Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

370 It was an astonishing statement, con- sidering that he had done no more than save the lives of two law-abiding citizens, that he was a lieutenant in Guanama’s navy, and that they were at this minute in a government tender—but he meant it. He even shuddered and glanced back at them with a face that was pale in the light of the tender’s lamps. Steve Girton rose abruptly and came to his elbow. ‘““Engoro,” said he, “ I’ve always liked you; you know that. We’ve tried to help you, too, and I’d like to help you out of this. But we’re going to have the truth from you, Luis—and while we’re on the job you can tell it to us aboard the Almiranta. I think that vessel will bear looking over about now!” “But sefior!” Engoro gasped. “ That, too, 1s impossible!” “Why is it impossible?” ‘“T will not lie, and I cannot explain,” the young man said doggedly. “Then Ill help you out of the predica- ment by leaving you no choice, kid,” said the retired secretary of war, and the muz- zle of his automatic was trained suddenly on Luis. ‘You make straight for the Almiranta, take us aboard, and show us around the ship—and if you feel inclined to do anything else, keep on heading for the shore, and we'll blow your thick young head from your shoulders, kick the carcass of a traitor overboard, and go aboard the Almiranta ourselves! What about it?” The face of Luis Engoro, turned to- ward him, was no less than stricken. The wheel wabbled in his hands; and then, because Luis was all Guanaman, after all, he shrugged his shoulders philosophica!ly and accepted the inevitable, quite as Girton had expected. The tender veered about and made straight for the bulk of the Almiranta, out near the mouth of the harbor. She was not all the visible part of Guanama’s navy, but she was the most interesting to-night. Whatever she might be, it was certain that three more like THE ARGOSY. her were anchored down the coast, os- tensibly by way of leaving more room in the harbor; actually, as the Americans suspected more and more strongly, to keep them away from interested eyes. There was something too, modern about the cut of the Almiranta to jibe with her alleged status as the cast-off of a foreign navy, and with the low price at which Guanama had bought her. Past the three destroyers they sped in utter silence, past the two battle-ships that had formed the nucleus of the new Guanaman navy, and on to the Almi- ranta. At her landing-stage they came to a halt; a pair of able seamen came down, and Girton and Hemmett, with Luis Engoro between them, hurried to the deck. The lieutenant had not a solitary word to say. Nor was much _ information from him necessary, once they were able to inspect the cruiser at close range. She was new! From her deck-plates to her fighting-masts she was utterly new. Her engines, when they came upon them, were of the latest and the fastest and the most powerful type. The strange trio, with Luis lagging, hurried on to her gun-rcoms. _ It had been announced and’ accepted as a matter of course that the Almiranta had been purchased practically without armament. That would come another year, with new appropriations. But when Girton and Hemmett had penetrated to the fighting section of the cruiser they grew breathless for a little. She was not unarmed; she was, indeed, overloaded with armament! Mighty batteries, some mounted, some ready to mount, were behind those closed and rusty ports; small quick-firers, shining through the thick, protective grease, were there without end—and below, very deftly arranged so that they could be put into action with a scant day’s notice, three torpedo-tubes, modern to the minute, were revealed. The Almiranta’s magazines were not filled; they were crammed! Shells of the comicloool C©