Adventure, August 1917 — page 95: what you’re looking at

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

‘Contraband Matrimony ‘“‘That’s a new one on me. I’ve been told a good many things, you know, but never— I say, I believe you are spoofing me. I do, really, old top. Quite good, too, by Gad. Quite good! Haw, haw, haw!”’ He called upon Jock and Evan to join him | “A great jokester, the old boy is, what? Ha, ha, ha. Never would have believed it of him. D’ye see the point? Inellect. Rummy good stuff!” Evan saw the veins swelling on Mc- Conaughy’s forehead, sensed the need of relief and leaped into the breach. ‘“‘T’e aft machine gun ’as tropped a polt,” he remarked. ‘Caan ye help me to fix it? We hafe peen waitin’ for ye this ’our past.” “Right you are, Taffy,’ assented the Hon. Herbert. “Be with you in a jiffy. i say,”—he turned again to McConaughy— ‘“where are we, Skipper?” McConaughy choked a moment. “YT? the Norrth Sea,” he announced thickly, after an effort. “The North Sea? That’s definite, what? Well, I'll take a squint at the chart by-an’- by. Come along, Taffy.” As he left the bridge, McConaughy looked at Jock, and Jock looked at McConaughy. ~ “Puir Evan,” said Jock. ‘‘Poorr Tibbotts, ye might bettherr say,” rejoined McConaughy with asperity. ‘But there’s no sympathy in ma hearrt for him this day.” ““Skipper,”’ said Jock seriously, ‘‘dinna ye see the unmistak’able. worrkin’s 0’ Prrovidence 1’ the shapin’ o’ the laddie’s doom? He’s gey ripe to sufferr misforrtune an’ miserry. ‘“Weell,” said McConaughy dryly, ‘ might as well call it Providence as aught else, Jock. But I'll say this, wi’out any © intention o’ irreverrence—if ’twere not Prrovidence lookin’ out for the loon, I’d be sorre tempted to interrvene maself.” At which cryptic remark, Jock again found cause for laughter. (aS thirty miles into German waters. i A number of small islands, little more than sand-spits, dot the adjoining coasts of Jutland and Schleswig-Holstein. McConaughy found a good berth between two of these islets, well within the Danish _ sphere of influence and out of sight from the open sea, anchored the Mona, and then FROM Skallingen it is only some 93 set out in a small motor-dory to explore the neighboring archipelago. Twice they met Danish fishermen in front of huts on shallow beaches, and one of these men, who spoke a little English, assured them that the German submarines had never come here—a fact McConaughy was already convinced of by reason of the shallow water. Indeed, the fishermen said they had never seen a warship of any kind in the vicinity. Often they heard the echoes of firing to the southwest, far out in the North Sea, but otherwise the war meant nothing to them. They were as remote from it, as if they lived on the oppo- site side of the Atlantic. By dusk, McConaughy was back on board the S aucy Mona, and summoned a council of war. It was arranged that they should start before midnight, make a quick run down to a point off the Island of Rém, and then land a party in the dory to spy out the shore defenses and pick up what information they could. ‘We'll mount a machine gun i’ the dorry’s bow,” said McConaughy to the Hon. Herbert. “That will be your job, and ’twill keep ye busy the rest o’ the evenin’—thank the Lorrd,” he added under his breath. But Evan accosted his skipper not long afterward, with a fiery face and ruddy eye. ‘““W’aat to ye mean, gifin’ t’at itiot-fool t’e right to wreck a goot machine?” he de- manded. “To ye t’ink t’e machine-gun would pe any use whateffer if I let ’im tis- mantle it? For efery polt an’ screw he ’as touchet I hafe ’at to put on four to make goot t’e tamage. Caall him off.” “T ken well your trrouble, Evan,” said McConaughy soothingly, “an’ I wouldna ha’ ye let the young man wrreck the gun. But I must give him something to do against the night’s worrk, Bearr wi him, ’T will not be for long.”’ Evan retired muttering Welsh Stole ties. Midnight saw the Mona racing south, with a bone in her teeth, and every light hooded. Her crew stood in groups about the decks, each man equipped with a rifle, an automatic pistol and an electric flash- light. The Danish Island of Fano slipped by to port, and they veered farther out to sea, At a point off Sénderho, the southern- most Danish town, where the water shoals rapidly, they altered the course again. CoOMmiclsoo CO 5}