10 Short Novels Magazine — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

further away than need’ be. And off to the _ east lay scattering islands. Just where he was Nelson didn’t know. She had driven northeasterly, for the most part. She’d be forty to sixty miles off the coast, and a hundred or more from Jacksonville, the nearest harbor. By three-thirty she was under way again. - And Winlay reported, with an exultant tone: “We're holding the water, captain; gaining on it a little!” - Nelson nodded. Then, for the first time -in many an hour he relaxed, and remem- bered that he was thirsty, hungry, tired; that his lips were cracked from licking off salt spray, his body worn with the strain. And then he realized that he had no time to be hungry, tired. He had forgot- ten, for the moment, that Case was behind him, watching. All through the storm Gase’s straining eyes had been on him. Never had Nelson gotten out of easy pistol shot. Never had Case come within reach of Nelson’s hands. Never had Nel- son had a chance to question old Winlay. A wan moon, breaking through the darkness to ride high among scattering clouds announced that the storm was past. For fourteen hours Nelson had kept command; soon enough now it would be snatched from him again—just as soon as Case felt all danger was over he’d have Nelson a prisoner again. This time, he’d undoubtedly have Nelson ironed, since he had gotten loose before. Nelson must have weapons, or give up the vessel. There was but one way to get weapons; he must elude Case long enough to search the ship. That didn’t seem impossible. Nelson looked over his shoulder at Summers. “Take over, mister,” he said, matter-of-factly. Then he strode forward, down the poop ’way, into the waist, up to the after engine room ’way; the engine ~ room was in the ’tween decks, amidships. There was no need to look behind to see if Case was following; he would be. ELSON stuck his head down the engine room hatch, and roared: _ “What the hell’s the matter down here?” The engineer, a half-naked Mobile Negro, | sweating in streams, started, paused with his scoop poised. He knew, as well as Nelson did, that nothing whatever was wrong there. In that instant Nelson shot - down the ’way, past the engineer, and ser "Trigger Typhoon * * * 49 out into the dark of the ’tween decks. It was done so quickly that Case, duped into believing Nelson had gone to the engine room to put something to rights, had no time to stop him or to shoot. For a moment Nelson lay silent in the darkness, waiting to see if Case would be foolish enough to follow. He wasn’t. Nelson arose, groping his way forward to the crew’s quarters. With swift hands he went through bunks and baggage, by the feeble light of an almost oilless lamp. Knifes, brass knuckles, a blackjack, a belaying pin—then, at last, a revolver. Cheap, nickel-plated, but a gun. And loaded. He swept up the rest of the truck, opened a port, and threw it out. Then, groping blindly, blundering against stanchions, he went aft, and into the cabin, ready now to be set upon at any instant. When Case next met Nelson, he would be gunning for him. In Case’s room he found an automatic, mate to the one Case carried. Neither in Summers’ bunk nor in Winlay’s was there anything. Armed, Nelson stood in the salon, un- der the swaying lamp. One man against thirteen. If only he dared follow his hunch, and trust Winlay. But already there were two men with guns against him; he dared not thrust a loaded re- volver into a third hand. Then he laughed. He opened the re- volver, snapped the cartridges out into the palm of his hand. Taking each in turn, he pulled out the bullet with his teeth, spilled out the powder, replaced the bullet, and stuffed the cartridges into the gun. That loaded the weapon so he could trust anybody with it, yet no one examining it ever would discover it was harmless. And soon enough Winlay would have chances to use the gun on Nelson. If he didn’t try to, he could be trusted. And now Nelson must get cautiously to Winlay, to speak with him. He made his way back to the engine room, past the glowering Negro, and up the ’way until he could peer forth. Moonlight showed him the length of the vessel. Neither Case nor Summers was in sight. Winlay was a few yards away. “Winlay,” Nelson called, softly. Win- lay came. In quick words Nelson told him: “Win- lay, this hooker is due to be scuttled. Be- cause I know too much, and refused the job, I’m due to go down with her. Pve