Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 179: what you’re looking at

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

The Pirates of Andrus Island now he said he was in for several days.” “Slippery bird,” agreed Wade. ‘‘Still, there’s a chance that he’ll want to use us.”’ “T don’t believe he has the slightest idea of taking us along or ever coming back here. What I was after was how many white men he had and it looks as if the mate is the only one.” ‘“‘Parut can find out easy enough.” “Didn’t see one of his crew ashore,” went on Doxey. “It looks as if he had natives tow his organ-boat in with a canoe.” He wrinkled his brow in thought, and seemed suddenly downcast and doubtful. “Are you getting cold feet on the plan of taking that schooner?” challenged Wade. Doxey shook his head negatively. “No, no,” he said, “I’m just thinking things over.” Wade apparently did not believe him. “If you’re wanting to hedge out, Ill tell you we can’t be any worse off than we are. We'll never find a schooner in here that carries only two white men, and one a parson. Certainly, that preacher hasn’t got you bluffed, Dox.” Doxey stood up and, bending his head ~ forward, paced back and forth, stopping now and then at the door to glance out and across the clearing, as if he expected to see Jessup lurking in the brush. “If Jessup slips away before night, we can’t stop him,” said Wade. ‘‘We need a little more time. But if he stays over till morning, we’ve got to pull off some kind of a job. Can’t depend on what he says, either about staying several days, or having any idea of taking us.” | “You're right,” agreed Doxey. “It’s the last chance for us and we can’t let this parson stand in our way, no, nor his wife.” “You’re shaky,” charged Wade, scanning Doxey’s face with keen eyes. ‘‘You say it right enough, but you’ve been worried up to now. What’s on your mind?” Doxey came to a stop before Wade. “Yes, I have been worried a little,” he admitted. “Didn’t want to put anything into your mind until I was sure you saw the thing yourself.”’ ‘Saw what?” asked the astonished man. ‘There was something about Jessup that gave me something of a turn while he was here with us.”’ Wade dropped his cigaret into a shell full of water. He stood up and walked close to 157 Doxey. “What was it?” he demanded. ‘This Salvation Jessup packs a gun.” Wade burst into laughter. “Sure! I saw that, right enough. He carries it up his sleeve, probably on a rubber strap. I thought at first that he had a stiff elbow, until I saw that he didn’t want to swing his wrist out and away from his other hand. He kept his left hand close to the cuff of his right sleeve, and the cuff hid the little gun.” “I wondered if you’d noticed it,” said Doxey. . “Didn’t bother me any, Dox. He’d bea fool to run around this island, and come up here to see a couple of beachers like us, without a gun. And for that little pea- shooter he’s got up his sleeve, I’ll make him eat it!” He laughed derisively. “Notice anything else beside the gun?” asked Doxey in a tone so quiet that Wade was startled into sudden silence. He turned and stared at Doxey, having understood a hidden menace in the tone rather than in the words. “Say! What did you get that I didn’t? Out with it! We've no time to waste playing horse!”’ ‘“‘He recognized you,” said Doxey. Wade stood immobile for more than a minute, frozen into a statue. Then, with a gasp, he sat down on the mat. “Recognized me!” he whispered. “What makes you think so?” “While he prayed, he looked you over carefully as if he was sizing you up with a picture he’d seen. Of course, he’s most likely had a police circular with your picture, same as we saw in Shanghai.” ‘Possible, yes,”’ said Wade. “T had my hand over my face while he prayed, and I watched him through my fingers. He bored you, combed you over and over. Of course, you couldn’t watch him and play sick, but I had his number, right enough. And I’ll bet he knows who both of us are.” “Then,” said Wade, “that forces our hand. We’ve got to finish things tonight. If he gets away from Andrus, he’ll send a coast guard cutter after us, and we’re caught.” “That’s what I’ve been turning over in my mind,” said Doxey. “But there’s a chance that the greater our danger with him, the easier we’ll find it to take his schooner.” CoMmicbook A) © =