Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 138: what you’re looking at

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

fa 5a! CA AS pe Ba Mi a : aN ee Pieie Viva ort & : 3 | 4 ae ' ey’ rh! ey SS 04 dey cried impetuously. _ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY ; WEEKLY. as if the back of his skull was ae in. I came down here for some water, and when I returned he was gone. steerage into the other part of the yacht. CHAPTER XX. ‘“ HOBSON’S CHOICE.” OWN in the companionway, Rova almost collided with Quim- by as he was backing from the port stateroom which he deftly and quickly closed, though not in time to prevent her seeing that some one was inside. “‘He’s gone! He’s gone!” she ‘Lance is gone.” Quimby faced her calmly and led the way along the passage to the sa- loon. There, under the bright lights, he looked down calmly on her features, already swollen with anxiety. “ Who?” he asked. “Lance Houston!” she cried, toss- ing aside a discretion which she had never really felt or enjoyed. “My dear Miss Rova, what do you mean?’ Quimby affected a solicitous air. “I don’t know what you mean by Lance Houston.” “'He’s gone!” she persisted. “ His name is not Smith. ‘That’s Lance Houston, the greatest rider in the world. Something terrible has hap- pened to him.” Quimby was genuinely surprised, but held himself in check. “ The movie actor?” he asked unbelievingly. “Of course. ‘The greatest star of the pictures. Couldn’t you see the way he rode to-day that there’s nobody like him.” “Hum!” Quimby parleyed. “ Didn’t I read something about his being want- ed for murder in Los Angeles?” “Nonsense!” Rova cried. “ That’s all a mistake. Lance Houston never hurt anybody in his life. Couldn’t you tell that by looking at him? He’s ‘the squarest thing that ever put his leg over a horse. “But where is he? When I went along the deck up there just now he was lying down unconscious. It looked - = = Rar GES — , et o . — > ee Se 2 sor a ox 2 ether Sen Se gi, > or a - » ° 2. J — i eS. ere 5 = ~ << é pips ees —" * “ ae xs ee YF. >, akin” eT Ae ad set St Se as ES Ss ree a Lc as rs = - ee ee > gow ~ = Tt _ a Seer ie r. cat oe 2 ee a4, = t= Te ess os = Hurry, Mr. Quimby. him.” ‘Why certainly, Miss Rova,” Help. me find go on deck.” aa the _hawk-visaged one responded ; “let us She led the way to a spot at the head of the .superstructure where she had last seen Lance. Excitedly she repeat- ed again all that she knew. Swiftly she knelt down to show where the blood spot was. vexatious annoyance. frantically exclaiming: “‘ The blood is gone. Somebody has wiped it out.” Quimby rubbed his long, sallow fin- gers across his lantern jaw. “I won- der,” he said slowly, “if you are not seeing things. In the early evening She uttered a cry of . She leaped up. there’s a light carries over from Haile- - akola. ‘The Kanakas say they see things in that light—things that aren’t SO, J wonder if it could have affected you.’ A dread apprehension was clutching at Rova’s heart. She had no doubt now that there was something malign in Quimby’s purpose. She knew she was trapped, but she did not give rein to her impulses at once and turn on him as she was minded. Instead she said soberly: :‘‘ You saw him here a moment ago, yourself. So did I. Now he is gone. Where is he?” “Must have dropped overboard,” Ouimby suggested. “But I saw him lying here uncon- scious.” “Maybe he’s below somewhere,” Quimby started back toward the com- panionway. Rova went forward. “Of course, but he’s up this way.” She darted toward the swinging doors to the steerage, but she was not quick enough for Quimby, who got there ahead of her. “Pardon me,” a look first. said he. “T’Il take a =e PR ar ~ Pee A= — ate “ ae Ph i ee ny ar! “7 eae prt is ies Se Se See by | You might be embar- rassed.” Quimby gave a cursory glance down over the es = the eae