Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 4 — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

SO ENDS said. ‘“ We'll have to tackle ’em as they come in. Take your choice.” He selected his own, and swung it through the air, mak- ing the steel sing with the cleaving stroke. ‘“‘ Badly hurt?” he queried at Sykes and the second mate. Miss Burton had quiétly started to do what she could for them, the girl assisting her. They tore strips from their white petticoats for bandages. “Nothink to fuss habout,” said Sykes. “ W’ot in ’ell started it?” “They were after me,” said Samson. He was fiddling with the cutlases. In the dusk of the cuddy his brown face seemed a trifle gray. Mary Leigh noticed that his hand shook as he lifted a weapon. The skipper went to the door and glanced out through a loophole. The Malays were all jabbering amidships. All save the first man he had hit with the belaying-pin. “Eleven to four of us,” he muttered, half to himself. ‘We can’t count on Evans. They’ve got him out of it.” ‘Is there any way to get into the main’ cabin through this?” asked the girl, tapping with her foot upon a trap, outlined beneath the cuddy matting. - “No,” answered the skipper. ‘“ Leads into the lazaretto. There’s a bulkhead be- tween that and the cabin. Locked with hasps that bolt clean through the teak. And the keys in my pocket. If any one could get through it ’ud be Evans, if he happened to think of it. And it ’ud take him an hour. They’d rush him. This thing. will be settled before dark. If it isn’t— I wonder what the devil they are up to?” he barked irritably. “ What about Quong?”’ asked the girl. “You needn’t worry about him. He’s half Malay, anyway. If they force his hand he’ll join. Here comes Badoun.” 4 CHAPTER IV. ‘So ENDS THIS DAY.” E had spoken with an eye fast to the loophole. His thoughts were gloomier than they showed in his voice. The Malays had got hold of axes. He feared an attack on the cuddy after dark. He feared that the crew might set ——-onrrer ry OO GlE—-—— THE OHIO STATE J (GOMPL(EOOOLK THE DAY. 607 fire to the ship, if resistance was too strenu- ous and costly to their side, leaving, then, < in the boats. He feared the heat, thirst, hunger. He thought of a sortie, but to emerge through the cuddy-door would mean that they would be cut down by men who could stand beside the opening and hack at them. And, if the men were killed— what of the women? He thrust that lead aside, welcoming the sight of Badoun. From somewhere the ‘serang had pro- duced a Malay sword. The _ skipper thought grimly of the motto—strip a Ma- _lay and yowl always find a kris. The crew were supposed to come aboard un- armed, but they had had plenty of oppor- tunities to smuggle in their knives, and had, as usual, availed themselves of them. With his sword in his hand, Badoun ad- vanced aft, two of his men, carrying axes as well as their krises, close behind him. These he posted by the companion hatch, evidently to guard against any attempt from Evans to break through from below. It was plain that Badoun was leader. The ¢smdal ruled the men as arbiter of their own regulations, but Badoun was the fight- ing man. He glanced at the cuddy-door, where the gleam of the skipper’s eye must have been visible. His face was cruel and confident. Opposite the door he stopped and hailed the skipper. _ “Tuan, let me speak along of you. I wish you no harm. See.” He laid sword and kris back of him on the hatchway, and stepped closer to the door. “ Stand back,” said the skipper to those in the cuddy. I’m going to talk with him.” He flung open the other half of the door. ‘“‘ Now then, Badoun, what is the mean- ing of this? It’s mutiny on the high seas. Youll hang for it.” “‘T think not, Tuan.”’. Badoun spoke in musical sing-song, but there was menace in the tone—menace, and assurance. ‘“ We not want harm you, or ship. We want Samsoni. Suppose you give us him, all right, we take him. We go in boats. Go now, before wind come. ‘Suppose you no give us Samsoni,” he went on, “then we kill all of you. We _ kill all the men. We kill all the women—