Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 24: what you’re looking at

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

650 so that the mate’s dish clattered to the . adobe floor. “Wait till I get my hooks on her.” The mate was swearing—though very softly—and Tom Yarre roared with laugh- ter. The latter sound struck in on the skipper’s rage, and he checked his flow of oaths with the sudden fear that he was being made a fool of. “Let her wait,” was his parting shot through the kitchen doorway, “ until I get my hands on her yellow carcass!” “TJ will bring you a banquet, skipper,” the innkeeper said. “ Forget about the woman—a cholo, as you call her. We can do nothing with her. She’s like to be the death of us all! And if a man so much as makes a move to touch her—” “Wait till I get my hands on her!” the skipper roared again. “No man has ever yet put hands on that woman, skipper! Forget her. And I'll bring you some Juarez wine and a pullet —my best dish, which is called arroz con pollo! Your mouth will water.” “The damned minx!” Captain Jarvy erumbled, settling himself again at the table. “T]] make her muddy skin crackle, damn me! If I ever touch her—” ‘No man has touched her yet, skipper!” From his corner of the room Tom Yarre was still laughing and eating. During the lull in the storm he called to Herzog: “Tf this is a sailors’ joint,” he said, “ you probably know we seamen come ashore first —to find company.” “ There will be a fiesta to-night,” Herzog explained. “ And lots of pretty women ‘Il come to dance.” “Wait a minute! I don’t care about a fiesta. Tell that gal who’s been feeding us that there is a mariner in here wants to make love to her.” CHAPTER IV. A TEMPTING OFFER. ERZOG, the innkeeper, objected po- litely to the astounding offer of his guest. “Vou are a fine lookin’ boatswain, if I ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. may say so, sir,” he remarked humbly. “Too fine to get into a brawl with a kitchen- maid. You see how she acted before the skipper? If she treats a skipper that way, think how she will treat a—” Herzog found himself on the wrong track. “IT mean to say, sir,” he hurried on, “I will call her. But if you value your skin, don’t make love to her.” The little nerve-racked man hurried off to the kitchen. In offering the boatswain’s message to Juana, he wisely refrained from using the exact terms in which it had been given. He merely told the girl that the big seaman with the scars “ settin’ in the corner—wants a bit o’ tobacco.” Following her usual custom, Juana took her time. Herzog, dismissing the boatswain from his mind, returned to the skipper with a bottle of his “ Juarez” as a propitiatory gift. The latter was soon drinking and gorging himself with the fried pullet and Spanish rice set before him. Between mouthfuls he still nursed his grievance, emitting grunts and oaths. “T’ll show the minx a thing or two be- fore I’m through with her!” “It’s no use, skipper,” Herzog objected while Captain Jarvy and his mate stuffed themselves. “‘ We can’t do anything with the woman. She’s jake with her work and all that—but just so soon as you order her about—Bingo! There’s trouble!” “That sort of gel is best ’andled with a whip, I’d say!” the mate put in. | “Or a capstan bar!” the skipper sug- gested. “No, sir!” Herzog cried strenuously. ** She’d knife you, sir. She’d stick a knife across you if you blinked an eye at her. I will say that my wife—who’s a big woman and strong as a mule—she bashes her one once in a while. “ But it’s no use, sir. The very next day she'll come out here and insult my guests. Instead of smilin’ at ’em, takin’ their jokes, lettin’ ’°em kid her a bit and maybe dig her in the ribs—the way these here seamen like to do to womenfolk—she gets up her ole dander and like as not upsets a bow] of soup on their heads!” “Give her the sack, me man,” said Mr. CORMICLOOokKs (C@