Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

South, West and North 25 forth. “By the braces, there, stand by! Down stu’nsails—down, I say! Now, then, helm—hard down, hard down! Lean to it —down! Up with your braces—brace up, brace up! That’s the way of it—shiver her, now! Hold her so——” The yards backed, the ship came up into the wind. Over the whole deck prevailed fearful confusion, the seamen not knowing whence came that strange voice, yet obey- ing its commands, the captain and mates hemmed in at the rail and fighting to control the crowd, others rushing forward to where the boats were slung. These carried with them Hampton and the senseless bosun. Once more that strange but authoritative voice pierced above the din. ‘Ready? Lower away—away!” There was a squeaking of turning sheaves —Hampton ‘felt himself flung into a boat, felt something slung about his neck; he could see nothing for the blood that ran into his eyes and blinded him, and realized that his senses were slipping away, for he had endured much. The boat truck the water. From above still came a confused din of voices, shouts, execrations, wild threats and wilder orders from the helpless officers; and through them all one piercing scream in a woman’s voice. Then the shrill tones of Eliphalat Nickerson quavered high. “We'll not pay for the beat!” the old man was crying. ‘Ye need not charge that to the company, I say—boats come high, and we'll not ie “Cast off, cast off!’ rang out that strange new voice, and the falls were cast off. Hampton, with a quick movement, re- covered himself for an instant and shaking his head dashed the blood from his eyes. For one moment he had clear vision, and looked upward. There he saw the face of James Day thrust over the rail, looking down at him—and a wild, cruel laugh was on that face. Then Hampton realized whose voice had been giving those orders. “Cut and dried!” he muttered. cut and -dried fell unconscious. 66 Aye, ” and so muttering VII AFTERNOON, and the empty, § open boat rocking to the long swing- == ing swell of the seas; empty, save for the two men who sat in her, alive once more in the warm sunlight. No mast or ‘Could swear to that. sail.or oar was in:the boat, no water or food, not even a tiller. Battered and bruised, the two men had used teeth and fingers to get free of their bonds, and.after bandaging each other sat smoking thirstily, silent for a long while, their eyes roving about the empty horizon. Job Warlock ‘had a swollen jaw:and a black eye, Dick Hampton had a slashed scalp and a dozen minor contusions, and about his neck still dangled the knife by its lanyard. Gradually their thoughts were gaining co- herence, gradually Hampton was remember- ing everything of that wild and fearful scene aboard the vanished Hannah. He broke the silence at length, with slow words! “Cut and dried, you said, Job. Did ye catch that voice giving orders?” Warlock shook his head in perplexity. “Aye, but I was a bit hurt and dazed. ’Twas no voice I had heard before, Dick. A proper seaman’s voice.” Hampton’s puffed lips curved slightly in a smile. “Day’s voice. I caught a glimpse of him at the rail above, as we were cast off. All cut and dried.” Job Warlock stared, and presently uttered a slow, thoughtful whistle. “Whew! Queer enough, matey, queer enough. It’s all a riddle, and where’s the key?” “Tt’s to find,’ said Hampton grimly. “If you’d seen Day’s grin, you’d under- stand; it was malignant, bitter, venomous. There was hidden poison in the man, but why? I’ve never done him harm.” The brown, squat face of Job Warlock wrinkled up, and he puffed hard at his pipe. Dick Hampton was searching for some rea- son behind everything, but could find none. The whole thing seemed outrageous, with- out explanation. He was still slow to realize that from the moment of Jed Barnes’ murder, his fate"had been decided—there had been a slow culmination of events, yet everything had been cut and dried, planned out to the last detail. Who and why? If by Day, then for what reason? With a shiver, Hampton loosed the knife from about his neck and flung it into the stern of the boat. Warlock straightened up suddenly on his thwart. “By the crooked tree—let’s trace the riddle, and seek the key afterward! So it comiclbooks.cO inn