Adventure Magazine Cover, June 20, 1925 — page 157: what you’re looking at

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

Skippers off Georges evidence if Cap’n Ira was ketched in any of his tricks. You can crush Cap’n Ira liike———” “¥ don’t want to crush him,” answered Captain Dan. ‘“He’s lost the Comber; that’s punishment enough.”’ “Tt ain’t enough,” put in Mel, hobbling aft. “‘Because that derelic’ was Cap’n Ira’s vessel, too.”’ “What—the Eva Thomas?’ asked, Dan. But Mel was assisting Ike Crowe in launch- ing a dory. They held back the small boat while Captain Dan brought the schooner up to the large floating section of the derelict. The collision had evidently broken the dere- lict into several sections, most of which, the buoyant lumber released and now floating on the surface, had gone to the bottom. Ap- parently there was enough lumber impris- oned in the after hold to buoy up the stern after the Comber had, by its impact, demol- ished the rest of the derelict. Or perhaps the stern was light enough to float when it had been divested of the rest of the weight aft. “My !’’ exclaimed Shiny, standing with a horrified expression on his face at the port rail. ‘There’s a drownded man on it!”’ “T sighted him underwater when the Pelamon passed over the derelic’,” com- mented Mel, “‘an’ later after the Comber’d cut the derelic’ in two.” Captain Dan slowed down the engine; Mel and Ike launched the dory. The men | on the schooner watched Mel and Ike cut loose a human body lashed to the wheel of the derelict. And while they hoisted that inert form on deck, tears came to Captain Dan’s eyes as he recognized the distorted features of the dead man. “Oliver Thomas!’ he choked, while his shipmates eyed him, astonished at his emotion—he who looked upon the corpse of a vanquished enemy. “Look, Skipper!’ sang out Mel as he climbed over the port rail and designated with a head jerk the bobbing stern of the derelict. Captain Dan glanced up from the dead man. His eyes widened. For as the ground swell swayed the mass of wreckage and 139 played over it, he caught the lettering on the stern of what had once been a proud ship. And he read— VICTORY “Great Cesar’s ghost!’ he exclaimed. “Then it wa’n’t the Eva Thomas. An’ Mel —you did sell Cap’n Ira your schooner?” ‘Sure did,”’ replied Mel, smiling. ‘The Eva was so unseaworthy after she rammed the Pelamon that Ira had to git a new schooner for Oliver. So I let him have the Victory—at a fancy price. I reco’nized her durin’ the hurricane.” | “Why, Mel—are you crazy? You—high- liner—with no vessel o’ your own?” “Sure,” replied Mel. “To git rid o’ the responsibility o’ bein’ skipper. I kep’ the sale o’ the Victory a secret from my crew so’s they wouldn’t up an’ sign with some other skipper. I wanted that crew o’ mine not only to make ye high-liner, but, like me, to l’arn to admire your sea- manship—your kindness —your ai “But that ain’t gittin’ you a ship for them to fish in,” protested Captain Dan. “You ain’t got a vessel.”’ “But you have,” quickly replied Mel, while his crew looked on. “An’ you need a crew—a crew that swore to me while the Massasott was shippin’ Cap’n Ira an’ his gang that they’d rather sail with you than any skipper of the fleet—an’ that they’ll side with you if you want to prosecute me for mutiny. But if you’ll ship a mutineer an’ his old crew—permanent e “Td ship the himself if his name was Mel Frost!’ vowed Captain Dan, gripping Mel’s wide shoulders in undiluted ecstasy. ‘An’ I refuse to take command till that mutineer has fetched the Pelamon into Boston! That's my prosecution, Mel!” “Then h’ist the mains’!!_ Take the wheel, Skipper!”’ shouted Mel. ‘“We’ve been high- liners for nigh a week, but I wanted to stay on the Banks till Luke had a good chance to git his evidence. bound to Boston!’ Captain Dan let out the engine and twisted the wheel. to north. Now he’s got it, we’re The compass turned COMIGDIOOKSEEO