Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

712 gettin’ a hold on the politics o’ this ’ere section. “‘ Before I knowed it he was boss, in- stead o’ me, and now there ain’t a long- shore ward from Fairview to Greenbank . that Battling Burke don’t have in his vest pocket. There’s only one guy bigger ’n’ Burke, and that’s Jake Farrell, 0’ the West End. So you see, cappen, it ain’t no good fer ye to try to run ag’in’ him; ye might as well cough up his price first as last.” “Not one red cent from me for that scoundrel!”’ shouted the outraged captain as he went out, roaring about how he’d get his crew, “in spite of all the Burkes this side the throne o’ God.” Just to hear Tom McGee make that dec- ; laration sounded to Music Murphy like the promise of emancipation. Captain McGee was no lightweight when he started in to move scenery. But this time his driving force was spent in vain. A week later he was as far from getting a crew as ever. At last he pocketed his pride and called on Burke at the Alhambra. When Captain McGee entered the place and glared about, he was met by a be- witching smile from one of the Terrio girls. “Papa expected you’d come, and he told me to show you right in,” Behind the front bar was a kind of holy of holies. On entering, McGee beheld a burly, red headed plug-ugly rise up to greet him. “How do, capting—how do, sir? It’s proud I am to see ye; me auld capting come to visit me in the Alhambra. Sure now an’ that’s an honor. Gawd’s truth— there ain’t no one I sooner clap me eyes on. Anything I can do for ye, capting? I’m at yer service, sir, fer auld time’s sake.” “Never mind your lying Irish blarney. You know darn well what I’m here for.” Burke smiled on. ‘“ Aye, aye, sir. I can guess what ye’re wanting. A crew, eh? And it’s me can fix ye up.” “And I suppose you'll be pleegny me white to pay for your dirty varmints.” “ Only the regular rates, capting—only the regular rates, sir.’ McGee could not believe he heard aright. “What did you say?” he nguived. with an incredulous tone. ; . once across. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “IT said, capting, I’ll be happy to deliver to ye a crew at the regular rates, and when d’ye want ’em aboard?”’ “Saturday morning, before flood tide.” ‘* Aye, aye, sir. We'll have ’em there all right.” “That ain’t good enough for me,” ex- postulated McGee. “I wouldn’t trust ye, Burke, the length 0’ me nose. Talking about old times, I remember too well what a lying scoundrel you were. I’ve got to see this crew before sign ’em on.” “Very good, capting—very good, sir. I'll ’ave ’em mustered at Deepwater on Friday mornin’, so’s ye can give ’em the Mind, capting, fer auld times’ sake,.I’m goin’ to bring ye a pick crew. None o’ yer fresh water johnnies. I’m a goin’ to bring ye a gang o’ real sailormen what’s all bin round the Horn.” Il. THE crew which Battling Burke held in readiness for the Orion was the strangest assortment ever mustered by any crimp. As noted by Murphy, Burke owed his rise to his pugilistic ability. Recently in the United Service sporting carnival he had knocked out Bombardier Winn, which gave him a provincial reputation. With this ad- vantage he had no trouble in enrolling fistic aspirants in his gymnasium. At first his pupils were of the baser sort, but with increasing fame there began to come to him a group of young dandiés from the first families. The invasion of these young bloods was not at all pleasing to the denizens of Water Street. Every time they came into Burke’s establishment it was with an air of over- lordship, winking at-the Terrio girls, flirt- ing across the bar, and whirling them about the dance hall in a most proprietary man- ner. “These parlor dudes is too much for me,” complained Barney Upgate. ‘‘ Com- in’ in and out o’ ’ere, treatin’ us guys like - dirt, actin’ like as if they owned the whole blooming works, and them a bunch 0’ little _chicken breasted pimps at that. Dunno what the boss is comin’ to, anyway.” The lofty manners of the young bucks Gomicbooks (0) Im