Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

& reen Spi ders °Y Alfred D. Pettibone Author of “ The Yellow Furlough,”’ etc. WHAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED PPARENTLY the sole survivor of the ill-fated Irene Statler, Dr. Vawter told am amazing story to his fellow travelers in a Pullman smoking compartment, including, among others, a coarse seaman and Arthur Westcort, whose fiancée, Dorothy Gaylord, had been-the only girl aboard the vessel. Following the murder of Captain Jessup, Vawter stated, and the finding of two huge green spiders under his berth, suspicion passed from Letcher, a. naturalist, to: Ulmquist, the carpen- ter, and then to the reserved and quiet Falkens. Mankus, the mate, a hairy brute, who had suddenly begun to drink heavily following Jessup’s death, was now im charge, and the rivalry for the girl’s favor between him and Letcher became acute, now that the captain was out of the running. As a result of an impromptu. investigation Ulmquist was put in irons, Mankus killed a miutinous sailor, and the very air seemed filled with menace. For suddenly one evening when they were sitting in the saloon the lights went out, something or some one rushed from the captain’s stateroom, and a terrific struggle ensued in the darkness, in which the chief engineer was killed. The crew had mutinied, stolen and consumed a quantity of wood alcohol, and, with Mankus a prisoner, began a wild debauch, during which Vawter, fearing for Dorothy, and going aft for the captain’s pistol, was knocked out by the blow of some unseen assailant. When he came to he found the ship driving upon a rocky coast, and with the crash again lost consciousness, and recovering, found the ship strangely silent and deserted. When Vawter’s strength was somewhat restored, he made shift to reach shore by means of a small boat, which was wrecked in the passage; then, from a clifi-edge, through his glasses, he saw several figures on deck, one of whom he made out.as Mankus.~ Reaching the ship by means of a ladder of vines and a short swim from the clifi’s foot, he was just in time to see Mankus advancing on Dorothy with outstretched arms. Mankus caught Dorothy about the waist with both hairy arms, and forced her brutally to him just as Vawter reached the rath. Z CHAPTER VII. PRISONERS OF THE ‘TIDE. “Tf you touch this girl again, I’ll kill you!” T repeated, advancing toward him. “ Wha—wha—who?” he whimpered, and clutched the rail unsteadily. “* Mother 0’ God! Where’d ye come from?” he finally gasped. ‘“From the ocean. Ill always be near ANDS off!” T exclaimed, raising my club thteateningly as I sprang to- ward him. At this unlooked-for interruption Dor- _ othy started, glanced at me and turned pale. Mankus released her with one arm and swung round with a look half startled, half angry, evidently prepared to defend his rights against all comers in the flesh. But as his fish eyes took in the situation his arms dropped to his sides, his great jaw sagged, he recoiled and his face paled. ““ Wha—wha—” he gasped, but his legs wabbled beneath him and his lips worked convulsively. hand. at hand to protect Miss Gaylord against you. Understand that.” Mankus had now come to the sage con- clusion that I was not a ghost, but he showed no fight. “Phe sawbones,”’ muttered huskily, wip- ing his parched lips with the back of a “That you, doc—are ‘you alive?”’ “Very much so,” I returned satirically. “Well, that’s different again. But ye ain’t a fooling me, are ye, doc?” he de- This story began in The Argosy for March 22. 5 Arcosy. 417 COmicbooks.com