Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

THE SCANDAL ON KITIKAT KEY. 497 on the floor of the veranda with a wide grin. Susan sprang to her feet. e Why I she gasped. “Those are my suitcases.” “Be ca’m, Susie; be ca’m,” her Uncle Ham said soothingly. “Ye see, Susie,’ put in Unele Jethro, in a dry, crackling voice, “ your Uncle Ham and me—” He stopped, or his voice became too faint to hear, like a wireless station dying out on a staticy night. : “Tt’s like this,” Uncle Ham took up the fraying thread. “Uncle Jethro and me, we’ve been called on to put- form a most delicate and dangerous mission. And the Lottie Lee ain't no place for a tender, refined young girl like you while the mission is bein’ undertook.” “You're joking!” the girl cried. “There ain’t a chuckle nearer than a hundred miles of either of us,’’ Uncle Ham went on soberly. “ We got to drop you off here a few days, honey, while we go on this here delicate, dangerous mission. Cousin Gerald here will take good keer of you, won’t you, Gerald?” “But—say—listen—I mean—”’ Ger- ald blurted, , “It’s absolutely preposterous,” Susan exclaimed. “ Do you mean to tell me, you two cooked this up between you, even had Jeremy secretly pack my suitcases—planned to maroon me here on this little island with—with—” A plump dusky ghost floated out on the porch and the restrained tones of Aunt Becky were heard to say: “How many’s they gwine be fo’ dinnuh, Misto Gerry?” yest two,” put quickly. “Jest Gerry and this here young lady. We're leavin’ right away. Come on along, Jethro. a minute to linger.” The two old men edged toward the steps. “Light’s goin’ fast,” Jethro. 5A We ain’t got gasped Uncle “We'll be back in a few in Uncle Sam,. days, Gerry, my boy; and in the mean- time, you take good keer-of this leetle lady. You mark me?” “Uncle Jethro,” Gerry panted, “if this is a joke, it’s gone far enough. Honest, you don’t intend leaving this girl behind, do you? haven’t accommodations for her here. This place is rough. It’s a man’s place. The food is rough.” “No rougher’n schooner food!” “But the accommodations here—” “No more cramped than the schooner’s!” ‘ But there’s nothing for her to do around here!” “Tm not going to stay!” Susan. “Susan,” said Uncle Ham in a thick, menacing voice, “I’m orderin’ you to stay. Are you goin’ to obey me or ain’t your” ? “Oh, but Uncle Ham—” Gerry drowned the rest of her protest under a flood of his own. “Look here, Uncle Jethro; this is pretty thick. I tell you, this is no place for a girl, and I don’t take the responsibility—” He was speaking, he saw, to empti- ness. In the purpling darkness, the two old rogues were trotting down the path to the schooner. He heard them gallumping out on the pier, then the rattling of a sail. “Up with that jib!” snarled a voice. Gerry rushed out upon the pier. They had cast off the lines, and the Lottie Lee was moving out into the cove. Gerald gathered himself together for the leap as he ran. He came down, thundering, on the forward cabin and eyes the mainmast to steady him- self. Uncle Ham instantly loomed up be- side him, “What are you doin’ on this ship?” the old man barked. “Listen!” Gerry pleaded. “Let me go along. She’ll be all right back there. Aunt Becky will make things comfort- wailed Fae eer < ae —~ -- r= * z 5 t Good Lord, I