Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 3, 1924 — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

866 “What?” ‘ To’gallantsails, and royals,” thundered the skipper in reply. Pugsley could not choose but obey. Going aloft against the terrific blow was a laborious process. Owing to the tremen- dous wind, the hands going aloft were pressed against the shrouds until the breath was nigh gone from them, while their sou’westers threatened to choke them, as the gale tugged beneath their throat bands. When, after infinite peril, the topgallant sails had been set again, the mate once more ‘ was moved to plead for caution. In order to save his own skin, he approached the captain like a suppliant: “ That’s too much. I think, sir, we ought to reduce canvas.” In scornful tones the captain answered: “Get the royals on her again, I tell you, then the small skysail, and if you can’t find anything else to hang out, after that, go down and see if Mrs. Pugsley won’t lend you her petticoat.” | All the rest of that day, Forbes carried on in most amazing fashion. Every man aboard, except the skipper, was waiting momentarily for the crack of spars, and the sound of bursting canvas. But hour after hour, though incredibly driven, the gear aloft held out against the fiercest strain. During the afternoon another clipper was picked up, also bound to the eastward, un- der reefed topsails, while the Valkyrie was hanging on to everything up to studding- sails, and main skysail. The lookout sighted the other vessel at one o’clock, by two the Valkyrie had come up with her. By three o’clock she had passed her hull down over the horizon. Late that afternoon, running before a strong westerly gale, Valkyrie overhauled a wallowing, side-wheel paddle-steamer of the Cunard line, bound for Liverpool. As Valkyrie ranged along side of the Cunarder, the crew of the clipper burst into a chorus of derisive yells, while Forbes held out the bight of a rope mockingly as though to invite them to accept a tow. “ Stew-pot!” “ Tea-kettle! ” “ Floatin’ junk shop!” These were among the choice epithets ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. hurled at the Cunarder. One blatant son of Paradise Alley, aboard the Valkyrie, promised to report the bloomin’ sauce-pan by Sunday week at Liverpool. To show his contempt as a sailor for such ungainly contraptions, Forbes im- mediately passed ahead of the wallowing liner, put his helm down, and brought his yards on the back stays. As the Valkyrie came up to the wind, she lay right over, until the amazed crew of the liner could almost see her keel, and momen- tarily expected her to capsize, or her masts to go overboard. But the MacKay crack bore this daring maneuver in most gallant manner, and though her rail was fathoms deep in the scud to leeward,’ she never strained a rope yarn. . Having crossed the steamer’s bows, Forbes rounded too close under her stern, then squared his yards and raced ahead again. To overtake or pass a steamer was enough for the highly tensed nerves of Val- kyrie’s crew. This sailing round a vessel was quite too much. “ That’s asking for it!” ‘It’s tempting Providence too far!” ‘The old man’s gone daft crazy!”’ The idea that the old man had grown demented was steadily increasing, while the strain of the awful driving began to tell upon the crew. Twice during the night they attempted to shorten sail, and on both occasions Forbes appeared with his derrin- ger in hand. Pugsley was obviously beside himself, but he dared not make a move on his own ac- count, since he feared the captain still more than the death that rode upon the gale. Richard Dunbar, in his reduced position, half crippled from the pain of his back, was nevertheless in his element. While the Valkyrie fairly leaped and quivered in the wind, Richard found his heart in tune with her every movement. If she had appeared to him wonderful before, now in the gale she seemed almost divine. Encountering his reduced first officer; on the poop, Captain Forbes noticed the gleam in his eye. For the first time since Dun- bar’s disgrace, he paused to exchange a pleasant word. COMIGD OOo! C©