Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 146: what you’re looking at

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

144 “Cases!” Hugh exclaimed to himself. “Thought he said hides!” He sauntered over to where Captain Merriweather was perspiringly swearing at the black winchman. ‘More cargo, sir?’”’ he questioned above the din. Captain Merriweather wheeled about. When he saw that it was Carstairs, his face purpled. “Get to your room!” he_ bellowed. “Thought I toid you to turn in! Think I can’t stow cargo? Get out!” Carstairs, taken aback at the unreason- able fury in the Old Man’s tone, stalked back to his room, turned on the fan and sat down to read. Still weak from fever, he soon grew drowsy and, sprawling on the settee, fell asleep. The sun was setting when he awoke. He had just time to bathe the perspiration from his streaming face, when the call sounded for mess. Hugh went out on deck, lifted his nose to the light breeze that had sprung up, and darted forward. “Some trade!” he gasped to Faney, as he took his seat opposite the mate at table. “Stench? Tl tell the cock-eyed world! Why hides? Why couldn’t we have picked up coffee or cocoa or something that smelled appetizing?” “They save the garden o’ roses for the passenger-boats,’ Faney grinned. ‘Some trade!’’ Carstairs repeated, but this time with a lilt in his voice. ‘I amused my- self reading up the West Indies Pilot, Volume One, during my watch below today. It’s great reading. Seems none of the lights around the benighted island are to be de- pended upon; the buoys may be in place, but more likely are not; the entire works is surrounded by reefs and rocks; and there are more wrecks than natural scenery to guide the wandering mariner on his way!” Captain Merriweather glared at him over the rim of his coffee cup. ‘‘Ain’t too late to back out, young feller!’’ he snapped. “You know what happened comin’ south. It’s nothin’ to what may happen goin’ home. We got a crew picked up from the remains o’ two o’ them wrecks wot ain’t yet been listed, an’ I’m not praisin’ ’em for any virtues. They’s passenger boats calls here at Port Plata. If you’re yearnin’ for the comforts of a deck-chair back to Noo Yawk, you speak quick!” Hugh’s eyes twinkled as he gazed back Adventure at the belligerent little skipper. Beneath the Old Man’s bark was a note of anxiety. “Not me!” Carstairs exclaimed. “Haven’t I something—contraband or treasure down in Number Two hold, so precious you wouldn’t trust me to load it? You gave me something to think about when you took on those mysterious cases in Port Plata!” Captain Merriweather jerked upright in his seat. His eyes flamed. “You shut your mouth!” he choked. “Wot I want known, I’ll tell!” Carstairs stared. The Old Man was growing crusty! Hugh shot a quick look at Faney, but that worthy was busily stowing away the last of his meal, his face expres- sionless, though active about the jaws. Hugh soon left the table. Something— he couldn’t name it—was poking about in his subconscious mind and fretting him. To be sure, the skipper had snapped and snarled at him all the way south, but here in Port Plata during his convalescence the Old Man had shown him unusual kindness. “He’s worrying about something!’ Car- stairs told himself, uneasily. ‘And it’s no small thing, for that little runt would go through fire with a chip on his shoul- der and enjoy a bout with the himself!’? It was late the next afternoon, when the Balandra Head received her clearance pa- pers and got under weigh. Hugh had not yet seen the manifest, and so did not know what those cases in Number Two hold contained. He couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that this consignment had something to do with the skipper’s worry. He stood at the rail and looked back at Port Plata. The town was an indefinite blur as the Balandra Head steamed slowly outward. Haiti depressed Hugh. The un- dependable lights and buoys; the wrecks; the tricky waters through which the ship was feeling her way—it was all of a kind. ee) THE Balandra Head made an un- a) eventful trip around Haiti and finally came to rest off Port-au- Prince. Hugh was surprized to find that he was glad to go ashore. He had been so im- patient to rejoin his ship, a while back, and now he found her changed. No, not the ship, but the atmosphere aboard her. The skipper was no longer funny to Car- stairs. In fact, there was something so wrong with Captain Merriweather, that Hugh sensed impending tragedy. COMmMiCLOoOokkS.CGO 5}