The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 143: what you’re looking at

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

IN FROZEN FETTERS. “What, is the Goodcheer still in sight ? ” “You can see her light now and then when she rises to the top of a wave.” “ She’s in danger, then.” “Not if she stays outside—keeps what that funny man, Bobolink, calls ‘plenty of sea room.’ ”’ “The waves pound on the coast with a terrible din along yonder.” “And why have you been so long? Where are the ptarmigan you went for?” “T shall have to plead guilty to lazi- ness,” said Feltnar, Jaughing. “I bring no game——” He stopped. His companion had sud- denly clutched his arm. ‘What is that?” she cried. “Where? ” “The light—don’t you see it? The light along yonder? Is it a boat at an- chor? It looks like one, yet that must be on shore.” Feltnar swung about and saw -the lantern in the hands of the Wild Wom- an still flashing up and down. Before he could reply, however, there was a distant report at sea, and the blackness of the chill night was illuminated faintly by a hurtling rocket that sped up from the deck of the bark in the offing. “There goes the signal from the ship again,” said Indridi in a lower tone. “Tt seems much nearer shore now.”’ There was the hasty pounding of feet, and Bobolink arrived, panting. “That you, Mr. Feltnar?” he cried. “D’ye see it? She’s sent up another light.” “What does it mean?” gasped the younger man. “Why, damme, it means they’ve got too near to shore—jest’s I said they would if they weren’t careful. That were a question-arsker, that were!” “A what?” “Why, they wanter know where they be—or if there’s good anchorage. Mebbe they think there’s some’at ashore here that can answer them ” Feltnar seized his arm and swung him about so that he should face the twinkling hight along the beach. “What does that look lke to you, Bobolink ? ” he demanded. C. OUgle 139 “Glory be!” exclaimed the other. “Ts that another craft in yonder? Thought that big feller said there warn’t no anchorage hereabout? ” ‘“ And there isn’t. That 1s a light on the shore.” “ Why, no, sir. That’s a ship’s light, as plain as plain! ” “.It is a lantern m—in somebody’s hand!” exclaimed Feltnar, catching himself in time. “A lantern? Not a lamp in a ship’s bows? Not the light of a ship at an- chor?” No, sir, 1t is not.” Bobolink burst out with a string of profanity, for he had forgotten the girl’s presence. “The hell hounds!” he cried. “ ‘They’re bound to wreck her. They’re tollin’ her in with that light. Skipper Josh “Il think there’s good ground for an iron here, believing that a craft 1s already swingin’ here ahead of him.” “That’s it!” exclaimed FTeltnar. “We must stop it. Come on, Bobo- link!” Then, as he dashed down the slope, he called back over his shoulder: “Don’t you follow us, Miss Indridi! Go down and send Eirik.” But he didn’t want Eirik. All he de- sircd was to keep the girl from knowing that it was the Wild Woman who had been set to do this evil deed. He raced over the lava in the dark- ness, risking his neck at every stride; but Bobolink followed more slowly. Feltnar determined to quench that light which he saw bobbing still like a devilish will-o’-the-wisp. Would he be in time to save the bark outside from making a serious mistake ? Captain Josh Bender and the usually astute Toole must both be drunk to have allowed the Goodcheer to come so near to the coast, anyway. The second mate, Candy, he knew was not a very good officer. He crossed the level track at last and began to climb to the heights where the Wild Woman plodded back and forth, swinging her lantern tirelessly. as she had doubtless been taught to do by the man in the cloak. That devil! He was the one at the COMRRIC LOO COL