Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 182: what you’re looking at

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

160 will be on Andrus, and that means govern- ment officials making regular inspections. I’ve also warned him that if the Argonaut is destroyed in this bay, every hut on the island’ll be shelled out of existence by a couple of gunboats. He thinks I know more about the Argonaut than I’ve told, and that'll hold his hand, even if he and his men are greedy. The fact that old Benggala is playing island-boss with Jessup makes Pa- rut afraid that Benggala would dominate the island under Jessup, or a missionary sta- tion. That’s the game Parut wants to smash, and it’s more to his interests to get the Argonaut clear away than it is to loot her.” “Fine,” declared Wade. ‘‘You’ve got him sewn up for a fare-you-well. Now it’s up to us to have enough wits to run this show so we can come out top dogs.”’ “Tf the mate and Mrs. Jessup go ashore for the hymn-singing this evening, we’ve got the schooner.” “Sure! There’ll be just enough of the native crew on board to make it easy for us s to handle ’em and, after we’ve dropped a few, enough left to work the schooner. We may have wind, as it’s time for the turn of the monsoon, but that’ll mean an overcast sky. What I’d prefer is the usual land breeze and some of Parut’s men anchored and showing lights on the reef-breaks. That’d give us markers to sail between, and we could get off the land in jig time.” The sun began to lag low for the western horizon, and the sky to redden. It would be less than half an hour to darkness now. The two watching men saw natives gather- ing piles of dry leaves and the rubbish of the palm groves and stacking them on the beach to provide illumination during the evening. “Good!”’ said Wade. ‘‘That’ll give us a line of lights between Jessup and the schooner and make it harder for him to see what’s going on out in the bay. We can go alongside the Argonaut in her own shadow.” They watched the sun drop below the rim of the sea, and then the flaming sky slowly began to pale out. Only a few stars appeared at first, and these gradually waned as the night clouds slowly began to blanket the heavens. The land breeze began to whisper from the hills over the jungle tops. And night, like a storm that breaks without warning on a clear day, struck Andrus Island. Adventure VII THE wheezy notes of the mission- __jary’s old melodeon and then the =J voice of Jessup lifted in song floated across the bay. Torches flared in the palm groves of the village, and the bonfires on the beach burst into flame. The lofty palms stood out against the brilliance like the headless poles of a hopfield. Wade and Doxey remained in their hid- ing place at the edge of the jungle. Before long they saw, blackly outlined against the illuminations on shore, the fleet of fishers put off from the boat-beach like gigantic beetles fleeing from the blaring of music and the chorus of natives. For these natives knew the tunes and, supplying their own words, burst into song the instant they recognized the hymn which Jessup started. The fleet paddled up the bay, taking care not to head out for the Gospel Argonaut. She lay on the outer edge of the flickering light which made the water dance, throwing a great beam of widening shadow beyond her to seaward. The vessel was visible only as a black bulk which from shore might be a rock or a reef-head. At times, when some fire flamed up afresh, her masts were out- lined, but before long the fires had settled down to glowing embers and the schooner became barely visible. When they were well out of range of the flares on shore, the fishers began to break into a line, some making far out for the reefs, others moving in toward the dark shore and taking their time about selecting anchorage. Wade and Doxey went down to the beach and waited in the gloom. One of the boats that was far in advance of the line slowly bore down toward their position, gliding as silently under the still paddles as might a bit of driftwood on a surface current. When the boat had come within easy hail, Doxey stooped and picked up two chunks of coral and struck them together thrice. ‘Ate, tuan,”’ came the low voice of a na- tive, and the two men knew that Parut had come for them. They waded out on the smooth sand of the bottom, taking care not to cut their feet on jagged bits of coral which cropped up through the hard floor of the bay. In cautious tones Doxey spoke at inter- vals so that Parut could steer for them CoMmiclbook A) © =