Adventure Magazine, December 10, 1924 — page 191: what you’re looking at

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

The Pirates of Andrus Island “Better turn down the lamp,” whispered Jessup. ‘“Then if she comes out to go on deck, she may not see you. I'll help her up the companion ee “Oh, no, you won’t,”’ said Wade in a low tone. ‘You see her into the companion, but let her go up alone.”’ “‘She’ll be terrorized—if she sees you with weapons.”’ “Let her terrorize; we’ll let the light low, however, so we'll have a chance to eat our supper with a little peace.” Doxey reached up and turned the wick of the gimbal-lamp low. Now the main- cabin was in less than a half light, with objects distinct enough, but not clearly defined. “T don’t want your wife to come out at all,”” whispered Wade. ‘You open the door and tell her she’s not to leave her cabin, and see that you don’t bolt through the door yourself. When we’ve settled things to our own fancy we’ll let you go to the cabin—and stay.” Jessup got to his feet and started for the door of his wife’s cabin. Wade and Doxey followed him. The door swung open inward, and a wo- man in a white skirt and wearing a light shawl wrapped about her head, appeared in the doorway. She was seen dimly in the poor light of the after end of the cabin. “Don’t come on deck just now, dear,” Jessup hastened to say. He moved to her and reached out his hands to gently thrust her back. “T’ll tell youa ” Wade saw a flash of fire. There was a thunderous report and the low-burning flame of the gimbal-lamp jumped to the explosion inside the confined space of the cabin. XI 8 3; 3 where Mrs. Jessup was standing, hu «4 and saw it over the missionary’s shoulder. And Wade fired at the spot where Jessup had been standing. Yet Wade knew instantly by some queer intuition that he had missed Jessup. The missionary had jumped. The blast of fire crossed Wade’s face and his neck and cheeks prickled as bits of burning powder were driven under the skin. And his eyes were blinded. Just to what extent, Wade could not tell for the moment; all he knew was that the tears came with pain and the er Qriee saw that jet of flame from 169 membranes of his lids seemed scorched by the heat and gas and smoke driven against them. In that up-flare of the lamp he had seen a revolver thrust over Jessup’s shoulder, and behind it the shawl-shrouded face which an instant before Wade had supposed to be the wife of the missionary. Doxey fired once; and then a body fell. Wade could not tell whether it was Jessup falling over something, or whether it was Doxey dropping under that fire from the cabin door. Wade opened his eyes with an effort, but they closed under a spasm of pain. “That woman!” “The mate in woman’s togs He whirled as he called the warning to Doxey, and threw his back against the starboard bulkhead, afraid to fire with his eyes shut for fear he’d hit Doxey. Two more shots blasted through that doorway. Wade got his eyes open, seeking a sight cf Jessup, or a chance to put a bul- let into the tricky mate who had evidently passed through a door from his own cabin into the one occupied by Mrs. Jessup, and dressed himself to play the woman coming out. Wade could see little. His eyes were blurred by their own streaming tears. The place was full of thick smoke, the gimba]-lamp visible only as a yellowish spot like a vague sun seen through a blan- keting fog. Now he caught a glimpse of a white tri- angle on the port side and knew it for Jessup’s shirt front. Wade fired twice and dodged. The shots illumined the place for the wink of an eye, showed Doxey crouched on the deck, one hand thrust forward with a revolver. He leaped past Wade in the flash of the latter’s gun. There was the crash of a body against paneling; the grunt of a man striking a blow, followed by the crash of a falling body inside the cabin door where had stood the disguised mate. Then came a yelping cry such as a dog might give in pained surprize when his tail is trodden upon. The long- drawn yelp turned to a peculiar whining. “T—got—him—low—with—the—knife !” The panting words came from Doxey, who seemed himself in pain. ‘“‘Are you hurt?” cried Wade. “‘Hit—first shot o es The strained voice of Doxey died away he screamed. \?? Comicbook © 5}