Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 151: what you’re looking at

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

THE THRALDOM OF SINGAN overhead, a kind of roar from the engine room, accompanied by a squelching noise as the paddleblades thrashed heavily into thick, slimy mud— and then a shock that shook the boat from stem to stern and hurled the cap- tain, Eade and Madame Seala to the deck. A moment afterward Quental “ was shouting like a maniac. “My ship!” he cried. “Finish! One damn’ serang. Him I leave on the bridge; and now I am ruined—finish!” At that he lapsed into his own lan- guage, a string of exclamations and oaths that seemed to Eade to be all one inter- minable word. The little man seemed to have gone raving mad. He danced upon the deck. He slobbered at the mouth. And then, picking up the belaying pin which had fallen fron his hand, he rushed forward as _if he would again strike the unconscious Chinese. Indeed, it is possible he might have done so, had not the American inter- vened. “It is his fault! Quental gibbered, getting his words out with difficulty, rolling his eyes. “This damn’ Liu Tang. I tell you, yes!” * Then, upon a sudden, he remembered that his proper place was on the bridge, that there might yet be a chance of get- ting the boat clear of the mud into which all this time she had been ramming her nose like an old sow at a heap of garbage. Still shouting at the top of his voice, he hastened forward, leaving his two passen- gers alone with the senseless man. “And so the worst has happened,” said Eade, as calmly as he could. ‘Though it may not have been the captain’s fault, this, madame, is what we feared.” She stood motionless, biting her painted lips. “Some way must be found,” she said. “Perhaps Quental will be able to put mat- ters right. He knows I must get to Nolak.” Then she brought her right hand to her left shoulder, and Eade saw her wince. , | \HE SUDDEN crashing of branches 145 ~ “You have hurt yourself!’ he ex- claimed. “A bruise,” she answered. “When I fell, I think, I hit the end of the iron seat. But that is nothing,” she went on. “Tt doé¢s not matter.” At that moment, the worthy German appeared on deck, rolling in his gait. When he had gained the head of the ladder, the light from the lantern caught his spectacles and made them look like little headlights. “Did I not this bredict?’” he exclaimed. “Have I not said to dravel by night was a foolishness? And now we are till Kingdom Come here stucked in the mud, and my business goes to die hounds!” “Time enough to think about that later on,”’ said Eade. “Madame is hurt. She may even have broken her collar bone.” Gottheimer’s eyes revolved slowly in the direction of the little French lady. “Der gollar bone!” he exclaimed. “That is der glavicle. Let me see. I was one time medical student. We go to the saloon where there is better light.” But he had not got half way down the poop steps before he again swelled with indignation. In his own language, and under his breath, he went off, with the lady, abusing Quental in particular and the whole Portuguese nation in general. the unconscious Chinese. He could hear the captain shouting on the bridge, the engines roaring and straining, the paddle blades lashing and churning deep into the mud. Nothing much could be seen, yet Eade was conscious that the branches of trees overhung the deck, that rattans were tangled in the rigging; the atmosphere was foul with the stench of the mud brought to the surface of the water. Presently the Chinese moved, rolled his head slowly from one side to the other and then with some difficulty lifted him- self upon his elbows, staring at the American. Eade knelt down by his side. [ihe found himself left alone with comicloooks.com