The Argosy, October 1906 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

2 - cuddy off the main deck. There I con- _ fronted the skipper and—a lady, as I 2a suppose she’d desire to be called. Captain Milligan was a pocket edition s of his second mate, Silas Hogan—short = and thick, with a mat of red beard under ~ his chin, and a long, cleanly shaven upper dip. His eyes were small and cunning As) P = like a pig’s, and about as expressionless ; 3s his ears were immense, and flared away from the side of his head like a pair of — ___ stuns’ls; his voice reminded you of noth- -. ing so much -as a rusty key grating in a lock; an inflamed’ and bulbous nose = < told of deep and constant potations. a His cempanion was built on a more generous medel physically, being a good: ~ ~~ head taller than the skipper; fer a walk she had a waddle, with that solid set of the heels which some wemen acquire on the shady side of forty-five; she was very - primly dressed in some shiny black stuff, _. with-a huge dinner-plate of a broech at her collar. Her grayish black hair was - plastered smoothly on either temple; : she had a double chin, bold, cruel black eyes, and an aggressive ‘“no-nonsense- - with-me-my-man” sort of manner. In a word, she was, as I divined, a vixen * and the real bass of the ship. Why «didn’t you answer to your mame?” inquired Captain Milligan fiercely. ‘ 3 “Because I didn’t hear it, sir,” I re- * i plied quietly. name. - I was sand-bagged and shang- © haied last night, and that’s a crimp’s title. =: never signed articles for this Tag voyage.” = “ Your mark’s there, anyhow,” said the 2 skipper. : = 23 “Very likely,” I rejoined nonchalant- - ly. ‘We know how those things are _ done, sir. My real name is Miles Ban- tock, formerly mate of the ships Iro-- quois and Flying Chief, and I hold a “master’s certificate. Your second mate, ~Mr.. Hogan, can corroborate this.” _ ““That’s as may be,” sneered the cap- tain, with a disagreeable leer which made my fingers itch to knock him down, while Mrs. Milligan sniffed insultingly. ‘ The voyage, an’ Tom Smith you'll remain. There’s too many ignorant mates knockin’ about. Lost your. last ship, didn’t you?.” _ slops,”’ two an’.a half; half; “Tom Smith is not my ship’s got all the mates she wants this ‘THE ARGOSY. - ee ee * No, I didn’t,” is [ answered shortly Another sniff. “Mr. Coker tells me you want some he went on. ‘ Let’s have the list, then. Mrs. Milligan takes charge of the slop-chest on this ship. = ‘““T want some half-boots, a flannel shirt, oilskins, trousers, some socks, a knife, a belt, a pipe >and tobacco,” was my answer. - The lady of the slop-chest made a list of the things as I called them of. “That all?” he inquired. - — That’s all,’ = was “my laconic an-- swer. “Come back at eight bells a they’ll ~ be ready for you,” and with that he ‘waved me away. Promptly at eight bells I presented myself in the cuddy again, and found ~ my purchases in a pile on the floor. This— time I had to deal with Mrs. Milligan alone. “There you are, young man,” she said, proceeding to. check off each item from her list. ‘‘ Boots, five dollars; shirt, trousers, three an’ a oilers, seven dollars; two pair of socks, one dollar; belt, ‘dolar an’ a half ; knife, one dollar ; pipe, fifty cents ; tobacco, fifty cents; total, twenty-two dollars an’ a half, and I hope this will be a warning to you to let atrong drink alone. in future!” As the old “ she-devil ” announced the prices, and I handled each article, I could not Suppress a whistle of amaze- ment. _ < It was robbery on tes high-seas ! ‘The things were of the cheapest and common- est, at top prices. I had spent nearly two months’ wages in less than half an hour, and what I had to show for the money I could have bought on West Street or ‘the Highway for less than half, and got better goods. But "twas useless to haggle—the : things I must have. The pipe was a cheap. wooden affair with a rubber mouthpiece, and on shore would have been dear at a quarter; the tobacco. was common plug, and she had charged n me half a dollar for two Eg fif- . teen cents at any shop. | _— = Soraiig indignation ‘at