Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 148: what you’re looking at

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

146 Faney lay in his berth, heavy with liquor. He gazed insolently at Carstairs, as the second mate entered. “Comin’ snoopin’, my young hero?” he leered. “It isn’t so easy to get at, this time!” “You said it,’ Hugh replied, quietly. “Tt wasn’t easy. But I managed, just the same. I’ve sent it to Davy Jones.” Faney struggled out of the berth and stood staring into Hugh’s face. “Whadda ya mean?” he demanded. “That spare boat was a good cache, but not good enough!” Hugh’s hands clenched, as he spoke. Faney eyed him. Though a bigger man, he was no match for the second mate, as he had learned on the trip south. For a moment he hesitated. Then he stepped back with an ugly laugh. “Humph! Think you’re real bright, don’t you? Guess [ll have to treat you to a surprize!”’ “Tf there’s more of the stuff aboard, Pll find it,” Hugh replied, quietly. ‘“Faney, for sake, man, buck up! You can’t keep this sort of thing going. Even Cap- tain Merriweather’s had a bellyful of you. You'll land on the beach. Yow’re a chief officer. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? You'd be skipper in a while, if you’d cut the hootch.” “Here endeth the first lesson!’ Faney sneered, as Hugh paused. “To with seafarin’! ! J guess I can manage my own affairs, you dudel”’ Carstairs shrugged disgustedly. “T’ll find your booze, if you have more, and I’ll send it to the mermaids, same as the other. And if I have to, Faney, ll beat more guts into you, as I did coming south.” Faney’s eyes smoldered. “Tt’ll take more strength than your pretty hands has, to dig out the hootch VJ get if I want it! You better run along and amuse the Old Man. You and him seems to be right chummy! And you tell the Old Man for me that I get booze when [ want it! He'll know what I mean.” Faney’s face twitched and he moistened his lips. ‘““He was right clever to bury it so deep, but a word to that gang o’ thirsty hellions we picked up in Port Plata, and out’ll come everything that lays atop o’ them cases!” Carstairs started. Faney noted this and smiled evily. Adventure “Veh, you and your precious skipper! He c’ld play his little tricks on you while you amused yourself readin’ romances about Haiti! But I wasn’t tucked in my little bed, gettin’ no beauty sleep, while we wuz loadin’ them cases in Port Plata!” Faney laughed, drunkenly. “Notice you ain’t seen no manifest yet, you young cocklelorum? No—the Old Man’s afraid you'll wonder why them cases ain’t listed reg’lar! Some explainin’ he’ll be needin’ to do! And some all-fired clever work to get them cases out in Noo Yawk!” Carstairs gazed blankly at the mate a moment, then wheeled sharply and left the room. Captain Merriweather was leaning gloom- ily on the bridge rail when Cartstairs joined him. He glanced up at his second mate, then straightened suddenly. A look of something akin to panic flew into his red eyes. “Those cases in Number Two hold, sir,”’ Hugh said, thickly. ‘“’They aren’t down on the manifest. What about them?” Captain Merriweather struggled for a moment before he answered to regain his composure. “Who’s ship is this?” he finally asked, hoarsely. “Yours! The dirty, stinking thing!” “Then wot in business is it o’ yours to question my cargo?” Carstairs gazed down at the skipper’s dis- torted face. A dozen wild replies tripped to his tongue, but a sudden heart-sickness swept over him and silenced them. He and Merriweather stared at each other a moment. Then Hugh said, with a queer break in his voice— . “T knew your ship was dirty, but [ thought you were clean!” He flung away from the skipper and went below to his room. md LIFE aboard the Balandra Head sO-%a had become a thing of misery. ania? Faney went about his duties mut- tering, and plainly desperate for drink. Captain Merriweather avoided Carstairs as much as possible. He ate his meals in his room and kept off to himself. Hugh, having discovered clay feet on his little idol, yearned for New York and release. His hurt was deeper than anything he had ever experienced in his life before. The ship was making her way across the COMICLOOkkS. CGO