The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

602 had found in the master’s cabin, and he went to join Marjorie. It was not until she was tired out with the star- ing out to sea over the now blazing water that she heard Oakes call ex- citedly : “It’s land! It’s land!” “Where? What?” they called, running toward him, hand in hand like two children. . For answer he pointed steadily westward. “It’s hardly more than a shade,” he said, “but it is land of some sort. Look!” Her gaze followed his finger. It was only a blur of silver gray against the southwestern sky, and she could have cried from vexation, though she could not have said just what she had really expected to see. “What land is it, Jim?” “Heaven knows! It might be any- thing from Saghalien to the Paumo- tas. I don’t care what it is so long as it’s something that hasn’t got loose bulkheads in it and that doesn’t stand up on its bows and stick its stern up in the air like—like—like a hen in a dust-bin. Let’s get something to eat.” They got it—cocoa and biscuit that they found in the steward’s cabin, and, coming back on deck, found that they had raised the land so that it stood out an unmistakable island. The two men scanned the charts, but, being no sailors and not knowing their last observation, had no idea of their exact location. An isolated palm- tree looking for all the world like a disreputable, worn-out feather-duster, stood up against the sky, and behind that they could see a pile of rocks well covered with heavy verdure. - They could form no idea of the size of the island; they only knew that it was as welcome a sight to them as 1s a drink of water to a thirsty man. The problem was how to get ashore. The big hull, bows down in the wa- ter, they knew right well would never drift to the beach. As they drew closer they found that only a light surf was running and that the current was THE ARGOSY. carrying them toward a long point that jutted out scythelike from the middle of the island. It was covered with rocks and foli- age, and as they slowly drifted in they saw a thin line of white water extend- ing clear across what looked like a harbor mouth. MHastily Hemingway made a line fast to the steel life-raft and tied the other end to a ring-bolt, so that when launched the raft should not drift beyond reach. Then with some short pieces of line he tied the two rifles to the floor of the raft and routed out a box of am- munition from the bridge. These, with a few blankets taken from the cabins, all the provisions that they could find in the galley, and the small water-cask that belonged on the raft, were hastily but thoroughly lashed in place, and with Oakes’s assistance, he ‘ran the oar-rollers under the unwieldy craft, and by the aid of a couple of heavy hand-spikes, they managed to lever the raft half-way over the side, where it hung balanced so that they could shove it overside. Both men were stripped to their shirts, and the stinging sweat trickled unnoticed into their eyes. “That white water means a reef of sorts, and it’s ten to one she hits on it. If she,does, we’re Allon verloren’, as the Dutch say ‘ Gastodos ’—used up! Do not look so forlorn, Marjorie. We're a long way from being dead yet,” said Hemingway. “For Heaven’s sake, look there! ” He was hanging his coat on a belay- ing-pin as he spoke, and his mouth fairly opened with surprise as his fin- ger unconsciously pointed to the main companionway that led from _ the dining saloon. There in the door, not fifty feet away from them, stood the figure of a Chinaman. “T must have the D. 7.’s,” said Hemingway stolidly. “TI searched all these cabins—or thought I did— Here you! John Chinaman! You clome top-side quai-quai sabbee—” The boy, his face still bearing the COMicdoo S CO@