Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

556 “ Five o’clock,” she repeats. Her brow contracts with her tabulatin’. From the corner of my eye I see Sandy straighten. up, salute like, which he does when Bella starts tabulatin’? on him with her brow contracted that way. “You'll be stoppin’,”’ she murmurs, “ at the White Horse for a pint of beer. Sandy’ll buy a pint, and you, Slim ”—able bodied wives will call me Slim; what’s to be done about it?—‘“ and you, Slim, you'll buy a pint. That'll be two points. You ought to be around here, the two of you, by six o’clock.” Me, bein’ blowed with unexpectations, and silent thereaccount, Sandy says: “The two of us, girl? Do you mean you'll be countin’ Slim in?” I let. the “Slim” go because I’m at- tentive to what Bella would be sayin’ to that, she knowin’ well my sentiments re- latin’ to Welsh rabbit. She looks me up and down, steady, then answers Sandy solemn: ‘I’m countin’ him in on the rabbit for a reason I have, but not on the other thing I was speakin’ of. You can lay to that, my darlin’.” “T’m layin’ to that, every old time, little girl,” Sandy remarks, which is useless for him to.say, anybody knowin’ what Bella’s idea is of personal regulations. I stops him off and observes: “Tm thankin’ you kindly, Bella, and for the whiles I’m messin’ with you I’ll stow my dignity as his majesty’s second cox’un and be commonlike, and matey.” “You'll hold your authority, Slim,” she says, “ and be cox’un’s mate over this bow- legged darlin’ o’ mine till you get him home, That’s why I’m countin’ you in. I'll give you two pints at the White Horse on your way, and maybe a third in respect o’ the ship, but you'll use your high position in the navy to keep my darlin’ from lingerin’ with a fourth for the service, ‘a fifth for the first lord, a sixth for old England and one apiece for the colonies. You'll order his hatch closed on the third, you bein’ superior, and you'll be here, the both of you, by six o’clock. Or there’ll be a whop- pin’ inquiry. I'll do no sittin’ and watchin’ a Welsh rabbit expirin’.” “Aye, aye, sir—blimey! Aye, aye, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Missus Bella!” I speaks snappy as a second cox’un should, and she gives me a nod, approvin’, as if she was the lieutenant himself. With these new responsibilities as pressin’ as if they was regulations, I musters Sandy along with the rest of the swabs of the S-12 on board. | Il. We’RE about three miles out, and I’m beginnin’ to wonder if the captain will take us so far we can’t get in to meet the rabbit by six, when he gives the word to the lieutenant: “Take her down. Hold her at fifty feet. Follow shore line.” Now we got to look sharp, me hopin’ everything goes pretty. “Flood two and four auxiliaries,” the lieutenant orders. ‘‘ Close hatches!” The first cox’un is at the fore control wheel. He gives the hydroplane control motors the buzz and sish comes the sea into two and four auxiliaries. “Two and four auxiliaries flooded, sir.” ““Hard-a-dive,” says the lieutenant. The controls buzz again. “* Hard-a-dive it is, sir!” I take station at the depth gauge, close by the control wheel. ‘“‘ Hold her at fifty feet, cox’un,” the lieutenant cautions. “At fifty feet. Aye, aye, sir,” first cox’un repeats. I gives him gauge readin’: ““Twenty feet, first cox’un,” and he asks his motors for the hard-a-dive again. All set now, for divin’ and head-on. Sandy ambles up. “Any orders, second cox’un?” he asks. ‘Stand by,” I tells him, then I says: ‘“Captain’s goin’ straight down. No foolin’. That means maybe we'll be gettin’ in a bit early, like, if she runs smooth. I’m not sayin’ but what if she behaves, we’ll de- serve the fourth pint, for the service—if we has the time, I’m meanin’.” “T’m not sayin’ either, Slim, but what we should get up to the first lord. He’s deservin’ 0’ the honor,” ‘‘ Deservin’ he may be,” I declares, “ but hell be dishonored this night. We'll stop at the service, Sandy, if we go that far.” icomicbooks (E(0)