Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 4 — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

560 hoisting their tender aboard. Mr. Crosby there, not knowing any vessel was berthed near the Nagaina, all but fouled their bow in the fog. How they got to lay to so near without our knowing it is past me. There wasn’t a bloomin’ sign of a vessel anchored anywhere around the Nagaina when the fog shut down. ‘First we knew of her, there was her dol- _ phin figurehead right on top of us. I yelled, and Mr. Crosby sheered off and just missed fouling her cable at that. It was hove up short, all ready for a quick getaway, as I know now. As we tumed I saw the lines of her rigging sharp and black for just a minute against her riding lights. And I saw and. heard them hoisting their tender_im over the port bulwark. Then the fog shut in thick, and I didn’t see any more, but if that wasn’t your kidnapers, call me a Dutchman and be done. “Of course, they have auxiliary power or they couldn’t go down-river without a tug, fog or no fog. But she’s a sailing-craft of some sort, painted black, with a red dol- phin for her figurehead and a funny kind of swell-out and curve back cut to. her stem that I never saw on any other boat. She’ll be easy enough to identify, once caught.” ‘“‘ How do you know this vessel you de- scribe isn’t still anchored where you saw her?” ‘I bloomin’ well know it! If she’s there she’s at the bottom, and we just now cruised by over her. Mr. Crosby, I make the Nagaina a half-point up from this course.” ‘“ Half-point it is, sir,” muttered his sec- end, and the wheel-spokes shifted a trifle under his hands. Vanaman realized that by instinct or knowledge almost uncanny to a landsman the captain was sure of his position on the fog-blanketed river as if the time had been high noon, with a clear sun shining. “ By the way,” continued Porter, “ who’s the party you’re clingin’ to with so much affection? One of the kidnapers’ gang?” Vanaman glanced at the dilapidated fig- ure which drooped dispirited and silent be- side him. ‘“T think possibly he is, though I’m not certain. Tell you all I know about it later, captain. This the Nagaina?” THE ARGOSY. A black, wall-like expanse had loomed abeve them, and a minute later Vanaman was ascending the ladder with an agility lent him by the keenest anxiety. Blair fol- lowed without protest, and Captain Porter was no soonmer on deck than he sent one of his men to route out the wireless-opera- tor and another for his chief engineer. Before the fog drifted in on her, the Nagaina had been expected to clear that night. The pilot was aboard, and the fires were still banked under her boilers. The engineer promised steam within the half- hour, and the pilot, though not without con- siderable protest, finally consented to do his best toward conning the Nagaina down- stream. ‘‘ Though if she rams her nose in a mud- bank don’t blame me,” he added gloomily. ‘I’m no X-ray artist to keep the channel in this weather.” “The bloomin’ weather wasn’t too thick for that other craft.” “No, and she’s very likely hung up on a bar this minute, waiting for your fool boat to ram in beside her.” “IT don’t ask anything better,” retorted Porter, and there was a certain grim and anticipatory pleasure in his tone. The Na- gaina’s master was rather like the stout old steamer he commanded: a fighter born. Till urgent messages had been radio- graphed to the Tremont harbor police and other stations both up and down river, neither the captain nor Vanaman cared to take time for explanation on the latter’s part. The bare facts of the abduction with what description they could give of the sus- ‘pected vessel, were sufficient to set the forces of law in motion. They also brought a police boat nosing through the fog in search of the Nagaina’s berth, though by the time it arrived there the berth was empty and the Nagaina cautiously feeling her way down-channel. By wireless, however, she remained in touch with the shore stations, and there was a bare chance that she might overhaul the black, dolphin-headed stranger even before the latter could be intercepted by the au- thorities. The hoarse hooting of her siren rang out belligerently. She snorted and puffed like a large, angry sea-beast, her EO DOO S (C(C)