Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 125: what you’re looking at

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

Se BUCCANEER BLOOD. ~ and drink, and suffer him to kiss my hand —this hand, monsieur.” Again she showed her hand to the dis- traught Dorset—a hand that was far too beautiful to be kissed by a brute he so de- spised and hated. “If I do this monsieur, and the monster is concerned only with the pleasure of the moment—and forgetful of all danger—then it will be a safe time for some one to slay him!” “ Holy cripes!”’ was all that Dorset could say. He had no voice. It was a stage whisper, intense, retching, consuming. “JT heard you there! J heard you, by hell!” The hollow moaning voice of Par- son from the further corner of the banquet hall broke into the tense periods. Dorset shivered, and took in his breath with a hissing sound. The girl watched him. “You ‘eard who?” Dorset shot out bel- ligerently. “If you ’eard me say anything against the capting, just let me know, and I'll stick a knife acrost you, wivvout an- other word!” “I heard her—” Parson whimpered. “ She’s all right. What she says is good advice. Finish McCorkle—that’s the thing to do. She'll help you. You can do it. Don’t worry about me. I’m out of the fight. My shoulder’s smashed and it’s kill- ing me. Go on, finish him! I'll keep quiet and grin!” His voice trailed off into heavy and rhythmic moans. “ Who do it? Me! Me kill McCorkle! Oh, my winkie, wot a good one!” “Are you a coward?” the girl asked sweetly. He snapped at her: ‘‘ Yuss, damn me! I’m a coward. Course I’m a coward—the yellowest coward that ever was born! Think I’d try to come it with that— ‘monster’ as you calls him? I guess jolly well I would! Wow! If he ever so much as heard me complain there’d be a plantin’ —or a drownin’—that’s more like it!”’ He seemed to lose himself in thought again, while the girl maintained silence, and the rhythmic moans of Parson came across the room as an obbligato to Dorset’s soliloquy. “ He wouldn’t bung the word—that rot- 281 ter down there,” he was saying. Evidently he had a terror that the very thought of mutinying against the chief, might in some way leak out. ‘‘ And ’ow about this here man fastened to the stanchion and frownin’ at me? There’s the hell of a fine mark to have listenin’ to every word—ain’t he?” ‘“‘ Naturally enough I myself want to see him dead!”’ Cameron protested calmly. “There you have it, Dorset!” Parson raised his voice again. ‘‘ There’s five of us in here. When McCorkle comes back— he'll be one against five.” Parson’s voice pleaded with terrific and persuasive gasps. “Five of us—is it?” Dorset laughed. “Cricky! Do you call two prisoners, a wiming, and yourself lyin’ there stewin’ in your own blood—do you think you four could fight McCorkle? Oh, yes! A fine bloody encounter that would be, I’ll say. He done you in when you stood up agin him armed. Now ’ow much help are you?” The sound of a man in the next room, shambling with evident difficulty, grunting, bumping up sharp against the oaken door, interrupted Dorset’s tirade. The wounded octoroon struggled up to his elbow, break- ing off the rhythm of his moans. ‘““Tt’s Wing—” the latter said. “‘ He'll help—if the girl knows how to get him. The girl—she’s on my side,” Parson said, still with a conviction that although she was playing with the others like a cat with mice—she could not possibly be playing with him. ‘ You'll help me get even, ma’motselle? 1 fought for you—like you wanted? You'll help me?” Dorset started to jeer—but his sour laughter broke off suddenly. He was con- cerned with matters of tremendous import. Wing, was coming—Wing, the doddering and crafty, the cautious, the gold-lover. He blundered through the door, puffing and groaning at the great weight in his arms —an open chest which he had piled with loot. Dorset thrust his head out of his coat like a turtle, and leaned across the linen to the girl. He spoke softly out of | the side of his bruised mouth: ‘“‘ Wing— get him on our side. Understand wot I’m s’ying, me gel. Get Wing on our side. Vl let you orf.” TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK @oyicooolxs.com