Adventure, December 3, 1920 — page 70: what you’re looking at

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

60 sail back, a captain. He had lost a kiss; but there would be thousands when he stood on the after deck and brought his command to anchor off San Carlos. She would look and see him. Afterward she would sail away with him The whispering men stared at his hollow eyes with the dark rings under them. They said, “Aye, aye, sit!” without knowing why. They made way. Those eyes were not natural. When Arnie laughed aloud, forgetting his hag- gard weariness, they feared him a little. He was thoughtful of them, but he was not natural. The wind held; the sea gained no more in the hold; the days crept by. Fear lost its edge and softened to doubt; doubt was molded into hope; hope sprang suddenly into belief. The Sxow- bird did not founder; she wallowed in a nau- seating swing from bilge to bilge; she made her four knots—— A MESSAGE from the dead reached the owners on the San Francisco water- front. A message from the living signed by Captain Miant and despatched from a port in Mexico had related the abandonment of the fast-sinking bark. Now in a blaze of sunlight they saw for themselves. No room for ques- tion; the Snowbird it was. They came over the side, quite a crowd of them, owners of other vessels as well, eager to see and to hear. Abandoned by all three officers! Navigated by a common seaman! They agreed that the performance was as- tounding. “Tt want him, Reynolds. Give me first bid. You have Miant and Lairton—good men. See the fellow’s ingenuity.”’ They pointed out this and that. “Miant and Lairton! I guess not,” chuckled Reynolds. ‘Didn’t this man show them both up? You'll have to bid for Miant, Ross—Hey, Jack, where’s the cap’n?”’ A lounging hand waved them aft. region of the galley a thin pipe quavered on the light breeze: From thes Adventure “Was Jonah, I wonder, a prophet, by thunder, Or was he a of a wha-a-aler?”’ They strode down the companion and pushed on each other’s heels to get into the cabin. Arnie stood up to greet them. He was grinning, grinning out of bloodshot eyes, swollen and dark- ringed in the sockets. They stopped dead and stared at him. Noses uptilted to sniff the air. Some one pronounced his name, ‘‘Sondheim!”’ ‘ Reynolds snorted at sound of the name and said something’ under his breath. His investi-. gating glance settled on the row of dark-colored bottles atop the closet. “Sondheim? Arnie Sondheim? That ex- plains these then,” and he gestured,toward the bottles. ‘Hm! He had Suddenly changed his demeanor. ‘Well, you got her in—with the kind help of the devil. You'll be asking sal- vage, of course. wl expect we can arrange that satisfactorily. “What do you say, Pitcairn? Five thousand?” “Fair enough,” nodded Pitcairn. had lost interest. ‘ “T think,’ said Arnie, “‘I’ll let that go if you’ve got a bark that—needs a master. I could take the examinations next week. “Ready to report any time.” Reynolds narrowed his eyes, shrugged and turned to go. . “Bidding, Ross?” he asked in a dry tone. “No—no, Reynolds, I think not. Pretty well stocked just new.” “Call at the office,’ Reynolds flung over his shoulder. ‘I’m sending out somebody to take charge.” o He stopped short, spun about and thrust out his hand. ° “T almost forgot. I congratulate you, Sond- heim! Well done, of course!’’ Arnie seemed dazed, but he got himself to- gether somehow. He looked into Reynolds’ face with a straight, hard scrutiny, then down at the outstretched hand. ‘“Vou’ll have to excuse me,” he said. “My hand’s dirty. Good day, sir!” He, too, ~ GComichboo (C@)