Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

THE SHIP THAT CRUMBLED. 439 you’re a man I see I can trust. And if I can trust you, why, so can she.” His voice choked. He went on in lower tones: “TI can’t think of her in the hands of thaf man. She’s too good for him, Riley.” Riley nodded gravely. He was very much interested, and his expression of sym- pathy was genuine. “Tm going to ask you to look out for her, Riley.” | “‘ Whatever I can do—” began Riley. ‘You can do a great deal. You can watch out for her. You can see that she’s not alone with that Spaniard. I’m going to ask you to take her off my hands.” Donn Riley straightened up with a gasp. “You're not quite yourself to-night, cap- tain,” he muttered, somewhat embarrassed. “ That’s because you don’t know me,” contradicted the other, a little wildly. _ “ That’s because you don’t know what I’ve gone through this afterncon —-ince we parted. I ama planner. I’ve thought this all out. I saw that there’s the making of a man in you; the making of a good man. “ Don’t thmk I’m aiming to flatter you, Riley. Nothing of the sort. I’m trying to think of you in light of her. And I’m trying to think of you in light of that damned Spaniard. In one sense you’are the lesser of two evils. - ‘* Since this afternoon, he’s threatened to marry Ellen when they meet again. What do you think of that? Do you wonder I’m net myself to-night? Ridiculous? Rub- bish! You don’t know that man. You think he’s mad. He’s a pretender. He laughs at you; he’s dangerous; vicious!”’ ' Captain Murdock’s eyes seemed to bore Straight into the younger man’s soul. ‘*T am much older than you are, Riley. I don’t know what deviltry you’ve been up to since you’ve felt your oats. But here is my suggestion to you: Make this the last adventuring you go in for. It ‘il be enough to last yeu for a lifetime. I'll guarantee that. When I’ve finished with you, you're going straight back to that man you talked to ever the phone this afternoon, and you’re going to get your old job. But before you leave this ship you are going to marry my daughter!” Donn Riley threw back his head and laughed. ‘‘ This ship is loaded to the water- line with madmen. And I’m going to go ashore before the rats start to leave. I’m going to quit this she-devil before it’s too late.” Captain Murdock’s eyes, however, were as sane as his own. “It is already too late. I’ve given orders that no one shall leave this ship. Those orders will be carried out to the letter. ~ “You are going to see this through. I’ve stored my faith in you. I’ve put myself in your hands. I’ve talked to you moge in this past half-hour than I ever talked ‘to any man. I depend on you to stand by me. I’ve put this thing up to you as man to man. I want your unqualified answer.” Donn Riley folded his arms. “ To what? Whether I stick by you or whether I marry your daughter?” “Both are cut from the same piece of cloth.” ‘You honestly trust me to that extent?” “I said all that before.” | ‘“‘ But we're both neglecting to take Miss Murdock into consideration.”’ ‘She will be obedient,” snorted that hap- less young woman’s father. ‘“‘T think we ought to consult her,’ ven- tured Riley, in tones as level as he could command. “It’s unfair to her. We're not living in the middle ages, you know. Per- haps she loves Cordella. Certainly she knows what you’ve told me about him. Then why is she taking such a risk?” ‘‘ She’s willing to take the risk—to poke her nose into my affairs,” grumbled the captain. “Then Yl accept both propositions,” said Riley firmly. “I'll stand by you. ff Miss Murdock finds the water so hot that she must throw herself away on me to save herself—I’ll stand by her in any case.” Captain Murdock extended his hand. ‘“‘ The next three months of both our livese— dedicated to God knows what! It has a bad taste. After that—we're quits.” “ The fat is in the fire,” said Riley light- ly. “ What crime is number one?” ‘“We get away before dawn.” “So I heard. Does that explain that new tin funnel—those cans of paint?” ECoOnniclboooks (C(O) mM