Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

THE ROARING HORN 89 more ’n likely breathed fire, too. I think it’s a doubt if he’ll stand it till night, hardly. Burned black as zip!” “Yes, sir, an’ old too, goin’ up for seventy years or the like o’ that. Death struck is what he is, I hope to tell you. I wouldn’t give a tinker’s dam for his life. Well, that’s one of ’em we'll get clear of, anyhow. There ain’t nothin’ we can do for him.” ‘Nothin’ is right,’ Bohannon agreed. “You and the stewart take him in one 0’ the spare cabins. Any one ’ll do. He won’t be occupyin’ it long!” When they had carried the dying man to a berth and left him there— “Now then,” said Bohannon, “‘let’s have a look at the gal!’’ They found her uninjured, so far as burns were concerned. Shock, exhaustion, thirst accounted for her prostration. Con- templatively they studied her, devoid of pity but with keen calculation. *She’s had one cold smack, all right,” grunted Leadspitter. ‘But she ain’t hurt none. She’ll soon come to rights, on an even keel. Whoever she is, devil take me, but she’s one good looker!” : “You take a reef or two and bear away!’ the captain meaningly warned. “Stow that kind o’ talk. Whatever this here ship is, you bet your jib halyards there won’t be no funny business. No monkey business like that, mind you! We're carryin’ a good full o’ trouble, right now, without no petticoat mixups. What I’d like to know is who the hell she is, where from and where bound. Likewise, if it comes to that, how much it’s worth to me, rescuin’ her at sea?” “Only way to bottom that out, I reckon, is to bring her to. A little stain o’ rum might fix her.” “Stewart,” bucket o’ water and a tot o’ rum “Yes, sir!” And Abey Buzzard fetched both. “Will I fix her up? I’m a married man, sir. I knows all about women.” “If you do, you old gumphead,” the » captain retorted, “you know more ’n any other man livin’. But heave ahead with Bohannon ordered, “a p>? her. You’re old enough so it’s safe, anyhow!” HEY watched while Abey Buzzard roughly swabbed her hands and face with water, then forced rum into her mouth, slopping more than half of it over her full rounded throat. Watched, while she stirred there on the lounge, groaned, opened dark eyes dazed with pain and wonder. “Yow re all right, miss,” the captain rumbled in a tone he meant to be ingra- tiating, soothing. “‘You’re gettin’ all fine and shipshape again. You’re safe aboard now—safe.”’ ’ The girl, shuddering, tried to struggle up; but Bohannon pushed her back again, with his huge and anchor tattooed paw. *‘No, no, miss, you lay down and keep quiet!’ he commanded. “You’ve had it tough and rugged. Been took a bit abaft, and keeled over. You're all spun out now. But you'll soon be A-1, slick ’s a mole. Lay still, now. That’s the best you can do.” “Father!” she exclaimed in a weak voice fining down to a whisper. ‘‘Where’s father?” “Right in that there cabin, miss.” And he jerked an unseemly thumb at the cabin door. “We got your dunnage, all righto.” He picked up the suitcase and set it on the table. “Here she is, see? Your father, he’s comf’table as could be expected. Now, go to sleep. Get a little kink and you'll be fine!” “I want to see my father!” “Well, you can’t see your father—not just yet!” the captain asserted with con- siderable vehemence. ‘‘We’re lookin’ out for your father!’ “Is he—dead?” “No, he ain’t. quiet!” For a moment, with large and fright- ened eyes, she peered up at Bohannon, Leadspitter and old Abey Buzzard. Dimly she perceived the cradling roll of the ship, heard the creak and give of timbers that constituted the old vessel’s answer to the sea. But, very clearly, she There now, you lay comnliclooolks.com