Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

86 GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND altered our course just for an empty boat?” *‘No, sir. There’s somebody into her, all right. But no man, as we can see. It’s—fact is, sir, it?s a woman.” “A which?” 0 “A woman, sir. A female. Woman, woman. You know what I mean, sir. A she un!” : Chewing a curse, Bohannon swung out of his berth. ““A—woman? But, hell’s hinges! We don*t want no woman aboard o’ this one, no more ’n we want the itch!” “Not so much, sir,’’ Leadspitter agreed, “but there tis, sir, an’ can’t be no tizzer! An’ I know lots about itchin’, too.” “TIl damn’ soon see about this!” the captain affirmed, with a brimstone volley. And up on deck he mounted forthwith to see about it, indeed. HE CHINA GIRL was by this time within half a mile of the boat; _and even to the naked eye the fact was growing apparent that the boat car- ried a woman. Leadspitter’s binoculars discovered another form there, probably a man, lying inert and motionless in the stern sheets under the pitiless cooking of the sun. a The woman sat beside him, making now no signals; for rescue was at hand. With keen and growing tensions of inter- est—for the most part heavy with fore- bodings of evil fortune that impended— officers and crew watched while their ship bore down on the boat. Bohannon’s brow, above all, was clouded with dis- pleasure at this embroilment. What effect might it now have upon his plans, his cherished and delightful plans, which just a few minutes before he had been so savoring on the tongue of anticipation? But there the boat lay, drifting; and whatever impended, pick her up the captain must. His face was a chart of grim ugliness as, when the ship had ranged within a quarter mile, he ordered— “Back the main tops’!!”” The main yard was thrown aback and the ship brought close to the wind. Slowly losing way, she lay in irons, com- pletely stopped. “Get the port dingey over!” com- manded Bohannon. The watch jumped to the boat—little urging they needed now—cast the lash- ings adrift, hove up the davit falls and swung the boat out. When the dingey was lowered, Leadspitter took a crew of four of his best seamen, carefully over- looking Tyson, and gave way handsomely. Like something of a nabob the mate sat in the stern sheets; almost an atmosphere of heroism enveloped him, of rescue for the distressed, knight errantry for the afflicted. Leadspitter looked quite puffed up and proud, in his role, as the dingey foamed buoyantly over the chrome green swells splashed with gorgeous sun- light. In a few minutes he was alongside the drifting boat, had made her painter fast and was returning with her in tow. The very copper of excitement lay on the tongues of the watchers, aboard, as Lead- spitter drew up amidships on the star- board side, where the Jacob’s ladder had been put down. A strikingly different type of boat the castaway was, from a mere ship’s dingey. Handsomely metaled and varnished and built of fine hard- woods, she showed the emblem of a yacht club on her bow. A small pennant with the initial ““V” also depended from a staff. “Bloomin” yacht’s boat!” commented the Cockney. “Millionaire stuff, an’ that, perish my pinkies if it eyn’t!”’ “Chee, if dem’s millionaires into it,’’ the gunman judged, “dey’re damn’ hard lookin’ millionaires! De skoit—she’s all in, down an’ out. An’ de old feller, if he ain’t kicked off, he’s jeezly near it!’ “Poor gal!’ the cook murmured. “Pretty nigh wopped out. A wonnerful perishin’ she’ve had!” “What you s’pose they got in that there suitcase?’ asked Antoon, the taxi driver. “Bunch o’ kale, eh?” “Stow it!’ .growled Tyson. damned jackal!” “Vou comicloooks.com