Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 124, No. 2 — page 170: what you’re looking at

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

O02 slow degrees, but once he had grasped it he saw that a dispersal of his collection was the only course. It is difficult, perhaps, to teach a parrot anything, but once the bird has learned, nothing short of wringing its neck will prevent an exhibition of its knowledge at those exact moments when a more tactful fowl would preserve a know- ing silence. As a social event the sale was an im- mense success, but its financial results were disappointing. It appeared that the much be-diamonded Mr. Evan Evans, the mate, was also a parrot-fancier, and, look you, these birds were bi-lingual. Well, there was no getting over that. Mr. Pickles spoke the tongue of glorious Devon, and gave the fullest and broadest value to his vowels. To hear Agerness, for ex- ample, prate about her Wilham, you could have sworn she had never been nearest West Africa than Portsmouth dockyard. But when she got on to her lamentable remark about Sweetheart Gladys, you could almost smell the whisky on the accent. If I personally had been a buyer, I do not think this detail would have affected my bid. But you know the austerity of the higher branches of the fancy. Mr. Evans gave a wave of stout fingers, each be- gemmed to the knuckles, that meant final- ity. “Impossible for the show-bench,” was his expert verdict. And so the collection went at break-up prices, which, as the pro- prietor grimly remarked, would be so much the worse one of these days for eight poor little widows. Now I bring this somewhat light episode into an otherwise serious: history because a good deal hinged upon it. Every-day life on the Littondale was un- doubtedly dull. Captures, chases, retreats, ‘and fights are not the prevailing rule with pirates. They are the glittering exceptions. And between while crews are wondering if they will ever be able to realize on their stored loot and live ashore in splendor ever afterward, according to promise, or if that detestable hanging will come along first. One reads of the roaring, drunken times the picaroons of old enjoyed in the days _ Of Teach the First. But under his great ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. grandson’s rule, where a man had to be practically a teetotaller, or go overboard, the Littondale’s pirates were anything but jolly fellows——between excitements, that is. So when Mr. Pickles’s auction came along all hands set to work and extracted from it what gaiety they could. The Littondale, with fires banked, was buttocking sullenly over-weed-hung swells, awaiting a ship which was due to cross that particular steam lane in two days’ time. A warm sea-mist enveloped her up to the crosstrees. ) Even the water-logged wreck of her latest victim, a nitrate-laden bark that refused to sink, was out of sight, although they knew her to be only half a mile away. The men sweated with the heat, and with nothing to do would have brooded and grumbied. So Admiral Teach welcomed Mfr. Pickles’s interlude, and did his best to make . it lively. Mary Arncliffe. m her despera- tion, seized the opportunity. _ Qn the nitrate bark, for reasons of his own which I have never learned, there voyaged one Julio Andorre, a priest. At least he said he was, and dressed as such, though to,the extreme of grime and shab- biness, and passed muster with that merci- less cross-examiner, Edward Teach. He may have been a dubious specimen, but there was no other padre in sight, and Teach wanted one. So the man was trans- shipped to the Littondale, instructed to wash deeply and thoroughly, and given linen.. Mary Arncliffe was notified of his arrival, and of the cleansing operations that were in progress. “And now, my dear,” the pirate con- cluded, “ I am sick of dilly-dally. I bought you a ring, months ago. I have captured you no less than five elaborate wedding trousseaux to pick from, and though I should recommend the Doucet one, I wan't impede your choice. “T expect to be in action with a South American liner the day after to-morrow, about 7.50 A.M. But to-morrow’s free. You’ve from now to then to get ready. ‘The wedding will take place at twelve hfty precisely, ship’s time, I shall give you a quarter of a million sterling in Brit- ish five per cent war stock as a wedding ecomnickfoalks COlini