Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

32 into the horizon, grew darker and sharper of outline until the sea margin was ruled as with a metal ruler, and the sky that edged it was oily, slaty and ominous. “That’s no catspaw!’”’ he muttered, and darted down to his cabin to peruse the chart. There was plenty of sea-room, even if he had to run dead to leeward for two full days; his ship was sound, his crew ample, and not yet so drunk with idleness and liquor as to be incapable of swift action. As for the ship Goliath reported, it was evident that her commander had either seen the Cadiz through eyes as sharp as the black’s, and in that case she was surely a fighting ship with suspicions of him; or he was one of those fussy, -for-leather captains who keep the spirit of their men broken by hopeless labor at unnecessary tasks. In either event that greasy-looking cloud formation to the eastward, coupled with the sullen flap of the high canvas while yet the sea lay like a mirror, and the air of brooding that now seemed to pervade the ocean, © promised very soon to keep every man in both ships so full of anxiety for his own safety as to put aside all thoughts of chase or combat. He returned on deck with his course clearly outlined. As he stepped out of the cabin doors, clamorous with the shouts of hauling sea- men on deck and aloft, he heard a shrill oath in Nell Clark’s voice and a deeper curse in a man’s furious tone; and Kestral strode forward among his men with a hand clapped to his face, leaving a trail of red drops as he went. “What now?” demanded Davies angrily. Nell turned her crimson face away, and fumblingly replaced her knife in the sheath. Goliath was already half-way down the poop ladder in Kestral’s wake, advancing with great strides, his long arms swaying nervously. “Wait!” returned Nell swiftly. “Stop the black. ’Tis no time to make brawl or inquest. See yonder!” oat It was true. The entire eastern quadrant of the, ocean was rippling in white-crested wavelets under a wind that visibly burst from the leaning cloud of slaty hue above. A deep-breasted moan, as of an animal in agony, filled the air to the drowning of the shriller whine that stirred the rigging. The great topsails and reefed courses filled Adventure with wind to the slamming of tack and clew; bunts thundered against the masts as the vagrant wind blew out and sped on. A seaman far out on the jibboom was lifted bodily on the inflated bags of the sail he was trying to gasket, and tossed overboard cursing like a true pirate. His mates, lean- ing low from the forechains, dragged him aboard with unfeeling laughter, not a ‘man among them having the intelligence which gives self-confidence; every rascal would wait until the crack o’ doom for tsomething to be done in their behalf, and until the order came from the stern, unwontedly angry commander on the high poop, not even Kestral knew what to do. Goliath might know. The. giant black had proved his seamanship a score of times daily since the ship ran out by way of the Passage of les Saintes and gained the open ocean to eastward of the Caribbean. Thus was Davies’ shrewdness exemplified. So far from trouble did he deem himself and his affairs, that he was willing to venture all upon. the loyalty of Nell Clark and of the colossal. negro who worshiped her for some hidden reason concerned with that forlorn little maid captured by John Cook and freed by Edward Davies. “SQUARE in mainyard!” he roared; and as men sprang to the braces he leaped aft to the wheel and motioned the helmsman to heave the helm up. Not too soon the great yards came square; the one jib left hung listlessly in a calm made by the filled fore-canvas; the half-brailed crossjack filled and heeled the ship as she bore away until brails no longer drew through the blocks. The Cadiz halted in her turning from the wind, forced back by the after pressure. And now the wind- ward sea rushed forward with a weight and voice not to be trifled with. “Down, Nell! Into the cabin with you!” cried Davies imperatively; and to add in- sistence where none was needed he urged her into the companionway bodily. The ship reeled under the terrific blast that now poured across her decks, and only one thing would serve—the addition of head pressure and the taking-off of after-pressure; both operations none too easy since the ship wallowed with lee-gunwales under water, unable to relieve herself of that griping crossjack pressure. La is “Set the outer jib!” the order bellowed ° Go .TOO AUG S (C@