Argosy, September 1955 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

100 ROWAN AYERS “Cor!” said Knocker. “ Roll on my flipping twelve, I say. Eh, Brew? I wouldn’t never go to sea, not just for fun. Not even in Regent’s flipping Park.”’ ‘his was not the time, thought Michael, to tell them that he’d just been offered a permanent commission in the R.N., and was, at that very moment, considering the matter veiy seriously. As the Silver Streak moved out into more open water, a little spray began to curl up over the foredeck, and spatter against the wheelhouse. ‘The passengers, sensibly, had all congregated aft, and were sullenly looking at the boiling, foamy wake astern, all except for the small inquisitive boy, who seemed to enjoy the minor drenching he was now receiving. Away to starboard, and well inshore, the Mary Lou was moving at a ponderous four or five knots, with the maddening condes- cension of someone who can do no wrong. ‘* Quite like old times, eh, sir?”’ said Brew, idly toying with the throttle. ‘“Except the skipper shouldn’t be on the wheel,” added Knocker, very conscious of his Queen’s Rules and Admiralty Instructions. ‘* Like to take her?” asked Michael. ‘* Don’t mind, sir,” he said, shyly, “‘ slong time since I ’ad one of these...’ He took over confidently, and pushed Puddenead roughly to one side. ‘ Gerroutofit,”’ he grinned, “ you’re only a bleedin’ A.B.”’ Puddenead moved smartly away, and peered out of the spray- “speckled window. ‘“C’mon, then,” said Knocker, “ don’t just stand about loahuig in the middle of the forenoon. Get on with sumfing. Blimey O’Riley, you'll never go through for leadin’ ’and.” Michael watched them, amused and fascinated. In those first few minutes he had spanned, easily and undeliberately, nine or ten long years. ‘The battered old cap on his head might still have been sporting a gold badge, and on the jacket beneath his greasy duffel, there might have been two tarnished, wavy gold bands; while astern, fluttering bravely in the stiff wind, there might easily have been a dignified White Ensign instead of the frayed blue flag he’d had emblazoned with a crude, zigzagging silver streak. ‘Their mission? Almost anything. ‘‘ Steady as she goes,” he said, involuntarily, as the bow lifted on one of the larger waves and swung a little to port. “* Ay, ay, sir,” said Knocker, and looking round at Puddenead and Brew, added, “‘ Can’t you find sumfing to employ the uvver ‘ands on, sir? ‘They’re making the place look untidy.” ‘Scrubbing down, sir?” suggested Brew. “ The upper deck could do with a bit of a clean.”’ comicbooks.conn