The Argosy, January 1907 — page 21: what you’re looking at

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

IN THE DEPTHS OF DISASTER. would disregard any advice I might give, no matter what its worth. The strain of the situation told on me. ‘The fierce movements of the boat, the constraint of narrow quarters with hands made fast, the lack of food, the nervous tension in the face of peril, these combined to break down my strength, so that at last I fell into a semiunconscious condition, during which I realized noth- ing clearly except the wild onslaughts of the waves and my own misery. Finally [ lost sense of where { was com- pletely. { was aroused by a loud voice, yelling in my ears, accompanied by acute pain in my back. I opened my eyes and stared about me wildly. It was dim daylight, and I realized that some one stood over me, shouting. Then again the pain in my back gripped me, and I became wide awake. [t was José roaring at me and he punctuated his words with vicious thrusts from the muzzle of his gun. I sat up, cringing. | “Out with you! Out with you! Do you hear?. Get out!” the brigand cried wrathfully. Even yet I did not understand. I looked around and saw that Billy was standing beside me. At the same mo- ment I realized, too, that the gale had moderated, and that the yawl lay in the tiny harbor of a cay. “Get up, and get out!” José repeated, in a rage, and again he thrust the gun- barrel violently into the small of my back. At that I struggled to my feet and stood beside Billy. “What does it mean?” English, ‘Why, it means,’ my brother an- !?? L asked in swered bitterly, “that our friend here is’ superstitious and believes that we are Jonahs. He swore to maroon us as a sacrifice to the devil if he rode out the gale. He’s regularly scared and doesn’t dare set.sail with us on board. So he’s leaving us here.” = ereret” I gazed about me with dawning horror. ‘The cay was not more than two furlongs in length; less than that in width. On it there was nothing—no verdure, no water, no shelter. 203 ‘“ Here!” I repeated softly, and fell silent. At a nod from José, the negro came toward us, a long knife in his hand. At the sight I thought that this was to be the moment of our slaughter, and the idea was welcome. Billy guessed my mind. ‘“No,” he said, “ José hasn’t the nerve to kill us outright after his terror in the gale, or even to order us killed.” As he spoke, Sanchez reached our side, and with two strokes of the knife had set us both at liberty. For a moment I moved my arms freely, in delight at the release. Then the horror of the thing returned. José addressed us brutally: ‘There is food and water—now go!’ As he spoke, Sanchez offered us a small sack of provisions and a cask ,of water. “Off with you!” José shouted. “I lose your price as slaves. [ will not have you with me—no, not for a moment.” For a long moment I gazed into the evil face. The small black eyes were blazing, the brow beneath its tangle of hair was furrowed with wrath, the scar burned livid across his cheek, the mouth was set in the snarl of a trapped beast. There was fear in the shrinking poise of the burly frame. The man was terrified. His rage was but a veneer over devouring horror. [ wondered if the spirits of his victims had shrieked to him amid the uproars of the tempest. The man was a coward, and haggled with his superstition rather than confess the truth even to himself. He was a coward, and _ therefore brutal, utterly heartless, conscienceless. He had issued his decree. He stood with cocked gun in hand, as did Sanchez. Appeal would be useless. I had taken the cask of water into my hands. Billy had the provisions. I gave my brother one look. He nodded. I turned and leaped into the sea. ] CHAPTER V. THE CLANK OF A GHASTLY ARMY. We waded ashore, and then, worn as we were by our sufferings, dropped down on the sand, and sat there dripping. COMMICLOO® (C@)