Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

688 up with a sickening thud against a bollard. Even that preternatural tough was jarred into insensibility. At their leader’s fall the packet rats rushed in to disembowel the offi- cer. The first was landed neatly on the chin and knocked limp. The rest of the watch, roused by this un- welcome medicine, came on snarling, and snapping, but they stopped when Dunbar faced them unperturbed. Rip Kelly, who had revived, roused him- self on his elbow to urge on his gang. ‘““ Kall ’im! Kill ’im!” he admonished. In the next instant Dunbar waded through the threatening crowd to close with the ringleader. ‘““ Get on the end of that lee fore brace.” ‘“T carn’t move,” whined Kelly. With a swift lunge, Dunbar snatched his wrist, twisting it until his arm was nigh broken. “Will you move now? Will you?” Kelly gave in, and slunk off to the ap- pointed job, the rest of the watch tailing on behind. After an hour’s sweating up,” to usher in the four hours on deck, Dunbar had his crew panting from exertion, but silent, and sullen. There was something un- canny about a watch hauling without the sound of a chantey, or without the long timing cry of the foremost man. “Come on, strike up a halyard grind, there,” called out Dunbar. But he found to his dismay that while he might drive them to their work, he could not drive them to their chanteys. A watch working in dark- ness, and in utter silence, was disconcerting to an officer. It meant that there was no sign by which he could tell whether or not he had control. : From the weather side Mr, Dunbar gave his crisp, sharp orders to haul, and belay. He was alone, surrounded by an outraged gang of cutthroats, lusting to be at him, one single man against a dozen. With none to detect foul play, his posi- tion was precarious. In the thick gloom of that saually night, in spite of himself, Dun- bar ahs apprehensive. There was an in- creasing feeling that his watch was out of hand. Again and again he tried to come to erips with them, only to meet the same baffling stubbornness. - > 5 = . > ie a ee he ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. While standing by the wheelsman, Dun- bar heard a suspicious scuffling in the lee waist. Jumping down the weather ladder, he was hastening forward, when he stum- bled over a mysterious object sprawling across the deck. Bending over to examine it, he felt a sudden sharp pain, as a huge piece of holystone crashed into his back, and bounded off into the scuppers. With a panting gasp, he staggered, and collapsed across the dead body of an unknown sea- man. 8 en er CHAPTER XVII. FIVE. MINUTES FOR A MUTINY. OR several minutes Dunbar lay in a dazed condition while all about him the deck seemed to creep with stealthy figures. Finally Rip Kelly stole up and, peering closely, announced: ‘““ He’s dead to the world. Now, then, let’s dump the other guy.” As they were lifting the object, across which he had fallen, Dunbar, opening his eyes, beheld with horror, the body of Tug Westcott, suspended for a moment across the lee bulwarks, then dropped with a sink- ing splash into the sea. Dunbar could not withhold a cry of con- sternation. Hearing that cry, Rip Kelly stood forth a moment irresolute, a murderer caught red handed. But only for a moment did he hesitate. He had killed one. Now it was nothing to wipe out the evidence, and polish off another. With this thought, Kelly whipped out his ever present knife, and started for his accuser. With the desperation of a man who fights for life, Dunbar seized an iron capstan bar, and despite his weakened condition, swung it with a mighty threat. At this unexpected resistance, the packet rat hesitated. Cover- ing himself warily, Dunbar began to beat a retreat aft, followed by the menacing gang. Having gained the quarterdeck, the threatened officer prepared for a final stand, while Rip Kelly, in vain, urged his gangsters to rush in and overwheliti hint: None caring to brave that swinging bar of iron, Kelly himself crept forward. oA EOmMmIGcboo “s a (<) ag ~~ SS Lo ONES IT = es a