Adventure, November 1915 — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

160 ‘4 “What did he say?” I demanded. “Nein, nein: I say nodding to make for trouble. Dere vasnoneed. You vas a gen- tleman, dot is why I speak to you. I vas here to help der vaterland, und nod to in- jure women. If danger threatens der young lady, I would give mineself to guard her.” -. Impulsively I thrust out my hand. “And I, too!’ I cried. “We will stand together.” “Ja, together,” he echoed, his face alight. “But only to help der young lady,” he add- ed. ‘I will do nodding against der expedi- tion—dot vas for der vaierland.” Von Werner left, and I commenced to think of the eventuality he hinted at. Was Mary in danger? She had said she was not; she feared nothing. Dacy was guarding her, and Dacy was master. T hey were not pleasant thoughts for me. What right had Dacy to cherish her? She was my woman. She had said she cared. I choked upon my choler as I imagined Ral- der’s evil, leering face, and the ugly words I knew he must have spoken. I reviewed the situation as dispassionate- ly as I could, and only sickening fear was my reward. For what was Mary but a prisoner, and her captor a murderous cut- throat? What was I but a prisoner, my fate as uncertain as that of the woman I loved, and myself powerless to intervene in her behalf? Even though Dacy guarded her now, what would happen when the Wasp reached a destination, as she soon must? What was the mysterious bond be- tween the two? Dooin brought me my supper. “There is going to be hell popping soon,’ was his opening statement. “They are boozing up’ there.” I had already noticed that the two oilers on watch were skipping about their work with a briskness foreign to them. Their faces were flushed, and remembering Von Werner’s words and Dacy’s order to Turk, I knew they had had some liquor. Not much, but enough to make them slightly tipsy. *“‘Are they boozing up forward?” I asked. “‘Yep—and there will be something doing over it I think.” _ He told me that Farley had persuaded Turk to evade Dacy’s orders and serve ad- ditional rounds of rum to the men without Dacy’s knowledge. “Turk is ory-eyed now; I put him to bed are bound for. Adventure beneath the pantry sink. Just before I came. down here, Farley broached a fresh barrel of rum and smuggled a five-gallon tin full of it forward. There is slathers of rum on the ship, and Farley is handing it out to the gang.’ “But where is Dacy?” I asked. 3 “He’s so taken up with that skirt he isn’t paying attention to business. He’s been visiting with her all afternoon.” The words cut me like a knife, ‘but I passed them by. “Your friend, Henderson, is on the bridge,” continued Dooin. ‘He’s pretty well keyed up. Ralder is boozing, too. They all are except Farley. None of them drunk yet, but getting that way.” “But what is the object?” Iasked. “TFar- ley is no fool. Why is he evading Dacy’s commands?” — “That’s the point,” said Dooin. “He’s working some slick move. I don’t know what it is, but knowing him by reputation, I should say he has something up his sleeve that Dacy don’t know about. And say,” he continued excitedly, “I think I’ve found out where we’re going. I erawled into that air-pipe this afternoon and hunched ene till I was able to play “Peeping Tom” Farley. He and Ralder were holding a et Ss of consultation in Farley’s room. I couldn’t hear what it was about—the noise from your blamed engines was tod great—but I did get a few words and they seemed signi- ficant. Do you know of a place called Bodie Island?” “Bodie Island!” I exclaimed. ‘“Sure— everybody knows Bodie Island. It is a place on the North Carolina coast. There’s a lighthouse there.” “Well, I think Bodie Island is where we I heard Farley tell Ralder, ‘We will meet the Oriole at Bodie Island.’ I happen to know that Wilbur Oates has a yacht called the Oriole. Don’t that seem to clinch it?” “Bodie Island—they couldn’t choose a better place,” I said, “if they are going to meet some other ship and. transfer the gold. It is a desolate, forsaken strip of beach thereabouts.”’ “Tt is the place, all right,’ affirmed Dooin confidently. “Tf it is, we can’t be far away from it,” I told him. ‘Taking our speed and course since we left the Mauresubia, we can’t be ‘more than a few hours’ run from Bodie 0)(0)(0) (COMMUG S (CO)