The Argosy — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

to ee Fe es ee PSS Ae, whee pO ers ORLY tayo ee RS ae ee yey THE VOYAGE OF THE PULO WAY. 277 But what I had easily grasped, and what, indeed, I had long since known, was the fact that my presence on board the Pulo Way did not meet with the approval of the captain or his mate; and if my imaginings were not wholly vain, I expected some personal assurance of it before long. Another thing that puzzled me was the mention of the nameGupp. Who and what was Gupp? And what had he to do with this enterprise? Here I was entirely nonplussed, for I knew that from the officers to engineers no one on board had such a name. I was naturally forced to conclude that Mr. Gupp was a gentleman who had given good advice and stayed behind in Hong Kong. Wise Mr. Gupp; I envied him his wisdom. But I was to learn more of him the next morning. About half past ten, as I sat alternately reading and watching the water break on the island just abeam of us, to which we had drawn very near during the night, Hayling came aft, and when opposite me he stopped. ‘“ Morning,’’ he said. ‘‘ Have you seen our new third ?’’ ‘“ New third ?’’ I echoed. ‘“ Yes; a most tremendous surprise. A gentleman by the name of Gupp.”’ This was too much for me. I sprang excitedly from my chair. ‘“You’re joking, Hayling.’’ ‘“Honor bright,’’ said he. ‘‘Go forward yourself and you’ll see him marching up and down the bridge as large as life.’’ ‘Who is this man ?”’ ‘Hanged if I know. The captain brought him forward this morning and introduced him as ‘Mr. Gupp, our new third officer.’ It was not my business to-ask who Mr. Gupp was or where the deuce he sprang from.’’ ‘But you guess who he is? ’”’ ‘“Yes. If Iam not mistaken, he is the big coolie who mounted the gun forward ;’’ and with that he slipped from my side and passed aft to the wheelhouse; but so suddenly that I looked round to see the cause. The captain had just come up from below. I strolled forward to have a peep at Mr. Gupp, and saw a big, stout inan, with a fat, clean shaven face. I couldn’t get avery close look at him, but what Isaw did not impress me. ‘Truly, the Pulo Way was a strange ship, and I guessed instinctively that the curtain was about to rise on the first act of a stranger drama. CHAPTER VI.—LvUIZ THE PORTUGEE. For the next two days we lay idly floating upon the water, apparently as helpless as a log, though, curious to relate, the ship never seemed to drift within a dangerous distance of the land. Indeed, more than once during my half waking slumbers I dreamed that the engines were going slowly ; but that, according to official statement, was an utter impossibility. And yet I doubted that it was all a dream. During this time I could not have spoken more than half a dozen words to Captain Macshiel. He seemed purposely to avoid me, and whenever I COTpniclaoolK< (S@)