Adventure, November 1915 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

The Gold Lust shut of that map and the whereabouts of the gold. I feel as if the curse was lifted; not shifted on to your shoulders, but done away with, unless Henley tries to keep in touch with the treasure. There’s a share of the curse comin’ to him, I reckon, if he doesn’t stand clear an’ by. His father got off easy, in a way, compared to me.” The talk about the table soon centered on ways and means, as Addams had suggested overnight. “The best thing to do, it seems to me,”’ said Addams, “will be to take the train overland direct to San Francisco, then steamer to Honolulu by the Pacific Mail. Then we can charter a trading-schooner or maybe a yacht without much difficulty, I should think. A small schooner would be all right. I remember enough from the old days to navigate her and, Jim, you’re a good man, if you’ll come.” “Tf T’ll come!” exclaimed Winton indig- nantly. “Do you think I’m going to stay here drawing plans for people who don’t know the difference between Modern Renaissance and Early Egyptian and couldn’t pay for either if they did, while you’re looting the caves and standing off Mr. Henley, Junior? Not much!” “Well, then, we’ll only need a couple of native sailors to haul and belay. I wonder if Selim knows anything about the water?” “T’ll ask him,” said Jim. Selim, with a flash of his white teeth, de- clared that he was a top-notch sailor; that he had worked aboard his brother’s dhow and could steer and row. “That completes the crew, then,” de- clared Addams. “Selim as cook and bo’sun, and you as first mate, Jim.” “What about me?” inquired Peggy Win- ton. “I can steer and reef too, at a pinch. You once said yourself, Archer, that I was an ‘able seawoman’. Am [I to be left behind to watch and wait for the expedition?” “You can’t possibly go, Peggy,” put in her brother. “Why not? It shouldn’t be more than a week’s trip either way from Honolulu, at the outside. Not so long a voyage as the one we took five years ago to the West Indies with Archer.”’ “Tt isn’t that you’d be in the way or that we wouldn’t be delighted to have you,” Ad- dams said slowly. ‘TI think you know that, Peggy. But there’s likely to be trouble with Henley and whatever crowd he has got to- 21 gether. They are not going to lose sight of us, neither are they lightly going to give up the chance of getting the money. The risk is too big.” “Archer’s right,” said Jim. Peggy, but you can’t go.” “You forget,” she said, ‘that without me you can’t find where the gold is buried. It’s my secret. You’re with me, aren’t you, Mr. Fellowes?” The old man, keenly enjoying the con- test and the girl’s spirit, tugged at his beard. “We might come to terms,” he suggested. “T’m not too old to tail on to a rope. Sup- pose I come with you, if the expense ain’t to be too heavy, an’ act as bodyguard to Miss Winton. I can still growl—an’ bite, too, if it’s needed.” “‘There,” declared the girl, her eyes still sparkling. “Mr. Fellowes is with me.~ If you don’t take up, we won’t tell you where to dig.”’ Her brother capitulated with a shrug. She turned to Addams. “Don’t you want me, Archer?’ she asked, looking directly at him. “T’ll not be left here alone or shipped up to the farm to Dad and Mother.” “Can you ask?” he answered a trifle un- steadily. “Well, then, that’s settled. When do we start? Will you let the Emersons have the studio, Jim?” “T’ll *phone them right away. They’ll be tickled to take it for a few weeks. Emer- son’s present light is rotten for painting. As for me, I’ll be ready to start tomorrow. I’ll write the two clients I have on hand just what I think of them, dig out my flannels and yachting togs and be ready to weigh anchor at dawn. How’s that?” ‘As for you, Peggy, if you insist on go- ing, let’s compromise,” suggested Addams. “T can see little danger in your coming as far as Honolulu. What do you think, Jim? Then, if there’s no sign of Henley, we can discuss it further.”’ “That’s fair, Peggy,” said her brother... Peggy pouted. “That’s because I’m a woman,” she said. “It’s because you are our woman, Peggy,” corrected Addams. ‘‘Jim’s sister and my —chum.” “All right,”’ consented the girl reluctant- ly. “But I’m not agreeing to anything?” “Sorry, 0)(0 (6) SS (EOMNMICE