Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

450 Captain Murdock, with severely straight lips, shook the water from his faded brown cap, stamped his feet, grunted, and frowned portentously. “ Very well,” he uttered with finality, “ if they don’t begin calling us, we'll begin shooting it into the air for them. Our time is valuable. This fog was a godsend. they wait till morning to discover that we left without kissing the port captain good- by, sunup will find nooses at our necks or shackles at our wrists and ankles. What do you think of that? Are you hankering to be chained to a stanchion in the locker, or—”’ ‘ T’ll have to confess,” cut in Donn Riley amiably, “‘ that what you’re saying is going over my head like a tent.. Why must we shoot a confessional into the air when we’ve made such a neat getaway? I’m satisfied!” “Are you?” drawled the captain in deep, sarcastic tones. ‘‘ Have you a vague idea of just about how far away from port we'll get before some wiseacre tosses a solid shot across our bows? J have, sir!” Donn Riley scratched his handsome large nose thoughtfully. His mind had been so filled with the excitement of getting away that the consequences of such criminal pro- cedure had been grossly neglected. Once at sea, he had supposed, they would be as safe as children tucked in bed. “ Well?” he asked, properly humbled. _“T take it for granted—considering that I have all reasons to suspect that you are a crack operator—that nobody has missed us as yet,” began Murdock seriously. “Now, I'll tell you what my scheme is in case they miss us before—long before— dawn. If they don’t miss us—then we re- vise the scheme. ‘I’m laying a course due west—straight out. *Twould fetch us up on the coast of Japan if I held to it. But, of course, when I get far enough out I’m going to lay tracks for San Blas. “ Now, if San Francisco or a naval sta- tion—the big one at Mare Island, for in- stance—begins squealing for us, you’re to waste no time. Right back at them you come with your S.O.S. In other words, the instant they find that we’ve escaped— we are a sinking ship. Get that?” ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. If “You’re talking Greek to me, sir,” an- swered Riley. Captain Murdock made an impulsive gesture of annoyance. To him, perhaps, the scheme was as transparent as a glass of spring water. He went on: “ With the start we have, it’s going to take them a good two hours to find us, to catch up with us, according to our present reckoning, isn’t it, Riley?” “Yes, provided they have to send a destroyer through the fog all the way from the bay,” assented Riley. ‘“ But how about the destroyers which may be all around us? We may be walking straight.into a hornets’ nest of ’em, captain!”’ “Maybe. But I’m trusting to luck. I’ve nailed a horseshoe upside down over my doorway. I’ve touched wood ninety- seven times to-night. And nobody saw us slip out, did they? And this fog came from no place in the universe but the heavenly portals, did it?” ‘“ Everything has moved like clockwork,” agreed Riley. “Very well. Using the same reasoning, I don’t think the destroyers are nosing around outside to-night. Most of them, as you know, cluster pretty closely around San Diego. And it’s a long, long run from San Diego to the spot I’ve picked out as the Barracouda’s final resting-place. Well, do you begin to see daylight, young fel- low?” ‘““T’m beginning to see shadows moving through the fog, sir,” replied Riley. “In other words, as soon as we find out, by wireless, that our flight has been discov- ered by the port authorities, we at once tell them we’re in a sinking condition and going down like a bombed U-boat!” ‘“ Neatly expressed,”’ said the captain ap- provingly. ‘‘ We’re ready to founder any instant, once they begin asking where we are. So, instead of wirelessing them the usual ‘Go ahead’ signal, you start imme- diately describing to them the sinking of the old Barracouda—and by God! I hope she floats forever, just to spite them.” “‘T understand,” acquiesced Riley with a quick nod. ‘‘ My job is merely to describe a sinking ship, or a ship sinking, so graphic- ally, with such wealth of fine detail, that ~- aaa ee — oe _— A MICGLMOOOKS (C(O) (C(O) mM