Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

THE ROARING FORTIES. had gone through that gang like a dose of dynamite! ‘“ Any time after that when there was a row all he had to do was to show his peek- a-boo, and the worst guy was about as dan- gerous as a sucking dove. “I dunno what it is about that feller Forbes; when he’s mad you can feel him comin’ like a kick in the belly. Just let him shoot out that ugly jaw and toss his nose into the air and snort, and by God, every mother’s son is lookin’ for a funk hole. Aye, he’s a man driver, all right, all right!” ‘ Ain’t he going to sail as master of the new clipper?” inquired the barber. ‘“ That’s what they say. If he does he’ll make them sit up and take notice. He’s only got one idea for the Valkyrie, and that is carrying on. MacKay knows this, and he never stayed a ship more scientifically; he’s taking no chances with his gear aloft. Topsails, topgallantsails, and even royals are diagonally roped from clew and erring. Her fore and main stays and backstays are of eleven and a half inch Russian hemp. As for spars, they are the toughest sticks ‘ever put into a vessel. If Bully Forbes ever gets to sea with that clipper, Gus, you can take it from me, she'll astonish the world.” “Well, why do you say, if she ever gets to sea?” | John Cameron’s answer was to shrug his shoulders. 3 : “But,” pursued Gus, “with all New England waiting for Valkyrie to beat the China fleet, how in the name o’ Heaven can any one hold her up?” Cameron’s face wore a look of Brahmin- istic resignation. “What can we do, Gus?” CHAPTER VI. A MYSTERY SHIP. HERE was scandal in the air. Gossip about another man’s wife was bad enough, but when the fair name of a ship was called in question there was no limit to which the scandalmonger might not go. 489 Like a fated beauty, suspicion dogged Valkyrie from the start. With the whole town talking of some- thing awful impending, there came upon Mary Williston an increasing fear—not of an evil star, but of foul conspiracy. It was this fear that sent her out alone into the darkness on the eve of launching. The longshore section of Newburyport was no place for a gentle girl at this un- earthly hour. Mrs. Williston would have been horrified, and rightly so, if she had known. But her daughter’s other name was ‘“‘ Independence,” and so, unescorted and unafraid, she tripped along through the sailor town until she arrived at the MacKay yards, The whole place was illuminated in an- ticipation of the morrow. But even here the atmosphere of dread expectancy was not allayed. At the gates, and all along throughout the yards, Mary encountered groups of workmen discussing in awed tones the scandal of MacKay’s latest beauty. Mary did not pause to listen. Coming around the corner by the mold loft, the Valkyrie burst into view. Under the rising moon her spars and rigging were touched with mystic light. She was fully rigged on the stocks with all her gear rove off. It was the purpose of Donald MacKay that she should go off the ways with three skysail yards across and colors flying. All the staging used in the construction of the ship had been removed, leaving her hull in full view as she rested on the ways. Every line of that hull indicated power and speed. Mary looked aloft at the intricate ropes, at the mighty masts, bearing huge yards. Then looking higher and higher, she saw the masts tapering, while the spars grew increasingly slender. Everywhere between yards and spars appeared the loon and tracery of lacelike rigging. Her mast and spar measurements were tremendous. Gazing at this soaring three skysail yarder caused Mary to marvel at such daring. Even to an eye untrained Valkyrie was an audacious picture. In a sudden burst of admiration she clapped her hands. Comichoo (©) mn “S