The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 3 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

* 420 A SECRET OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC. Thorne saw that there was no use trying to break down quarter deck prejudice, so he stood by in silence and watched ’Tonio’s fruitless search. ““Tt’s no use, Massa Latimer,’’ declared the cook. ‘‘ Dere ain’t no } whisky hyar. I’se s’arched eberyt’ing.”’ 3 Captain Latimer led the retreat to the deck in gloomy silence. As they came out of the forecastle his eyes rested on a scene amidships which brought an exclamation of dismay to his lips. Back to back against the mainmast stood the mates, Sessions and Pepper, the former with a drawn revolver, the latter holding a pump brake aloft in his brawny hands. ‘The sailors were grouped about the pump and Atwell was talking loudly. Tom Shields, the Englishman, was at the wheel and Jessop stood beside him leaning on the rail, his back to the scene as though it had not the slight- est interest for him. But while Captain Latimer and the cook stared at this, Thorne’s gaze was attracted by something entirely different. Rolling up from the south was a sinister looking mass of cloud, its upper edge of a strange copper hue. It was bearing directly for the brig and driving the sea in a hissing white wave before it. CHAPTER X.—THE TOWERING CLIFF. ‘‘Mutiny, Captain Latimer !’’ roared Mr. Pepper, seeing his superior, with the cook and sok oss appear at the forecastle door. ‘‘ The scoundrels refuse to work the pumps.’ ‘“We'’ve jerked these old pump brakes long enough,’’ cried Atwell. ‘“'We’ll do it no longer.’’ ‘“An’ right ye are, mate!’’ growled one of his backers. ‘‘ Let the old tub sink.’’ ‘“We'll take to the boats an’ let her go down an’ be hanged to her !’’ chimed in a third. The men were in earnest, and glowered defiantly at their officers. ‘“Fools!’’ shouted the captain, beside himself with wate ‘Tf there zs a leak the brig will sink while you’re monkeying this way.’ : ‘‘Mebbe we ave fools,’’ returned Atwell. ‘‘ But we ain’t goin’ to be starved an’ kep’ at those pump brakes all the time.’’ ‘‘Don’t you see I’m gettin’ the engine fired up, you fellows?’’ de- manded Pepper, striving to speak pacifically. ‘‘ We’ll soon couple her onto the pumps.’’ ‘To blazes with your engine !’’ was Atwell’s comment. ‘‘ We’ve struck work, me’n’ my mates, an’ that settles it.’’ Captain Latimer started aft. ‘‘Hold on there!’’ called out Atwell. ‘‘Stay forward. We've got ye separate, an’ we mean to keep ye so. Get back into the fo’c’stle, all three of you.”’ He drew a big revolver from his breast and covered the captain and his two companions. At the signal every man among the mutinotis crew brought out some sort of a weapon. ‘There were three or four pistols beside Atwell’s. GComicbooks 3