The Lost Warship
by ROBERT MOORE WILLIAMS
[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Amazing Stories January1943. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.copyright on this publication was renewed.]
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER V
CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER I
The sun came up over a glassy, motionless sea. In the life-boat, Craigarranged the piece of sail to protect them from the sun. He hoisted itto the top of the improvised mast, spreading it so that it threw ashadow on the boat. There was no wind. There had been no wind for threedays.
Craig stood up and swept his eyes around the circle of the sea. Thehorizon was unbroken. As he sat down he was aware that the girl, MargySharp, who had been sleeping at his feet, had awakened.
"See anything, pal?" she whispered.
He shook his head.
Her pinched face seemed to become more pinched at his gesture. She satup. Her eyes went involuntarily to the keg of water beside Craig. Shelicked her parched, cracked lips.
"How's for a drink, pal?" she asked.
"A quarter of a cup is all we get today," Craig said. "Do you want yourshare now or will you wait and take it later?"
"I'm terribly thirsty," the girl said. She glanced quickly back at theothers in the boat. They were still sleeping.
"How about slipping me a whole cup?" she asked, her bold blue eyes fixedintently on Craig's face.
Craig looked at the sea.
"They're asleep," the girl said quickly. "They won't ever know."
Craig said nothing.
"Please," the girl begged.
Craig sat in silence. He was a big man with a great thatch of black hairand hard gray eyes. He was clad in a pair of torn duck trousers. Rolledbottoms revealed bare feet. He wore no shirt. Holstered on his belt wasa heavy pistol.
"Look, big boy," the girl cajoled. "Me and you could get along allright."
"What makes you think so?" Craig questioned.
This was apparently not the answer she had expected. She seemed to bestartled. For a moment her eyes measured the man.
"You've been looking for something that you wanted very badly," shesaid. "You haven't found it. Because you haven't found it, you havebecome bitter."
Her words made Craig uncomfortable. They came too close to the truth. Heshifted his position on the seat.
"So what?" he said.
"So nothing," the girl answered. "Except that we are two of a kind."
"And because we are two of a kind, we can get along?" he questioned.
"Yes," she answered. She made no effort to hide the longing in her eyes."Look, Craig, me and you, we're tough." She gestured contemptuously atthe others in the boat. "They aren't tough."
"Aren't they?"
"No." The words came faster now, as if she had made up her mind to saywhat she had to say and be damned with the consequences. "