Adventure Magazine, April 10, 1924 — page 149: what you’re looking at

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

Carstairs Plays a Hunch latitudes and, as Captain Merriweather had expressed it, was “cutting corners’ to save time. It seemed to Hugh the Old Man was taking unnecessary chances in keeping so far to westward and the Bahama Banks. But Carstairs was beyond ques- tioning the Old Man. There was big money in running hootch, and evidently the Old Man had some plan for getting his precious cases into New York. Carstairs spat disgustedly at the thought. The tail end of a hurricane came upon them, unexpectedly, one night. It served to shake Carstairs out of his mental leth- argy. It also served to put an edge on the tempers of the crew shipped in Port Plata. For two days the old ship battled through wind and seas, her miserable engines sob- bing at the strain of moving her. Belding, completely loathing the “pile of junk” under his care, drove his department savagely. On deck matters were even worse. The entire deck force was herded about by the frenzied skipper, who trusted the bridge to his mates while he, as Faney put it, “kept the wreck from busting up.” Thebo’s’n, a hard- boiled Hoboken product, almost wept from rage and exhaustion. “Every time the —— ship falls to pieces, he makes us stick her together again!” he yammered to Faney, when they met on deck the second day. “Never mind! She’ll just naturally bust up!” Faney replied hoarsely, his tongue wetting bis lips. “If we come through this sweet weather, we'll have some refresh- ments if we have to turn her upside down and shake them cases outa her!” They came through. The third morning broke thick, but the wind had gone down and the sea moderated. A lowering, leaden sky hung over the Balandra Head. About her was a terrific desolation of sullen waters. Carstairs, afraid to trust Faney long on the bridge, had stood seemingly endless watches. When the haggard skipper came to relieve him finally, Hugh staggered into the chart-room, fell upon the settee and slept. It seemed to him he had just gone to sleep, though it was really hours later, when he felt himself rudely shaken. He opened his eyes painfully. “Ship in distress, off the starb’rd bow, sir!’ The words reached Hugh’s dulled senses. He compelled his protesting body to move. A seaman stood by him. 147 “Ship in distress off the starb’rd bow!” the man repeated. Carstairs staggered to his feet and went to the bridge, where he found Captain Merriweather staring to starboard through glazed eyes. Off the bow lay a dismasted schooner. She sat deep in the water and rose sluggishly to the seas. There was no need for the jury-mast with its fluttering signal for help. She was only too evidently in urgent need. fees “TROUBLE, eh?” Hugh grunted ew) in the skipper’s ear. a“ Salvagel’? Merriweather’s voice was a_ hoarse whisper. His shoulders drooped; his entire body sagged downward from weariness. “We'll take off her crew and then take her in tow,” the skipper added in a croak. “You’re crazy!’ Hugh snapped. ‘The Balandra Head can barely get herself through the water as it is! You can take off her crew, but——” “You teachin?’ me my business, you young bantam?” Captain Merriweather suddenly bellowed. ‘‘We’ll tow her to Nassau. She’ll probably float that far.” “Runnin’ hooch ain’t enough for Captain ‘Get-Rich-Quick’ Merriweather! Salvage, now, by !”? Faney’s voice broke in. Carstairs glanced up impatiently into the mate’s face. ‘Then he turned resolutely back to the skipper. “Captain Merriweather, you'll lose your own ship, if you attempt any such mad- ness,” he protested. For a moment, the skipper’s eyes blazed, but suddenly the gleam in them died down. ‘You think she can’t make it?” he asked with amazing meekness. “YT know she can’t! The chief says her engine-room’s almost falling to pieces be- tween his hands.” “We'll signal them an’ take off her crew.” There was a note of weary resignation in Captain Merriweather’s voice. But the captain of the dismasted schooner was a hard-headed Swede, and across the waters, he signaled his determination to stick to his ship. “That lets you out!” Hugh exclaimed. “Your ship couldn’t tow a raft right now!” ‘An’ wot would you advise?” There was an oily politeness in Merri- weather’s tone. “Why, if they won’t abandon her, kiss em COnmmiclboooks (C@ S|