Adventure Magazine Cover — page 118: what you’re looking at

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

116 about navigation than any other Chinese among the pirates; but even he—Chinese pilots, not captains, laid the ship’s course— had wrecked the junk. On the lugger he had taken out of the harbor, there had been a shanghaied En- glishman to act as pilot and navigator. ‘“‘Then what are we to do?”’ asked Pelew. ‘“‘An’ how are we to get to where we want to gop” “I can tell the nav-i-gator. And when we see the fire island, find my own way.” “Don’t trust that Heddon. See this—”’ he touched his swollen eye—‘“he done it! See this—” he turned his head, showing a lump—‘‘he done it! I’m sore all over. He done it! I bet he makes friends with Walscher—then where’ll we be? Give him a chance to wiggle out of this, he’ll wiggle. But honest, do you know o’ treaser?”’ “I know an island where a junk was wrecked an’—” ‘Junk wrecked! Who the —— wants tea an’ rice an’ dried rats? You said treaser!”’ “There lies gold and jewels. It was a mandarin’s junk.”’ “I think you’re a liar. But anyhow we got to get to sea. Them men there they’re bringin’ off—I’ll make ’em willin’ to work. Tell ’em you do know o’ treaser, an’ if that don’t fetch ’em, this will!’ Heswung up his fist. “You think Heddon not to be trusted, eh. Then what to do?” “Trusted, no! Look how he jumped me, when I was fightin’ for the ship here as muchashim! Andwhattodo? I’lltellyou. There’s that —— Captain Scott. Make him do the figgerin’. Make ’im. I’ve made ’em in my time.” T’eeay Layeen accepted the suggestion thoughtfully. IV LL the men were taken off the Dragon; but no supplies. The Dragon lay too low in the water for men to be willing to go down after them; besides they weren’t needed as the Jack-Girl was well filled with stores in- tended for Kuplico, and among other things had chickens and a pig or two in crates on the forecastle. Heddon talked with Captain Scott, then Captain Scott talked with Sandys, who was at last persuaded that he would be better off as a prisoner on the bark than asa free Gordon Young man in an open boat. There was the hope in Sandys, as in Scott, that they might be able to break loose and retake the bark: and in bringing off the other men from the Dragon, Sandys used the opportunity to impress upon them how high they would be hanged if they joined the pirates. But Pelew welcomed his shipmates with a kind of enthusiastic forgiveness, gave them to understand that they could sail the bark like sailors and share in treasure, or be huddled up with other prisoners. They were doubtful about the treasure in spite of Pelew’s enthusiasm; they were low in spirits; but liquor was passed, and every man of them then thought it better to throw in his lot with victors than with those who had lost. More liquor was given out as they set about work, and though the rain held on they did not feel chilled; their courage took on a fine reckless color, and they sang out to one another that it made no difference how well they served the devil now since he had his tow line on them all anyhow. The men aloft sighted sail bearing toward them; and though there was some talk of standing by to give over all their prisoners, it seemed wisest to crack on and get well away from Lianfo, as almost certainly dur- ing the next day or two they would fall in with some small ship. It was almost night when Heddon, who had been busy all over the ship, stopped short and said to the watchful Chinaman: ‘You know, I thought your eagerness to capture this bark was fear of what the old magistrate would do to you for having stolen the girl, but that rascal Raeburn says you're T’eeay Layeen. How about it?” The Chinaman’s hand dropped to the knife at his waist; he made no other move and did not answer. Heddon eyed the hand on the knife: “So that’s it, heh? If you want to try it, start in!”’ T’eeay Layeen said some three or four words in Chinese, but as he said them with his eyes on Heddon, as if speaking to him, Heddon did not notice the three dull-eyed coolies who, in submissive, slump-shouldered humbleness, had huddled together against a side of the after deck-house, keeping out of the way. They stood up slowly, eyed him from under lowered lids, kept their arms folded across their bellies, and each put his hand under his blouse on a knife that cConmiclbooks (©