Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 29: what you’re looking at

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

AMERICANS newest type were there, tier on tier, ready for the ingenious hoists, themselves so modern that neither Girton nor Hemmett had ever seen their like before. They had seen too much, this last quarter-hour, to feel great surprise at the sight; rather, they stood stunned for a little as the meaning of it all loomed be- fore them. Steve Girton very quietly laid a hand on Luis’s arm. | ‘Look here, kid,” said he, “ you may as well talk a little now. We've seen what we came to see. Yourre in it thick, aren’t you?” ‘Yes, senor.” ‘“‘ Are there many more supposedly de- cent, intelligent boys like you in this navy?” “The pay is high, sefior,” Luis mut- tered. ‘The other cruisers down the coast— are they like this?” ‘“‘ Yes, senor,’ Engoro whispered. ‘* All three?” ‘‘ All eleven—and the three battle- ships,”’ Luis corrected. “ What?” ‘It is the truth, senor, and now, I beg of you, let me say no more!”’ the lieuten- ait pleaded. “I owed you much, sefiores. I have paid this evening. But before—others come to ask about why I took you from the shore, will you not leave, sefores? death—and there is no more to see. Upon that I give you my word!” ‘“ T’11—T’ll ask you one more question, and we'll skip.” Girton ran his fingers through his hair and blinked confusedly, and for the second time that night won- dered if reality actually could be reality. “Youre too bright to be in this thing blindly, Luis. You know and we know that, for the first time in history, a European power has established a naval base on the American side of the world— and a big one. How in Heaven’s name it has been kept under cover for so long passes my understanding; they must have bought Guanama body and souj} But To me it means life or AFTER ALL. 371 what I want to ask you is this: Are there more ships of this kind coming?” ‘Tt has been said, senor,” Engoro mut- tered. ‘““And if enough of them get here to handle the job, it is intended to attack the United States?” Girton pursued. ‘“TIt—it has been said, senor, that— that coercion—that—oh, go, senor!” Engoro floundered wildly. ‘‘ For it has been sworn that death shall be the portion of one of us who—” He could get no further. Girton, teeth grinding, gazed speculatively down at his automatic pistol. Hemmett, white again, and with hands twitching, came close to Engoro. “You nasty little brown rat!” he said. “Td rather be dead than be in your Shoes. You can’t understand that, can you? You can’t understand what the United States has done for this country, for you, first and last, can you? “You don’t know what gratitude is; you don’t know what decency, even, means; but you do know how to sneak up on a sleeping man or a sleeping nation ‘and drive in a knife, if you are paid, eh? “Td like to kick the life out of your filthy pelt, but I’d have to kick the life out of half of Guanama afterward to be consistent, 1 suppose. We'll go, Engoro, and in a very little time the United States will send forces down here to spoil the whole game, and when that happens youll get yours! And if I can have the job of punishing you assigned to me I'll truss you up to one of your pretty basketwork masts and leave you there till the birds pick your bones. Thank you for saving our lives, Engoro, and be damned to you! Come, Steve!” CHAPTER VII. THE ALARM. LONE sailorman, set into motion by Engoro, whose legs bade fair to collapse beneath him, ran them back to shore, trembled incessantly as he peered comicloool C©