Wild Norene by Johnston McCulley
Page 6
“She came to find her husband, the
mate is the man who thrashed Riney—Jack
man who deserted her,” the captain said.
Connor.”
“Riney was the man.”
“Oh!” There was surprise in her
“Then I’m doubly glad I smashed
voice at this last statement of the captain’s.
him! But you missed him—you are here,
Then realization of her position and he has remained behind.”
came to her.
“She played stowaway to get at
“So he has escaped me, too!” she
him,” the captain said. “Two of the men
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found her among the lumber piles forward.
promptly to thrash Riney, and without
There’s nerve for you. We’ll take care of
asking questions as to why he should be
her, Connor, and if Riney follows on that
thrashed. She had thought he was fighting
fool gunboat we’ll see that she meets him
for her—and he had been fighting for this
face to face and makes him uncomfortable.
woman!
Take her below and see that she has
Wild Norene said nothing more to
something hot to eat.”
her uncle, but turned and went forward to
“Thank you, sir,” Connor replied.
stand near the rail and look ahead at the
Sally Wood staggered as she started
tossing sea.
forward, and Connor threw an arm about
Captain Bill Adams chuckled. Let
her and helped her across the deck.
Jack Connor win Norene now, if he could!
Wild Norene came from below just
in time to see them. She stood to one side
as they passed. Connor gave her no
CHAPTER V.
attention; he was bending over Sally Wood
The Mate’s Order.
and talking to her in a low tone.
Wild Norene’s face flushed and she
hurried across to her uncle.
THE North Pacific kicks up its heels at
“Who is that woman?” she asked.
times like a wilful youngster overriding
“What is she doing here?”
parental authority. For the remainder of
The
captain
laughed.
that day and that night and the day
“She’s a stowaway, niece. The men
following there was work for Jack Connor
found her behind a lumber pile. She crept
to do.
aboard at Astoria just before we sailed.”
Captain Bill Adams, on deck with
“But—”
his mate, watching the crew as they carried
“She was afraid I’d not take her as a
out Connor’s orders, listening to the mate’s
passenger, and she was determined to sail
hoarse voice as he bellowed his commands,
on the Amingo. That’s why she stowed
found himself regretting that he had
away. Interested in the mate.”
planned to punish the man; he began
“Interested in the mate,” Norene wishing he could have Connor for his mate repeated, looking in the direction Connor
permanently.
and Sally Wood had taken. “What sort of a
There is danger in a blow when the
woman—”
seas run high for a vessel that carries a
“She’s a musician. She played the
cargo of lumber lashed to her decks.
piano in the place where Riney and Connor
Time and time again giant seas
had the fight last night.
boarded the Amingo and threatened to tear
“Oh!” There was deep scorn in away lashings and make every stick of the Norene’s voice.
cargo a peril to the crew and a matter of
“Both interested in this girl, I loss to underwriters.
imagine. Perhaps that’s why they fought;
An afternoon, a night, and a day
the fight seemed to start over nothing at
without sleep, Connor held himself to his
all.”
work, refusing politely to turn in when the
“Oh!” she gasped again.
skipper told him he could do so.
It flashed over her mind that here
Connor relished the work because,
was the reason Jack Connor had agreed so
for the time being, it took his mind away
Wild Norene
23
from other matters.
“You have graver things to fear. You
Senor Guerrero, brave enough, haven’t won Wild Norene’s love yet, I take perhaps, on the field of battle when it?”
engaged in leading ragged revolutionists
“I haven’t spoken to your niece
against their organized government, was an
since you blackened me to her.”
abject coward now. Seasickness had made
“You lost time because of the
of the hero a craven.
storm, lad, but that’s the fortune of war.
He remained below, moaning, The days are slipping. We’re getting down longing for the death that did not come.
the coast a bit. The voyage will not last for
Sally Wood, too, remained in the
always.”
small cabin Captain Adams had assigned
“It is my affair,” Connor said. “You
her, for Sally was not used to the sea. The
gave me until we made port. Let it rest at
Chinese cook offered her food and drink,
that.”
which she refused, and played steward in
Captain Bill was watching the
an attempt to relieve her suffering.
gunboat through his glass.
In those two days Connor knew
“She’s kicking up a real lot of
why Wild Norene was so named.
water,” he said, “but that’s all she dare do. I
She was on deck when the blow
scarcely think she’ll put a shot across our
began, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks bows when Old Glory is flying from our flushed. She clung to the rail and watched
stern.”
the tumbling sea, glorying in the rushing
“She can make as good time as the
wind, the dashing spray, running away now
Amingo, sir. You’ll not dare go in Mexican
and then to escape a wetting. She stood on
waters.”
the deck and watched the man put extra
The skipper laughed loudly.
lashings on the lumber, laughed and
“You don’t think I’m going to stay
shrieked like a wild sister of the wind that
on the high seas forever, do you? I’ve a bit
was raging.
of cargo to deliver, and it’ll be delivered. A
Jack Connor, watching her from measly little gunboat with a Mexican in afar, felt his admiration grow. She had not
command can be dodged by the Amingo
spoken to him since the scene that first
with a Yankee sailing her, and don’t you
morning: she had not spoken to Sally forget it. I’ll turn in now, I guess.”
Wood at all.
The
Amingo was making good time
The second night came and the and was on the right course; there was little storm fell. Jack Connor turned in, stiff and
for Connor to do. Morgan was with others
<
br /> sore, to sleep the clock around.
of the crew in the forecastle getting sorely
He emerged from the cabin in the
needed sleep after the battle with the gale.
middle of the next morning, to find the sea
Senor Guerrero came on deck for a
dancing in the sunshine. The coast could be
time, pale and weak, spoke a few words,
seen in the distance.
and retired again. Connor imagined he did
Behind, smoke pouring from her it to see for himself whether the Amingo stacks, followed the Mexican gunboat like
still was afloat.
a hound on the trail.
And then Norene appeared.
Captain Adams laughed as he saw
She walked forward, playing with
Connor regarding the pursuing vessel.
the ship’s dog mascot. Presently she turned
“Needn’t fear her, lad,” he said. and made for the bridge.
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Connor watched her from the lip.
corners of his eyes. She did not go aft; she
But Connor was not smiling at her
stopped, started up.
nor sneering at her, was not sarcastic, not
Connor swung his glass up and angry, not attempting a pleasantry. He was looked hard to starboard at nothing. When
only the courteous, firm officer in
he lowered the glass she was within six feet
temporary charge of a vessel on the high
of him and with a glass of her own was
seas.
looking back at the Mexican gunboat. She
“Pardon me for mentioning it.” he
did not appear to recognize his presence.
continued. “Perhaps you did not understand
Connor smiled as he turned his about it.”
back upon her and again regarded a spot he
“Not
understand—”
imagined to be on the horizon. When he
She bit her lip and flushed again.
looked back she had dropped the glass to
Not understand? Wild Norene Adams, who
her side and was watching the antics of the
had spent ten years aboard a vessel with
dog playing with one of the men over the
Captain Bill, not to understand the simple
piles of lumber.
rules of the sea?
Connor wondered whether she had
Hot anger flamed within her; her
come there to explain by her actions that
eyes flashed danger signals.
she did not consider he existed on earth. If
“It is permissible, with the captain’s
she would not recognize his presence, he
permission, to visit the bridge with himself
would recognize hers, he told himself.
or another officer, but it is not permitted
He was puzzled how to begin.
you to be alone on the bridge with the
A plea for justice would not avail
officer in charge.”
with such a girl as Norene; he had made
“Are you trying to be impertinent?”
that before and it had failed. To start an
“Also, it is forbidden to speak to the
ordinary conversation would mean to be
bridge officer, madam.”
snubbed. He must find some way to startle
He turned away from her and again
her, some way to make her answer, to get
contemplated the horizon, trying hard to
her to talk.
keep from smiling.
An idea came to him, an idea so
“It happens,” she said in scorn,
bold that for a moment it held him aghast,
“that I have the run of the ship. I own one-
then forced him to smile in spite of himself.
fifth interest in her, if you desire to know it.
He would startle Wild Norene as she never
I think I may stand on the bridge a
had been startled before, he decided.
moment.”
He took a step nearer her.
He turned toward her again, his face
“I beg your pardon,” he said.
grave.
She turned her back on him and
“It would be the same, madam, if
made no reply. Raising the glass again, she
you owned all of her,” he said. “An officer
contemplated the distant shore.
in charge of a vessel has responsibilities
“Pardon me, but passengers are not
and certain rights. He can order an owner
allowed on the bridge!”
in irons if that owner makes an attempt to
“Passengers!”
interfere with navigation of the ship.”
She whirled toward him as she
Her eyes flamed again.
spoke, then, realizing she had been
“You’d put me in irons, I suppose?”
betrayed into speaking, flushed and bit her
she asked.
Wild Norene
25
He did smile now.
“Aye, aye, sir!”
“I scarcely think it will be The
Amingo continued on her way
necessary,” he said. “Now that I have through the wallowing sea. Connor did not explained, I am sure you’ll descend to the
look at her again, could not trust himself to
deck and observe my orders.”
do so.
“Your orders!” she exclaimed.
She remained sitting on the rail,
“You—You dare to speak to me like this?
trying to keep from laughing. He would
You— you—dare order me from the bridge
speak to her again soon, she supposed, and
of the Amingo as you would a meddlesome
again she would ignore him and make no
tourist on a Japanese liner? You—”
answer.
“Ordinary rules of seafaring, my
Morgan, rubbing his sleepy eyes,
dear madam, that I cannot see fit to came from the forecastle and made his way disobey,” he reminded her. “Pardon me for
aft, another man at his heels. They mounted
not accompanying you to the deck; I cannot
to the bridge and stood before the mate.
leave the bridge.”
“You wanted us, Mr. Connor?”
She gasped at him again, then sat
“Yes. This young lady refuses to
on the rail, crooking her feet around a post,
leave the bridge after being ordered to do
folded her hands in her lap, and regarded
so. Conduct her to her cabin and lock her
him, her head held high, the danger signals
in. If she resists, put her in irons!”
still in her eyes.”
Norene’s eyes bulged in amazement
She knew he was laughing at her—
and she got down from the rail, staring at
that he was attempting to make her talk to
him, not believing what she had heard, not
him. She had come up on the bridge to
dreaming he would dare think of going so
punish him by acting as if unaware of his
far.
presence, and now she could not retreat and
“I—I beg pardon, sir?” asked
leave to him the victory.
Morgan, looking from one to the other.
She would remain, and she would
“You heard my orders? Do as I told
ignore him.
you!”
/>
He regarded the pursuing gunboat
“But—”
again, looked long at the shore, then turned
“As I told you!” Connor advanced
toward her and pretended surprise.
toward him threateningly.
“I believe I suggested that you
“Aye, aye, sir!”
descend to the deck, madam,” he said.
Morgan turned toward her, the
She looked away from him; made
other seaman stepping beside him.
no answer.
“Mate’s orders, you go below,
“You refuse to obey my order?” he
miss,” Morgan said.
asked.
“I’m very comfortable here, thank
No answer. She was biting at the
you.”
corner of her lip to keep from laughing.
Morgan was bewildered.
What could he do now, she wondered.
Conducting the captain’s niece below was
He turned away from her again.
something out of the ordinary. He wasn’t
“Forward!” he cried. “Pass the sure what he should do. But the discipline word to Morgan; tell him to come to the
of the sea is strong—and he had received
bridge immediately with one of the other
his orders.
men!”
But—
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