Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

AMERICANS Hemmett. You are ready zow, I think, to do the wise thing? The wonderful Senior Jones will sti? guarantee that you and the women shall be delivered safely at the Isthmus! It is most génerous. It is more than I should do!” “ Because, if that bull-headed dementia still possesses you, the little game will end here and now, Hemmett,” Jones pursued. ‘Upon my word, you don’t seem very intelligent after all. Do you quite realize that the sea-cocks on E] Fuego are open and water coming into her hull at the rate of an inch every minute or so? Haven’t your eyes told you that my men are in the boats, ready to leave when the boats themselves come to the water level? Don’t you really believe that your ladies . are trussed to the rail over there, Hem- mett?”’ He sauntered nearer and looked at Mr. Hemmett interestedly. “ Now, you’ve got about ten minutes to decide,” he explained. ‘‘ Guanama doesn’t need you, Hemmett—you or Girton. Neither does the—er—railroad which I have the honor to represent. Tl still let you have your ladies, intact. T’ll take you to the yacht I mentioned, aboard this very boat, Hemmett. And please don’t glare! You're a. dreadful and desperate character, but all by my little self I still have you where the hair is very short. ““You can’t give a particle of assistance to the unfortunately sinking El Fuego, old ‘chap, because you can’t get there! Even if your whole somewhat shabby- looking crew here were to pile into the small boats, it would really avail nothing at all, because my own crew have orders to fire on everything and anything, my own tender excepted, that comes in sight. You take the general sense of the argu- ment, I’m sure! ‘“‘ Now, what I propose is this: you will come with me to El Fuego as hostage. We'll get the ladies, and we'll get my crew. Your own remarkable crowd here will put out for the shore. And then we'll turn around and steam back to AFTER ALL. 401 Puerto Carlo, and you’ll have a pleasant trip on a nice yacht, just as soon as I’ve had Mr. Girton sandbagged and brought aboard. ‘‘And you'll have the positive assur- ance that if you ever show your faces again in Guanama youll be shot on sight! Do I seem to exaggerate? It is a wrong impression, believe me. Sweeping changes are coming in Guanama—oh, so soon! Well?” These last few seconds Hemmett had been ‘straining his ears for sounds across the water. When they came, something inside informed him, there were certain things which he would do in a fraction of time less than measurable. But they had not come yet. ‘“‘ And the fact that we are American citizens, Jones—”’ he began. “ That’s old stuff—dreary old stuff these days!’”’ Jones said impatiently. “If you’re nasty, you'll be dead citizens, you know; and, dead or alive, you may be entirely sure that no credible word will ever come to your precious United States. | : ‘“‘ Tf you live and raise a rumpus, youll find officially that you were expelled from Guanama for arson or grand larceny or something of the sort. If you die— pouf! I control every means_of commu- nication out of Guanama! I control every newspaper in the country! I con—”’ Across the water a wild chorus of yells rose suddenly—and wilder than any of them was Edward Hemmett’s own yell aboard the Pavoroso. ‘“‘Here’s where one swelled head is smashed!” thundered Mr. Hemmett as he plunged at Mr. Jones. CHAPTER XVII. SEA-COCKS AND ACCIDENTS. LIPPING across the black water, Stephen Girton gazed. hard at the moon and drew a breath of relief. That cloud was growing thicker toward the CO DOOK AMUC C©