Adventure, November 1915 — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

The Gold Lust with too many risks for a woman. But— we can’t afford to turn back now.” “Would you rather I hadn’t come?”’ she pleaded.. “Much,” said Addams, while Winton scowled. Then he relented. ‘“We’re a band of desperadoes, Peggy, ” he said, “‘out- pirating pirates. You're to consider your- self entirely as a passenger. How did you come aboard? I suppose Selim had a hand init” -“Don’t blame him,” said Peggy, “He’s my servant. Don’t punish him for obeying me.” She left the passage and sat down by the table. “Come and have breakfast,” she coaxed. “T helped to fix it.” “What will the Belmonts think of it?” asked her brother. | “They'll be searching the island for you.” “T explained it all to Madeline,” she an- swered, regaining confidence at the assur- ance the schooner was not to be turned back nor she to be set ashore. “She understands. She told me to tell you, Jim, she wished she could come along. I took a taxicab and came aboard while you were telephoning me, Archer, I guess,” she added. ‘You didn’t suppose I was going to let you leave without saying good-by, did you? Or that I could wait ashore and worry myself gray-headed, wondering what had happened to you?” Addams sat down, and Winton, half ap- peased, took place beside him. A moan sounded from forward. “She’s terribly ill,” said Peggy. “Selim told me you had brought her aboard. What are you going to do with her, Archer?” “That isn’t the problem that’s worrying me,” he said. “It’s what we’re going to do with you.” CHAPTER XX THE RACE TO KAPUKALIPELIPE T SUNSET the two snow-crowned domes of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the big island of Hawaii were well abeam to leeward, lifting above the cliffs of the Kona coast. Addams altered the course to south-by-east somewhat reluctantly, but the wind was still. forward of the beam, the Wavecrest reaching into the breeze, and in his judgment steadily outfooting the Lei Lehua. | “We should clear Kauna Point on this 93 tack, that’s the southwestern cape of Ha- wali,’ he explained to Winton and Peggy, “by midnight, and clear the big island be- fore morning. If the wind keeps steady from this quarter, as it promises to, it will be abeam when we change to a southeast course on a long leg for the island. At that we can hold up better than the other schooner. They got away with the wind behind them, but they must have run into a baffle-patch of shifts, and I’m sure we're catching them.” The kona gale showed no symptoms of blowing itself out; the sea remained a welter of waves that matched the gray sky. All suggestion of the tropics had vanished save the temperature, but all aboard the Wave- crest were content in the speed they were making, with one exception. This was Henley’s sister. Towards eve- ning Peggy asked Addams to visit her and see if he could devise some means of relief. “Her face is absolutely green,” she said. “She can’t speak, she can’t even moan any more. I am afraid she’s going to die.” “Good riddance,” muttered Jim more than half in earnest. “She’s a feminine Jonah. Don’t see why you brought her aboard, Archer.” “Easiest way to keep tab on her,’ Ad- dams answered, following Peggy to the stateroom where the woman lay helpless. She still wore the nurse’s costume, now crumpled and soiled, in which she had guarded Peggy in the vault. She had re- fused Peggy’s ministrations and offers of clothing and glared at her and Addams as they entered, with the venom of a trapped wildcat. Addams prescribed and mixed a dose of bromide, but resistlessly weak as she was, her locked lips and teeth refused pas- sage to the draft, while her eyes shot sparks of concentrated hate. Finally they left her, the medicine beside her. “She won’t eat, or can’t,” said Peggy. “Ts there nothing we can do for her?” Addams shrugged his shoulders. He had little sympathy for the woman or, though he admired the trait, Peggy’s spirit of for- giveness. “She'll pull through,” he said. “A good siege of seasickness may help her general disposition. Though I doubt it,’”’ he added under his breath. Ah Sing’s hatchetmen, as Winton per- sisted in styling them, hourly proved them- selves to be treasures, With Ah Sing, who COMMICLOO© (C CS (Ec) Pi - ww = a = 4 3 Ee = <p 4 a as a se ca a = # = =a 4 ye Fa rs r 4 te ; \ be 4 ‘ * EU TE Fee LUN SP eto Ge A, te Pee * i > ew Cereal Xi (tee Ue by - . eee pe iis ft) hy ' Ley ANSP eae fk) ere Gas eam Beet oe he ee Dey toe % | PS ee ee ae Pye LSE ELLE OOP? Fay CUNT AN Dn Ma ee fe Ve A pri ral 1 Pow An , POR ENE Tie tae eee