Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

Dory-Mates In a forecastle bunk, Anderson, with toes and fingers badly frost-bitten, lay and raved in delirium. He talked strangely of a dory- jar and arsenic, and in his ravings the name of Elsie Conover was mentioned. Westley Collins, little the worse for his experiences, sat on a lee locker and yarned with the gang while the schooner stormed on her way to Shelburne. “He’s th’ best dory-mate a man ever had,” he was saying. ‘‘He got himself into that state because 0’ me. Boys, he purposely avoided drinkin’ from our dory- jar so’s I’d git th’ water sh’d we be adrift long. He knew I was promised to a gal back home, an’ he wanted to see me live. Ain’t he a man for ye? ‘“‘And do ye know, boys, it might ha’ bin ' worse, ’cause I was nearly goin’ off in th’ dory without a jug that day. We wasina hurry settin’ out th’ string that mornin’ an’ when I hove our dory-jug down inter th’ dory it struck one o’ th’ trawl.anchors an’ broke. I wasn’t agoin’ to bother git- tin’ another one, but th’ skipper sees it an’ says to me: ‘Here! Take this spare jug with ye, an’ git away. Winter fishin’s no time to neglect carryin’ a full dory-jar, and I never let a dory leave th’ vessel without water aboard.’ “Lucky for me he was so particular, but without drinkin’ a drop so’s I'd git it all. An’ when he couldn’t hold out no longer havin’ a drink. Poor old Tom! Boys, oh boys, but he’s a man with a big heart!” MISS ELSIE CONOVER knocked apprehensively on the door of the answered the summons. “Oh, Miss!” she exclaimed anxiously, to see ye all afternoon. He’s had a terrible time down on th’ fishin’-grounds, an’ ’most up.” Elsie entered the plain bedroom and hesi- tated half-frightened when she caught ‘she loved. “Oh, Tom!” she cried with a catch in it done poor Tom no good. He hung out he lost th’ jar overboard jest as he was for VI ay Anderson cottage. An elderly lady “T’m glad ye’ve come. Tom’s bin askin’ died but for West Collins. Come right With a strange fluttering at her heart, sight of the haggard features of the man her voice. 7 97 The sick man turned and beckoned to her. ‘“‘Come over here, Elsie,”’ he said quietly. ‘“Mother, please leave us for a spell.” The girl approached the bed and sat down in a chair. . “Tom, Tom,” “What hap- pened out there?” He ignored the question and stared at her with eyes which were cold and pene- trating. “I’m a-goin’|to talk to you, girl!” he said after a pause. ‘‘What kind of a game are you playin’ with West Collins?” She flushed and dropped her eyes in con- fusion at the question. ‘I—I’m not play- ing any game with him, Tom.” “Do you intend to marry him?” She made no answer, but fingered her dress feverishly. “Do you intend to marry him?” came Anderson’s insistent voice. “No!” blurted the girl. ‘“‘What did ye mean by tellin’ him ye’d give him yer answer in th’ Spring?” ‘“‘I—I—oh, don’t ask me, Tom. JI—oh, don’t be so cruel!” “All right, I won’t. Ye told me th’ same thing. What was your idea? Who did you intend to have? Him or me?” The girl grasped his bandaged hand nervously. “Why, you, Tom. I always intended to marry you, but you were chasing around with ‘Jen’ Hooper. I—I only told him that so’s you’d be jealous and come to me again.” Anderson withdrew his hand and nodded slowly. “Huh! So that was the idea. Waal, you started a fine pot a-boilin’. Now, I’ll talk to ye. West Collins and I hev bin dory-mates all this Winter. He’s th’ best dory-mate I ever had, and a man’s man. He told me about his deal with you. Me, of all men! Me, that was crazy over you an’ whom you ‘made th’ same promise to. He talked to me-of his prospects an’ his future with you as his wife. He’s madly in love with you, and talked to me about you in our watches and in th’ dory. To me, mind ye—me that really wanted you worse than he did!”’ He paused for a moment and stared at her pallid face. “I made a vow that he’d never see you again. I was out to kill him. Actin’ as she said. CoOMmicboooks CO