Adventure Magazine Cover — page 72: what you’re looking at

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

538 appeared over the edge of the companion. The sharp point of a bayonet extended into plain view. The muzzle of the rifle de- flected until it was directly aimed at Mike. He dropped the iron bar to the grating. He held up his hands. “That let’s me out!” he cried through chattering teeth. ‘Don’t shoot!” “Go forward,” Ivan ordered. ‘You and the American go forward and put coal on the fires. You, McMasters, attend to the en- gines. None of you three men will be al- lowed on deck. You will all be shot if you do not keep the ship moving at full speed. Those are the orders of the citizen captain.” Micky picked up an oilcan. He squirted a stream at the nearest crank. “Steam on the engine!” he said to Mike and Red. The two castaways went through the stoke-hold doorway. The shovels grated on the iron apron before the double fire-boxes. A biting Scotch oath rolled into the engine- _room. Micky eyed the steam-gage on the main steam pipe. It was climbing. He glanced upward. The ferocious Russian was standing guard with therifle. Ivan had disappeared. DAYS passed in unending drudg- Ge) FEN cxy Food was lowered down at the end of a line. The sentry was changed each watch. Ivan kept away from the companion, though his voice was heard in loud argument concerning the posi- tion of the freighter. Micky, stripped to his sweating waist and smarting from the blows he had received, grinned through the knuckle-thick bristle on his lips. He kept the engines oiled. He saw to it that the throttle-wheel was wide open. Once he relieved Mike at passing coal. The ship made progress of a kind. It was evi- dent that the citizen captain had headed for the center of the north Pacific. There was little danger of a lee shore. “And may he wander like the Flyin’ Dutchman!”’ "said Mike Monkey on“the six- - teenth day. “Ah hope he’s lost.”’ “No,” said Red Landyard, ‘‘he’s heading somewhere. ‘The course is always east. I can tell by the sun. He hasn’t changed a quarter point.”’ Micky McMasters glared at his two mates. ‘They resembled stokers of Hades. Their skin was blistered. The callouses on their hands had become small cushions. Adventure The fighting fire in their eyes alone remained to remind the little cockney skipper what manner of men they were and had been. “The plot,” said Micky, “‘is thick and ’ard to fathom. For why are they ’eadin’ to the States or Canada? No one wants them over there. They’ll run their bloody ’eads hinto a noose.” Mike Monkey cocked a grease-lined ear. He blinked. “Ye hear them chatterin’?” he asked. ‘“‘They’re sea lawyers! Ah hae hopes they start to massacre themselves.’ Micky rubbed the bristles on his chin. “We'll reach land in a day or two,” he said. “Then we’ll find out the answer for the boxes of tea and the voyage and the other questions.” “Tay!” exclaimed Mike. “Ye always said it was tay. This looks like a tay party. It—t The Scotch-Irish engineer’s statement was broken by the appearance of Ivan’s bulky form in the companion. ‘The Russian came down to the grating. The sentry pointed the rifle at the group. Mike dodged be- neath the forward bulkhead door and waited there with bent head. ““McMasters!”’ called Ivan. McMasters!”’ Micky folded his arms across his hairy breast and stared at the Russian. “What d’you want?” he asked. Ivan peered through the engine-room gloom. ‘We have decided,”’ he said heavily, “‘that you can join us as a brother. We have voted on it. We will make you rich. You can be one of us.” “Td rather be a dirty stoker than one of your breed!” replied Micky. “We are going to give you a chance. You can help us navigate to our port of call. The citizen captain is not sure of his exact position. Assist us to obtain a reading and we will honor you by admission to the Be- nevolent Order of Reds. We intend to raise one billion dollars in Canada and the United States. We shall give you a share in it.” LO with you and your billion!” Micky screamed, brandishing a broken fist. “Get hout of the gangway!” “Ye did right,’’ whispered Mike as Ivan climbed hurriedly through the engine-room companion and disappeared on deck. “Ye were not to be bribed by the scum o’ Russia. Wot’s the answer to the billion dollars?” “Come here, Gomicbooks (E(o)