Adventure Magazine Cover, October 30, 1924 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

24 have never seen this knife until today. I was not below with Jed Barnes long enough to struggle with him, much less inflict sev- eral wounds. ‘That’s all I have to say.” “But DPve a word, if ye please,” spoke out Job Warlock stoutly, and stepped forward. The captain nodded to him. “T’ve sailed wi’ Dick Hampton afore this, and know him. He’s no man to use knife. Why, ye lubbers, he can sail a ship better than all of ye put together! I’ve seen him lay out stu’nsails when every other ship in sight was under lower topsails A ‘“That’s enough,” snapped the captain. “If ye’ve no better evidence to offer than friendship, my man, keep quiet. Any- thing more, Mr. Hampton?” ‘Go on with the farce,” said Hampton, and began to fill his pipe. An angry murmur greeted this, then Nickerson spoke out: “Cast your vote, jury. No prejudice for or against. Vote on the evidence alone.” Adam Johnson provided scraps of paper and a pencil, which went from hand to hand. Watching it as he puffed, amid a dead silence, Hampton had no need to ask what was written down; the swift and nervous gestures, the one word scrawled on each bit of paper, told their own story. When the first mate, acting as foreman, had collected the papers, he looked them over and turned. “Guilty,” he said in a low voice. There was a stir. The crowd in the waist surged forward. Nickerson checked them with hand uplifted, then spoke to the cap- tain, by whose elbow James Day was now standing. ‘This is no legal court, sir. no action on this verdict “But ye can, if Mr. Hampton will abide by it,’ said the skipper quickly. An ominous growl from the crowd of men em- phasized his words. ‘What say ye, mister?” There was another silence, and in it Hampton caught a mutter from Job War- lock: ‘Bless me, if it ain’t all cut and dried!”’ Cut and dried indeed! Hampton smiled, and his anger broke out coldly. “Tf you expect me to accept hanging from such a court, you’re mistaken,” he said. “Anything short of that will serve well enough, until I can make appeal to the law.”’ We can take J Adventure “‘Good enough, then,’ exclaimed the cap- tain hurriedly, and exchanged a word with Day. “Mr. Nickerson, I call upon you to give sentence.” Cut and dried! Hampton felt curiously detached as he listened, and watched old Nickerson pawing his whiskers nervously. What was it that Day had arranged? Whither was this whole farcical business tending? Then he heard Nickerson’s voice, and in shocked silence realized what words were being spoken, ‘“‘— that the murderer’s weapon be slung about his neck, and he be placed adrift in an open boat to await the judgment of heaven.” Upon the silence that ensued, burst a torrent of oaths from Job Warlock. “Tt’s murder, I tell ye!’ roared the bo’sun profanely. “Before it’s done, I’ll knife any man that tries—why, ye villainous rascals! Mutiny or no, ’IJ-——” ‘Be silent!”’ cried Hampton, waking to the situation. ‘This can not be done, men! I refuse to accept such a sentence!” Day was swiftly at his side with anxious words: “Quiet, quiet! D’ye not see there’s no danger in it? A day or so afloat, and the glass well up, and in the ship lane too——” Hampton brushed him aside impatiently. “I refuse!’ he cried, above the rising storm of voices. “It shall not be done——” True, he was thinking more of Nelly Barnes than of any possible danger, but had small time to reflect on anything. With a rush and a storm of shouts, the crowd in the waist broke over the after deck. Cap- tain and mates were swept aside, and the maddened torrent poured down upon Hampton. The first who leaped at him fell under the fist of Job Warlock, who whipped out his knife and began to drive it home, but to no avail; the mob hemmed in the two men at the rail, and tore at them. Hampton’s fists lashed, and Job drove with knife and boot until some one fetched him a crack over the head and knocked him senseless. Then Hampton, alone, went down under main force of numbers—was dragged to the deck, felt himself smitten, kicked, finally bound hand and foot. Through all this a voice pierced to him; it was a new and vibrant voice, the echoing brazen notes of a seaman, but one he had not heard previously. ‘All hands to stations!” he heard it ring micloool (© inn