Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 5, 1928 — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

~ RED suppose I’m going to bother my head with questions about vegetables under the circumstances? Let’s see what these bunks are like.” He inspected them. They were steel boxes, each containing a thin mattress and a pair of none too clean blankets. “ Everything on this ship is of steel,” he observed. ‘‘ They take no chances of fire.” ‘“ Fire isn’t what they have to worry about,’’ Chipmunk said sagely. “These oil ships don’t catch fire, they explode.”’ ‘* Nonsense.” “T read not long ago about one of them blowing up at a pier over in Jer- sey. They couldn’t even find the pier afterward.” “Upon my word,’ exclaimed the harried Lester Lucus, “I don’t know how I keep my hands off you. Whata companion in misfortune you are!” Chipmunk grinned. “ You objected to my comedy, and I thought I’d see how you liked tragedy.” “T would prefer you silent. go to bed.” “Tt’s only half after nine.” “‘There’s nothing else to do_ except listen to you talk, and I prefer to try to sleep.” “ Our aim is to please,’ said Arthur brightly as he began to undress. Let’s Lester patted him on the back in friendly fashion. “ You're all right, old man,” he declared. ‘“‘ My nerves are on edge. I can’t help thinking about the horrible mess we’re in.”’ “That’s all right,’ laughed the other. ‘“ Douse the glim, will you? I can never go to sleep in a lighted room. I hope these bunks have no occupants besides us.” “Good Lord,’ groaned Lester. “ Now you’ve set me thinking about that. Good night, and don’t contribute any more to the evening’s entertain- ment. Curiously enough they both fell asleep in short order. Many hours later Les opened his eyes to find the HOT. room dimly lighted by meams of sun- light, which penetrated in some man- ner through the ventilator grating. He had slept heavily, dreamlessly, although he had expected at least one nightmare. He lay in the lower bunk, Chipmunk having scrambled without argument into the upper, and for a moment he could not understand why he was lying in such a place. CHAPTER XIX. THE BLUE OCEAN. ESTER rubbed his eyes, for the floor was not behaving properly. It was lifting at the opposite side of the room, and he rolled against the wall. Then it reversed the motion, and the wall against which he was ly- ing pushed him away. With an ex- clamation of astonishment he tumbled out of bed and stood on the heaving deck. “Wake up, Arthur,” “he. cried. “We're at sea.. The ship sailed while we slept.” Chipmunk bounced up in his berth, bumped his head against the roof, and flopped back. ** Ouch;”” ~he remarked..." TH say were at sea, and the sea is not so polite about it. <A sailor’s life is the life for me. \Yo, heave ho!’ Lester was dressing in great haste. “What’s your hurry?’ demanded his friend. “ You’re not going any- where.”’ “We'll get dressed and rush the door when they bring breakfast. Good heavens, Chip, do you realize that we may be out of sight of land?” “ And if we are, a lot of good rush- ing the door will do us.” Chipmunk justified his name by the ease with which he swung to the floor and, de- spite his protest, was garmented as quickly as Lester. “Confound it, I wish she’d quit rolling,” he complained. “I’m all right at sea if I get plenty of fresh COPNICGLOOOKS 655. (F@