“Yes.”
saying. “You’ll thrash him for me because
“Perhaps to-morrow afternoon I’ll
of the insult he has offered?”
be walking along Commercial Street,
“Consider it done,” Connor said.
where you saw me to-day. I am not
“But first you may walk as far as
certain—”
the corner with me, if you will.”
“I’ll watch for you then.”
He ushered her from the place, put
She held out her hand, and he
himself at her side, and they hurried to the
clasped it.
corner. She clung to his arm, and Connor’s
She smiled at him again, then
heart throbbed.
hurried away.
“I suppose you think I am a peculiar
Connor looked after her until she
girl for asking you to do such a thing,” she
had disappeared in the darkness down the
said.
street, then turned back toward the resort.
“I have no right to think so. No
He did not question. She had asked
doubt you have a good reason for it. But I
him to thrash a man who had insulted her,
would suggest, if you’ll allow me, that this
and he promised himself to do the task
part of town—”
well.
“Is no place for me? I can take care
He did not care to know the
of myself, sir.”
circumstances. He did not care to
She was smiling as she spoke.
remember she had entered the resort to call
He met her eyes again, half afraid
him. He gave her credit for courage in
of what he might see there.
doing so, feeling that it had taken courage
And she read his thought.
for her to stand there in the midst of
“I don’t want you to think that I am
painted women and men who thought
a—a bad girl,” she whispered. “Don’t nothing of approaching any woman to be
All-Story Cavalier Weekly
10
found there.
looked at the face of the old sea-dog.
When he reentered the resort he did
Captain Adams was the sort of man who
not see the man Riney at first. Riney had
would proceed with deliberation and
left the bar and crossed the room again, to
refined cruelty in such a case.
sit at the table within a few paces of
Not for any amount of money
Guerrero and Captain Bill Adams.
would Guerrero have stood in the shoes of
The captain was bent over the table
Mate Riney.
in the shadow, listening, waiting.
But as Adams turned to confront
“Garza has arrived,” Guerrero was
the traitorous mate another man lurched
whispering to him.
across the room and half fell against the
“Has he located Riney yet?”
table at which Riney and Garza were
“Yes; he is coming this way. He has
sitting.
nodded to Riney. Now he sits down beside
It was Jack Connor, feigning
him.”
intoxication.
Garza was wise, however. He and
“Look where you’re going,” Riney
Riney regarded each other as if they had
growled.
been strangers.
“Keep out of the way!” shouted
Garza ordered a drink and when it
Connor.
arrived tossed it off. Then he looked across
He kicked at the table, and it went
at Riney and winked.
over. He reached for Riney, who sprang to
“Fishing good?” Garza asked.
his feet and aimed a terrific blow at Jack
“Great!” said Riney. “I know a craft
Connor’s head. And then Riney realized his
whose hold is full.”
mistake; Jack Connor was not intoxicated.
“Shipping ’em south, eh?”
He stepped swiftly to one side, and his fist
“I should guess,” said Riney slowly,
crashed into the mate’s face.
“that she would float out tomorrow evening
In an instant they were at it, and
with the tide.”
every one in the room had crowded
Guerrero’s eyes met Captain forward, making a great ring of human Adams’s across the table, and the captain
bodies, to watch the combat.
nodded slowly.
Members of the Amingo’s crew
He had heard. Riney, his mate, had
were there, cheering on their mate, who
sold him out. There was nothing had a reputation as a fighter. Jack Connor’s enigmatical about his conversation with friends were there, too, and stood in the Garza, the secret-service agent. The hold
ring, grinning with delight.
was full of fish—the ship would sail to-
They had seen Connor fight before.
morrow evening with the tide. The hold
He had punishment in his blows, and he
was full of arms and ammunition; the had fistic science in addition.
Amingo would start on her voyage to the
The mate’s terrific blows struck
aid of revolutionists in less than twenty-
empty air; Connor’s fists played on the
four hours—that was the meaning.
other man’s face, head, and breast.
Captain Adams stood up, and so did
Slowly and surely Connor was
Guerrero.
beating his antagonist down. He was
The captain’s rage was not of the
delaying the final blow purposely, making
sort that makes a man “fly off the handle”
Riney take all the punishment he could
and “have it out.” Guerrero shuddered as he
stand. He remembered only that the man he
Wild Norene
11
was beating had insulted the girl he had
floor, and others of Jack Connor’s friends
met that afternoon.
had met with disaster. The crew of the
Riney’s shipmates saw how the Amingo could fight. Connor found himself battle was going, and edged forward. It was
almost alone, in a circle of flying fists.
an axiom of the sea that Captain Adams’s
His rage redoubled. The odds were
men stood together in brawls.
not fair. He threw himself into the fray with
A foot was thrown out, Connor was
renewed zeal.
tripped, and as he saved himself from
A weight of human bodies assailed
sprawling on the floor a blow from Riney’s
him. His foot slipped and he crashed to the
fist caught him on the side of the head and
floor. Men were on top of him, striking
staggered him.
him, trying to choke him.
A roar of rage at the foul trick came
Some one near him was screeching:
from a score of throats. In an instant the
“Let him up! Tie his hands behind
fight had become general. Connor’s friends
him!” Take him to the cap’n!”
sprang to meet the men from the Amingo.
Others of the Amingo’s crew took
But in that last instant Connor’s fist
up the cry
:
stretched Riney to the floor.
“Take him to th’ cap’n! Cap’n Bill
Garza had made his escape. will know what to do with the man that Guerrero hung close to the wall.
smashed the mate!”
Captain Adams, towering above the
Connor began fighting again as they
other men, watched the combat as it raged,
let him up. He had heard of Captain Bill
his arms folded.
Adams; he didn’t intend to let these men
Riney, getting up from the floor carry him aboard the Amingo.
with the intention of continuing the
But his struggles were in vain. They
combat, saw his captain’s eyes fixed on
fastened his hands behind him and started
him. He recognized the coat the captain
him toward the alley door, half carrying
was wearing, and knew that the captain had
him, some of them guarding the rear to
been sitting a few feet away while he had
prevent Connor’s friends from effecting a
been talking to Garza.
rescue.
Riney knew well nothing but
“Take ’im to th’ cap’n!” they cried.
suspicion would bring Captain Adams to
A giant of a man stepped between
such a place. And he realized what form
them and the door and held up a hand.
the vengeance of the captain would take.
“Stop!” he cried. “Turn that man loose!”
He stooped and started toward the
The sailors of the Amingo gazed at
combatants again. But as several men came
him in amazement. One of them laughed
between the captain and himself, he turned
aloud. Another looked away, afraid to meet
and darted toward the door, escaped into
the skipper’s eyes.
the night, and fled toward the water-front.
“Why, it’s th’ cap’n!” another cried.
Sally Wood, standing on the “It’s Cap’n Bill!”
platform against the end of the piano,
Jack Connor, knowing the captain
caught sight of the mate’s face as he had heard his conversation earlier in the flashed past her and to the door.
evening regarding himself and his niece,
Her own face turned white, and she
felt something like fear clutch at his heart
staggered to a chair and sat down.
for a moment as he looked at the giant in
Morgan had been beaten to the front of him whose eyes met his and held
All-Story Cavalier Weekly
12
them.
Even Jack Connor would have difficulty
“Turn him loose!” the captain standing up to Captain Bill.
repeated.
Captain Bill sat down at the table
“But he beat up Mate Riney, and motioned Connor to the other chair.
cap’n!”
Guerrero remained standing against the
“I saw it! Turn him loose!”
wall a short distance away, wishing the
“He beat up th’ mate!”
captain would hurry, fearful for the success
“That’s why I’m telling you to turn
of their enterprise.
him loose!” cried the captain, walking
The mate had been unmasked;
toward them. “He saved me a job. I was
Garza, the secret-service agent, knew facts
going to beat Riney up myself.”
and details. They might not wait many
Wondering
at
the
skipper’s manner,
hours before making a move.
his men obeyed him, and Jack Connor soon
Even now, when the captain was
stood in their midst with his arms and away, they might be descending upon the hands free.
ship, and the few men left aboard might be
Senor Guerrero, who had been making an inspection of the cargo in the standing beside the door, hurried forward
Amingo’s hold.
and stood on tiptoe to whisper something in
“You’re a sailor?” the captain asked
the captain’s ear. The captain nodded his
Connor.
head.
“Yes. I’ve got a mate’s ticket.”
“Go aboard, men—all of you!” he
“It is none of my business why you
commanded. “Round up the others! I want
thrashed Riney,” the captain went on. “I’m
every one aboard in half an hour—every
glad you did it, however. I had just
one except Riney!”
discovered that he was a man I couldn’t
It was the old sea-dog giving a trust. I’m minus a mate. Do you want his command. The men disappeared as if by
job?”
magic influence.
Connor looked up quickly and met
“As for you,” said the captain, the captain’s eyes.
stepping up to Jack Connor, “I want to talk
“You’re offering me the berth?” he
to you. Come over in the corner.”
demanded.
Connor followed him slowly, ready
“I
am.”
for the combat he felt sure was coming.
“And to-night you sat here and
He remembered how he had made
heard me grill you and say things about
sport of Captain Bill in the captain’s your—your niece.”
hearing; remembered what he had said
Captain Adams’s eyes flashed for
concerning the captain’s niece, Wild an instant, then he regained his composure.
Norene.
“I’m not speaking of that. Do you
Morgan, on his feet again, holding
want the job?”
one hand to a bruised and bloody face,
Connor laughed lightly.
sensed the situation, and attracted the
“No, thanks!” he replied. “You’d
attention of certain of Connor’s friends. At
get me aboard and beat me to death as soon
a short distance away they waited, ready to
as we got to sea. I’m taking no chances
plunge to the rescue if Captain Bill Adams
with you after you heard what I said this
opened hostilities.
evening. Do you think I am a fool? And,
They had heard of Captain Bill. besides, I don’t like the voyage you’re to
Wild Norene
13
take. I don’t like your cargo.”
THE throbbing of engines, the washing of
The captain restrained his anger and
waves came to the ears of Jack Connor. He
bent forward across the table.
opened his eyes, sitting up quickly at the
“As to my cargo,” he said, “that is
same time, and in an instant was lying
none of your business. You are not down again, for his head had struck sharply supposed to know anything about it when
against the top of the bunk.
you ship. As to the other thing you
He realized then that he was in the
mention—you’ve heard whether my word
forecastle of some craft.
is good.”
He slipped from the bunk and tried
“I’ve heard it is as good as gold,”
to stand up. The vessel was rolling and
said Connor.
pitching. Connor guessed instantly that she
“Very well. I give you my wor
d of
was passing out over the bar at the mouth
honor that I’ll not lay a hand on you during
of the Columbia River.
the voyage. Understand? Does that satisfy
He cursed softly to himself as he
you? And you can bring your friend put his hands to his aching head and tried Morgan along. I need another man or two.”
to remember what had occurred. He had
“I don’t doubt your word, captain.
risen from the chair after hurling his
But I’ll decline the job with thanks.”
defiance into the face of Captain Bill
Their eyes clashed again.
Adams, and gone to the bar, to be joined
“I want you,” said Captain Adams.
there by Morgan and some of his friends.
“You’re the sort of man I need on the
As they drank they had watched
Amingo. I’m going to sail within twenty-
Captain Adams and Guerrero walk through
four hours, and when I sail, you’ll be the room and out the front door.
aboard.”
Connor had talked with Sally Wood
“I guess not!”
again for a short time, but Sally had acted
“I’m a man of my word, you’ve
in a peculiar fashion. Sally’s face had been
admitted. And I give you my word right
Wild Norene by Johnston McCulley Page 3