The Argosy, Vol. 76, No. 3 — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

612 table pluck of the boy, and he raised the giving body in his arms. As he pulled it into a more becom- ing posture on the sand-dune he heard a tiny metallic tinkle on a stone. He stopped, dropped the body, bent over, and picked up from the sand at his feet—the silver box. He gasped the -unmistakable sur- prise that he felt. Hemingway frankly swore. The officer looked at them inquiringly, and Oakes, not liking to display the feeling that in- stinct told him the other would attrib- ute to nervousness, said nothing. He quietly picked up the box and dropped it into his coat-pocket and turned to his rescuer. “What’'ll we do with our game?” he asked. “ Bury it?” ‘God forbid!” said the other pious- ly. “Let ’em lie where they are. I don’t propose to work my men over- time buryin’ a lot of thieves who ought to be hung up as we nail hawks to barn doors at home. We'll bury your man, though. From what you say of him he deserves it if ever a man did.” The boat was sent back to the steamer and two men dug a shallow grave high above the scattered man- grove-bushes above the water’s edge, where Kow Lung was left after a pri- vate and unofficial prayer by Oakes for the repose of-his soul. Afterward a boat came ashore and took them aboard the vessel. ‘“‘T haven’t asked you yet what your vessel is,” said Oakes apologetically. “The truth of the matter is that_ events have come so quickly in the past forty-eight hours that I do not seem to have had time to breathe lei- surely. What is she?” “ His Brittanic majesty’s revenue cutter Arethusa. We were running down the coast to Hong-Kong when we picked up a boat-load of men who reported that the Futami Maru had gone down. We ran over to where they said they were when the accident happened, and then Captain Stark thought that some of the other boats THE ARGOSY. might have landed on Fan Tee Island, sO we came over on the off chance. Oars, men!” The boat ran easily up to the star- board gangway, and the officer helped Marjorie carefully up the side. They were welcomed warmly by the officers grouped at the gangway, and were taken at once to the cabin, and Oakes, for the second time that evening, had to recount the details of the fight. “By Jove, sir,” said Captain Stark when he had pushed the decanter again to Oakes, “you don’t know ‘what you have escaped! Do you know what they would have done:to you had they taken you?” Oakes nodded quietly. was frankly curious. “You were in no danger of death, Miss Downs. They would have sold you as a slave to some up - country mandarin. You would have disap- peared from the sight of civilization forever. You two men and Kow Lung would have been played with in some such playful way as putting you on a platform and cutting you up inch by inch with a saw. Oh, they’re pleasant people in their idle hours!” Marjorie forbore to ask any more questions except to ask Captain Stark as to his destination and when they would probably arrive. “ Hong-Kong,” he said; “and we should arrive there the day after to- morrow if nothing happens, and I think upon my word that you three have paid your debt to fate for this trip. You deserve a respite.” When Marjorie had gone to the cabin that the thoughtful Englishmen assigned to her Hemingway drew Oakes off to the end of the long table in the wardroom, where they were alone. Oakes drew from his pocket the silver box and laid it on the table before his friend. “Look here, Oakes,” said Heming- way frankly, “I wish to have a talk with you for a moment. Here’s this — thing — this darned thing — for I can think of no better name for it.” Marjorie COMicdoo S CO@