Argosy, Vol. 118, No. 2 — page 124: what you’re looking at

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

274 pensed the grog allowances and _ stimula- tions for extra work toward the end of the shift, the nightcaps and occasional rewards. “ They’ve swiped it,” he said. ‘“‘ Put an empty one from the hold in its place. We got plenty without usin’ that one for a while, an’ I only happened to notice it this morning by chance. They’ve bin drinkin’ all night, I reckon. © They’re ugly, Mr. Rainey. It’s the seamen this time. They got it. The hunters are sober. Deming ain’t in on this. They did it on their own. I don’t know how they got it. I didn’t get it for ’em, sir. They must have worked plumb through the hold an’ got to it that way.” “ All right, Sandy. Thanks. Mr. Lund can handle them, I guess. He’s coming now.” The men had got to the ice, hidden from Lund, who was walking to the Karluk on the opposite side of the vessel. The seamen were gesticulating freely; the sound of their voices came up to him where he stood, tinged with a new freedom of speech, rough, confident, menacing. As they climbed the trail their legs betrayed them and confirmed the boy’s story. Behind them came the - four hunters, with Hansen, walking apart, watching the sailors with a certain gravity that communicated itself despite the dis- tance. Lund showed at the far rail of the schooner with his bar. He glanced toward the men going to work, went below, and came up again with a sweater. He had left the bar behind him in the cabin, where it was used for a stove poker. The men filed by Rainey, their faces flushed ard their eyes unusually bright. They seemed to share a. prime joke that wanted to bubble up and over, yet held a restraint upon themselves that was eased by digs in each other’s ribs, in laughs when one stumbled or hiccoughed. But Hansen was stolid as ever, and the hunters had evidently not shared the stolen liquor. Only Deming’s eyes roved over the group of men as they gathered round for their cups and pannikins of food. He seemed to be calculating what advantage he could gain out of this unexpected happen- ing. | THE ARGOSY. Peggy Simms, under cover of pouring the - coffee, sweetened heavily with condensed milk, found time to speak to Rainey. ‘““They’re all drunk,” she said. ‘Not all of them. Here comes Lund. He'll handle it.” Lund seemed still pondering the problem of the floe. At first he did not notice the condition of the sailors. Then he appar- ently ignored it. But, after they had eaten, he talked to all the men. “Two more days of it, lads, and we’re through. The beach is nigh cleared. We can git out of the floe to blue water easy enough, an’ we'll git a good start on the patrol-ship. We’ll go back with full pock- ets an’ heavy ones. as large again as they we’ve figgered. I wouldn’t wonder if they averaged sixteen or seventeen thousand dollars apiece.” Rainey had picked out a black-bearded Finn as the leader of the sailors in their debauch. The liquor seemed to have un- chained in him a spirit of revolt that bor- dered on insolence. He stood with his bowed legs apart, mittened hands on hips, staring at Lund with a covert grin. Next to Lund he was the biggest man aboard, With the rum giving an unusual coordination to his usually sluggish nervous system, he promised to be a source of trouble. . Rainey was surprised to see him shrug his shoulders and lead the way in silence down to the beach. Perhaps the breakfast had sobered them, though the fumes of the liquor still clung to their breath. Lund went down, with Rainey beside him, reporting Sandy. “Tl work it out of ’em,” said Lund. “That booze ’ll be an expensive luxury to ‘em, paid for in hard labor.” They found the men ranged up in three groups. Deming and Beale, against cus- tom, had gone down to the beach. They were supposed to help clean the food uten- sils, and aid Tamada after a meal, besides replenishing the fires. They stood a little apart from the hunt- ers and Hansen and i:e sailors. The Finn, talking to his comrades in a low growl, was in a separate bunch. There was an air of defiance manifest, a Gomichoo (C S The shares ’ll be half. (C@