Adventure Magazine Cover — page 103: what you’re looking at

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

Henery’s Literary Success Unfortunately, financial experts and news- papers use the occult form of speech so justly popular with persons who write son- nets. Furthermore, it was discouraging, when he found an excellent explanation, to pick up the next paper and find an explana- tion still more excellent but entirely differ- ent. Bill Bowsun shook his ornately carved but somewhat square head disapprovingly when Captain Moses laid before him the anthology of wisdom. ‘‘What’s that there law of supply and demand, as they’re talk- in’ about?” he grumbled. ‘‘Where is it? Here be we, waitin’ for freight. We're a demand, ain’t we? Why don’t that there law bring that there supply o’ freight?”’ Captain Moses, struck by this clear point of view, pulled his little beard, and considered. ‘Tl tell you why!” said he, brightening. “Here it is, Bill! This paper says that supply always, in-ex-or-ably, fol- lows demand—no! That ain’t it. Here it is! This other paper, here! It says that demand follows supply. You see now, don’t you?” . “Oh, yes, I see! I see!”’ responded Mr. Bowsun. ‘It’s easy. If the wind didn’t blow, the Flying Squid’s sails wouldn’t be no use, and if the Flying Squid didn’t have sails, the blowin’ of the wind wouldn’t be no use. I know one thing, though. That feller as said that supply only follers de- mand, he never seen Henery. And I know another thing. That other feller as said demand follers supply, let him tell me why there ain’t a demand for fleas.”’ Captain Moses mused. “It’s a deep sub- ject, Bill. It’s deep. I can’t rightly ex- plain it, but it’s got something to do with financial stuff. Listen to this.” Mr. Bowsun’s eyes fixed themselves rigidly in the direction of the wide blue skies while Captain Moses read a long article in which a lately talented financier, whose bank had failed, declared that the salvation of the human race depended on an elastic currency. When he concluded, he looked expectantly at the Mate. That large marine vertebrate continued to search the zenith with the earnestness of a zoolo- gist looking for a flock of angels. Captain Moses waited hopefully, knowing from ex- perience that in this attitude Mr. Bowsun often gave birth to a great clear thought. Slowly the Mate brought his eyes back to earth at last, with a visible effort as 667 of one unscrewing something with main strength. ‘I wonder,” said he, “how long it'd take that feller to get somethin’ real off his mind. That ain’t a bad idee, though, that there elastic currency—a sort of money, near as I can make out, that can be in our own pants’ pockets and in the other feller’s at the same time. That feller ought to build a ship that could be in two ports to once. Take my adwice, Cap’n Moses, take my adwice, and don’t waste time readin’ them sort o’ yarns. Them bankers knows even less than them newspapers, and them newspapers knows even less than them bankers. And that,” said Mr. Bowsun paus- ing to reflect long and deeply, “seems almost unpossible, too. But it’s so. And the only one as knows less nor both of ’em is the Guv’ment.”’ Captain Moses sidled off. Mr. Bowsun was prone to become discursive on the sub- ject of the Government. Though he based his reasoning less on wide study than on his personal recollection of an injustice once perpetrated by a constable, he had built up a complete political philosophy on it. Despite the united thought of newspa- pers, financiers, governments and the cap- tain of the Flying Squid, the financial strin- gency and the schooner continued in statu guo. The commander discharged the crew and spent most of his time ashore, search- ing vainly for a non-existent something that a non-existent somebody might wish to send to a non-existent somewhere. Mr. Bowsun, left aboard, and unable to distract his mind by teaching sailors the way they should go, devoted much thought to Henry. He had daily inspirations as to ship’s work. He discovered two tasks where only one had been before. All day long he sur- rounded Henry with tender solicitude, un- deterred by the fact that he was openly ungrateful. Mr. Bowsun’s paternal care was the more distasteful because Henry had laid in a stock of fishing-tackle, in order, as he ex- plained in an incautious moment to Mr. Bowsun, to pass the time away. It har- rowed him that Mr. Bowsun relieved him so entirely of the necessity. He lowered his lines surreptitiously, only to find them strangely missing when he went to inspect them. He could not forbear uttering a rebuke. “Fishin’,” said Mr. Bowsun thought- fully, taking hold of Henry’s ear, “‘ fishin’ is COMICLOOC|KKS. EO