Adventure Magazine Cover — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

ae le Ir ty iy, UN « a \ fal ve 4, J A ’ }, 3 i oe" - ms 4 i }ay wie? 1) Oe Otel eee ARS >» we ee aN a el 5 a4 ch le ed RAY + eet ay uy ben a ae) > ik Wee ed Ss wit a | z ’ \ t ee PERCE ac Re SE RC ASEN RCN OPE found leisure to remark the unreality of things. The days upon the Hesperus— monotonous days which she had resented because she had been persecuted by the missing Sel and the “sentimental” Carnell, as she had dubbed him—seemed to belong to another existence. Then had come the loss of the Hesperus. The awful possibility of days in an open boat with little food and perhaps no water had completely obliterated the dislike for, and irritation caused by, Selwyn, even so much that she had not even resented the fact that he had held her while she slept. Yet now, once comparative safety seemed assured, the old feelings of exasperation had revived; and toward Carnell also had returned the sense of embarrassment and resentment for spoiling the use, as it were, of her only possible companion. After all, she mused, the chance of the accident seemed to carry with it,a silver if not golden future for both her uncle, who _certainly should be able to retire or pur- chase a shore job, and for Carnell to buy a command. “Dear soul!” She pondered amusedly. “Perfectly sweet of him to give up drink for my sake! But why on earth must he make a nuisance of himself at the same time? In future,” she decided, staring at the circle of misty stars through the open port, “I’ll have to suppress that infernal maternal instinct—at all events with nice men. Heisrather nice but— O-oh!” Against her will a muffled scream was squeezed from her lips and her heart seemed to cease to beat as she stared in a aralyzed fashion at some mass which had blocked out the stars. The next in- stant Vi had gained some control over her- herself, but as she leaped for the deck the thing disappeared. “That fool Selwyn,” she thought as she made for the door, “trying to be funny!” But neither on ‘the deck nor behind the chartroom was there any living creature. The shoulders of her uncle on the upper bridge were silhouetted round the corner of the wheel-house against the sky. For a moment she stopped to listen. Came only the heave and the thump of the sick engines and the sough of the wind and sea. That she had seen something she was positive. She had not been asleep. Con- oe : steam pcting dear above her, and she | ' Ing, dear,” said he. Goll the panic = that arose eat Cree: he searched swiftly and methodically all over the deck, even examining the fastening of — Se an com Rees th * ae rie3 fs - Set the canvas cover on the one boat which es remained on the bridge-deck. No sign of any movement or of any being could she discover. She mounted the bridge and asked her uncle whether he had seen anybody. “Seen what? Where? Why, no. you mean Mr. Carnell?” Vi related what she was positive she had seen. “You must have dozed.and been dream- “Or perhaps one of the men came up to shift a ventilator and looked in the chartroom, although I can’t imagine what he— My God! What’s that?” Muffled yet distinct, floated a sound Did which surely developed into a voice singing,. even the words of which were distinct: “) . . The winds and the waves of the turbu- - lent se-ea! Or demons or devils or ani they be-e-e-! They al-l shall sweetly obey my will! . Peace, be still! Peace, be still!” “Tt’s—it’s a Moody and Sankey hymn!’’ snickered Vi. CHAPTER IX HAT!” exclaimed the captain. “Ssh!” The voice rose, wailed, ceased abruptly as if stoppered, and shot up into a pro- nounced giggle. “Tt must be Selwyn drunk!” exclaimed the captain. ‘But where on earth is he?’’ He walked toward the rear of the bridge, toward the direction from which the voice had appeared to come, peered in the dark- ness and shouted: “Selwyn! Hey, there! that you?” Mr. Selwyn! Is But although he shouted several times no — response of any kind was made. “Queer,” he muttered. ‘Take the wheel, Vi, and I'll go and look around.” “But, uncle,” began Vi, “hadn’t you better wait till daylight? That face— i? “What face, Vi?” “The hairy ‘face I saw at the port-hole.” ‘Nonsense, dear; you were dreaming; or mebbe it was this drunken fool. He’d have a few days’ beard by now. I'll look 2 = around.” ee at a Se 4 | / ae =| = sey, > * Px ,