Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

656 good. A sea captain with gold stripes here ’—-she rubbed her fat arm—‘ asked me to sit down with him and drink with him. It makes my mouth water to think of that glass I had with him! Year in and year out I’ll remember that taste.” “Was it so long ago since you have had a chance to sample this wine?” ‘““ No, no, mister. Just yesterday the mate of a steamer asked me to set down with him and talk to him. He was lonely, too, mister, if you can believe a sailor.” “T see that you are the belle of this café, then?” the guest said absentmindedly. His gaze returned from the skipper and Mr. Grimpen. ‘“ Yes, yes, I can see you are a very beautiful woman.” Cora’s vividly rouged lips parted in pleas- ure. “They call me the Queen of the Sun- down Café.” The shy drooping of her lids displayed a careful shading of blue grease paint. “A queen!” the stranger exclaimed, standing up suddenly and pushing back his chair preparatory to a bow. “ Then, seo- rita, it is not for me to invite you to sit down at the table of so humble a personage as myself. In my -own country I was a matador. Bulifighters are generally, as you know, of the very lowest parentage; and it is so with me. You and I—curse the fates which brought us into this world!—can have nothing to do with each other!” ‘“You mean you're giving me the air?” Cora asked rather loudly. “ Tf my countrymen knew that I—a bull- fighter—had dined with a queen, they would accuse me of gross impudence, or I would be most surprised.” “T get your game, you little greaser!”’ “Tn fact, they would tar and feather me for the presumptious peon that I am!” “ All right, then, Mr. Mex! I wouldn’t set down with you for a farm. What you need is a little cholo woman—like the one we got upstairs. When she throws over that sailor friend of hers, we'll give you an introduction. She’s one of your kind.” Skipper Jarvy, having listened to this contest with considerable amusement, burst out now into a loud guffaw at the sight of Cora’s humiliation. But Mr. Grimpen, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. his mate, seated opposite to him, put up his finger warningly. ‘“ Hush!” he whispered. ‘“ Before you go strikin’ up an acquaintance with these balmies, take a good look at that rotter with the shinin’, sparklin’ teeth. Wot do you think of him?” ‘What do I think of him? A Mex! rather some lubber from Yucatan.” “You’ve clicked, skipper—Yucatan is Or right. Don’t that make you _ shiver? Yucatan!” “What the hell!” “Tt was there our old stoker got his bloody sea chest—-that’s wot the ’ell. It’s somethin’ to get a bit squiffy abaht!” ‘‘ Just because this lubber hails from the same country!” the skipper began scoffing- ly. “* Well, of all the superstitious, yellow- livered skunks, Mr. Mate, you’re—” “ Orl right! Orl right! But lookee here. The stoker said something abaht that bleed- in’ chest which has me in a funk, skipper. He said not to open it afore we hauled up past the Tropic of Cancer. It was got with much blood, says he. Damn the ole rotter! Openin’ that there chest, skipper, reminds me of the tale of the ole gel who opens a box called, as I remember, Pando- ra’s box, which when the lock is orf a cloud of blahsted devils gets loose and—” The skipper cut him off with a flouting of jeers and oaths. “Well, if you ain’t a flyin’ jib, Grimpen, I’m dead drunk!” “Orl right, then, skipper. And if this here toff from south of the Tropic of Can- cer hears as how we’re loaded to the gills with silver and gold—” “Now you're talkin’ sense, Mr. Grim- pen,’ Captain Jarvy said in a changed voice. The thought of the large amount of money they were both carrying brought a frown, “It strikes me, mate, we better shag outen here instead of waitin’ for a damn sweatin’ fiesta. Mebbe all as this fiesta is for is to lambaste a few guests in the jaw. Like as not mine host is waitin’ until his guests have a bit more ballast aboard.” The skipper pounded on the table with the desire of settling his bill with the pro- prietor. A moment later the two mariners — 1A Gomichbooks (C@