The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

LOOSING THE TEMPEST. man, well-appearing in his well-fitting uniform. When the greeting was over, I saw this officer step up to Delatouche, salute, and say something in a low voice. The captain turned to us. “The lieutenant wishes to borrow your friend for about ten minutes.” “ Borrow him?” I repeated. “He will not be harmed, I assure you. I second the lieutenant’s re- quest.”’ Ordway and I consented, and Ord- way whispered to me: “ It’s clothes, I'll bet a peanut.” We were easily occupied on deck for the short time they were gone. Dela- touche had sent an order below, and I heard him invite the officers to dinner. I knew nothing about the distinc- tions of rank on board a Frené¢h ship. In fact, I had never been on one be- fore. I would not be afraid to wager a large amount that, in the matter of curiosity, Donaldson acquitted himself quite as well as Ordway or myself. “Ha!” I heard the captain utter, and turned. Two men were coming toward us. One was the lieutenant of marines and the other—the handsomest man I had ever seen, and one of the best dressed. “Good Heavens!” stammered Ord- way. “Is that—can that be Crusoe?” It was, but what a different Crusoe. The lieutenant must have just expend- ed a fair portion of his pay in a new shore outfit, for certainly the clothes Crusoe had on had never been worn. His steady, almost stately tread, as he came toward us, might well be- copied as an example of matchless grace, the perfection of muscular power controlled by a coordinating will. No shambling wretch whose soli- tary life had lost to him the outward evidences of supreme manhood. No gibbering weakling whose first plunge into polite society made him a target for laughing criticism. A king among men, he stood surrounded by scholarly officers, all of whom met him as one gentleman meets another. In good time the group separated, 57 for, after all, there were duties to per- form, and, under the guidance of two young officers, the islander was taken over the cruiser. He examined every- thing and listened attentively to the explanations. Then we were called to dinner. The man who had never seen a piece of silver as big as a dime sat down to a dinner placed before him on a silver service. His eyes were filled with a peculiar fire. His face now was slight- ly flushed with the excitement he was striving not to show. Never have I seen such a face. On a woman it would have been called beautiful. But I am a practical, hard- headed man. I can’t call beautiful a face that has every evidence of strength and manhood, virile, and, I knew, if the spirit within was roused, brutal. I thanked our stars that Ordway and I had saved the knives and forks and spoons of the Northbird and taught him how to use them. 3 There were, as was to be expected, many table essentials he knew nothing about. But Ordway and I had lived so much in the wilds in various parts of the world that we knew as little as he did. It was a merry board. Time and time again some officer, the stern etiquette being lifted, would shoot a question at Donaldson concerning the life he had led. He answered always in his quiet way, with no attempt to make a hero of himself. To him all that had passed was natural, because he knew nothing else. Delatouche had placed me at Don- aldson’s side, probably thinking my presence so near would give him con- fidence. He turned to me suddenly. “I feel strange in these clothes. Do I act like other men? ” “You are superb.” “But that woolen stuff — those clothes next to my skin—they tickle.” “How do you know what a tickle is?” “Well, it felt funny, and I spoke to the one who gave them to me. He ConniclooolkksS .corn