a fresh for- tune. He had no taste for business and a bottomless scorn for all mercantile enter- prize. What attracted him were the rare opportunities for intrigue ard armed inter- vention in India, where the Mogul Empire was rapidly falling to pieces, and every ambitious native ruler was out-bidding his neighbor for the growing support of John Company.

“What are you staying behind for, Mr. Fairfax?”

“My men,” answered the subaltern, who was going out with thirty recruits for the Madras Fusileers.

“Those scum!” snorted Mornington. “The off-scourings of Newgate and the scrapings of the kennel.”

“Your lordship describes their