Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 3 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

330 | The main cabin was well appomted in hardwood, with red cushions on the tran- soms and a creeping plant or so hanging here and there. A canary chirped up and broke into rolling song. It was all homey, innocuous. Yet he had been drugged at the same table not so long before. And now he was pledged a share of ungathered gold. It was a far cry back to his desk in the Times office. A Japanese entered, sturdy of white-clad figure, deft, polite, furtively,curious. He had brought in some ham and eggs, strong coffee, sliced canned peaches, bread, and butter. He served as Rainey ate heartily, feeling his old self coming back with the food, especially with the coffee. “Thanks, Tamada,” he said as he pushed aside his plate at last. “Everything arright, sir?” purred the Japanese. Rainey nodded. The “sir” was reas- suring. He was accepted as a somebody aboard the Karluk. Tamada cleared away swiftly, and Rainey felt for his own ciga- rettes. He hesitated a little to smoke in the cabin, thinking of the girl, wondering whether she was on deck, where he in- tended to go. Some one was snoring in a stateroom off the cabin, and he fancied by its volume it was Lund. It was a divided ship’s company, after all. For he knew that Lund, handicapped with his blindness, would live perpetually suspicious of Simms. against Lund. Rainey’s own position was a paradox. He started for the companionway, and a slight sound made him turn, to face the girl. She looked at him casually as Rainey, to his annoyance, flushed. “Good afternoon,” said Rainey. you going on deck?” It was not a clever opening, but she seemed to rob him of wit, to an extent. He had yet to know how she stood concern- ing his presence aboard. Did she counte- nance the forcible kidnaping of him as a possible tattler? Or— “My father tells me you have decided to go with us,” she said, pleasantly enough, but none too cordially, Rainey thought. “Dr. CarlSen helped me to my decision.” “* Are And the doctor was THE ARGOSY, She did not seem to regard this as a thrust, but stood lightly swaying to the pitch of the vessel, regarding him with grave eyes of appraisal. “You fave not been well,” she said. ‘TI hope you are better. Have you eaten?” Rainey began to think that she was ig- norant of the facts. And he made up his mind to ignore them. There was nothing to be gained by telling her things against her father—must less against her fiancé, the doctor. ‘Thank you, I have,” he said. going to look up Mr. Lund.” The sentence covered a sudden change of mind, He no longer wanted to go on deck with the girl. They were not to be inti- mates. She was to marry Carlsen. He was an outsider. Carlsen had told him that. So she seemed to regard him, impersonally, without interest. It piqued him. ‘“ Mr. Lund is in the first mate’s cabin,” said the girl, indicating a door. ‘“ Mr, Bergstrom, who was mate, died at sea last voyage. Doctor Carlsen acts as navigator with my father, but he has another room.” She passed him and went on deck. Carlsen was acting first mate as well as sur- geon. That meant he had seamanship. Also that they had taken in no replace- ments, no other men to swell the little cor- poration of fortune-hunters who knew the secret, or a part of it. It was unusual, but Rainey shrugged his shoulders and rapped on the door of the cabin. It took loud knocking to waken Lund. At last he roared a “ Come in.” Rainey found him seated on the edge of his bunk, dressed in his underclothes, his glasses in place. Rainey wondered whether he slept in them. Lund’s uncanny intui- tion seemed to read the thought. He tapped the lenses. . “Hate to take them off,” he said. “Light hurts my eyes, though the optic nerve is dead. Seems to strike through. How’re ye makin’ out?” Rainey gave Lund the full benefit of his blindness. The giant could not have known what was in the doctor’s mind, but he must have learned something. Lund was not the type to be satisfied with half answers, and undoubtedly felt that he held “1 was Gomichbooks (C@)