Adventure Magazine Cover — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

JUKES The crimp came from the boat, bottles in his pockets. The forecastle reeked of cheap and abom- inable liquor. Presently one of the sailors asked— “W’ere’s Jukey?” The crimp left the forecastle, to seek the missing man. “The boys wants you,” said he, discover- ing Alf Jukes alone upon the forecastle head. He took a bottle from his pocket and held it out to Jukes. Uttering a low coughing grunt, Jukes struck savagely at the crimp. The bottle fell, and broke upon the deck. Cursing Jukes, the crimp beat a hasty retreat. With a half pannikin of unspilled liquor in it, the lower half of the bottle remained upright against the windlass. Alf Jukes looked down. Nostrils quiv- ering, fingers twitching, he uncertainly approached the broken bottle. He stooped, lifted the bottle, and stretched out a hand; as if to hurl it to the water. He hesitated; drew in his hand, and sniffed. Another moment and he flung the emptied fragment over the forecastle rail. ‘Hey, Jukey! Come on down, ol’ son!” called one of his comrades, looking up from the forecastle. Jukes descended and entered the fore- castle. His fellows slapped him on the back. The boarding master thrust a bottle in his hand. As Jukes took it, one of his com- rades tried to snatch it from him, and a bellow of laughter rose as the sailor went sprawling on the deck. The bottles passed around. “No more ships for me,” said one. ‘Nor me, boys,” said another. Jukes drank silently. By and by the sailors shouldered their sea-bags and followed the boarding master and ‘his crimp from the forecastle. Jukes towering heedless among them, they shoved and elbowed one another aside, making for the boat. Pointing to other ships near-by, they cursed them. They cursed the ship they left. They chattered confidingly to the boarding master, who promised them one and all an easy job on the land. As Jukes grasped the stroke oar and set the pace ashore they shouted their approval. “Ol’ Jukey!” they cried, and ‘Good ol’ Jukey!”’ They laughed to see the way the boat drove through the water, with Jukes’s great OI muscles surging her along. They jumped ashore, and turned their backs forever on the sea. Without a glance behind, they followed Jukes across the street; Jukes at the boarding master’s heels, the crimp be- hind them all. Hours passed. Besotted sailors lolled on dirty cots about a dirty room. They quarreled, forgot their quarrels, and em- braced each other. They smoked, and spat, and sang. The leering crimp came in, and went, and came, and went again, and called them each by name—quick-fitted names. “Ere, old Cork-fender, lap it up now! It’s good for sailor’s gizzards.”’ “Gimme yer empty glass ’ere, Queer- fellow!” “Young Bandy-shanks, you've ’ad enough! You’re young.— Another? All right, then. Wot’d yer mommer say?” “Aw, haw! haw! haw!” 7 “Drink hearty, Jimmie Bilge! There’s plenty more.” Ignoring their quarrels and embraces, taking no part in their noisy songs, Alf Jukes held out his glass for filling and re- filling. The crimp wmked at him deferen- tially. . Evening came. Save for loud snores, heavy breathing, and now and then a mumbled sleepy oath, the room was quiet. Steady-handed still, Jukes stood erect amidst the wreckage of his fellows and emp- tied his glass. In the barroom adjoining, the boarding master reached a black bottle from be- neath the bar. Alf Jukes came from the back room as he replaced it. Resolve in his face, he stepped toward the street. Three brimming glasses stood upon the bar. Lifting one to his own lips, the board- ing master pushed another out toward Jukes. “Here, big boy! he quickly called. Jukes stopped and hesitatingly looked toward the bar. The crimp and boarding master raised their glasses. Jukes took the proffered glass, lifted, and drained it in one long straight swallow; then turned and strode toward the street door again. Midway, he staggered. The boarding master and the crimp came from behind the bar. They lifted Jukes, carried him to the dusky street, and dumped him in their boat. Don’t run off so soon!”’ DOOK (C@