The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

A SECRET OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, 397 from Boston with four men in the fo’castle, an’ I reckon I can get around to New York without any more.’’ ‘“Le’s see, where’d I hear the Nady was bound fur this v’yage ?”’ ‘‘T dunno, Herrick, I’m sure. You can hear almost anything in this town of busybodies,’’ replied the captain sharply. ‘Oh, not that /’m cur’ous,’’ the other hastened to assure him. ‘‘ But I jes’ asked.”’ ‘Ves: well, she’s bound back to Aukland, New Zealand, an’ mebbe to Australia for a return cargo.”’ Satisfied on this point, the hotel keeper began on another tack. ‘‘Hem! I s'pose the house’ll be opened now,’’ he said, ‘‘ seein’ Sydney’s got back from college,”’ ‘‘Sydney’s going this trip with me as second mate,’’ returned Captain Latimer, and Thorne detected a note of triumph in his voice. ‘'Sho! yeou don’t say !’’ exclaimed the other. ‘‘ Well, well! that’s sar- tainly surprisin’. I persumed college ’d change all that. Didn’t know but mabbe yeou’d settle daown here in Rivermouth yersslf, an’ give up goin’ ter sea.”’ ‘Let me tell you, Herrick, that Sydney Latimer, graduate of a high toned college, is Just the same as to sense, as Sydney Latimer wzthout a college education. ’ Just then he saw Thorne in the corner. ‘“ How d’ye do, sir ?’’ he said, taking the young’ man’s hand in his tar stained palm. ‘‘I got your telegram, and we'll be afloat tonight. The ear- peuters and riggers have got their work done, an’ the Naida’s as trim asa young girl. The cargo’s all ready, an’ by working a night shift as well as a day, we'll have it all stowed down in ten days or so.”’ ‘‘ That’s encouraging.’’ 7 7 ‘Oh, I know just how anxious you are,’’ pursued the captain, while the inquisitive Herrick listened with both eyes and ears wide open, ‘‘ But you so down tothe brig, sir, and Sydney will show you your quarters. The cook’s made things as comfortable for you as can be.’’ He strolled out of the hotel, and after Thorne had eaten his dinner, under a perfect fusillade of questions from the landlord, he went down to the water front. The rain was still falling in an uncertain, drizzling fashion. Three men in tarpaulins were rolling heavy casks from the wharf to the brig’s deck, and a figure in a long rubber coat, reaching from neck to heels, and a mon- strous sou’wester, directed their movements from the quarter. ‘This must be Sydney Latimer,’’ thought Thorne, ‘‘ the college bred second mate of the Naida. I hope he’l] be good company. Wonder what university he hails from ?’’ | It seemed odd for a college graduate, even though he was the son of the captain, to be tramping the quarter deck of a sailing vessel. The three sailors were still struggling with the cask as Thorne clambered over the rail to the brig’s wet deck. As he stood there a moment watching them Jower the unwieldy article into the hold, a voice said overhead : ‘Do you wish to see Captain Latimer, sir ?’’ Gomichooks.co 5}