Adventure, August 1917 — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

Q2 of Blaavands Huk shot its lacey beam athwart their path. : “It doesna look bad to see a lighted coast again,’ McConaughy said to Jock. “Ay, it gie’s a body a sonsy warrm feelin’ i’ the hearrt o’ him,” Jock agreed. “I hae mair use for the Danes than e’er before.”’ The Mona stormed in close enough to get a brief look at Skallingen roadstead. A few fishing-craft and a brace of rusty little coasting steamers were the only occupants. ‘No submarrines there,’ commented McConaughy, as they ran out to sea A ° ° % once more, ignoring with true German’ naval insolence the questioning signals flown from the coast-guard station on the nearest headland. “‘Aweel,” said Jock, ‘an’ what’s tae be done noo?” “We'll ha’ a bit look at some o’ they sma’ islands to the south o’ us. “Twill tak’ the balance o’ the day, an’ at night ss He winked solemnly at Jock, and for some reason Jock found this amazingly funny. “We wull hae seen nothin’ o’ the laddie syne ye gied him his cabin orrderrs,”’ he suggested suddenly. ‘‘Wad ye not——” “Ay,” assented McConaughy, “bring him out. He should ha’ his sea legs by now.” Hugely pleased, Jock descended upon this errand, and McConaughy sent a quartermaster in search of Apgar. Evan appeared buttoning his jacket!and endeav- oring to conceal the grease on his fingers. “Hecht, Evan man, I ha’ scarrce seen ye since we came on boarrd,” remarked his skipper. ‘I mind ye told me, too, there was no grease i’ the engine-room below. Where ha’ ye been?”’ ‘“‘T’e engineer pelow is an haartificer after me own heaart,”’ responded Evan shame- facedly. ‘‘We hafe peen consultin’ o’ t’e mysteries o’ t’e profession.” He burst into fiery enthusiasm: ‘“‘Maan Skipperr, I hafe nefer seen such power as t’ose wee peauties o’ his caan defise. Wi’ nefer a rumple an’ no more noise t’an a sewin’-machine t’ey trive us tirrty knots. ’Tis marfelous. I hafe peen learrnin’ t’eir ways.” ‘Well, there will be no harrm done, but from now, Evan, d’ye see, I must ha’ ye at ma orrdherrs. So ye’ll forrego the engine- room an’ stand by me here.” “Ay,” said Evan willingly enough. “An’ to we fight, t’en?”’ Adventure “T canna tell. Just bide your time, an’ yell ken as much as maself.”’ Jock ascended the bridge-ladder with a puzzled look on his face. He jerked one thumb over his shoulder. “He wull be——” But before the words were out of his mouth the Hon. Herbert stepped after him. He was a vastly different figure from the wobegone youth who had collapsed in the scuppers. Clad in uniform, clean-shaven, immaculate, he sauntered up to McCon- aughy with his old, off-hand manner. “Ha, Captain McHoneybee—got the name right that time, old top, what?r— this is better than the last time we met. I was feelin’ rather off the other day, not a bit fit, you know. Afraid I may have ragged you some, what? But don’t let it worry you. I’m that way sometimes, when my temper’s up. Never mean a thing I say. Mal de mer and all that sort of thing, you know. Well, how is the old ark goin’? Did the governor do you right?” “By the powerr o’ the Presbyterry,” swore McConaughy with unaccustomed vehemence. Then his face wrinkled in the suspicion of a smile. “Tak’ no more thought o’ it, Mistherr Tibbotts,” he said smoothly. ‘“’Tis a mattherr o’ no imporrtance. I trrust ye slept well the past day?” Jock and Evan gaped. But the Hon. Herbert merely smiled with easy, con- descending good-nature. ‘Thanks, old chap,” he replied. “Yes, I had a deuced good nap last night, though the goin’ was rather poor yesterday. You seem to have picked out an easier track for the day’s run, what?’’—He laughed in a high-pitched tenor—“I say, rather good that, eh? Rather good, if I do say it myself.” And horror of horrors, he slapped Mc- Conaughy on the back. Jock and Evan gasped openly, expecting to see the rash youth hurled into the sea. But McCon- aughy only smiled again, a trifle con- strainedly this time, it is true. _ “Ye ha’ a grrand conception o’ humorr, young man,” he said. ‘I canna mind I e’er hearrd a man crack so mony jokes as ye do in a day’s time. Ye must ha’ a noble intellect.” The Hon. Herbert looked puzzled. “Intellect? Intellect?” he repeated. CoOMmiclsoo C© S|