Adventure, August 1917 — page 173: what you’re looking at

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

The Hunch her course abruptly and headed toward the wreck. 3 “This looks interestin’,” said O’Leary. ‘Looks like we’d get a little target practise after all.” But half an hour later, when the Panther was close to the half-sunken vessel, the word was passed to clear away the port life-boat. Wonderingly O’Leary and Flynn took their places in the boat. O’Leary was cox- swain, and Flynn a member of the crew. The officer of the deck came aft as the boat was being lowered and gave O’Leary his order. “The captain has decided to sink it,” he said, “but we want you to get aboard her and see if you can make out her name before we doit.” ‘““How’s that, Hop?” whispered O’Leary, as the boat shoved off. “Didn’t I tell The wreck had been a three-masted schooner and all the after part of her was under water, while the forecastle stuck up out of the sea at a considerable angle.. O’Leary worked the whaleboat to the lee side, asked Flynn to go with him, and jumped aboard. The two climbed up the sloping deck toward the vessel’s forecastle, searching for a name plate or other clew to her identity. There was no name painted on the outside of the bow and they found no brass name plates. The seas which had been pounding the wreck, had even swept the men’s bunks clear of clothing and bed- ding. “Tt can’t make her out,” said O’Leary. ‘“‘There’s not even clue enough left to start an old Cap Collier yarn. The only thing I can swear to is that she’s been a wreck for a good many months. Maybe some old piece of junk left to rot and washed out to sea by a gale. ‘“‘They’re wigwaggin’ from the ship already for us to bear a hand, and the boat’s crew is beefin’ about us takin’ so long, so we'll take a look into the little storeroom under the forecastle and then get out. The door is still fastened. There might be some ' old seaboots and gear that would give us a line on her. You break down the door, Hop, while I go and signal what we’re doin’.” Left to himself, Hop tried to shove in the storeroom door before he discovered 171 the key hanging by a piece of white line from the knob. At first glance in the dim light, the little storeroom appeared empty. To see better he stepped inside and stumbled over a small barrel, just as O’Leary came down from above and joined him. “What is it, kid?” called O’Leary. “‘Tryin’ to break your neck? What’ve you found inside there beside cockroaches?” “‘There’s some kegs or something in here,” said Flynn, “full of something as heavy as lead. I can’t make out the labels.” “‘They’re in a stew for us to get out of this,” said O’Leary. ‘“The wind’s comin’ up and the sea’s makin’ a little. This is a bad country we’re in, and the Old Man’s anxious to have this little thing over with. We'll roll one of these barrels out and see what’s in it if we can, and let ’em go on with their target practise.” Pushing and lifting, the two sailors hurried one of the barrels to the light. ‘Some derned foreign wreck,’ said O’Leary, trying to read the label stenciled on the head. “But whatever it is, it ain’t fit to eat or drink. Look there where she’s sifted out around the bung. Whatever it is, it’s been there so long it’s spoiled.” “You're crazy,” said Hop excitedly, “T was born and raised in a mill town. I can’t read the label either, but I know what that stuff is, it’s dye.” “Dead, I’d say, from the smell,” said O’Leary. “Cut out the kidding, Mike,” said Hop. ‘“‘We’ve got to get that stuff out of here. It’s worth money, big money. Since the war the mills can’t get any of it, and they’re paying any old price, sometimes as high as five thousand a barrel. Look at your hands, man, can’t you see they’re violet? And that’s the rarest kind.” — “By jinks, Hop, maybe this is the big chance. If we can just make the captain wait long enough to get her aboard.” “There they go wigwaggin’ again,” said O’Leary. ‘‘ ‘Come aboard at once!’ is what I make it. Call the whaleboat alongside and we'll take a small barrel of this stuff out to the captain and let him see it.” - : Together the two sailors rolled one of the small barrels down the sloping deck almost to where it disappeared into the water, and O’Leary motioned the boat to come along- side the derelict at that place. CoOMmiclsoo CO 5}