Adventure Magazine Cover — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

624 we've made arrangements for disinfection, and so forth. Excuse me, Mr. Parrish, I must send my boat ashore for a supply of vegetables.” He gave an order to the men who had rowed him out, and they cast loose and pushed away toward the landing. “Now, then,”’ said the Doctor, “‘I’ll have another look at Carrol.’’ This time I did not accompany him into the galley, but stood idly looking at the distant town, longing to stroll about its shady streets and to eat myself sick with its fresh fruits. Presently I heard what sounded like a groan. I turned—and saw the face of Jili half out of the forecastle hatchway. His chin was turned forward and up; and his eyes were frightfully roll- -ing; a steady, humming sound of moaning and groaning seemed to pass him, coming from the forecastle and spreading into the open air. Jili’s thin hands clutched the edge of the hatchway, and he seemed to be making semi-conscious efforts to drag him- self upon the deck. Then, as I looked, his head rolled farther and farther back, his hands relaxed their hold, and he fell sud- denly out of sight. I sprang into the galley to call the Doc- tor. But before I could speak his name I was thrown violently to the floor, beaten about the head, and bound, hand and foot, and chucked into a corner. Carrol stood over me, smiling. ““Wonderful man, the Doctor!” he said. “Cures me, puts the Chinks out of their pain, and now look at him!” I heard the sounds that accompany sea-sickness, and, turning my head, saw the little Doctor bend- ing over double and convulsed by nausea. > “Luckily,” said Carrol, “he kept his nerve until he’d done the trick. Brandreth, go and batten down the forecastle hatch. The Chinks ought to be quiet enough by now, but you never can tell. Swigot, you and Kelsey take some of these rope-ends and make the women fast. As for me— my God! I eat! Jim—Jim,” he said, “it takes a nerve to starve yourself sick!”” He burst out laughing. ‘‘And you thought I had the yellow fever, did you? Buck up there, Doctor. You played your part to perfection. I give you a mark of ten, as the boys say.” All this while he was ransacking the gal- ley for food and cramming such as he found into his ravenous mouth. Adventure ‘““And so, Jim,’ said he, ‘you wouldn’t take your medicine like a man? You were SO fond of those yellow friends of yours that I thought you’d like to go with them, wherever they’ve gone.”’ “Was it poison you gave them?”’ [ fal- tered. “Was it poison!” and he slapped his thighs as if an excellent joke had been passed. ‘And what would we give them— soothing sirup?” “God!” I moaned, and then I am afraid I cried a little, what between horror and fear, for I could not but think that my own end was near at hand. And almost I wished that I had drunk of the poison lest a worse fate befall. Presently Kelsey poked his head in at the door. “Kelsey, sir,” said he, “to report that the ladies has been secured.” “Ah!” said Carrol, ‘and they sent me their love, I calculate.” “Well, not Bess, sir,”’ said Kelsey. “But Little Spanish—she said to say as how she was always all yours.” “Well,” said Carrol, “since all’s ship- shape, I guess we better get up the hook and make sail. Cheer up, Doctor—there’s a million of gold belonging to you on this ship, and that ought to be heavy enough to keep food on your stomach. Jim,’’—he turned at the door, “don’t look so silly— you'll be well treated; you'll even have those ropes taken off when we are out of sight of land.” An hour later the Shantung was standing once more for open sea. Carrol came into the galley and cut the ropes which bound me. ‘““You’re wanted on deck,” said he. “Why?” said I. “To help throw the dead overboard,” said he. “The forecastle’s all cluttered up with them, and so’s the cabin.’’ “Bessie?” I half asked. “Still showing fight,” said he. “My God, man! you’re not in love with the woman, are you? Because if you are—well, if I don’t begin to feel sorry for you!” “When are you going to finish with me?” I asked. ‘Why, this is my plan,” he said in a con- fidential tone, ‘‘and you'll agree it’s a good one. We’re going to lay a course for Rio, and some time between now and landfall we shall expect you to make yourself scarce ? COMICLOOC|KKS. CO