Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

598 ‘“‘ That’s what I meant,”’ she said. citement! Life!” ‘‘ And death,” the skipper commented. “* No place for a woman.’ Samson laughed. ‘“ There was another time when we ran on a reef in the New Hebrides,” he commenced. “On a little island off Aoba—” Sykes had come quietly up the poop- ladder and crossed to them. Now he broke in. “ Taku’ s sick, skipper. of fever.” Captain Martin hesitated. “I'd better go for’ ard and take a look: at him,” he said. ‘¢ Tl wait here,” said Mary Leigh. “ Mr. Samson will spin me more yarns. Won’t your” “Were your men Malays, like these aboard?” she asked the mate when he had finished his perilous tale. “Not them. Melanesians. with filed teeth. coddles, like this lot. The skipper mothers ’em too much, to my fancy.” He glanced _to see how she took the implied criticism, but she seemed not to have noticed it. They moved to the taffrail. “The porpoises have gone,” she said. “They were like so many animated pin- wheels.” The moon shone full in their faces. The mate neves took his eyes from her. He chuckled silently as he thought .of her response to his yarning, and now, though eminently conscious of his regard, she did not resent it. The tropic night was full of glamour, the balmy air hinted of the Spice Islands all about them, of great drooping mango-trees heavy with luscious fruit, orchids festooning the fervid bush. . The lure of it was pumping in his veins, and he fancied her blood warming. He glanced at Badoun, like a carven image of ebony at the wheel—save for the play of his arms—thought and action centered on his work, eyes on the compass-card aswim in the light of the binnacle. _ “ They’re off the quarter,” he said; “ fol- lowed up the school of surface fish. See ’em?’’ She shifted her position, leaning over 6¢ Ex- a “ Got a touch Cannibals, vj Google Huskies. Not molly’ toward him. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. the quarter-rail, one hand on a mizzen backstay. “I can’t. They are too close to the side. I’m not tall enough.” “Want to?” She nodded, not catching ‘his meaning. He drew a deep breath, and looked again at Badoun. , “Put your elbows to your sides, hold ‘em steady.” He gripped her arms at the bend, hot palms to bare, cool flesh that warmed to the contact. She felt herself hoisted steadily, easily up, till her hips leveled his shoulders, ’ while she held the stay for steadiness. Tingling vitality flowed out of his strength, her blood surged scalding, something of what fevered him transmitted through his clutch; intoxicating, dizzying. - ‘“Put me down,” she _ begged, half gasping. He set her on the deck and twisted her She spun, still confused, clinging to him for an instant. He caught at her and crushed her close. As her head fell back he stooped and kissed her. For a moment her body was molded close to his. © She could feel the strong beat of her heart through his thin clothing. Then she thrust away. ““ How could you? How dare you?” she panted. ‘ Badoun!”’ He smiled, and half of it was for that word: ‘ Badoun.” “How could I help:but dare?” he de- manded, and his voice was husky with pas- sion. But he turned a sharp eye to the Malay. The man’s back showed, hardly visible in the shadow, one shoulder sharply accented by the moon. | “He saw nothing,” he _.whispered. “Youre not angry? I couldn't help it. God, but you are wonderful! You set me afire.”’ Her hair had become disarranged, or she chose to think it so. She stood apart from him, both hands busy. Her eyes were hidden under their long lashes, but he marked her bosom lift and fall, saw her underlip caught up by her teeth. His own hands were clenched, the veins high on his temples and in his neck. He made a short -- OF sea eNSTOUTME SS CO )| O STA