Adventure Magazine Cover — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

14 can get away,” he said dubiously as we started toward the ladder. As we crossed the gangway, I looked back, to see him still standing at the aft-rail of the bridge, scratching his head as if he had doubts as to the course he should have taken. In fact, as he told us later, he had decided that he should have gone with us. HE WAS in his cabin changing to his best uniform before following us up immediately, when there was a knock on his door, and the tall, lean form of Roger Nixon, the line’s Nanking agent, entered. It is not the custom of agents to visit steamer-captains—rather the reverse; but time hung heavy on Nixon’s hands, and he had always something unpleasant to say; so that to wait for a new victim to come up to his office was beyond his patience. He slipped wearily into O’Day’s own chair and bitterly asked him what he considered him- self to be doing in Nanking. ‘“You’re in ballast, ain’t you?” he de- manded. ‘‘Would you mind telling me what you expect to take back with you to ’Frisco?”’ O’Day stared at him. ‘“‘Because,”’ said Nixon, “the Have-Got was here last week, and cleared with every atom of cargo there will be in sight for the next. month. When I got old Camp- bell’s wire I thought he must be insane. I cabled back and told him there was nothing here but two cases of machinery to be shipped back to some American firm, and he cabled me to keep my mouth shut and give you those for a cargo. A ton of machinery in a five-thousand ton ship! And he said to send you back as quickly as possible. He’s sent you out in ballast, and now you're to turn around quickly in ballast and go back. Is he mad?” O’Day shook his head as he pulled on his other boot. Correctly enough, he con- sidered silence to be the best policy. ‘‘And for another thing,”’ said Nixon, his internal acidity increasing as he found the captain unwilling to join in the conversa- tion, “if I were you I’d be careful whom I let my officers run around with. This isn’t San Francisco, you know. And I tell you bluntly, Captain O’Day, that the Tae-ping Tong’s no organization to be mixed up with just now.’ “What?” gasped O” Day, half rising. Adventure “It was bad enough when it was a sort of religious secret society, under the son of Hung-sew-Tseuen—old Hop-see-Long as he calls himself; but now old Hop’s retired to the hills, and this half-breed Britisher’s in control of it, it’s dangerous! It’s suspected of being simply an organization for over- throwing the republic and bringing back the monarchy, and anybody who’s seen about the streets in company with this man Murchison is in danger of prison. The au- thorities haven’t been able to prove any- thing on him yet, but—I’m warning you.” “You mean c “T mean,” said Nixon, ‘‘that I’ve just seen two of your officers going ashore in broad daylight, with Murchison, and “He’s a Tae-ping Tong-man?” cried O’Day, throwing open the door again and yelling furiously for Fraser. ‘“He’s its leader, nowadays,” Nixon, ‘‘and——”’ Fraser came up to the door, panting. O’Day, at the drawer of his escritoire, was stuffing a gun into each of his hip-pockets. ‘“‘Fraser,”’ he cried, ‘‘there’s trouble with Carter and Burns. I’m going ashore after them. Call the engine-room on the speak- ing-tube and get a couple of engineers to go with me. Tell Mackenzie to keep steam up and keep the crew aboard. We're likely to be leaving in a hurry, and this bunch of yel- low devils’ll have to do. Get me?” Fraser nodded. He was a man of few words, but remarkably effective actions. It was just after seven bells. snapped BURNS and I heard seven bells strike as with the stranger we =" turned the corner of one of the piles of hide-bales which filled the pier. We were making our way, as we thought, to the motor-car which was to convey us to the consulate; but as soon as we had turned that corner we saw that this dark and stink- ing alley ended against a dead wall. Then, too, there was something in the stranger’s face as he turned toward us which sent my hand flying toward my pocket. Before it got there, however, the world seemed tocrack open in a blaze of varicolored light, and the entire continent of Asia to strike me on the back of the head. As I staggered forward, clawing with my hands to keep off the surging darkness I saw Burns fall under the onslaught of a gigantic Chinese in a blue blouse; and I had a dim COMicaoo® S (©