Adventure, January 20, 1922 — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

60 He had no fear on Nell’s behalf. She had proved on many a stout man’s carcass her ability to take good care of herself if given but an equal chance, and more she never asked. And, though she insisted that she be given the status and treatment of a man only, Nell was nevertheless a true woman, and knew right well how to bring into action all the wiles of every woman since Eve, the first buccaneer. His own desire had been simply to get his unruly crew on edge against the time of real action. The voyage had been long and wearisome, with never a fight or chase to liven it since those hazardous days on the San Roque reefs when he had refused to fight but had endured chase and bombard- ment like a craven merchantman. A little engagement with a Don trader, if luck brought such in sight, would set his men on their toes, blood ’em, and arouse their long repressed savagery. That quali- ty would soon be needed if they were ever to see the shores of the lake. The orgy lasted through the night and well into the heat of the next day; then the decks of the Cadiz presented the appearance of pig-pens full of comatose, clothed hogs. Carr regarded the scene heavily; his own share in the drinking had served only to intensify his gloomy outlook. As the sun rose higher, sending down withering waves of heat upon the sprawling men, he shook his head dolefully. “A pretty mess there’d be an another sail hove in sight! a head apiece and a drouth, oh!” Davies had come up from below with his cross-staff, and heard Steve’s wail. He laughed quietly, bringing the mate around with a startled jerk. “Ever croakin’, Steve! What a man it is for dumps! The lads’ll be so sick when they wake they’ll be like sheep; but an I show ‘em how we may fall in wi’ one o’ the Pana- ma shts afore mornin’ they’ll simmer through the night like wolves, won’t they?” “Panama ship?” grumbled Steve. ‘“D’ye hope to find one?” “Why not? *I'was my idea in carrying on. ‘Tis about the time tHe galleons sail west across the Pacific, and as we steer now we should cross their track. Cheer up, man! The fumes o’ the liquor are givin’ ye visions.” “Twas yer own festered brain as made th’ merry jest, Ed,’ retorted Steve, em- When they wake wi’ ' Adveuture boldened by his sufferings, which were acute. It had not been his luck to be able to curl up like one of the men and sleep off his potations. Davies clapped him on the back and all but upset him. “Go below, lad. a draft o’ sack out o’ my cabin and turn in. I'll keep the deck till Goliath turns out.” Steve vanished, and Davies watched the sun come to meridian. He struck the bell himself, but there was no sign of the watch relieving. Goliath appeared, rubbing his swollen eyes, grinning like a cheerful gorilla at his own heaviness of head. The helmsman slept, careless of reproof. But the ship steered herself as well as he had done while awake, and Goliath took him from the wheel, still sleeping, and put him to bed in a coil of rope; then he lashed the helm. So the ship swam on, driving along on her proper course for the rendezvous, her turbulent spirits calmed in drunken un- consciousness, a prey to any marauder that might happen by, yet with a captain who whistled gaily through his teeth and smiled as he regarded his ship of living dead. And into the seething caldron of many hates, already bubbling to a boil, another element was even*then sailing. Mid-afternoon came with increased heat of sun and yet no slackening of the kindly breeze that was giving Davies so welcome a push in the direction he wanted to go, while his men snored on in the last stages of stupefaction. He wanted them to broil and stew under that cruel sun during the day, so that they might be the more miser- able and the more susceptible to govern- ment on awakening in the cool of evening. Already the ship had crossed the southern- most limit of the track used by the silver galleons, and of her own voyage she lacked but a scant two hundred leagues to the Bay of Salinas, the rendezvous. ¢ IT WAS toward evening when the ee galleon was sighted, dead ahead, and yawing wildly as if no human hand guided her. She appeared with startling.abruptness out of what had seemed ,to be a speckless sea; even Goliath’s keen eye had been deceived by the glittering sheen of the long sunbeams. But at last the negro saw her, and his lusty roar awoke the crew to agonizing life and brought Go OOO) AMUG S "Tis nigh noon. Get ye (C@