Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

90 GEORGE ALLAN ENGLAND had not fully recovered her understand- ing. Life still swam before her, mistily obscured, as if dimming veils of haze. At last— “If you say he’s all right—” she fal- tered, and they saw her eyes were deeper blue than any sea; so blue, so deep, they verged almost on black. “Ain’t I said so, a’ready?”” demanded the captain. ‘Think I’m lyin’, eh, what? I’m truthful, miss; 7 am!” The girl tried to say a few words, but fell away to silence without making herself intelligible. Drawing in a deep breath, she sank to oblivions of exhaustion. “Leave her be, sir; beggin’ your par- don,” ventured old Abey. “I knows all about women. She’ll be fine arfter a bit o’ sleep.” “Look,” answered Bohannon. “Carry her in that spare cabin next her old man. Fix her up comf’table. Mr. Furlong, you bear a hand, too—that is, carryin’ her in.” Mate and steward bore her away, limp, helpless. The captain remained staring at the suitcase, fascinated by its luxurious leather, the gold stamped initials, the possibilities it might enclose. Presently Leadspitter emerged from the cabin whither they had carried the girl. Bohan- non silently beekoned him, gestured eloquently at the suitcase. Leadspitter nodded. Just then the captain saw Abey Buz- zard peering out at him with an odd, wondering look. “Will I bring her baggage in to her, too, sir?” the steward asked. “No! I’ve given you your orders, you old mope. Fix that woman up comf table in that there cabin, and look alive about it, or ’ll give you a bit o’ the rough side o’ my tongue! And remember one thing, stewart!” “Yes, sir?” ‘Nothin’ as happens here goes out 0’ here, savvy? No long tongues wanted aboard o’ this one. I’m the best tightener of loose mouths as ever trod a ratline! Get me?” “Yes—yes, sir!” Abey vanished. .. thither. Bohannon picked up the suitcase and nodded his head toward the door of his own room. Leadspitter followed him Once inside, with the catch on the door shot home, Bohannon laid the suitcase on his desk. “Now then, Mr. Furlong,” he bit out, “now then, let’s see what’s what.” CHAPTER V TREASURE AND DEATH = HAT’S what?’ echoed Lead- spitter. His thick fingers shook a little as he filled and lighted his pipe. This thing of investigating rich folks’ baggage had somewhat sapped his nerve. “It wouldn’t be just the proper ticket to open that there suitcase, d’you think?” “Why not, wouldn’t it?” “Well, sir, I ain’t superstitious, nor nothin’. But you know the old sayin’, as how a suitcase aboard ship allus brings bad luck. Best thing we—you—could do, seems like, would be to leave it lay.” “Well, I ain’t goin’ to, nohow!”’ Bohan- non decided. ‘“‘And what’s more, I’m askin’ you to heave up ’longside and bear a hand with me, doin’ it. I want you to see all’s done reg’lar and shipshape—no shenanigans.” Leadspitter thought: “Devil of a lot you care about reg’lar and shipshape. You’re only askin’ me to help because I’d know you done it, any- how, and you want to work me in on it to share up the trouble, if it comes to that!’ All he voiced, though, was: “You’re cap’n, here. Heave ahead, sir, if you think fit.” “Course I think fit!” Bohannon re- turned, his eyes narrowing. ‘Why wouldn’t I? Ain’t I got the legal right to know what’s bein’ brought aboard my ship? Supposin’ there was smuggled stuff into it? Or arms and ammynition? Might be a pistol, eh, what?” “Yes, that’s so,” the mate assented. “I never thought o’ that. An’ besides—” “Well, what?” comicloooks.com