Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 136: what you’re looking at

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

aide ett odes Siilh alte tA VAC) de CO iss . ys ¥o‘Y (Sat rete LN J she yah Kang NA al fs Shree ray / : i rs i Pia aS | : \ wr te if WOU VIN Vt oe 4 i ’ “ys shrilly in response. ‘The stallion was tethered at some distance to a neigh- boring tree, but from there he called across to Lightning, and she respond- ed. They filled the night woods with their mating cries. It was this call from Lightning which Rova heard across the water on the deck of the Stingaree, and which she thought was a cry of fear at her possible desertion of her favorite mare. Slum, proceeding down the beach to- ward the edge of the water, saw the screw begin to turn under the keel of the yacht. It was less than a hundred yards away. ‘Then he heard the excla- mations and the loud calls for “Kapala.” He could not understand what was being said, but the tones were clearly those of his friend Lance, and they carried a message both of surprise and of anger. “Gee,” said Slum to himself, “ this heavy has thrown his harpoon already. Mebbe Lance needs a_ side kick pronto.” The Stingaree was turning around. Her bow faced toward the shore, and she was describing an arc and putting to sea. As her stern came round, the taut painter carried the motor launch with it, and she was thrown nearer 1n toward the shore until a space of only thirty or forty yards separated the boat from Slum. At his feet he saw lying a piece of driftwood, shaped not unlike a boom- erang, though somewhat shorter. He seized this, thrust it into his shirt, and leaped into the sea. ; He swam rapidly through the surf and succeeded in getting his fingers in over the swivel gunwale of the launch, as she put about straight and started out. He hung on for a few minutes, not drawing himself up, but being drawn through the water, while he studied the after deck of the yacht. In a moment he saw Quimby’s head appear. Slum dropped low into the water, being pulled along with the gathering momentum of the launch. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. ie He heard another call in Lance’s well- known tones, the lighter and more ex- cited tones of the girl, and then Quim- by disappeared. In the ensuing silence he drew himself into the launch and lay quietly for a moment, recovering his breath from his exertion. Then the agonizing cry from Rova, when she discovered Lance’s body floated to Slum, lying prone on the waist of the launch. “ Guess I’m need- ed here more’n in the Cross-Eyed Duck,” he muttered to himself as he began pulling the launch to the side of the yacht by the painter. He scrambled to the deck while Rova was below, getting the napkin and water. Bending low, he ran rapid- ly forward. In the shadows of the late twilight he saw two men pulling an in- distinct form around the head of the superstructure. He dropped to his hands and knees and crept after them rapidly, but without making any noise. The two disappeared behind low- swinging doors in the steerage along- side the cook’s galley. Slum was about ten feet behind them, but they were so occupied and so certain that there was no one to observe them that they did not see him. He saw only the legs of the body they were drawing after them. ‘These were familiar legs. He would have known them anywhere. The swinging doors slammed in Slum’s face as he came to them. Behind him he heard Rova coming back along the deck; heard her horri- fied exclamation as she discovered Lance’s body gone, but his concern was not for “ the skirt.” In fact, he had an intense resentment toward her. He felt that she was responsible for this bloody situation. If Lance still lived, and she could be helpful in getting him away alive, he would not hesitate to seek her aid, but he had scant hope that it would be of any value. Slum’s impulse was to hide from her as much as from the others. © He made himself small alongside the yet ~ Same —4 ae — “ 3 350 “a ee + = x ™~= an SA . a = Siocrne MaS NELACISA'A ee CI UR RY aD ire \ al uM tr . ? s ‘ AS oe Pune i { x Audet) sa. ; iy ti t ef f a, :