Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 3 — page 193: what you’re looking at

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

TEACH: PIRATE DE LUXE. “Mr. ‘Gregor McGregor Murgatroyd seems to be keepirig his word. I very near- ly hanged him.” ‘“T wish you had. The fellow’s a shirker. 567 Teach stormed at him: “ Why not? Be- tween ourselves, a pirate I am, neither more ner less. But can you show me a place where I’ve ever broken my word? I’m sure Also he’s the kind of war-profiteer who,s® you can’t. Do my crew ever complain I’ve responsible for all the unrest now apparent at home. ‘A public school man, too, who ought to have played the game, curse him! But he'll keep faith with you, because there’s money in the deal if he does.” ‘And a sudden end to his trading if he doesn’t. I’ve got him cooped up ready. _ He’s had that drummed into him pretty deeply. The way our affable Mr. Pickles took his measure for a hemp necktie was positively ghoulish: = “It’s not my affair, of course, what those Chows do with the ships once they’ve paid for them, but do you think, in view of civil- ization’s present excitement over my small ) doings, they’ve a cat’s chance of getting away with them?” “YT was attaché once at Pekin, Teddy, and saw quite a bit of the Chinese at home. He’s a straight man, and his spoken prom- ise and his written bargain are both abso- lutely reliable in a business deal. He'll disembowel himself rather than break them. _ Rather a contrast with some of our own friends’ little commercial habits, isn’t it? ‘“‘ Also the Chinese is a nailer at business. If he’s bought your ships, he’ll pay for them, and he'll realize on them at a big profit. Don’t ask me how. But you may take it for. granted he’ll realize. What about going across to pay a call?” “ve decided to wait for them to come- to me.” “Then you'll wait certainly a-week, and probably a fortnight. That suit your There’s no indecent hurry about the Asiatic.” | ‘““U-m!”’ said the pirate. ‘ You're the expert. We'll call away a boat, and go- look-see. I’m the Occidental all the time, and don’t waste minutes, much less weeks. But I don’t admit the Oriental is ahead of — me in honesty.” Lord Raisghyll fumbled at his pocket for a cigarette, and chuckled broadly: ‘“ My aunt! What a title for one of those writing chaps: ‘ The Honest Pirate’!” . done them in the eye? They'll tell you I’m a grasping hound, I don’t doubt, but they'll tell you, too, I always stick exactly t> my bargain. ‘And then there’s the matter of that girl. You may come across Mary Arncliffe. some day, Raisghyli. If you do, ask her how many men in my position would have treated her as well as I-did. Dammit, man, give me credit for the small ounce of virtue I do possess.” > — ‘I beg your pardon, Teddy. I was only pulling your leg. But in return Ill tell you what the committee of Brown’s said when the questian came up aboutekicking you out | of the club. They decided you were one ® of the few gentlemen we had among the members. | ‘And as we have such a heap of the other sort, we voted unanimously to keep you on as a member, and only hoped incidentally you wouldn’t do it again. — ‘“Qddly enough, when I was in New York, I looked in at the Porterhouse. I’m not a member of the committee there, of course, but a chap who was on told me that quaintly enough they’d passed practically — the same resolution about you. ‘“ Hullo, here’s Jones to tell us that your boat is blocking the way at the front-door steps. Come along and I'll help you talk Chinese.”’ . ‘“ They’ve brought more local color with them than their chemical smell,” “Teach commented as his spruce, well-manned gig put them across. ‘‘ That packet was Clyde- built. Curious how a Chink can give a touch of the Yangtse junk to even tough north-country steel.” The visitors were received at the head of the gangway by a stout, pig-tailed Chinese m extremely dirty dungaree, with a fat, flat, urfemotional face, and pig eyes set sidewise. “You greaser, eh?” Admiral Teach in- | quired, after the manner of the sea. He waved a comprehensive arm to indicate the thirty-one impotent steamships strung out GORGE OOO YN S Colin