Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

438 ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. “T teenk I know why Cappa Ul’queest wanta stay here,” he said, reverting again to his original topic. “He wanta find de pretty signorina.’ “Dat hoodoo woman!” cried Tack, be- coming instantly serious and rolling his eyes with superstitious awe, ‘‘ Dat hoodoo woman! Ah done tol’ Cappen Ul’quis’, by golly, she gwine bring berry bad debbil sickness if she come around here. Dat’s what I done tol’ him. Ah don’ reckum Ah—” EY “ By God!” ejaculated. Poggio, instant- ly all arms, “you stowa dat fool talk, you Tack. De voodoo was left on de Irene. -De Sefiorita Gaylor sheesa look lika de Virgin Mary. I joost like see she coma here right now.” Tack rolled his eyes, wagged’ his head, and squirted tobacco-juice at the kettle, but made no reply. “Dat leetle steward,” said Poggio, rais- ing his voice so that the latter could hear him, “ heesa going be in hulluva fix when Cappa Ul’queest come back.” “By golly!” cried Tack, promptly. for- getting the hoodoo woman, rolling his eyes, and fairly convulsing with laughter, “ Ah doan’ reckum he’s gwine swipe no grub no mo’. ” Tack made an attempt as if to spit at the kettle, but missed it, and nearly struck the cat instead. Omura sat up suddenly and darted a re- vengeful glance out of his alert eyes. “Pliss, sair, you no touchem dis cat,” he said sullenly. ‘I ketchum fish fer him chow. I not steal spud. I not steal chow. You make meestake, Meestair Tack. But Capitan Ulquist t’ink I steal. He say he keel me. Pliss you tell him, Meestair Poggio, when he come back.” Again Tack spat at the cat and narrowly missed him. “By God!” shouted Poggio hotly, ges- ticulating. ‘You stowa dat. squirt, you Tack! Dat leetle steward heesa nice leetle fella. He never steala de chow. You an’ me, you Tack, mus’ joost tella Ul’queest hees gotta leave dat leetle steward alone. Ul’queest hees been boss joost *bout long enough. Hees no good.” If one could have glanced beneath the stolid, sphinxlike expression which Omura’s face now assumed, one might have detected a sneer at Poggio’s too-transparent bid for the little steward’s favor. Omura was will- ing enough to receive help from Poggio, but Poggio was badly fooled if he expected help in return. While on good terms with Ulmquist, Poggio had treated the little steward contemptuously enough, and now Poggio tried to ingratiate himself with Omura simply because Poggio was no longer sure’ of his own position. This was the reason for Omura’s sneer, but he care- fully cortcealed it. I gathered that there had been some friction between Ulmquist and Poggio; the men were grouped roughly into two gangs; and if the trouble kept on simmering it might sooner or Jater result in an open rupture. I could well believe the wily Poggio was growing mortally sick of the sullen’ big brute whose too rapid rise to authority had made him arrogant. This fresh situation promised to bear in- teresting fruit, but I had little time to di- gest it; for while Poggio was talking I heard the sound of oars, and presently the white prow of the long-boat emerged from the darkness. “Here dey come!” cried Tack gleefully, starting to his feet. “I reckum dey got de grub—dat’s a cinch!” “Ulqueest been boss joost *bout long enough,” Poggio kept repeating. ‘‘ Hees no good.” Sticking his bare feet into his brogans, he rose and tossed some dry fagots on the fire, which blazed up cheerfully and threw a ruddy glow on the white lines of rolling surf and the strip of beach just as the boat reached it. Ulmquist, who stood in the bow, sprang ashore, and turning to some one in the boat just behind him, jae’ his arm as a signal to alight. - By golly!” gasped Tack, his eyes roll- ing ridiculously, “it’s Missy Gaylor’—de hoodoo woman!” What was my horror to see Dorothy rise from among the rough men in the boat and, ignoring the hand that Ulmquist stretched out to her, step daintily over the prow. (To be continued NEXT WEEK.) va comicbooks-com