Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 51: what you’re looking at

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THE ROARING FORTIES. her? She had written to him to expect her. Why, then, did he leave it to Captain Forbes to do the honors? Mary had worked up an amazing interest in Valkyrie, but all the time, as she accom- panied her Uncle Donald and the skipper about the broad white decks, there dwelt in her heart an unfulfilled desire. “Perhaps he’s on duty, and will come later,” she mused. - When they had visited the cabin, with no sight of Richard, Mary’s curiosity got the better of her. ‘“‘ Where’s the first officer?” she inquired. “‘ Here he is,” replied the captain. ‘“‘ Mr. Pugsley, allow me to introduce you to my friend Miss Williston.” With consternation, Mary looked into the face of a stolid bluenose bucko, twice the age of the former first officer, about as un- interesting as a grazing ox. “ But, this isn’t Richard Dunbar,” cried Mary, in alarm. “No,” replied Captain Forbes. ‘‘ Dunbar was sacked this morning, for gross violation of the standing orders of this company.” In a twinkling, for Mary, all the splendid dash had gone. For a moment, she stood in the cabin, with sinking heart, uncertain and irresolute. But it was not her nature te remain thus. Her uncle was still on deck. Rushing up to him she poured forth her appeal. Donald MacKay, at first, was amazed at the girl’s intensity, then a cloud gathered upon his dour countenance, at which Mary knew that it was useless to go further with an appeal in that direction, for MacKay was a stickler on authority. ‘““Dunbar must have done something wrong, Mary, else he would not have been punished. I shall certainly do nothing to prevent the effects of wrong-doing. ‘““T am surprised to see you so concerned about, that young adventurer. He is noth- ing to us, and we can do nothing for him, except to note that wild blood always gets its desert.” Mary felt that these words of her Uncle Donald were cruel, and unjust. With re- bellion in her heart, she returned to Forbes, as a last resort. . “You said early this afternoon, Captain 681 Forbes, that you would like to be in my sweetheart’s set. Well, I hate to tell se- crets, but Richard Dunbar and I might be sweethearts, and now if he is in trouble, I want you to help him.” The affable ladies man of a short time before had metamorphosed into an unbend- Ing autocrat. “Tam sorry, Miss Williston, but in cases like this the punishment must stand, since rules cannot be broken.” “What rule did Richard break?” “He had liquor in his cabin, in defiance to the company’s standing orders.” For a moment Mary stared in amaze- ment. ‘“Do you mean to say, Captain Forbes, that just because the Gertridges are a couple oi fanatics, that you’re going to stand by, and see a good officer broken?” Forbes was no temperance crank. But he was a martinet at discipline. He con- tinued to argue for the iron hand, but Mary was not without persuasive power, and, as already stated, the only weak side of Forbes was toward the ladies. Finally, at Mary’s pleading, the captain gave in, with apparent reluctance. ‘“ Rules must not be broken. But an officer like Dunbar is worth more than a temperance precept. You can leave it to to me, Miss Mary, to appeal to the full board of directors for his restoration. But I'll tell you frankly, if I ever get the slight- est slip out of him again, I'll break him then and there.” On the following day, Captain Forbes went up to town for the directors’ farewell. According to the custom, masters of out- bound clippers appeared before the full board, for a formal adieu. Captain Forbes was clad in a beaver hat and frock coat, appearing on this occasion like some prosperous merchant prince. There was a certain preponderance about Forbes; he was not the kind to be turned down lightly. The board met around a long plush table, in a large room, where maps and charts of the China seas adorned the walls and a vista of Boston harbor opened out from the wide windows. As the captain came in, the directors oO conniclooolks (S@