Adventure, November 1915 — page 56: what you’re looking at

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

oa 7+* <5 x a > i : : 7 -e x tm Dae Ex, = ll = >, gto a = wt St at eI - 4) Alita hihi i re FU by Shs : 54 had resigned the duties of the galley to Selim in favor of seamanship and the closer company of his fellows, they worked wiill- ingly and well, establishing themselves in the favor, not only of Addams and Winton, but of Peggy. “T like them,” she declared. “I don’t care whether they’re pirates or high- binders. They’re absolutely good-natured and there’s nothing sly about them. [Td trust myself with them willingly. That may be a woman’s instinct and you may think it nonsense, but it’s the way I feel. Selim believes in them too, and he’s usually suspicious.” “T agree with you in the main, Peggy,” said Addams. “Aside from Ah Sing’s Ma- sonic affiliations they have other things to bind them to our interests. They have small use for Tuan Yuck or the tong he represents, to begin with. Then they have a stake in the success of the enterprise that means a fortune to them. I understand it’s a char- acter of the highbinder, or hatchetman caste to be faithful to employers. Td rather trust them than some of the crowd Henley has with him.” 4A THE Wavecrest was being sailed on + strict routine. : could hardly be said to have moder- ated, had taken on an even pressure and the schconer, reaching gallantly, was easily managed. Peggy, who possessed a natural trick as helmswoman, an intuitive ability to favor the boat on mounting seas and save rudder play, took her daylight tricks at the wheel. Addams and Foo Chin divided the rest of the time, and Winton at regular in- tervals assumed charge of the deck. “Sailing hard all through the twenty- four hours is half the battle,’ declared Addams. “I doubt very much whether they are sticking as close to it on the Lei Lehua as we are. They think you are still in the charge of our seasick friend, Peggy, and imagine Jim and myself locked safely up in that basement. So they are liable to take things fairly easy, especially nights. That’s where most long-distance races are won— night-sailing.”’ Sixty hours out, with more than half the distance to the island covered, the storm be- gan to abate. Addams looked anxiously at the sky, already showing blue through the ragged splits. The wind came in puffy gusts and the waves ran in a cross tumble of The gale, while it Adventure hesitancy. The barometer rose in slight but steady gradations, and the afternoon of the third day the breeze began to box the com- pass, blowing for brief periods from different directions. The sky, a blue dome once more, showed signs of reforming trade-clouds on the after horizon towards the northwest, a surety of steady wind from that quarter before many hours had passed, though giving an immediate prospect of doldrums and delay. Addams summed it up cheerfully. “They’ve run into the same thing,” he said. “It’s even up. We'll make the most of what wind there is while it lasts. Set both jibs, Jim, and your fore and main gafi-topsails. We'll try the maintopmast staysails if the breeze holds. Even a knot or two may make all the difference. It’s the first boat through that reef-entrance that counts.” He took the wheel and humored the schooner along, taking advantage of every flaw of wind. Presently he ordered in the useless topsails and staysails. At last the fluttering flying-jib came down; main and fore sheets were run out in expec- tation of a following wind that hinted at fellowship. A school of dolphins, encouraged by the change of weather, gambolled about the ship, then, deciding it was a fine day for hunting, concentrated their activities in pursuing and devouring a flock of frantic flying-fish. But the hoped-for breeze failed. The heave of the deep blue ocean died to pulsa- tions on which the schooner wallowed with slatting blocks and ropes, the jerking booms dipping as she rolled, until the slack sheets were taken up and they resigned themselves to the inevitable. With Foo Chin at the idle wheel, they got out the rifles and automatics and all hands practised at floating targets. Addams proved the master-marksman, with Foo Chin, when his opportunity came, a close second, once he got the balance of the weapons. Peggy, to her delight, proved not far behind either. “Though there is no spare weapon for you, young lady,” warned Addams, “and the moment trouble shows up, below you go as a oon-combatant.”’ “T agree,” said the girl, smashing the shoulder of a bottle as it danced past the counter, “but, if it does come to bullets, remember one of your very crackest CORMICOOOKS