Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 7, 1922 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

172 may be more than just this one man with the scarred hand in on it?” “There is no telling how many are in on it, Mr. Rutledge. If it is a group, we can- not afford to antagonize any one who may be innocent, and upon whose.assistance and loyalty we might have to count upon later.” If anyone else than Hendriks had made that statement, Harris would have snorted. He could, however, hardly snort at the captain. After all, one doesn’t. He curbed himself down to a politely incredulous stare. “ Surely, sir,” he said, “ you don’t imag- ine mutiny in these days?” “‘ I imagine everything, Mr. Harris. The greatest crimes have been perpetrated through lack of nothing else than proper vision, imagination, on the part of their victims.” Harris murmured with beautiful distinct- ness that in his private opinion Rutledge had plenty of the latter commodity. ‘“The success of any crime,” Hendriks embroidered further, ‘‘ depends largely upon its elements of unexpectedness. Most crimes have their forewarnings, forewarn- ings so vague in the majority of cases that they pass unperceived; so seemingly absurd in other cases that they are ignored. No, Mr. Harris, I am not a bit unwilling to imagine a motive of mutiny among the list of possible explanations for this mystery.” Harris momentarily effaced himself into the middle distance. Sparks promptly took the field. The reiteration of the word ‘“ mys- tery ” jarred. “That piece of paper with the yell for help on it is the key to your—riddle, sir. No mystery about a piece of paper. You can,” he added clinchingly, “feel paper.” “Hark to our rising young realist,” breathed Harris. “ Or should I say ‘ risen’?”’ “You should say what you like, Mr. Harris, but you can take it from me that realism, risen or unrisen, is the dope.” Harris “ clucked.”’ Hendriks clamped down upon the prom- ising tiff. “Give me _ those sentences again, Mr. Rutledge.” He nodded to Rut- ledge to begin, and prepared to take notes on the pad. ‘“¢ The man with the scar,’ ‘save me’” —Rutledge gave each tid-bit its proper ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. emotional emphasis—‘‘I am not dead,’ “mad from this horror,’ and ‘—avern;’ that was the last word, sir—all by itself on the last line. I thought it might be ‘ cav- ern,’ or ‘ tavern.’ ”’ ‘““*T am not dead ’—I wonder!” Hendriks kept his eyes lowered to the pad lying on the table in front of him. His words, barely muttered, had cut the still- ness of the saloon with disturbing clearness. He felt that the eyes of each man therein were fixed upon him curiously. He looked up. ‘“‘ What was that, Mr. Rutledge? ‘ Cav- ern ’—‘ tavern,’ you say?” “Yes, sir.” “‘ Hardly make sense, would it?” “No, sir.” Rutledge dropped his reply flatly. “Last line, wasn’t it, Pete?’ Sparks broke in. | “Yes; all by itself.” ‘Then why not the guy’s name? The end of it, at least.” It was unanimously agreed that ‘‘ —av- ern” was part of the writer’s name. The idea opened up a string of further conso- nants for Rutledge to tack on; last names were famous for their lack of sense. “Well, gentlemen ”—Hendriks put the pad in his pocket—“‘ there is nothing to be gained by sitting here any longer. The simplest and most obvious things to do are to search the ship, catch this stowaway, and find out what it’s all about. ‘““ Mr. Hopper, please examine the en- gine room and the bunkers. Mr. Rutledge, examine the holds, and Mr. Harris the quarters and the deck. Take such men as you need to help you.” He pressed a bell button at the end of a swinging cord sus- pended from the overhead. ‘ Report to me in my room as each one of you completes his search. Do not overlook my advice about arming yourselves, and if it should be necessary ’—Hong Wing entered the saloon, and Hendriks stared directly at him as he completed the sentence—“ do not hesitate to shoot. Steward!” “Sair?” The word hissed ingratiatingly from between motionless lips. “You can have the table set for mess. We will have it in one hour.” comiclbooolx C©