Air Wonder Stories, July 1929 — page 33: what you’re looking at

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

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT 31 Another Blow le WAS difficult to imagine, when we were on deck again, that only half an hour gone the ship had been peopled-by folk apparently dead. The sea- men were washing the decks and going about their ordinary work pretty much as if nothing had hap- pened, If there was a tendency to get to work in pairs, it was nothing to notice, and the demeanour of the men spoke well for the discipline Sir Peter kept on his ship. “By thunder, young fellow,” said the captain, when he saw how the seaplane lay, “you're not lacking in nerve! It must have been a ticklish busi- ~ ness,” And he added vulgarly: “She’s as snug as a a bug in a rug!” “Tt'll be a job to get her off,” said I. “I hope you won’t mind putting on a few of your hands to turn her, sir?” “Ag many as you want,” he said, “or as many as the awning will hold and bear the weight off. I'll take a look inside—so that I can give you clear- ance papers——” He went up into the body of the machine, while { had a look at what Milliken was doing. Stout fellow that he is, he had rousted out the ship’s smith, and together they had patched up the float where the aluminum had parted from the frame- work. If a little cockled, the float was as seaworthy as ever. Sir Peter came down from the cabin, and opened the floats, “T have to do it,” he apologized, “for your sake as well as my own.” “That's all right, sir—and if when you get to New York you need any help in giving evidence to the police, you'll find me at the National Metallurgical Bank—Mr, Lamont and my mechanic, too.” “Thanks, young man,” said the sailor, “Now about these hands you want. Here you—Clarke!” he said to a seaman who was standing by. “Nip along to the officer on duty. My compliments, and will he kindly muster as many hands aft as he can spare?” “Aye, aye, sir!” I will say for the British seaman that he is a handy fellow. The Merlin was no small weight, but Milliken and a quartermaster, with the aid of a score of men and a few rollers, soon had the sea- plane round with her engine pointing to sea on the port quarter. It was now a question whether we should risk taking off with our passengers aboard or get safely afloat—which was not at all a certain- ty—and pick them up from one of the ship’s boats. Lord Almetic appeared with his secretary, and she—well If I had thought of the secretary at all, I had thought of her as one of those efficient women, hard, competent—the sort of woman one can ad- mire for qualities one would rather see in men, But Miss Torrance was just sheer girl. The littlest thing, until you got a good look at her, and then vou saw that it was her ways rather than her size that gave the impression, She had the same clean look as my Merlin—silver and blue—only her hair was gold—and there was nothing the least bit cold about her. I was willing to bet that she was as com- petent as any he-woman alive, for when I took hold of her neat little hand on Lord Almeric’s intro- duction, I was reminded somehow of Milliken’s clever fist. I spoke to Lord Almerie about taking off. “T take it that you don't think you’ll come a purler?”’ he asked. “There’s a good chance that we may,” said I. “I shouldn’t like to have a lady aboard te “You will make me feel extremely tuncomfortable, Mr. Boon,” Miss Torrance interposed, “if you don't treat me exactly as you would a man. We won't sink, if we do capsize?” “Oh, no.” “Then it seems to me that we ought to risk it. Sir Peter has been delayed enough without having to put off a boat for me, Please don’t consider me.” | I looked into her eyes. She was as genuine as the Koh-i-noor, “Thank you,” aboard, then?” We said our good-byes; and we all climbed aboard save Milliken, who stood on a float to swing the propeller and to give the signal for release, The score of men took hold of her wherever they could. Milliken swung the propeller. Contact! Full throttle. The Merlin gathered strength and began to slide. I waited until the ship began to rise on our side, then dropped my hand to Milliken—and we shot out over the water, Next moment we were circling the Parnassic to a cheer that was led by Sir Peter Weatherly himself, who stood sturdily on his damaged awning, and waved his braided cap in hearty farewell, The great ship began to gather way as we sped ahead of her, Milliken climbed through the hatch with his usual air of complete calm, and began to be busy with hampers of food. Presently, eating a sandwich the while, he silently ousted me from the pilot's seat so that I might break my fast. Naturally the main topic of conversation as we ate satdwiches and drank hot coffee was the pi- ratical raid on the liner, but we soon exhausted the subject for lack of explanation of the mys- terious sleep, and Miss Torrance then wanted to know what everything on the Merlin was for. Old Milliken, with a grin all over his ferocious mug, nodded at the wireless set. It was a bright idea and, having lowered the aerial, I fixed the receivers over her ears, switching into the phone attachment. “T can hear some one talking,” she laughed de- lightedly, “and he’s got the loveliest gruff voice! Oh, take this quick, somebody—something has happened to another ship!” I stopped her from taking off the cap, and switched into the open receiver. “Yes, sir!’ came the harsh voice, with an un- mistakable New England twang. “U. S. oil-carry- ing steamer, Westbury, We were slowed down by a red riding-light floating ahead of us, and a message came from the battleship Argonne, telling us to heave to because of danger ahead. At eight bells of the middle watch, sir. Since then we don’t know a dern thing of anything,’except that our forrard tank is short of three thousand litres of the highest grade aviation spirit by the gauge. Yes, sir. And there ain’t a man on the ship, sir, that can say what was doin’ in the last two hours, An’ what I wanna know, sir, is—what the roustin’ hell’s bells of Jeeroosalum the U-nited States navy’s plain’ at (Continued on page 87) I said. “Will you please step comnlicloooks.com