Adventure Magazine Cover — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

“She led and, feeling in fot pocket, she extracted a cigaret-case, to find five left. - This time she really did sigh a pang of However, she proffered one to despair. Selwyn—one can’t continually snub a creature whose arms one has been lying in in an open boat, she reflected—and lighted one herself. 3 Presently she noticed that the other boat was coming up on a tack to cut across their bows. As she grew near she could see the fair head of the second mate in the stern- sheets. Sweeping round, he came up under their stern and was presently running level. Carnell reported that all so far was well, but to a further inquiry responded: “There was about a cup of water in the keg, sir. Leakedout. And we haven’t any provisions at all.” The lines on the captain’s forehead con- tracted. The men began to mutter among themselves and to stare at the eight occu- pants of the other boat. Selwyn looked at the captain and then at the mate and scowled. They all appeared to be awaiting to hear what the Old Man had decided, al- though they knew. “Mr. Carnell.”’ “fAye, aye, sir!” ““You’re much faster than we are. board you and abandon this boat. alongside.” “Very good, sir.” “Eh!” burst out one man immediately. ““Wot’s the e’s up to?” “Be quiet there,” commanded Captain Kelvett. “When Mr. Carnell comes along- side you men will board the other boat one by one. You hear? Chi Loo, hand bis- cuits and food each time. Savee?” The small, dark man who had been the first to grumble looked ugly, but as none of his mates seemed inclined to back him up he sat quiet. Each time the Second’s boat surged alongside Chi Loo and a man threw aboard cans of meat and two or more of the men scrambled over. When Vi’s turn came, to her annoyance the Second handed the tiller to another man and stood up to catch her as the two boats bumped. She protested, but he caught her deftly and set her down. | The captain was the last to leave, putting We'll Come over his tiller and leaping most agilely for his years as “his a ace away. feeling of regret Vi saw the abauion Mth yawing wildly to the wind and sea. they had never been shipmates. symptoms both the captain and the second mate were aware. In a whisper the latter asked the former whether he had a gun with him. The Old Man, like every one else, had been forced to quit the ship in the utmost haste and so Like two alien herds of animals in the same cage, — the men of the captain’s boat, which, thanks to Chi Loo, had the food, seemed deliber- ately to huddle apart from the others, as if _ Of ‘these had had no time to retrieve the weapon — from the drawer in his berth where he habitually kept it. Carnell glanced gravely at Vi. - moved restlessly and scowled. Some of the men began to mutter among themselves, but beyond grumbling and anxious looks at the horizon they made no protest. After Chips had calked the seams of the leaking water-keg with some oakum, which fortu- nately he had in his pocket, the captain apportioned a ration of food and water to each man while the Second steered. ol BEFORE the war, in the British aati! merchant marine the stokers and —— sailors—deck-hands rather than the sailors—were for the most part composed of all nationalities; but now there were very few foreigners. The little dark man, one Gregory, was a sea-lawyer, the one who in almost any crowd is apt from divers motives, sometimes from merely a cussed strain, to cause trouble. When the captain made the rationing of food and water Gregory did not “make any open protest, but began in the manner of his kind to grumble and argue with his mates. Carnell, knowing the type of man from experience, and knowing, too, the danger he was in emergencies, roughly bade him to hold his tongue. Gregory obeyed, but ina sulky, vindictive manner. After each man had received his share the captain proffered his niece another ladle of water. Vi refused. The captain in- sisted and Carnell urged her. Vi turned upon them both. ’ “You're doing this because I’m a woman, I suppose, uncle?” “Well, yes, dear. But it is right that. you should.’ 3 “Tt is nothing of the sort!” “But, Vi-—” —_ comicbooks Selwyn > A oy » TO ie i whe ‘ val yh | f 4 * @ iy Wynd Wie Pale Da Ae ass ’ v nad fe. 9. Liat Tae Hr