Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 7, 1928 — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

HIS SERVICE TO FOLLY. He and his shipmates ceased hauling on a tackle to get a moment’s surcease from the grueling labor, and scowl at the youth. Black and blue bruises showed on their sweating backs and shoulders as they panted and muttered vengeance on Basil and the pirates alike. “Pull, you dithering swine,” savage- ly roared the pirate boson. He brought a cat-o’-nine-tails swish across the nearest bare hide. “ Lively now, sway away on the tackles.” Most of the pirate crew were busy stowing the guns in the hold of the barkentine, but a good many were still on the dock. These were armed with ‘“misericordes””’ to prevent the Alba- tross’s men from escaping, and also to lend a hand with the tackles. Impatiently pacing the poop deck and nervously stroking his kinky beard was Le Baron de _ Banana, watching the loading of the guns. His scowl was imitated by Basil when he came under the cresset flare. The boy’s face was bleached for an instant of its color, then deep-dyed with a wrath against which all former rage was as nothing. Rushing at the pirate who wielded the barbed lash, he grasped the man’s arm and wrenched it backward until the bone snapped. An order and a sizzling oath broke from De Banana, and the pirates drew knives and leaped toward Basil. “Come on, you curs,” he shouted, backing to the quay edge so none could get behind him. He whipped out the blade buckled to his waist by his mother’s hand. ‘ Come on!” he cried as they hesitated before its whirling steel, A dirk flashed beside him, but from an eye corner he caught the gleam, and ~ blood gushed from a slashed wrist as the dirk rang on the quay stones. The pirate fell back, mouthing curses. His evil comrades, fearing to make a pass at the barrier of steel Basil wove in the way, swung about to face a new peril. AT “To the rescue, lads! To the res- cue!’ shouted big Jack Butts. “ Young Basil fights for us. Throw the villains into the briny!” He jumped for the nearest pirate, and, pinioning his arms in a viselike grip, jerked the man aloft as he would a sack of meal. Jack’s mates, with change of opinion and heart, let the tackles fly by the run, at the mate’s rallying command. Ropes smoked as they ran through blocks and the big gun shot downward between ship and quay. It splashed into the sea in com- pany with the pirate hurled from the mighty arms of Jack Butts. Basil was in a quandary. It would be fatal to his plans to further antago- nize the pirates. His cry to Jack Butts to desist was drowned in the din of shouting and clattering gear. Instant- ly he rushed between friend and foe, and both fell back before his shining and menacing sword. “Have done, Jack, and all of you get to your homes quickly!’ Jack’s jaw fell and he looked his as- tonishment as did his mates at this turn of the tide. As they drew a breath of hesitation there came from the shore the sound of shouts and the clat- ter of accouterments and running men. Above it all yelped the strident tones of De Banana: “The king’s men! Cast off those mooring lines and aboard with you. Lively!” The pirates had no time to spare if ®tey wished to escape a fight with the soldiers, nor had they men to spare for it. Cursing, they rushed to obey orders. De Banana was still shouting, un- heard by his men in their wild rush to get away to sea. Pointing to Basil, he cried: “Kill me that devil’s spawn. Hell’s curse on such a troublemaker! But for him we'd not be in this mess to- night!’ Along the quay on the double-quick CORNICLOOKS instantaneous | (E@)