Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 146 No. 4 — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

564 your crew, sent out such wireless messages as we desired, and I am sure you will agree with me, effectively arranged matters so that you were unable to send out any in turn. It was such a pity to break up the set! It was such a pretty set. But then there is, after all, a certain, subtle pleasure, sensation—atavistic if you wish—in de- _ stroying beautiful things, don’t you think?” Hendriks glared on in silence. Fang Wu smiled. “You are so typical of your race, cap- tain. You refuse to be led away from the point at issue, led away into pleasant by- paths of conjecture. I have a passion for bypaths. They always appeal to me as be- ing so pertinent. Let me see. Where were we? Signals? Ah, yes—that green flare, lovely color, and that black flag with the yellow crosses. Both were in the nature of successful feathers for our bonnet. ** And such a simple matter to remove the fuses so that we might work in darkness, and to later cut the circuits. You will par- don my splitting the infinitive. It is one of my little vices. And it would have been such a simple matter to have prevented us —if, as I have said, your crew were not de- moralized. “ As to that trifling dash of poison in the food, I really have Mr. Rutledge to thank for the prevention of what might have turned out to be a rather fatal blow to us. I refer to the fact that some of that food was offered to Miss MacTavern. I was really in rather of a quiver as to the out- come. I shall arrange a suitable offering of joss for the soul of that cat when I shall arrive in China. I have made a note of it. The food was, of course, intended for the rest of you. It seemed expedient that—vwell, that you should not be so many, especially as Miss MacTavern was then under your guardianship. Now that the delight of her society has again been bestowed upon us the poison is a non-essential. There are— other things. * Finally, my dear Captain Hendriks, it pleases me to inform you that we are en- trenched in various strategic points about _ the boat, from which your men will be shot down lik ae if toxeh ser to set ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. forth is watching.” when I so desire, to do the things I shall desire to do. “You are the master of this vessel?” Fang Wu laughed softly, derisively. “ You have no more authority on board here than one of your wipers in the engine room.” He drew himself up to his full height. “I am master here!” The taunt was too much for human en- durance, certainly too much for a ship’s master’s endurance, and that on his own ship. Hendriks leaped for him. Fang Wu drew in his breath with a sharp hiss and dexterously stepped to one side. From the adjoining cabin came a scream of terror, a scream that stopped Hendriks dead in his tracks just as he gathered him- self for another spring. “You see?” Fang Wu smiled pleasantly. “kt See)”? Hendriks sank dejectedly into a chair. “Well, what is it you want me to do?” “That is better.” Fang Wu also sat down. ‘“ Now we shall be able to talk.” Harris burst dramatically in through the doorway, hero-being bent. An alluring vi- sion, following instantly upon the scream, had flashed upon him, a vision in which he gallantly bore the heiress to many, many millions off to safety, and to undying glory for himself—the whole affair being pleas- antly gilded by a haunting tinkle of future wedding bells. Just how or where he was going to bear her failed to take definite shape in his vi- sion. No matter. Duty had called, shrieked, in fact, and duty would not find him lack- ing. Having brought his cyclonic entrance to a teetering stop, he looked for the heir- ess. Nary an heiress. Could those devil- ish Celestials, guzzling nectar up Olympus- way be mocking him again? “T heard a scream!” Harris had just caught himself in time from shouting: ‘‘ Where’s the heiress?” “Stop, Mr. Harris! Don’t come in. Return to your post, please. There has been no sign yet from the other vessel?” Ye gods, his post! damned. As for himself, might he, Harr be stricken irrevocably pink, 2 Sede “No, sir, none as yet. Mr. —— ono The other vessel be - “~~, ™ - by @ am :* 7 ¢ al aa F