Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

TEACH: PIRATE DE LUXE. 125 don’t fancy she is the eraft I was expecting. But you never can tell with these mixed patterns.” | ‘“‘ What did you expect?”’ Admiral Teach took his big black pipe out of his mouth, and crinkled his hawk’s nose. ‘ Now, that’s a distinct advance. You're beginning to take interest in the family welfare, Mary. My best thanks. Well, here’s the story. Some vague person, out of space, has been persistently wirelessing to me that he would take all plunder off my hands at fifty per cent value, and pay in gold. ‘“‘ He signed all messages ‘ Cryptol.’ The Western Telegraph’s code-book gives that as the cable address of Griinchild’s. But I can’t say I was ever under the delusion it was that eminent firm of bankers who were ringing me up. So when I did reply it was, ‘Message received. Doubt your stabil- ity.’ 99 “You've quite brought piracy up to date. “Praise from St. Mary is praise in- deed.” “ Go on, man. What did they do next?” Teach chuckled. ‘It’s delicious to see you getting curious. Well, they got stung. Of course, they had to be mighty cautious, because half the world could hear their wireless. But by the messages sent and relayed from three continents, ‘ Cryptol ’ got in an offer which I thought was worth © considering.”’ | _ The point for meeting was, he explained, a more difficult matter, as a practising pi- rate has a certain delicacy about publishing his address through the wireless, which is as public these days as a tramoar or a post- card or the British telephone. But sea- planes, which do their eighty miles per - hour, and modern M. L.s which can reel Off their thirty-eight, simplify this. Teach gave a rendezvous two hundred miles off the eastern American seaboard, and a sea- plane there met a formidable pirate motor- launch, whose officers most thoroughly de- stroyed her wireless. They then gave the seaplane another rendezvous two hundred and fifty miles away east and south, and, after seeing her hum up in the air, motored ad off themselves into other private places in the weed-grown sea. The seaplane, as has been recorded above, drew swiftly up to her rendezvous with the Littondale. The sight-setters of two high-angle guns glued their eyes on her through concealed ports as she advanced, but one of them, the stout Mr. William Pickles, spat dis- gustedly as she drew more near. “ Dve always set my heart on bringing down one of those ducks,’”’ he explained, ‘“and never had a cat’s chance. Look at — that blighter, planing down to the sea. ‘You mark me. He'll taxi up alongside and want to know if he can’t peddle us some Parsee embroideries, or the last real Indian gold Mizpah ring he’s got left, price two dollars.” Mr. Pickles ran a stubby finger round — inside his eighteen-inch collar, and spat dis- gustedly. ‘‘ Pah,’ he said, “ that’s what I think of him. All the same, if there are Mizpah rings going, I could do with half a dozen for some of my little dears.” “Giving no chance for a misunderstand- ing,’’ was the pirate admiral’s comment on the bridge above. “And that tickles your vanity,” Miss Arncliffe retorted. ‘ All who approach Teach, the Terror of the Seas, must crawl on hands and knees for the last two miles.” The pirate scowled at her. ‘“‘ You'll goa bit too far one of these days. Bravado, you'll bear in mind, isn’t pluck.”’ ‘“ Pooh,” said the girl, “‘ you can’t scare | me by your black looks. You gave me your word as a gentleman not to hurt me, and I hold you to it. You can’t forget you are a gentleman, Admiral Edward Teach, what- ever your trade may be at the moment. Now, don’t go on wrangling. MHere’s your — caller, and if you’re not excited about him I am. I hope that horrid squinting Llew- elyn Jones has whipped up a smart after- noon tea.” The seaplane taxied clumsily up, and brought-to a cable’s length from the Lit- tondale, climbing unsafely over the swells. The sea-boat was dropped from davits, and brought the plane’s passenger to the gang- way. A stout spruce man came on board, peeling his air-clothing as he climbed the ladder. GORGE OOO YN S co wo