Pulp - Adventure.19.03.01Dirty Jim - S. B. H. Hurst (pdf)

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  the same suit. Both men looked at their

  Nugent, chuckling with confidence and hole-cards and then Miller pushed all his delight, again shuffled the cards, his stack

  chips into the pot. Nugent called, and

  showed twenty-two chips to Miller’s eight.

  Miller, since it was a show-down, turned

  But Miller was apparently over his hole-card, showing another ace.

  unmoved. He considered himself the better

  Nugent, with what looked like foolish

  player and attributed Nugent’s winnings to

  obstinacy, refused to show his hole-card.

  an extraordinary run of luck. If he played

  “Go on, what have you got, Bill?”

  carefully, Nugent could never win.

  cried Spritz eagerly.

  But Nugent had no intention of

  “I don’t have to show unless I want

  letting him play carefully. Feeling sure that

  till the hand’s dealt,” snapped Nugent.

  the luck was on his side, he bet the size of

  “Not even got another deuce,”

  Miller’s stack on the first card; and Miller,

  sneered Spritz.

  with a pair of tens back to back, was in a

  But Nugent continued obstinate and

  quandary. Nugent’s card was an ace— Miller dealt him another deuce and gave what had he in the hole? Two tens was

  himself another ace, at which Spritz

  above the average hand, and the play, laughed again.

  ordinarily, was to call Nugent’s bet. But to

  “Three aces. Not so bad, eh, Miller?

  do so meant all Miller’s chips. And Nugent

  Bill has a couple of two spots and a three in

  might have a pair of aces.

  the hole—see if he hasn’t. But when is this

  “Oh, bet ’em—what’s the matter crazy game going to end?”

  Adventure

  10

  As there was no further betting to

  So, illustrating the inevitability of

  be done, Miller continued dealing, giving

  natural law, these three exponents of the

  himself the unusually large hand of an ace

  doctrine of force little dreamed that years

  full on sevens. He looked at Nugent, whose

  later a nation called Germany, bred to the

  exposed cards were three deuces and the

  same doctrine, would end in the same

  king of clubs—also a large hand, but one

  direction—the satisfaction of lust.

  that looked small against the ace full.

  “Shall I take the pot, or have you

  II

  something in the hole to beat me?” drawled

  Miller, who knew that there was only one

  DIRTY JIM sat outside his shack, sober

  card that could beat him.

  but shaky, balancing the ledger of his thirty

  “Nugent has four deuces. Don’t years of life; thinking chiefly how very steal the pot, Miller,” broke in Spritz long it was since he was respected as Jim sarcastically.

  Annesty, since he rowed stroke in the

  Nugent

  smiled.

  Oxford boat in that memorable race when

  “You want to be careful, Tom, or

  the dark blue crept up from behind and

  people won’t know you.”

  won by a quarter of a length. Why had he

  “How?”

  fallen so low, he wondered—wondered in

  Spritz was somewhat puzzled.

  vain, for this was during the days—

  “Won’t know you—because of unhappily lingering yet in certain places—

  your telling the truth,” chuckled Nugent,

  when drunkenness was called vice instead

  turning over his hole-card and showing the

  of disease.

  fourth deuce; the others gasping as he

  One hundred years before Christian

  ostentatiously raked in all the chips.

  England, in Bedlam, had treated the insane

  “You fellows want to put our as if they were responsible for their agreement in writing?” he asked with condition—with inconceivable brutality—

  curious quietness.

  and the same barbarity considered Jim a

  “What

  for?”

  drunken brute when he was a sick man. So

  Miller was about to argue the no one had offered to help him when point—bristling over his defeat—when ancestral tendencies broke out in him just Spritz broke in:

  as tuberculosis might have manifested

  “Writing—what for? You’re itself.

  welcome to the ——- girl, for all of me. As

  No one but little Miss Wood, that

  I told you, I’m not interested in her—just

  wonderfully sympathetic and curiously

  played to pass the time. Kidnaping a white

  charming young lady with such novel

  woman looks a bit too dangerous, the more

  views on religious subjects—views,

  I think about it. Wish you joy all the same,

  however, which only penetrated into poor

  Bill, and no hard feelings. Course I won’t

  Jim’s mind as sunlight penetrates into

  say nothing, and if you get into a mess

  muddy water. But the poor chap had come

  come to me and I’ll do all I can to help

  to worship her as saints are worshiped, and

  you. You will, too, won’t you, Miller?” he

  out of that worship was growing a desire to

  asked with the heartiness of a disinterested

  be better—not the mere wish common to

  friend.

  all sufferers from alcohol or drugs, but a

  “I’m with you,” Miller agreed. desire which demanded satisfaction in

  “Let’s drink the bridegroom’s health.”

  effort and self-help.

  Dirty Jim

  11

  The spice-scented darkness of the

  “I wonder what they’ll say

  island was soothing, and the faint murmur

  tomorrow?” mused Spritz. “But never

  of the sea against the beach was like a

  mind. I’m going ashore now. I want two

  lullaby. As Captain Sprite had observed,

  good men in the boat. Soon as I come

  Miss Wood, the Salvation Army girl, had

  alongside hoist the signal. Then dump these

  talked nearly all afternoon to the sleepers into their boat, lift the mud-hook beachcomber. She had talked as a kindly

  and bring her to the wind. Better heave

  sister, and Jim had listened. And now he

  short after I go ashore—there’s no drag

  looked up at the stars apparently staring at

  worth speaking of.”

  him from a moonless sky, and smiled.

  “All right, sir.” Sydney Dick was as

  He had found one resolve he could

  interested as his captain, for the reason that

  surely keep—even if he must have drink,

  any form of villainy charmed him.

  he could at least be a gentleman about it: he

  Then Tom Spritz had a couple of

  could keep himself clean-shaved, and his

  his men row him ashore. He might have

  clothing decent. He went into his shack, lit

  been going to gather flowers so little was

  the battered lamp, shaved, and with he spiritually disturbed. Which causes one difficulty trimmed his hair. Then he got out

  to think sometimes that there are

  his one pongee suit and silk shirt and automatons in the world without souls, yet dressed hi
mself, finding in it a delight to

  clothed in the guise of men, set there by

  which he had long been a stranger. The feel

  Omnipotence to frighten us by their

  of his smooth cheek under his hand was

  wickedness into better ways of life.

  inspiring, the touch of clean clothes against

  his bathed body was luxurious. Never again

  JIM ANNESTY was dreaming. He was in

  would he look otherwise than he did then.

  a lovely old-fashioned garden, lavish with

  Like a child pleased with a new toy he lay

  such blossoms as sweet-williams,

  down to sleep on his cot—fully dressed.

  mignonette, English wall-flowers, and

  violets. The high walls were overgrown

  AND as Jim Annesty closed his eyes, with ivy and the shade was soothing. And Captain Spritz, sitting at the head of his

  near the walls were several fruit-trees, from

  table, winked pleasantly at Sydney Dick

  which he might take whatever fruit he

  and looked mockingly at his two guests—

  desired. But he was surprized to find that

  whose heavy snores almost shook the little

  he did not want any fruit, although he knew

  cabin.

  very well it was good for him; and he

  “Pretty easy, eh?”

  became restless, wandering about

  “Yes, and they never expected it.

  disconsolate, because there was something

  They just swallowed dope and drink like as

  he wanted that the garden did not contain;

  if they wanted a good sleep.” Sydney Dick

  and presently he found the gate, over which

  laughed at his wit.

  was an arch, and he opened the gate and

  “All right,” Spritz went on. “Just tie

  saw that the arch was studded with gin

  ’em up good, in case they wake, and put

  bottles in such a way that the bottles

  them in the spare room. You sent their boat

  spelled the word “Katie.”

  back?”

  Then he heard a woman weeping

  “Yes, sir—told the serang that and he went into the garden and found the when I signaled he was to come for the

  Salvation Army girl weeping bitterly

  Tuans.”

  because he loved the bottles over the gate

  Adventure

  12

  more than he loved her. Then, in the silly

  rescue? Even if there were time to find

  way of dreams, he began to explain that it

  some man—for Annesty knew Spritz

  really did not matter—as long as he loved

  would put to sea at once—it would be

  Katie what did it matter whether she was an

  useless. For what was the use of tackling

  array of bottles or a woman.

  Spritz on board his own ship without half a

  But to please her he said he would

  dozen well-armed and determined men?

  destroy the bottles and love her instead—it

  And the beachcomber doubted that there

  was only an unimportant detail, after all. So

  was any one on Talee who cared whether

  he raised his gun—in some way the gun

  Spritz kidnaped the girl or not.

  got into his hand—and began to shoot the

  The moving boat left a stirring track

  bottles off the arch; and at his first shot the

  of phosphorescence, which Annesty

  girl screamed and....

  watched with a sort of stupid sorrow; and

  Annesty woke up, sitting up on his

  then like a hypodermic injection that takes

  cot, trembling and staring into the effect the picture of the struggling girl darkness. Then, moved by something being hustled into the boat stirred the right beyond him, he pulled on his shoes and

  depth of the reservoir of Annesty’s

  went outside his shack.

  subconscious mind, and he reacted with a

  The night had grown very dark, quiver of anger.

  clouds covering the stars. The world was

  Deep in that tank of his ancestors’

  still except down on the shingle about fifty

  experiences was a memory—perhaps of a

  yards from where Annesty stood shivering

  gorilla-like creature who had suddenly

  from his sudden waking. There a big man

  found his mate struggling in the arms of his

  whom the beach-comber recognized in a

  rival. And that ancestor possessed Jim

  moment was lifting into a boat something

  Annesty—recharging his nervous system

  that struggled vainly. It was like an unreal

  with the vitality of an anger that sees red.

  picture made by shadows which changes as

  Half a dozen years before he had

  one watches into half-imagined shapes. been a great athlete, but he had never Then the boat pushed off and began to row

  known such a strength as he knew that

  toward the Lady Ellen.

  night. He acted with a purpose and

  So the cry in the dream had been

  certainty that he caught himself wondering

  real. Annesty realized this, as he stood at—as if he were a spectator, as if he had there, with the semi-paralyzed nerves of the

  relinquished the body of Jim Annesty to

  alcoholic and with his mind, long some one else, who was performing unaccustomed to making a decision, marvels in it. And the first glimpse he had wavering between half a dozen possibilities

  of himself was when he was swimming

  of action. He could not see who the woman

  swiftly but cautiously toward the schooner

  was. But there was only one girl on the

  because he had no boat.

  island whom Spritz would be compelled to

  The boat reached the schooner as

  take aboard his schooner in this fashion and

  Annesty swam and her shadow against the

  at this hour. Apart from the suggestive faint sky light showed her ready for sea—

  influence of the dream, cold logic pointed

  her sails hoisted and shaking in what little

  to the Salvation Army girl as the prisoner

  wind came into the harbor; and Annesty

  in the rapidly moving boat.

  knew that the mere flap of her sails would

  And who on the island would risk

  take the schooner through the water faster

  the wrath of Tom Spritz by attempting a

  than he could swim. So he doubled his

  Dirty Jim

  13

  efforts, careless now about being seen. schooner heeled slightly, and Annesty Then another boat rowed swiftly past him

  realized she was under way. He must get

  and so close that he had to dive to hide

  aboard now or never.

  himself; and this boat, to his great surprise,

  He rested one hand on the molding,

  was also making for the Lady Ellen.

  made a spring and caught the edge of the

  From the schooner came a confused

  rail; then he brought up his other hand and

  hum of voices. Annesty swam into the dark

  raised himself until his eyes were above the

  made by her quarter and saw something

  rail and he could see along the decks. He

  being dumped unceremoniously into the had been on board the schooner several second boat while other men were hoisting

  times and knew his way about. For a few

  the
first to its tiny davits. As he treaded

  moments he watched carefully. Then he

  water, he puzzled about this second boat

  swung himself over the rail and ran swiftly

  but could find no answer—knowing aft to the cabin.

  nothing, of course, about the unhappy

  He stood in the alleyway, breathing

  condition of Captains Miller and Nugent.

  hard, the awful reaction of collapse

  Then he heard a voice—the deep voice of

  clutching at his weakened physique. The

  Spritz—whispering hoarsely:

  sudden impulse of courage that had sent

  “All

  right,

  Serang, take ’em aboard.

  him swimming to the schooner had left him

  Up with the mud-hook, Dick.”

  and only the trembling of unusual over-

  Then the second boat swung off exertion remained. All about the ship men into the darkness.

  were running to the shouted orders of

  Very cautiously Jim Annesty swam

  Spritz and his mate. And then Annesty

  to where the rail was lowest, keeping as

  remembered that he had forgotten to pick

  close to the ship as he could to avoid being

  up a weapon.

  noticed. He was thinking furiously. Spritz

  The schooner was gliding through

  would have locked the girl in his cabin,

  the water. In a few moments Spritz would

  intending to leave her there till he worked

  leave the deck. For one horrible moment

  the schooner into deep water. Until then

  Jim Annesty wished he had not come and

  she was safe.

  thought of slipping over the rail again.

  Sydney Dick and most of the crew

  Then the man he used to be came to his

  were now on the forecastle—getting the