The Argosy — page 73: what you’re looking at

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

3 THE VOYAGE OF THE PULO WAY. 265. This seemed rather to puzzle him. He looked like a man troubled with thought. ‘* Any one down there ?’’ he asked. ‘Only the captain. ‘The mate came up a few minutes ago.’’ ‘Curious !’’ he muttered, under his breath. ‘What is?”’ ‘Oh, nothing. I don’t think our Celestial friend will come aft again in a hurry.’’ ‘‘ Not while you’re about, at any rate.”’ He smiled, but it wasa smile not altogether free of anxiety ; as, indeed, it could hardly have been if he had seen the malevolent scowl on the big Chinaman’s face. I watched him as he went forward along the slippery decks, and I thought of the way his hands went up and the iron look that ‘leaped to his face. There was skill and knowledge in his quick posturing, and a fierce will be- hind his prodigious muscle. Yes, assuredly Mr. Hayling was one whom it would be better not to anger. CHAPTER III].—UNCERTAINTY. Att that afternoon the wind blew so hard that the vessel made little headway. Indeed, there was no attempt at forcing her along; throughout the long hours the engines. were kept at half speed. With me the time passed drearily. Having the whole day on my hands, and no one to whom I could speak, I began to wish I had taken Captain Macshiel’s advice and waited for one of the regular steamers. As for. the captain, he rarely showed up at all, and I did not like to go plaguing the second mate, knowing he would have too little time to rest during such weather. . So having nothing else to do, I went below and tried to sleep, anathema- thizing the delay with all the energy of selfish disappointment. Towards evening the wind went down, and by nine or. ten o'clock the t00n came out and the sea grew comparatively smooth, at least smecoth enough to let us continue our way at full speed. And yet, though I listened anxiously for the quicker beat of the screw, and paid sundry visits to the engine room skylight to watch the slow moving machinery, that quicker beat never came, and those huge cranks continued to revolve in their own ma- jestic fashion. I caught a glimpse of the mate as he was passing aft, and hurrying after him inquired the reason of our slow progression; but he only-gritined and told me to go and ask the captain. This I thought highly uncivil; for the monotony of the day, coupled with a vague mysteriousness which seemed to pervade the ship, was fast driving me into a fit of nervous irritation. Any- thing to relieve the dullness would have been welcome; even the advent of the big Chinaman aft with the request for saloon accommodation. I smoked in solitude until I got tired of the pipe, and then I was glad to creep below and turn in. | - 7 + 2 ww - et we", 2. id Ee See 2s a ee ee ee Pe og ee SO ee > ‘ 2 Se oe ee ee oe se he. e Me Sa me ns ee ~* Song v Big Pe > oe = ee A Tice a a a ee ee ae bot | ae ie ne ——, * eck ee eS ei cha ee OR, te ae ge one ip i “Oia 5 ei age | r. a, - - es Sn no Ag Ma | I was in no hurry to get up next morning, though I saw by the flashing | Eomicbooks.co