Adventure Magazine, Mid-September 1917 — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

84 efforts that only made the progress less sure, and men who had liked Ben Corbet began to figure what they would buy when his sea-chest was put up at auction. “He’s mastering him, sir!’ whooped the second mate. “Ves, I’m afraid Chivers is too strong for him. He’ll drown the pair of them.”’ “No, no! Corbet’s got him free! Gee! See that!” Corbet had got a knee up against the bo’sun’s chest, and in that position they both sank again. When they reappeared, Corbet was clear, floating on his back, with a hand sunk into the tangled hair of the bo’sun, whose face streamed blood. The dingey picked them up, and brought them on board. While the ship was put on her course again, Captain Raikes had res- cued and rescuer placed side by side on the skylight-settee, and administered first aid to the bo’sun. Corbet, after he had coughed the salt water out of his lungs, declined as- sistance with a grin, and went forward to change into dry clothes. | It was dark by the time Chivers was able to get into his own bunk, and the night- watches went by without reference to the occurrence. But early in the forenoon watch, immediately after he had taken his A.M. observation for longitude, Captain Raikes told the mate to muster all hands at the break of the poop, and to bring the bo’sun and Corbet up to him. When all were clustered at the foot of the poop ladders, and Corbet and the bo’sun stood beside the skipper, Captain Raikes held up his hand for silence and said: “Men, yesterday you saw Corbet per- form an act that only a mancould do. All the earlier part of the voyage there was trouble forward between the bo’sun and this brave lad. Now, whatever the trouble was about, yesterday’s deed wipes it out, and before you all I want these men to shake hands and put an end to trouble in the ship for all time. Come bo’sun, give Corbet your hand.” The bo’sun had fully recovered from his immersion, and his powerful frame was once more under full control. But his face, as he looked at Corbet, was ghastly with the ghastliness of a terror that went deeper than physical fear. The skipper and the mates saw it; all hands saw it; and their glances went swiftly to Corbet’s face to find the reason. Adventure There indeed was a different expression. The young seaman’s eyes blazed, while his lips smiled, and the muscles of his neck and chest worked and rippled under the skin in a way that indicated a tremendous effort at control. ‘““‘Come, Corbet,” urged Captain Raikes, staring astounded from onejto the other. ‘‘Why, what the devil is the matter, man!” Corbet stepped back a pace, and half turned so that he presented a side face to the officers without taking his eyes from the bo’sun. At the same time—later on it was recalled—he assumed a position in which he had Chivers between himself and the for- ward rail. ‘‘Gentlemen,” he said, and nodded to Captain Raikes and the mates as to equals rather than to his superior officers, ‘‘for the moment please hear me as man to man. In a few minutes you'll have to judge what you'll do with me. I’m a sailor merely for @ purpose, and after this voyage it won’t matter what happens to me.” Corbet fixed his eyes on the bo’sun’s face, and the sneer at his lips intensified at what he saw there. The captain, mates, and crew stared at the seaman at first, startled at the unusual temerity evinced in address- ing a skipper on his own poop. But there was that quality in Ben’s tones and words that compelled attention, and he was al- lowed to go on. “Fifteen years ago,” he said, “‘that man commanded the steamship Ulionia. He cast her away in a fog, and in his cabin was found a woman half frantic with terror and disgrace. That woman was my mother!” The skipper and mates gasped. The bo’sun’s face was livid; his lips parted, and the veins stood out on his neck like cords. ‘“‘This steamship captain was noted even then for the homes he had wrecked,” Cor- bet continued, evenly, ‘‘and my father’s home went to swell the total. He stole my mother from him while he was away on a long sailing-ship voyage: stole her by lying protestations of friendship for my father; persuaded her to break the monotony of her lonely life by taking a trip across the At- lantic in his fine ship. Only a friendly invitation, of course! Nothing wrong about it, for he was my father’s friend. “My mother went. Once, twice, then many times, leaving me. at home with a nurse after the first time. And she CoOmiclsOoks.conml