Wild Norene by Johnston McCulley Read online

  26

  “Lady refuses to go below, sir,” he

  once at the bridge, her eyes flashing

  reported to the mate.

  angry—but Connor was calmly gazing

  “You have your orders!” Connor’s

  through his glass at the imaginary spot on

  lips were twitching; he did not dare turn

  the horizon.

  and look at them. Through his glass he

  Morgan and his comrade followed

  regarded another spot on the horizon. her below, ushered her into her cabin, Morgan scratched his head a moment, then

  locked the door, and carried the key up to

  faced Norene again.

  the mate. In the ears of Wild Norene rang

  “Mate’s orders must be obeyed, the chuckle she had heard Morgan give as miss,” he said. “Officer says you must go

  he locked the door:

  below.”

  “Great Salt Lake! Cap’n’s niece!

  Norene realized the man’s And it’ll be in th’ log!”

  predicament and did not care to cause him

  Her head held high, her hands

  trouble. It was Connor she wanted to clenched, and her arms held rigid at her outwit.

  sides, she stood for a moment and regarded

  “Tell your officer,” she replied, the door they had locked. Then the storm

  “that I was just going. There is much better

  broke.

  company in the forecastle.”

  She was Wild Norene Adams in

  She started to descend, and Morgan

  earnest now. She pounded against the door

  and the other sailor followed her at a in her fury, shrieked and screeched, hurled respectful distance. On the deck they to the floor or against the walls everything stopped, while Norene walked across to the

  movable.

  rail, leaning against it and kicking out her

  In another woman it would have

  heels like a girl of ten.

  been old-fashioned hysterics, but in Wild

  “What th’ dev—” Morgan was Norene it was anger, pure and simple, rage muttering to himself.

  at herself for having been conquered, not at

  “Morgan!” came the hail from the

  the man who had conquered her.

  bridge.

  The slumbering skipper in the

  “Aye,

  sir!”

  adjoining cabin was awakened when a

  “I told you to conduct the young

  lamp-bracket crashed against the wall. He

  lady to her cabin and lock her in. Do so

  sprang to his feet and began pulling on his

  instantly, and fetch me the key.”

  clothes, his ears assailed by shrieks and

  “Aye, aye, sir!”

  cries.

  Morgan and his messmate started

  He knew it was Norene’s voice.

  slowly across the deck toward her. Orders

  What had happened? What in the name of

  were orders; if they had been told to throw

  Neptune, he asked himself, could have

  the Chinese cook overboard they might happened?

  have done it, and stopped to think of it

  He ran out and pounded on

  afterward.

  Norene’s door. He saw that Senor Guerrero

  Norene whirled upon them as they

  was standing near, aghast at such an

  advanced, and held out her hands.

  outburst. Farther away, Sally Wood had

  “Do as your officer ordered!” she

  opened a door and was peering out, fright

  said. “Lock me in my cabin, then take him

  in her face.

  the key.”

  “Norene! Girl!” the skipper cried.

  Her face was fiery red; she looked

  “What is it? Open the door!”

  Wild Norene

  27

  Another shriek of anger answered

  “What’s been goin’ on here?”

  him.

  “I beg your pardon, sir?”

  “What’s the matter? Open the door,

  “My niece is down in her cabin

  girl!”

  shrieking to wake the dead. She woke me,

  Another chorus of hysterical all right! I asked her what was the matter screams. Captain Bill stepped back. and she said to ask the mate. If you’ve Another instant and his gigantic bulk gone too far—”

  crashed against the door’s panels and burst

  “Oh!” Sudden recollection seemed

  them in. He half fell into the tiny cabin.

  to come to Connor. “She came up here on

  Norene was standing near a port-

  the bridge, sir. I informed her, courteously,

  hole, her back toward him, stamping her

  that passengers were not allowed on the

  feet, pounding against the thick glass with

  bridge.”

  her tiny fists.

  “Passengers—”

  “Norene! What is it, girl?”

  “And asked her politely to leave.

  She turned as he approached, and

  She answered me, and I informed her it

  he tried to take her in his arms, sudden

  was against the rules to talk to the bridge

  alarm in his face, for never had he seen

  officer.”

  Norene in quite such a state before.

  Connor’s eyes were twinkling and a

  But she pushed him away and smile lurked on his lips as he faced his confronted him, wild anger in her eyes.

  superior.

  “Girl—girl! What is it?” he asked.

  “Well?” the captain demanded.

  “Ask—your

  mate!”

  she

  gasped.

  “She refused to go, sir. Mutiny of

  “My mate!” Captain Bill turned and

  passenger against rules! I called two of the

  dashed from the cabin and to the deck. He

  men and had them lock her in her cabin and

  had been aroused from a deep sleep, he had

  fetch me the key.”

  heard Norene screeching as if in fear and

  “You—You

  what?”

  anger, he had demanded the reason, and

  “Yes,

  sir.”

  had been told to ask his mate. Had Connor

  “You did that—to Norene?”

  overstepped the bounds of courtesy? Had

  “Yes, sir—fully within my rights,

  he dared insult Norene?

  of course, and in a polite and courteous

  Captain Bill’s fists were clenched

  manner. Here is the key, sir.”

  and his breath was coming in angry gasps

  Captain Bill Adams took the key,

  as he hurried across the deck and mounted

  but did not take his eyes from the mate’s

  to the bridged.

  face. Slowly the expression of his own face

  He stopped in astonishment as he

  relaxed, his mouth twitched, then he threw

  reached it. Jack Connor was looking back his head and roared.

  through his glass at the imaginary spot on

  “For the love of Neptune!” he cried,

  the horizon. He did not present the and laughed again. “Sent her to her cabin—

  appearance of a man who had just locked her in—Wild Norene! Great quarreled with a woman or insulted her. He

  Heaven, how she’ll hate you now! Fully

  was the typical, cool, calm and collected

  within your rights and in a polite and

  officer on the bridge.

  courteous manner, eh? That’s good! By

  Captain Bill began to feel rid
iculous

  Heaven, it’s good! Wild Norene! So that’s

  as Connor turned and faced him.

  the way you start in to tame her, eh?”

  “Up so soon, cap’n?” he asked.

  Captain Bill laughed again; Connor

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  28

  searched the horizon once more. A voice

  put a man on guard if you think it

  behind them—Norene’s voice—made them

  necessary.”

  both turn.

  “Uncle Bill!” she shrieked.

  “Funny, is it?” she demanded. She

  But the captain had turned his back

  had followed her uncle and made her way

  upon her, for no longer could he keep back

  to the bridge. “Well, are you going to the chuckles that bubbled to his lips.

  thrash this fine mate of yours? The men

  “At least,” she said, recovering

  could not help it—they had to carry out his

  some of her dignity, “take me back

  orders!”

  yourself, or let me go alone. I do not care to

  The captain laughed again, while

  walk across the deck with a man of Mr.

  she stood before him angrily, tapping the

  Connor’s stamp.”

  floor of the bridge with the toe of one shoe.

  Connor’s face grew red, and there

  The captain’s laugh died down, and as was an expression of pain in it.

  Norene looked away an instant he winked

  “Miss Adams,” he said, “I do not

  at Connor.

  care to accompany you if you think I am

  “Mr. Connor tells me he ordered

  unworthy. I see you are bound not to be

  you to leave the bridge and you refused to

  friends with me. I explained honestly to

  go.”

  you once. I spoke lightly of Wild Norene in

  “He did—and I did.”

  a low resort, because I did not know you

  “And he called a couple of men and

  personally then, I thought. But I did know

  had you locked in your cabin?”

  you, only not by name, and a few minutes

  “He did! And it’ll be in the log. I

  before I had prohibited mention of you in

  went because of the men—they were the same place—because I had met you and forced to obey orders. Now thrash this man

  admired you, because I loved you from the

  for me because of his impudence!”

  first—and I’m not ashamed to tell you

  Captain

  Bill

  pulled at his mustache.

  now, in your uncle’s presence.”

  “My dear Norene,” he said, “my

  “This is a part of the taming

  officer acted fully within his rights. He

  process, I suppose,” she sneered. “Do you

  wasn’t insolent, was he?”

  think I believe in your love merely because

  “He was polite enough,” she you say you love me? Are you not saying it admitted.

  to escape the punishment my uncle has

  “You should have left the bridge

  promised you? Do you think I am that

  when he ordered it,” said the captain, trying

  weak-minded?”

  hard not to laugh. “I cannot punish my

  “I have told you the truth,” he

  mate for abiding by the rules of the sea.

  replied, “believe it or not. I’ll never

  And now you’ve gotten yourself in worse

  mention the subject again—and I’ll take

  than ever— you’ve broken your arrest and

  whatever punishment your uncle sees fit to

  come up here on deck.”

  give me. But do not say I am unworthy to

  “Uncle!”

  walk across the deck with you, for I have

  “Must have discipline!” said not lied. I’m a rough sailor, but I’ve kept Captain Bill. “You’ll have to go back in

  myself measurably clean, and what bad

  your cabin until I have time to consider

  habits I have can be corrected easily.

  your case. Mr. Connor, I’ll take the bridge

  “However, you do not see fit to

  until you return. Conduct Miss Adams to

  give me a square deal. I’ll not bother you

  her cabin. I smashed the door, but you can

  further, Miss Adams. Regarding the present

  Wild Norene

  29

  matter, with the captain’s permission we’ll

  and she has the right to be.”

  consider your arrest at an end.”

  “But a woman of that sort—” she

  He bowed to her and turned away.

  began again.

  The look in his eyes haunted her.

  “A woman that is good and honest,

  She fought against feeling that his words

  and whom any other woman ought to

  were true. She wanted to feel that she could

  help,” he said. “Why not ask your uncle to

  condemn this man to his face. Ah—

  set you right—to tell you the story? I don’t

  “A worthy man—you!” she blame you for blaming me if Cap’n Bill led exclaimed. “And just how worthy? Do you

  you to believe some things that are not

  know one reason I won’t believe you? Do

  true.”

  you want to know one reason why I think

  She demanded the story, and

  you are unworthy? What about the girl who

  Captain Adams told it in a manner that

  became a stowaway? What about the girl

  showed he was somewhat ashamed.

  who played the piano in that low resort you

  Norene said nothing as he

  made your headquarters? Why did she concluded, but there was a bit of contempt become a stowaway? ‘Interested in the in her face as she watched her uncle mate,’ my uncle says. A woman like that—

  descend to the deck and start toward the

  a vile creature like that un-sexes herself to

  cabin to continue his interrupted sleep.

  follow you when you sail, yet you say you

  But Captain Adams turned,

  are a worthy man. And you fought with

  grinning, and called back at her, sending a

  Riney for her—not because I asked you to

  parting shot in revenge.

  avenge his insult to me!”

  “Better get off that bridge, Norene,

  “Stop!” Connor almost yelled the

  or the mate will have you in irons!” he

  word. “You do not know what you are

  cried.

  saying! Sally Wood is a woman in a

  Her face grew red, and she started

  thousand—a good woman—”

  to descend without looking at Connor.

  “A good woman—playing the

  “Miss Adams,” he called softly as

  piano there?” she cried, laughing.

  she started, “I meant what I said. I’ll bother

  “Yes—a good woman!” Connor’s

  you no more. I love you— I meant that,

  eyes blazed at the captain, then he faced

  too. I’ve corrected one false idea you had

  Norene again. “Evidently your uncle hasn’t

  of me, but I shall go no farther. I just

  been fair. Evidently he didn’t tell you this

  wanted you to know I’m perhaps not as bad

  woman’s story! It’s one to make an honest

  as you thought, and that Sally Wood was a

  woman’s heart bleed with
sympathy for

  decent woman, deserving of kindness and

  her. ‘Interested in the mate,’ eh? Cap’n Bill

  sympathy. You’re the one woman I’ve ever

  didn’t happen to mention which mate, did

  looked at a second time—”

  he?”

  She hesitated, then ran swiftly

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  down to the deck, as if afraid to hear more.

  There was an expression of guilt in

  She did not ask his pardon; did not by word

  the captain’s face, and she had been quick

  or look express penitence.

  to notice it.

  But that evening in the moonlight

  “I wasn’t the mate meant,” said Jack Connor saw her walking the deck with Connor. “It was Riney, the old mate, she

  Sally Wood, and Wild Norene had her arm

  followed aboard, or thought she was around the other woman’s waist.

  following him. She is interested in Riney—

  He did not know how Wild

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  30

  Norene’s pride had suffered that day.

  “She hangs on pretty well, doesn’t

  she?” Connor said.

  “I’ll shake her off when I am

  CHAPTER VI.

  ready.”

  The Truth Comes Out.

  “Do we put into Mazatlan first, then

  out again and land the arms, or do we land