Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

18 Adventure good seamen had already gone to the golden land; they were a bad mixture of city boys, Liverpool packet rats, and farmers, with not four good men in the lot. As Hampton labored to get the last of the provisions stowed, he was dimly aware of cheers and speeches and songs from the wharf above, heard the familiar chorus of “Susannah” ringing out to improvised words, and came scrambling up to the deck to find the ship standing out, the canvas shaking out, and all hands aloft except his own gang at the hatches. Now the last of the cheers from poop and wharf gave place to the hoisting chanty that Job Warlock started, and on which the packet rats and others fell in with a will: “Oh, fare you well, I wish you well, Good-by, fare you well! Good-by, fare you well! l‘are you well, my pretty young gal, Hurray, my boys, we’re outward bound! “Our anchor’s weighed and our sails are set Good-by, fare you well! Good-by, fare you well! The girls are leaving, we leave with regret, Hurray, my boys, we're outward bound!” Hampton saw nothing of the Barneses, for he had to jump from the hatches to his sta- tion at the mainmast, relieving the chief mate of this job and giving his attention to the canvas. The afternoon was dark, with snow in the air and gray scud in the sky. All the Beverly Panama Gold Com- pany were crowded aft, still waving last farewells to the despair of the second officer, who tried in vain to make himself heard at his station above the din. At length Hampton started the haul-away, and all hands joined in roaring out the words as the yards were braced home: “Once I had an Irish gal, and she was fat and lazy, Away, haul away, Oh haul away together! But now I got a nigger one, she nearly drives me crazy, Away, haul away, Oh haul away jol” No sooner was everything belayed than the captain, a peppery old Beverly salt, emerged from the cheering, waving crowd of gold-seekers and came forward, driving all hands with him. ‘All hands, all hands!” pierced his sten- torian voice. ‘Pick watches, mister—hey there, mister! Wake up for’ard! Weather coming along fast, mister!’’ The mate hastily abandoned the fore- castle to Hampton and joined the skipper and the men. Caustic comments on the appearance of the hands were exchanged as the watches were picked, then the cap- tain sent his starboard watch to get the gold company and their baggage stowed, and left the deck to the mate. Hampton had a glimpse of Nelly Barnes, standing with the other three women passengers, before they went below, as soon as the bar was crossed and the roll called. Within half an hour only six of the com- pany remained on deck, and these lined the rail together with most of the crew, for the Hannah was pitching and rolling in a choppy head sea and the wind was shrieking out of the northwest. By the time the pilot was dropped and Baker’s Island left behind, snow was in the air and the wind was howling and shifting. All hands were called, sail was taken in to lower topsails and fore staysail, and when the wind settled in the north the reefed foresai] was set and she began to scud madly in the gale. The only one of all the gold company who remained on deck was James Day, and he did not approach Hampton. During the next two days, in fact, Hamp- ton saw very little of the passengers, for the gale drove down unceasing and the few sea- men aboard had their hands full. Job War- lock had gone into the starboard watch and the two friends had scant opportunity to glimpse each other. It was a wild time, huge seas battering the old brig, and the officers attempting nothing beyond getting some scotchmen rigged to keep the rigging from chafing. Then, on the third day out, when the blow had moderated to a brisk gale and things were a bit settled down, came that which Dick Hampton had both hoped and feared. He had just turned over the deck to the second mate and started forward, when at the after companion he came face to face with Nelly Barnes as she emerged from the ladder-way. She was coming on deck, alone. Her hand flew to her throat and she stared blankly at him, all amazed, and the flush that leaped into her face died away in pallor. “Tt*s not you—it can’t be!’’ she ex- claimed softly. Hampton doffed his tarpaulin hat and stood smiling at her. “But it is, Nelly, it is!”’ he cried, and as her hand came out to meet his, all restraint suddenly burst within him, and eager words rushed to his lips. “Did you think I could leave you so easily, Nelly? Dear girl—dear comicbooks.c© inn