Adventure Magazine Cover — page 100: what you’re looking at

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

94 ways, knew but little of the sea, and be- heved him. Heddon, at about this time, began to notice that whenever he appeared on watch, especially at night, the two Chink coolies would somehow get where they could watch him. At first he thought perhaps he was drinking too much brandy and was suspecting motive in what was merely accidental; but he kept his eyes open and saw that they did put themselves where they could watch him. He decided that perhaps they were looking for a quiet time to make trouble, and wondered the more because he knew they hardly sat down or stood up without being told to do so by T’eeay Layeen. They could understand no English and were use- less about the deck, and dozed near the galley or in the passageway before T’eeay Layeen’s room. Almost every day, though he said but little, T’eeay Layeen had appeared to grow more and more friendly toward Heddon, as if with increase of admiration for his jeering, which was like good spirits and seemed to hearten men, and for the way he watched the ship. “But Chinks are treacherous,”’ Heddon to himself. So one night he loaded a revolver, thrust it well down into his waist band, put a marline-spike in his hip pocket, and took the trouble to get close to the two Chinks, turn his back and appear unwatchful. Nothing happened. After a time he staggered a bit, and leaned drunkenly against the mizzen. They did not approach him; but presently the noiseless T’eeay Layeen appeared, very erect and with a hawk-like brightness in his dark eyes. He spoke to Heddon, looked closely at him, and went away; but his voice had an impatient angry sound as he said something to the coolies that were slumped against the deck-house. Heddon laughed quietly, and a minute later tossed the gun into a chart - house drawer. “They told him I was drunk!” About three nights later something happened that showed how very watchful those blank-faced dull-eyed coolies were. Heddon and Tom Wateman used the room to starboard of the one Old Bill lay in; Po-Shu used that to port. Tom, whose head bubbled with ideas for Old Bill’s care, saw how they could break through the bulk- head of the room the Chink girl used without said GORDON YOUNG disturbing the position of Old Bill’s bed, which was fast against the starboard bulk- head. Thus with an open doorway be- tween the rooms they would be nearer their sick shipmate—if Po-Shu would change rooms. His head being filled with the idea, Old Tom spoke of it one night after supper to T’eeay Layeen, asking if the change could be made the next day; but T’eeay Layeen had the change made at once, which was readily done as there was little or nothing to be moved from one room to the other. That night, instead of turning in after he turned the deck over to Old Tom at twelve o’clock, Heddon went into the chart-house and read sailing directions for an hour or two. “Bill he’s sleepin’ tonight,” said Tom, poking his head through the door. ‘An’ you—you’re bad as that Say Lean. He don’t never sleep. An’ I jus’ run them two coolies for’ard. I won’t have ’em prowlin’ aft here behind my back!” Heddon slapped the book shut, turned out the lamp and went along the deck to Old Bill’s door, where he paused quietly, listening; then as a matter of habit he stepped into the next room to which he had been accustomed. At once within the room there was an alarmed savage grunt. The night was dark, the room was black; Heddon could see nothing, but instinctively he swerved aside and felt the glancing blow of an out- thrust arm, heard the knife point click against the wood behind him. He caught at the arm, a smooth snaky arm, slippery with grease, and knew by the smell of the fellow that it was the negro Zudag. ‘The arm slipped through his hand, but his hand closed down on the wrist which offered the better hold. A gasping cry came from Po-Shu, startled out of sleep. Heddon slapped both hands to the wrist, jumped backward, wrenched the arm so that the knife fell away; and with an almost continuous movement stepped clear of the doorway, jerked the negro through, gave him a sling that sent him off his feet and skittering over the deck. Instantly two shadows seemed to pounce upon the negro. He yelled brokenly in strange animal-like fright and pain, but was quickly silent; then there was the faint sound of bare feet running lightly as the shadow shapes vanished. Co DOOK C©