Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

Fish for the Gunner 61 “Better drop the anchor,” yard. But the heavy piece of pig-iron that usu- ally served the purpose of an anchor was not in the boat. “Funny!” puzzled Goat. always in the boat.” “Well, it’s not here now,” Graveyard re- plied. ‘And we’re scudding away from the rock fast. Let me get there at the oars.” “In this case Beauty precedes,” Goat grinned. “You might be able to lick four or five wildcats at a time; but when it comes to pullin’ an oar I got you ’way in the shade.” As an oarsman Goat had an enviable record. He was an ex-race-boat man. “You go ahead and hook the gunner’s fish,” he said as he began pulling leisurely. “Tl just hold ’er even with the pull of the said Grave- “That anchor’s current so we don’t drift any farther- away.” Several minutes later Graveyard spat forth an oath. Goat looked over his shoul- der, and then did likewise. The rock had been swallowed in fog! And in the few moments they sat there staring, the mass of. misty density swept down upon them and reduced their range of vision to a few yards. It came with a suddenness that robbed them of their breath. - “How in blazes are we gonna head?” cried Goat inalarm. “We don’t know how the island bears!”’ Graveyard was less susceptible to panic. “Only chance,” he answered, “is to head dead into the current, or as nearly so as we can, until the lighthouse gang starts up the | fog-horn.” Goat spat on his hands; then gripped the oars in earnest. ‘Watch me put this baby over the water. I'll show you my old race-boat stroke.” As he said that Goat lay back with all he had as if he expected to lift boat, men and all, clear out of the water with that stroke. Two things happened: There was a sharp _ crack; Goat went sprawling backward over the thwart. Trailing from the right oar- lock was an oar without a blade. “Hang it, Goat!” And that was all that was said between them for a long time. veloped in fog—with only one oar—a mile and a half from the rock, and drifting fast— such was their predicament. ‘There was no Completely en- _ power-boat on the rock! With bulging, ap- prehensive eyes they stared, and continued to stare at each other. ~ At length the distant honk of the island fog-whistle came to them. They knew by its faintness that it was at least two miles away. ‘They knew by the rapid rate at which it grew fainter and fainter that they were drifting fast, and would soon be out — of hearing range of it. “Think we could swim it, chief?” “What? Two miles? Against the drag of this current? We might, in about a_ month, Goat.” GRAVEYARD became aware that broken oar to him. “See it? Sawed half-way through and — filled in with putty!” “I know how to break an oar,” Goat went on doggedly, laying down the broken oar and picking up the good one; “and I know how not to break one.” He ran his eye along the good oar. ‘This one too! Look!” “Sure is a neat job,” commented Grave- yard after a close examination. Then for several minutes he sat back re- garding Goat with a quizzical expression. “Goat,” he said finally, ‘‘we’re ina of a fix. No anchor—oars doctored—a gallon jug of water. The worst of it is, after what Beans told me yesterday, I should have known it.” He paused; then added abruptly— “How much tobacco have you got?” “Pretty near a whole sack,” Goat an- swered. “‘Then we're not so bad off. But we'll have to go easy on the water. A gallon won’t last long.”’ “Can’t hear the fog-horn any more,” said Goat huskily. Away through the fog they drifted. So thick was it that they could feel it against their faces—wet, sticky and chilling. — They spoke scarcely a word. All that broke the death-like silence was an occa- sional lapping of water against the boat’s side. A bird with a broken wing could scarcely be in a more helpless plight. Goat was holding out the end of the Ais ett a. Pity d CARTY ge a | Ff: vei" ,)* 2 R Ae ri “ = Wry A ' para > , et ffs ya? aw cre) i be i's A ot BOY PNY he eataan After what seemed several hours Grave- __ yard looked at his watch. “About noon?” inquired Goat. “Ten o’clock,” informed Graveyard. “No kiddin’?”’ ~ ~ Eomick BOOK ss co Sie SM a NS sod CN ee ee FS =