Adventure Magazine Cover — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

= sominued ‘Carell. _ acknowledged the Second, - aware of the fact. the crew of this ship when we boarded her?” “Wot’s that gotter do wiv the monkey?” “That’s what I want to find out,” “But—Well, ’m sorry to tell you that the captain is dead——_” “Dead! Wot done ’im ’in? The mon- key?” “No. He died as the others did from some mysterious ageney——”’ “Fre!” exclaimed Gregory as if suddenly “Wot ’ave you stopped ’er for?” “Tm coming to that. The engines stopped, and I went down to find the men lying about just like those people we founda in the saloon.”’ “Wot! The bleedin’ lot!” ejaculated several. “Yes, unfortunately.” The men looked at each other. “Oh, gor!’ commented one. “But, mister, wot’s the monkey gotter. do wiv it?” “T don’t know; we’ve got to find out. It’s gone down below and we've got to hunt and find out “Not me, guv’nor,” decidedly. “Nor me,” said another. “Let the blighter stay there.” “T’ve ’ad enough, I ’ave,” asserted Greg- ory. ‘Same as them Lascars. No bloom- in’ wonder they quit! Wot d’you say, mates?” —* CARNELL watched them as eu a said Gregory very began to discuss the situation. He had a revolver, but that would be no use in compelling them to search below. “Look ’ere, mister,’’ announced Gregory at length, ‘“‘we’ve ’ad enough. We signed on. the ’Esperus. She’s gawn, ain’t she? Them others we found, and then the young feller, disappears; and now the OI Man’s gawn and our mates as well. There some- fing funny about this boat. ’Aunted I says. Don’t mind ’Uns and fings. You kin get ’em; but this ’ere—bleedin’ monkey an’——”? “But recollect, men,’’ urged Carnell, “that the Monsoon is very valuable salvage and——”’ “And ——!” said Gregory. “I’m on for the rhino, but not wiv bleedin’ spooks an’— Oh, Gawd!” | 3 “You know the | con- dition in which we found the remainder of evidently ea eee pees re as from behind the deck-house came the © ; But as Carnell rushed | vague voice singing. 7 in the direction, revolver in hand, the voice ceased. | “Tt came from there beyond the fiddley,” | directed Vi from the top bridge. 3 Watched by the group of men and the placid Chi Loo, Carnell hunted around the deck but without finding ape or man. | ‘“‘The voice came from that ventilator,” he announced as he returned. “I’m going down to find out who is there. Who will volunteer?” 3 : “Looking for a bleedin’ monkey wot sings ’ymns! Oh, Lor’, I’m off!” exclaimed one man solemnly and started for the fore \main-deck. Gregory and the others began to follow him “But, look here!’’ expostulated Carnell. “YQ ’re not going to leave the young lady?” e kin come wiv us, can’t she?” de- manded Gregory. “T shall not leave the ship until Mr. Carnell thinks that we ought to,’ called Vi from the upper bridge. “He’s in com- -mand now, recollect.” ‘“‘___. ’e is!” protested Gregory. “Beggin’ yer pardon, Miss. We ain’t in ’is Majesty’s service lookin’ for’ Uns, but just or’nary sailors on a tramp wot’s gawn. W’en the ’Esperus went so did our contract, missee. You arsk the Board o’ Trade. “‘We’re going to git, salvage or no salvage, afore that there bleeding singing monkey does us in. You’d better come along.” | In a group they moved away. Carnell called: 3 ‘Will you stop there, Miss Kelvett? I’m going down to find out what the trouble is. Then those fellows won’t want to go.” _ “All right,” assented Vi. * Followed by Chi Loo, Carnell hurried down the companionway. As she began to walk up and down the bridge Vi felt a sense of the uncanny—‘funny,” as the men had put it—produced by being up against something that reason could not grapple with. Of course a “singing monkey” was ridiculous; nor could it, she assured herself for the hundredth time, have any- — thing to do with the wholesale slaughter. As a dismal foreboding that Carnell too would never appear alive gripped her, she knew that she was eee afraid. eee