Adventure, November 1915 — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

The Gold Lust She set her lips and thrust out her round- ed face determinedly. “T won’t,” she declared mutinously. A call came from Selim forward and Win- ton came hurrying aft. “They’re putting off a boat, Archer!” he cried. “There’s a dozen of them in it. They’re going to board us!”’ “Down you go, Peggy!’’ shouted Addams. “Foo Chin, take the wheel. As soon as we're clear, let her fall off.” He sprang to the companionway as the girl retreated to the cabin and closed the hatch doors, while Foo Chin took the wheel. The Wavecrest was in the jaws of the en- trance. Fifty yards more on the ebb would see them free of the reef and enable them to make a running fight of it on a little better than even terms, with their superior speed. Beyond the reef the breeze was steadier, and seaward whitecaps proclaimed the ultimate arrival of the wind. The Let Lehua-+was still more than an eighth of a mile away, but between the two schooners a boat filled with Tuan Yuck’s yellow cut-throat followers was speeding to intercept the Wavecrest. It was Tuan Yuck’s last move for checkmate, realizing the impossibility of blocking off the lagoon channel to the swifter vessel. The water surged at the bows of the whaleboat and the-oars bent to the drive of the six who tugged at them. Two in the bows, four in the stern,.yelled to the rowers, firing as they came on. All were naked to the waist, with cues coiled above their yellow faces, demoniacal with greed and hatred. Tuan Yuck was not with them. The master chessman did not travel with his pawns. He stood in the waist of the Lez Lehua, directing the aim of the two men be- side him, while the last of his crew handled the helm. From the W avecrest they fired at the boat. The bow oarsman dropped forward limply as a bullet struck home through his shoulder * and one man.in the stern sank to the bot- tom-boards. “We'll jibe her,’ said Addams, as the schooner reached the angle in the channel still carried on the ebb. ‘Stand by to ease the sheets. We can’t take chances. Now then, Foo Chin!” “Give me a rifle,’ cried the renegade ¢ as Winton with Selim and Ah Sing sprang to the sheet-tackles. ‘Let me get a crack at the devils!”’ 71 There was no mistaking the earnestness of his purpose. Wherever safety lay for him it was not with Tuan Yuck’s following. At Addams’ nod he seized a Winchester and jumped to the rail. Before-his finger could pull the trigger a red star showed in the center of his forehead and he fell smashing to the deck. THE booms swung amidship, then X across to port, and the sails flapped in the half-hearted breeze as Foo Chin steered to the open sea. Now the schooner and the whaleboat filled with the shouting Chinese, were sailing on con- verging angles to meet at the opening of the reef-lane. Within a minute they would be in actual contact. “They'll take us on the counter,” said Addams. ‘Wait till they’re alongside, then use your automatics. What is it, Ah Sing?”’ “Foo Chin he speak some one else take wheel,” said Ah Sing. “He speak betteh he fight. Too much plenty they got more peeple. Betteh he fight!” “All right. Selim—you take the wheel. Keep it the way it is. Steady!’ . The Arab took over the spokes as Foo Chin, jumping forward, seized an oaken bar that lay by the capstan and joined the rest at the starboard rail. As the Wavecrest cleared the coral, slant- ing for the sea, the Lei Lehua trailing a hun- dred and fifty yards behind, the boat with its murderous load came alongside with a rush. Addams and Winton sprayed the on- slaught with the contents of their automatics. Blood showed on the yellow skins, hands faltered as they clutched at the rail. The boat drifted astern, three dead men in it, one grasping impotently at the gunwale. The rest, knives between their grinning lips, swarmed up the low freeboard and across the rail. Their rifles had been left in the boat. They were primitive pirates, intent upon hand-to-hand, cut-and-slash combat. Addams crashed his empty automatic into the face of one of them, grasping at his knife-wrist and forcing him backward across the rail. Beside him he heard a yell from Foo Chin and dimly saw the giant swinging the club of his capstan-bar. Ah Sing was rolling on the deck with one assail- ant. Winton, hard pressed, seemed retreat- ing. At close quarters the knife-men had at least the momentary advantage. Addams rushed his man to the rail and ec Gomicbooks (E@