The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

414 A SECRET OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC, ‘“ See here,’’ said Thorne gravely, ‘‘ what is Atwell. up to? What does he think he’ll make out of Mr. Monckton em Jessop was silent, his brown fingers drumming a light tattoo on the brig’s rail. : " Come,’”’ went on Thorne. ‘‘ What’s brewing? I am convinced that the man means mischief. What sort of mischief is he up to?”’ ~ I don’t know nothin’ about it, Mr. Thorne,’’ responded Jessop surlily. ‘“Z hain’t got Sam Atwell’s confidence. Me’n’ my mate, Tom Shields, keeps to ourselves.’’ : But you must suspect something ’ began Thorne. ‘“An’ what we suspects we keeps to ourselves, likewise,”’ interrupted Jessop. He turned abruptly away and strode forward, leaving Thorne in a maze of doubt and perplexity. CHAPTER VIII.—CartEer Monckton INTERFERES. THE ‘' clink-clank ! clink-clank !’’ of the brakes throbbed through the ship until every one felt the sound grate upon his nerves. ‘Thorne heard even burly Mr. Pepper growling to the first mate, one day, that ‘‘the old man should have put in to Valparaiso for repairs.’ But although they were neatly in the latitude of the Chilian port, they were a long way to the west- ward of it. To run back would have meant an enormous waste—in the cap- tain’s opinion—of both time and food. And had he wished to run back, this soon became impossible. A third gale drove the brig into the northwest—a gale which each hour increased in violence. At first it was welcomed, for the wind blew steadily, and although it was carrying the old Naida to the north of her true course, it would be an easy matter to run south again when the blow ceased. But as the days passed it seemed to have no intention of ceasing. With but a few square feet of canvas spread, the Naida flew before the hurricane, and although a few seas broke over her, the waves wrenched her sorely. ' The crew became more surly. Even the cook was unmanageable. The mulatto was a superstitious creature, and he declared he had seen a ghost in the brig’s hold when he was down overhauling the stores. There was an entrance through the bulkhead of the galley into the hold, and ’'Tonio got to his pantry in that way. There was no other way to get into the lower part of the brig but by the hatches, and they were battened down. But the cook swore he had seen a man climbing about over the cargo, and the captain had to detail Mr. Pepper to ‘‘ break out’? such stores as were needed. As the gale continued Thorue noticed that Carter Monckton kept below most of the time. As for himself, he stayed on deck, ready to lend a hand to anything that might come up. One day, after a particularly heavy sea had boarded the brig, and had soaked him to the skin, he went below for dry apparel. The cabin was empty, but as he descended the stairs the door of Monckton’s stateroom was fiung open and its occupant, wild eyed and but half dressed, rushed out into the main cabin. (E() S