The Argosy, Vol. 81, No. 4 — page 160: what you’re looking at

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

726 wave of his hand toward the boat. “Get in here. There is not a second to waste.” There was no doubt of the urgency of the warning. The-deck was tilted to an angle of almost forty-five degrees. The starboard rail beside which they were gath- ered lacked but a.few inches of being awash. Nevertheless, Tom showed no haste to obey the injunction. He cast his eye over the number already in the boat, reckoned with a glance those still to go in, saw that there could not fail to be dangerous over- crowding, and stepped back with folded arms. “After you, my dear Alphonse,” he nod- ded to the captain. ‘“‘Nonsense!”’ and the captain ripped out an impatient oath. “Get in there, as I bid you. I am not going.” “Well, then, neither am I,” «retorted Tom with equal firmness. “I am the owner of this line, remember, and it’s my privi- lege to be the last man to leave the ship.” The captain said nothing for a second, but went ahead filling up the boat. At last there was but one place left. It was evident that one of the two men would have to remain behind. With a sudden flash of his eye, the skip- per whirled upon Tom. “Owner or no owner, Captain Bradley, this is a vessel on the high seas, and I am in supreme command. _ ['l stand mutiny from you no more than from any other pas- senger. Now you get aboard there,” his big “fist clenched, ‘“‘or, by the Lord Harry, Tl have you thrown in.’ As he spoke, he glanced toward two sail- ors who were already in the boat, and in re- sponse to the signal they half-rose from their places. Tom, however, yielded not an inch to the show of force. He was the rightful owner of the Bradley Line, he told himself; and that being settled in his own mind, it was as natural for him to play the part to the limit as it was for him to breathe. “So you’re in supreme command, eh?” He drew himself up with dignity. “Well, listen; I give you your discharge here and now, to take effect at once.” He had not the slightest idea whether or not the law would back up an owner in any such radi- cal step; but Tom was never one to hesi- tate on any such point as that. “Now, I am in supreme command, I guess, and you the passenger.” THE ARGOSY. It was a comic opera situation in the face of an impending tragedy. What the result of the conflict of authority would have been, though, it was not hard to con- jecture. In another moment, Tom would have been ingloriously hauled aboard the boat and restrained there by main force. But even as the skipper raised his voice in an exasperated snarl to give the order, and Tom, true to his colors, was about to issue an exactly contrary command, an ap- pealing cry from down the deck caused them both to halt and turn sharply around. Toward them, stumbling and staggering across the slope of planking, came a ragged little oiler, his face ghastly with fright and smeared with blood, his clothes almost torn from his body. “Gosh!” The skipper swore softly un- der his breath. “I thought every Sue soul was off.” It developed afterward that this man had been caught in the crash when the two ships collided in the fog, and had been knocked unconscious. “Tt looks to.me, captain,” a quiet smile, stay behind.” The skipper made no answer in words, but taking a step or two forward, caught the injured oiler in his arms and flung him aboard the waiting boat. Then quickly loosing the falls, and watching for the most opportune moment, he let the overloaded craft down to the waves. It struck the water with an awkward splash, careened a moment and threatened to crush itself against the side of the Ess- bee; then as the men caught desperately at their oars it righted and was borne out of danger. “Give way, there!” the skipper shouted, megaphoning through his hands. “Give way!” A chorus of farewells drifted back; the sailors bent to their stroke, and a moment later the boat had disappeared in the en- veloping fog. The two men were left alone upon the doomed ship. The skipper stood at the rail, straining his eyes after the departing boat. Then he turned back toward Tom. “Captain Bradley,” he said, “lf you don’t mind, I should like to shake hands with you. You have shown me that there is at least one owner who has red blood in his veins, and who—”’ _ He halted abruptly and peered closer, an said Tom with VOOKS AMG “fas if we were both booked to (E@) (E@)