Argosy All-Story Weekly — "The Purple Limited" — page 188: what you’re looking at

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

754 the schooner to, they said at first, hell, think- ing that mighty smart. But afterward him we had to call second loot let on we was beating up for a rendeyvoo, but the Lord knows where. The loot didn't. ” Then Teach come, the right article this time, he being in a Bahama sponge-boat half the size of the John and Louise. He said he was Teach, and we believed him, and he hanged the three Dutchmen for taking his name in vain, according to law. ' That Dutch Hun skipper he objected te be- ing hanged with the two others, he being a commissioned officer, and them not. So this Teach accommodated him, and he was strung to the starboard arm of the foreyard, and his two loots to the port. A fat party with a nine- teen-inch collar did the actual hanging, and I never saw nothing in that line done neater. And you can take it from me that a hang- ing requires a neat touch or it’s easy bungled by reason of the party as is being strung up objecting. _ The three Huns are there at this moment of writing, and I hope they'll sun-dry and hang as a warming to other Huns who want to get fresh. I never liked our old man living. But -after they'd killed him, I always remembered him as the cleanest man that ever stood in a ship.- R. IL. P. Captain Teach has not any vacancies among his crew, but liking the looks of Deepdale and Outershaw and me, and not -objecting to poor old Ham, says he'll take us with him if we . like to sign on. I suppose it’s pirating, but that seems his affair more than mine. The pay’s good, and I want a change. So here goes. Kind friend, if you find this, please post news to my old woman at—here follows the address—and take the two dollars and thirty- seven cents you will find in the till of my sea- chest for the stamps and your trouble. I do not address her or the girls direct, as _they will understand, not wishing them to be mixed up with me if I get into trouble. I remember my lesson last time, over being caught trying to run that stuff inte Tampico, and I promised then I would never bring such disgrace on my old woman’s head again, and would always remember my daughters . was girls, as she said. (Signed) Yrs truly O. STARBOTTON. Miss Arncliffe dabbed moisture from her eye with one of the Jao Geraes’s scanty stock of pocket-handkerchiefs. Her verbal comment of ‘“ How dreadful!” did not in the least account for the cause of her emo- tion. But at least it was due to Captain Smith to share. the letter with him. So when ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. her eyes were restored to a normal dryness she went out into the main cabin and called, and a bored and dusky Smith, throw- ing away a Cigarette-stump, promptly came to her. “You have done the lady-detective act successfully! Good. I wish I’d half your brains, Miss Arncliffe, and—say—a tenth of your energy. I’m afraid we creoles get very slack at times. You see, the sun af- fects us far more than it does you. ‘And yet my grandfather was a Portu- guese, and they’re a tremendously energetic people. What a weird letter. The fellow writes a worse fist than I do.” “ Read it,” said the lady impatiently. “ Oh, certainly, if you think I ought to— -h-m—hello—our friend Teach again. Can’t get away from him, you see, Miss Arncliffe. And that pleases you, doesn’t it?” “You keep harping on Teach,” said Mary with a spirit of temper. ‘I dread the man. 99 ** So does half the world,” replied Cap- tain Jacob Smith soberly. « And half the world talks of him every day with its breakfast, whether it is coffee and rolls or kidney and bacon. A couple of years ago it was the great war that filled every- body’s thoughts. Now it’s Teach. He’s a big man.” “Tf you take a census of opjnion you will find he’s looked upon as a great nui- sance,” said Miss Arncliffe coldly. ‘“ How many people out of those who talked about the man know him personally? Not one in ten million.” “I’ve only met one individual who knew him,” said Smith dryly, “ and I must say that socially the fellow seemed to have his points. Hullo!” Bang! Captain Jacob Smith jumped to his feet with unaccustomed activity and made for the companion. “One of my guns. What am I shooting at?” Bang! Bang-bang! R-r-r-r-r-pt! “Machine guns going now. Something close up. Curse the ass who slid on this hatch te keep out the sun. Ah, there we are. And now, what’s doing? “‘ Miss Arncliffe, you’d better keep below (C(O) nn) (C 6)(0)©) S (C(O)