Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 93: what you’re looking at

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

Daybreak of the following moraing found her in a still wild sea, beneath ugly clouds, moving along slowly, forever southwest of west. : It was when the weather hfted and some- thing could be discerned besides scudding clouds and flying spume that the lookout shouted his sudden discovery—a derelict lying directly in the path of the. Victorine, but still some distance off. The officers of the Victorine crowded her bridge. rail to view the dismasted steamer. No smoke curled upward from her spray- whitened funnel. No sign of life appeared about her damaged decks. She flew a sig- nal of distress—a signal that was a wreck in itself. The chief mate of the Victorine paled as he studied her through strong glasses. Be- fere sailing from Liverpool he had read of the loss of the Barbuda, and had found among the names of those missing that of Katrina Fleming, the girl he had once hoped to marry. Had fate thrown this abandoned hulk across his course as a bitter re- minder ? Captain Downie altered his course so as to lay the Victorine alongside the derelict. A short distance from her he hove to. A boat in charge of the mate soon rode along- side the Barbuda’s after-well deck. Board- ing her was no easy matter, but, owing to the oil-bags, the seas were gliding under her instead of breaking over her. Gordon-Channing was first aboard, while clase at his heels followed a sturdy Norwe- gaan sailor. For a brief moment the young English- man paused. Gravely he removed his cap and stood with his head bowed. Katrina —Katrina of the tawny eyes! Katrina, the girl he loved. Her feet had touched these decks! : Gordon - Channing pulled himself. up short and replaced his cap before the Nor- wegian noticed his preoccupied state of mind. ‘“ Lord, what a mess!”’ he exclaimed as he surveyed the after-end of the ship. ‘‘ She looks as if she had been shot to pieces! Even the wreckage has been washed over the side!” Just then his eyes lighted upon a neatly THE DERELICT. 87 coiled line. It was glistening wet, but by, shipshape, beneath his astonished gaze. ‘* Larsen!” he cried. ‘‘ There’s some one alive aboard her!” The Norwegian nodded stolidly. “ The papers said some of her crew stood by,” the mate added. ‘“ The skipper was injured. Gad, let’s get above and find them!” Larsen dumbly followed him forward to the saloon companionway. There the two men came to a sudden pause. From the promenade-deck, clear and high, came the sweet song of a canary. And somewhere— for the moment they mistrusted their ears —somewhere below they heard the soft bleating of sheep. The mate sped up the steps, Larsen at his heels, and sprang out upon the ‘deck. In a brief flash, his eyes took in the scene. The promenade-deck was bare, denuded of awnings and almost stripped of stanchions. Part of the rail was gone, a taut line being stretched across the gap. From a hook high on the house hung a gilded cage, in which warbled a bright-yel- low bird. About him, the newly risen sun flashed upon the ship and discovered to the seeking eyes bright brass beneath the storm’s drenching. Gordon-Channing went quickly to the captain’s quarters and knocked, sharply, on the doar. Receiving no answer, he looked within. There was not a sign of any one. He gave a hasty glance toward the bridge, and, seeing the newly polished engine-room telegraph, he raced up the ladder. The bridge was spotless. Everywhere the bright- work fairly blazed. And then he felt Larsen’s hand clutching his arm. “Look, sir!” the man exclaimed. The doar of the chart-room stood open and over the sill stepped a dainty, fluffy Persian kitten, yawning and stretching him- self lazily. The mate stared; then, with a quick ex- clamation, he went to the open door and looked in. Katrina was sleeping. Her hair spread in wind-blown disarray over the pillow. An arm, thrown across her face, partly hid her features. Under a sadly crumpled silk shirt, her bosom rose and fell with each deep (GO) MIC OOO (CO