Wild Norene by Johnston McCulley
Page 5
that it made no difference what a man said
met on the street in Astoria, the only about them.
woman he ever had taken the trouble to
“He put you in the latter class.”
look at more than once, the woman for
“Oh!” the girl, cried; her face
whom he had thrashed a man, the woman it
flushed scarlet.
had pained him to see in the resort, mention
She looked at Connor, but he was
of whose name he had prohibited there—
not watching her; his eyes were blazing
was Wild Norene, of whom he had spoken
into those of the captain, and he said
lightly to his friends!
nothing.
The girl was dimpling, her eyes
“Is this—true?” she asked him.
sparkling, ready to laugh at her uncle and
“Your uncle has said that it is,” he
tell him they had met before. But Connor,
replied, without taking his eyes from the
watching the evil smile on the captain’s
captain’s face.
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“Wait, Norene; that is not all,” the
“When I spoke as I did to my
skipper resumed. “One of the men said you
friends I was not speaking of you. I was
were called Wild Norene, and Mr. Connor
talking of the Norene I knew by reputation
said you needed a man to tame you.
only, thinking only of what I had heard
“‘I would tame her,’ he boasted. ‘I
men say—”
could make her love me, promise to be my
“Then
you
did say it?”
wife. I could tame her so she’d eat out of
“I said it—yes. But I didn’t know—
my hand.’
”
“That was his boast, Norene, to his
Her eyes held his. Her face went
drunken companions, in a dive, where white for an instant, and with all the other men could hear.
strength at her command she struck him
“So I had him knocked out and
across the face with the flat of her hand.
carried aboard, and I’ve made him mate.
Her fingers left white marks in the red and
We’ll see if he makes good his boast. I’ve
tan, but Connor did not move.
given him until we reach port to win your
She started to turn away, half
love and your promise to be his wife. If he
ashamed of what she had done.
fails, there will be punishment provided.”
“I didn’t know!” he said. “Great
Captain Adams laughed raucously.
heavens, girl, do you suppose I’d insult you
Anger flamed in the girl’s face as she purposely, whether I knew you personally turned toward Connor and stepped close to
or not? I tell you you’re the last woman in
him.
the world whose name I’d speak lightly—
“Is all this true?” she demanded.
the only woman in the world I’d look at a
“Cap’n Adams says it is.”
second time—”
“I want to hear you say so. Did you
“You already are beginning to tame
make that boast before your drunken me, I see. You are trying, perhaps, to make companions in that resort?”
me believe you love me, trying to make me
“Listen to me!” Connor cried. “I
love you,” she said in scorn.
met you accidentally yesterday afternoon
“Miss Adams, can’t you
on the street. You’re the first woman I ever
understand? I didn’t know you were Wild
took the trouble to look at twice. My friend
Norene.”
taunted me about it when we went to that
“And how may I be sure?” she
resort, and I warned all men they were not
asked. “You boasted you could tame me.
to mention you, even without mentioning
When I asked you to thrash Riney for his
your name. Your uncle, if he was there at
insult to me, you did it instantly. Perhaps
the time, will say this is the truth.
that was to gain my gratitude. Maybe that
“I didn’t know you were Wild was part of the taming process.”
Norene; I’d never have guessed it. I knew
“Miss Adams, I—”
only that you were a woman, and a good
“I do not care to discuss the matter
woman.
with you,” she interrupted. “You are
“I saw you later at the door of that
beneath notice! You may prepare to take
resort, and you asked me to thrash a man
what punishment my uncle has promised,
who had insulted you, acted as if your
for small chance you have of taming me
presence in such a place was nothing and winning my love!”
unusual, and still I knew that you were
“And if that punishment is—
good.
death?”
Wild Norene
19
“It does not matter to me; I am not
There would be safety for several
interested,” she said.
days, for the captain would keep his word,
Without another word she turned
they knew, and make no move to harm
her back upon him and walked slowly Connor until the end of the voyage.
away to the rail, to stand there looking out
It was at this time that two members
over the sea, making a picture to attract the
of the crew, climbing over the lumber
eyes of any man.
lashed to the deck, discovered the
Connor looked after her. He was
stowaway.
cursing himself for the words he had
The stowaway was a woman.
spoken in the resort.
Captain Adams’s eyes bulged with
Captain Adams was chuckling.
surprise as the two men led her across the
“I guess she told you something!”
deck toward him.” She was tall and
the skipper said.
shapely, dressed in serviceable clothing,
Connor whirled upon him.
and had no hat. Her hair was disheveled
“And I’ll tell you something!” he
and flying in the breeze.
exclaimed. “This is the third time I’ve met
She made no attempt at resistance,
her. But I love her! Do you understand? I
but walked forward proudly, not even
think she’s the best and sweetest woman in
trying to shake off the men who grasped
the world. And I’ll do what I boasted I
her arms and urged her on.
could do, in spite of the way you have
The brow of Captain Bill was
poisoned her against me.
wrinkled in thought; he told himself he had
“I’ll win her and I’ll marry her!
seen the woman before. The men led her up
And I’ll not do it to escape any punishment
to him, and her eyes met his unflinchingly.
you may hand out, but because she’s the
“Stowaway, cap’n,” one of the men
woman I want—the woman I’m ready to
said, grinning. “She was hidden between
f
ight for! Can you understand that?”
two piles of lumber.”
“Go
forward!”
The men obeyed, turning frequently
CHAPTER IV.
to look back at the woman, who remained
The Stowaway.
standing in front of the skipper, waiting for
him to speak.
A woman stowaway was unusual,
THE noon hour found the steam-schooner
and any sort of a stowaway was a rarity
Amingo on the broad sea far off the coast,
aboard the Amingo.
her nose pointed to the south, the Oregon
“Well?” the skipper demanded.
shore half obscured by a fog.
The woman put her hands behind
Connor had gone to the forecastle,
her back and regarded him without
at Captain’s Bill’s orders, to remove the
apparent emotion.
irons from Morgan and, after delivering a
“How did you come aboard?”
lecture, send him on deck. He made the
Captain Adams asked.
most of the opportunity and told Morgan
“I took a small boat and rowed out
all that had transpired; an attempt to outwit
to the schooner this morning about three
Captain Adams was decided upon, and o’clock. I understood you would sail before both were to apply their minds to inventing
daylight, so I had no time to lose. I caught
ways and means.
a line under the bowsprit, and made my
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20
way to the deck and hid in the lumber. I let
Astoria. My name is Sally Wood.”
the boat drift out to sea.”
“Ah! I remember now. Your story
“It is rather unusual for a woman to
was told to me last night. I think I am more
do such a thing. Why did you do it?”
than justified in asking you for an
“I had good reasons.”
explanation now. You don’t know where
“You live in Astoria?”
we are bound, but were determined to sail
“I’ve been living there for some with us. Why?”
time.”
“You say you’ve heard my story?”
“Running away from the police?”
“Yes.”
The girl’s face flushed as she
“Then you know that I’ve been
replied:
working—where I have—in order to get
“I have done nothing to put the money quickly. And you know for what police on me, sir.”
reason?”
“I guess you’ll have to explain.
“To trail the man who married you
When a woman does what you have and deserted you, I was told.”
done—sneaks aboard a vessel—there must
“The man who stole my father’s
be some compelling reason. There isn’t savings and left us penniless,” she added.
much charity for stowaways. Do you know
“Last night I saw that man. That’s why I’m
where this vessel is going?”
aboard this vessel. He is a member of your
“No,
sir.”
crew.”
“What? I supposed, naturally, you
“A member of my crew!” the
wanted to get to a certain port and had no
captain cried. “Prove that, girl, and
money. Why, in Heaven’s name, did you
convince me your story is true, and I’ll
stow away on a craft whose destination is
manhandle him myself.”
unknown to you?”
“I will take care of him,” she said.
“I’m not anxious to get to any “I always thought I’d kill him when I found certain port,” she said, “and I have plenty
him. Now I’m not so sure but what I’ll
of money. I can pay my passage.”
make him suffer first. I don’t know how
She reached in the front of her waist
it’s to be done, but I’ll find a way. Just let
and drew out a roll of bills, and a small bag
me pay passage, so I can be near him and
filled with silver and gold coins.
watch. I’ll not create a disturbance aboard
“This isn’t a passenger vessel,” said
your ship.”
the captain. “And if you wanted to sail with
“You’ll pay no passage! “ the
us and had money, why didn’t you see me
captain exclaimed. “If I’ve got a man like
about it, instead of playing stowaway?”
that aboard this ship I want to know it, and
“You’d not have given me passage,
I’ll help you punish him. Who is he?” .
would you?”
“Your mate, sir.”
“I scarcely think so.”
“What?”
“That’s why I sneaked aboard in the
“He was fighting last night, and I
way I did. I was determined to sail on this
recognized him just as the fight was over. I
vessel and none other.”
learned he was your mate and discovered
“Seems like I’ve seen you some that you had ordered your men aboard. I place before.”
knew you meant to sail immediately. I got
“You no doubt have, sir. I’ve been
my money, changed clothes, left the place
playing the piano in a certain resort in
where I was employed, and boarded the
Wild Norene
21
schooner. Now I want to meet him face to
cried. “I’ve stowed away to get him, and
face.”
he’s behind in Astoria laughing, and I’m
The captain looked away across the
aboard this ship bound for—Heaven knows
sea for a moment, then back at her. She
where!”
was watching his face, waiting for his
Captain Adams patted her shoulder.
answer.
“Don’t worry, girl,” he said. “It
“I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake,
isn’t as bad as you think. I’ve a good
girl,” he said.
notion that the man you want will meet up
“Do you think I don’t know the
with you soon. I’m pretty sure he’s on a
man who wrecked my life, helped send my
craft that’s going to follow us down the
father to his grave?”
coast. You just make yourself comfortable
“I didn’t mean a mistake in that
aboard. It’d do me good to see you meet
way. You say he fought in the resort?”
him, and I’ll arrange it if I can. My niece is
“You saw the fight, for I saw you
aboard, and she’ll be company for you.
watching. He was fighting with Jack And there is Jack Connor, too.”
Connor. He sneaked away like the coward
The captain chuckled as another
he is.”
thought came to him. “It is fortunate
“You mean Riney, then?”
Connor is my new mate,” he said. “I think
“His name was Wood when I he likes you, girl.”
married him. The man I mean has a scar on
Her face flashed crimson as the
his face.”
captain looked at her. He had remembered
“He didn’t sneak away because he
what Guerrero ha
d said—that this woman
was afraid to continue the fight, for, my
loved Jack Connor. If she thought Connor
men won,” said the captain. “He sneaked
returned her affection she’d pay
away because he saw me there—because
considerable attention-to him. It would
he knew I had discovered he was a man not
prove another barrier between Connor and
to be trusted. He sneaked away so I Norene.
couldn’t get my hands on his worthless
Captain Adams didn’t think another
throat—”
barrier was needed, but it was better to be
“And now you’ve—you’ve
on the safe side.
punished him?” she asked. In her eyes was
It happened that at that moment
the fear that she would not have a chance
Connor and Morgan came from the
for vengeance; that the captain had taken
forecastle. Connor and Sally Wood faced
that chance away from her.
each other across six feet of deck.
“I’ve had no chance to punish him,”
“You?” Connor gasped. “For the
Captain Adams said. “He’s deserted the
love of Heaven, Sally, what are you doing
ship, girl. I’ve got a new mate, though I
here?”
had a deuce of a time getting him. My new