Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

TEN FATHOMS chor chains, carpenter tools, and medicine chests. The shelves sagged with all man- ner of gear that a ship and a crew might need. Over the counter, Dunn explained that he needed the suit immediately. The old man led them to a corner, and pointed. “There’s an outfit, all ready for service. For vat should you vant it? Eh?” Dunn ignored the question, and pulled forth a diving helmet. It was made of heavy brass and copper. Three windows of half-inch glass would furnish eye holes for the diver. The suit was made of heavy rubberized canvas. The wrists closed with vulcanized rubber ends that gripped the flesh as a garter might, and kept the water out. There was a pair of leather shoes with wooden soles, the wood covered with great, heavy lead plates to enable the diver to overcome his own buoyancy caused by the air inflating his suit. “But I want at least two suits,” Dunn said. ‘I'll hook up two air lines to the one pump.” The chandler led them to another cor- ner. With wunerring precision, he found what he sought out of the clutter of a thou- sand odds and ends. “ Dis is all I haif. To-night I haff sold more diving suits than in two years. Vy? Vy is vat I vant to know?” He raised his shoulders, the palms of his hands flying outward. “Vou did?” Fitz whirled on him. “To whom?” The Jew was startled by the sud- den attention shown him. ‘“‘T never seen dot feller before,’ Solomon hunched his shoulders. ‘‘ He said to deliver dem to de schooner Mary right avay.”’ “ And you did?” prompted Dunn. “ Sure, bizzness iss bizzness.” Again he raised his torso. ‘‘ Vun hour ago I break out mine boys undt deliver dem.” “Then break them out again and send these two suits complete, and that pump to the yacht Olympia immediately,” Fitz ordered. ‘‘ We sail in an hour. Never mind the gaskets, we’ll put them in ourselves. Just throw in a few extras. Here’s a hun- dred dollars now; the rest if you get them to the ship on time.” Hurriedly they left the Seni and walked rapidly back to the hotel. it was nearly midnight when they reached it. Fitz DOWN. 21 was thanking his lucky stars that he had restricted his crew to the ship for trying to wipe Coconut Grove from the map the night before, But he wondered why he had not thought of sending word to the chief engineer to raise steam. They cued Ah Jung sitting on the ioe defying the native manager to oust him. His mainstay in the argument was that Cap’n Bill had told him to wait there for him, and there he was going to wait, though the heavens fell. The manager retired when Fitz appeared. After Jung, seldom angered, had cooled down, Fitz told him to get a boat, and notify the engineer to raise steam. Ah Jung answered pridefully. ‘‘ Me tellum all’eady. All fixee. Missy all’eady, too. Velly good make chop-chop.” “ Right you are, Jung,” Dunn said, al- ready halfway into the hotel, “ chop-chop it is. I'll get Miss Florence and part of the luggage. Fitz, you and Jung hike for the water front, and hail the Olympia.” Bill Dunn met Florence at the foot of the stairs. “What is all the excitement about?” she asked. ‘“ Your servant had me called, and then piled all my baggage into the hall. I’m all flustered. I dressed so hur- riedly, I feel like a reputation fresh from an old woman’s sewing circle, all picked to pieces.”’ ‘‘ Didn’t you ask for excitement?” Dunn queried, a smile on his face. ‘ Well, here it is, The Olympia sails in an hour or two, for Treasure Isle. Fitz has gone on down to the dock.” He collected her luggage, piled Fitz’s on a house boy, and started for the water front. There were no carriages available, and the trip occupied five minutes. When they arrived, Fitz had hailed the Olympia, and the dory had come out for them. The Olympia belonged to Fitz’s father. FitzGerald, Sr, according to Fitz, had his eye fixed on a widow, and not wanting his children to criticize his method of approach, had sent them off on a cruise. The Olympia was painted white. Two masts raked aft. A clipper bow and a single funnel, coupled with a clean sheer-strake, gave her the appearance of a whippet. Oo Comicbdooks (C@)