Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

170 half mile out and there taken aboard in a sort of huge parrot-cage of iron bars let down by block and tackle at the end of a boom. Freight was unloaded by slings from the hold, hauled up by the winch and let down to the lighters, or large flatboats with high sides, bow and stern tethered alongside. Luckily, Watson and Clay were told off to get into the hold and help move cargo into the rope slings. Luck was induced by sundry bragging statements made by them in the presence of the second mate, as to how expertly they handled freight at the Balboa terminals. Neither had ever han- dled a sling, or helped unload into a light- er. What they did not actually know about the work they made up for in energy and activity. The main point was, and at which they were so elated, they had managed to get at the strategic point; everything depended upon their making use of the opportunity thus afforded. A lot of miscellaneous freight, groceries, corrugated iron, dry goods and what-not had gone into one lighter, filling it completely. Six men with huge oars were rowing the cumbersome craft slowly shoreward. The last of the general freight was loaded into the second lighter, and then began the task of getting eight hundred sacks of corn out of the hold and into the boats. The men down in the second lighter did not appear to understand how to manipu- late the sling. Their signals to the winch- man could not be understood, they moved as if tired beyond all measure. The cap- tain was fuming at the delay. “Let me go down there, mate—I’ll jazz those spiggoties up and show ’em how to handle that sling?” suggested Watson. “Wish to thunder you would; biggest lot of fools I ever saw.” Watson climbed astride the next turn of seven sacks of corn, was hoisted out of the deep hold, up through the hatch high above the deck, then swung outward at the end of the boom and lowered into the bobbing, dancing lighter below. He un- hooked the sling, began to issue orders in fluent Spanish, and the men jumped to their work. When only a few more slings full would ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. give the lighter her capacity, Watson rode the hook and empty sling back up and then down into the hold. “Those spigs tell me, sir,” he said salut- ing the second mate, “that these are the only two available lighters. If they are left to unload without supervision the ship might as well figure on being here twelve hours longer. If you’ll let Clay come with me to handle one lighter and me the other, we'll speed ’em up and get those tubs back out here in a hurry?” “Good scheme, Watson—hey, you, Clay! Go on this lighter with Watson, and help get discharged; and for the love of Pete hurry those boats back here?” “* Aye, aye, sir; we'll get action for you!” The mate turned to check his tally sheet and Clay threw on the sling of sacks what looked like a bunch of empties, got astride, gave the signal to,hoist and was up and out before the mate could notice anything peculiar. Watson followed on the next turn; the bundle had been shoved aside and the men’s coats thrown over it. Three more turns, and the lighter was loaded. “Well, admiral; so far, so good?” Clay grinned as he saluted. “Get the flagship under way, captain!” “Bear a hand then with an oar, you big stiff, like I’m going to do. I want to feel the soil of Amititlan under my feet!” With each American at an oar doing more than four natives with theirs the lighter moved shoreward, aided by wind and wave. At the pier half the crew of the first boat were sitting around, doing nothing. “Hey, you dad-blasted bunch of six ver guenzas—porque—porque? What ’n ‘ell do you mean? Get to hustling that freight off before I come and knock your blocks off—muy pronto or I'll report you to the port captain. Get a move on you!” The wild, fierce looking, fierce talking red headed man seemed a very besom af fury and energy. The lethargic boatmen sprang to the task, both on his lighter and the other. Picking a man from among the extra help, Watson scribbled a note to the cap- tain saying that Clay and: himself had gone into the hinterland on some urgent personal Gomichooks (E@)