The Argosy, August 1914 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

NOBODY LOVES A LOSER. “What did you do with it?” Jack asked. “Well, don’t you let on. ’Count of things bein’ the way they are, cap’n’s given out that he ain’t usin’ the pound now, and he ain’t been for three or four days because it’s been empty. But we didn’t think best to throw that almighty big school of fat fish on th’ market all to once. “So we iced twenty bar’ls for the next day steamboat and th’ rest we put in th’ pound. They’re there when we want them. Cap’n has sent on to find out how the market is, and soon as he learns where he can get the best prices he’s goin’ to send them along. Only way to get your money’s worth out of fish is to keep people hungry for them.”’ Jack closed his eyes and lay quiet a minute. It was pleasant to think he had contributed to this successful turn. Indeed, it had been wholly his achieve- ment, and his fellows gave him credit. “You'll get your share—a big one, Jack,” Herb promised. “ More’n you'd make sailin’ a barge for a year.” Jim Tarkis appeared and shooed the men away. He wanted to keep Jack an invalid as long as he could, enjoying the sense of authority it gave him. Captain Zed had been in that morn- ing to see personally that Jack was re- ceiving all the attention he deserved. He also had paid tribute to the young fisherman, acknowledging the debt he and the others owed. His compli- ments gave the sick man a temporary sense of gratification. : Yet as soon as he was left alone he began to question whether, after all, this were worth the price, were worth the self-denial. involyed in running away from Butch Horlock. The pit of his stomach was still sore enough to remind him at every movement of Buck Potter’s jab. To stand up to Butch Horlock for a half-hour on the turf that morning would have been the keenest pleasure of his life. He was in an ill mood to judge the merits of his conduct. irs 65 Something lay back of the fit of despondency into which he had fallen, a fit so alien to his nature. He told himself he might as well admit it. The cause was the failure of Jessica Hooper to come and see him. There was no obvious reason why she should not have called. He knew that often, when the crew was away of a morning, she came and visited with old Jim Tarkis, sometimes helping him with the cooking by way of passing the time. And, after all, it was no more than he had a right to expect, after having rescued her from Butch* Hor- lock’s unweleome attentions. Yet, so faw’as he knew, she had not even inquired concerning his health. It was impossible she should have failed to hear of his injury. She fol- lowed every detail of the Hooper gang’s career with the interest of a partner. It occurred to him, running over events, that he had not passed her on his race to announce the discovery of the mackerel. Yet afterward she had appeared at the top of the cliff. Could she have seen him running and thought he was seeking safety in flight from an enemy? The blood surged into his face at this conjecture, but immediately the answer offered. She had heard that he brought news of fish, and that was full and adequate explanation of his haste. Could he have known, there had been an unpleasant quarter-hour for the girl when that very suspicion had found lodgment in her breast. Nurs- ing her sore heart aside from the high- way, she had witnessed the breathless passage of the young man. The im- mediate conclusion which jumped to her mind was precisely what he pic- tured. It offered a cruel addition to the load she carried. To have seen him with his arm around another girl was bad enough, but to witness a display of cowardice after offering so brave a front was superfluous degradation. COnicoookKks (C@