pTHTHf

WASH T U B B S
AND

CAPTAIN EASY
Hunting for Whales

B a sed on th e NEA C om ic S trip

B y ROY CRANE

WHITMAN PUBLISHING CO.

RACINE, WISCONSIN
C opyright, 1933, b y N E A Service, Inc.
Copyright, 1938, by
S T E P H E N S L E S IN G E R , Inc.
N ew York, N . Y.
Printed in U . S. A,
 CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE

I On Their Way A gain ............ 9

II Shanghaied ............................. 24
III Signed U p ........................... — . 52
IV Wash Misses the F u n ............... 60
V Hard W ork............................... 86
V I A Two-Way Joke...................... 108
V II Another Whale H unt...............134
V III A Becalmed Ship.................... 160
IX Easy Saves the M ate................ 190
X Wash Gets a W arning............. 210
X I Slugg Goes Hunting.................. 234
X II Easy to the Rescue..................... 250
 CONTENTS—(Continued)
CHAPTER PAGE

X III On Wash’s T ra il........................270

X IV Stranded ......................................282
XV Mutiny ..................................... 302
XVI Slugg is Marooned..................316
X V II Slugg Returns............... 338
XV III A Terrible Revenge.................... 362
X IX Free! ......................................... 388
XX Slugg’s Finish............ 406
Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy
HUNTING FOR WHALES

, CHAPTER I

ON T H E IR W A Y A G A IN

“I never saw a whaler before, did

you, Easy?” Wash Tubbs asked as
the river barge they were riding
approached an old-fashioned whal­
er.
“Not an old-timer like her,”
9
IO WASH TUBBS

Easy replied, looking the aged ship

over carefully.
“She came in during a storm.
Dey say her crew deserted und she
can’t go beck to sea,” said one of
the crew of the river barge.
Wash buried his hands in his
pockets, a characteristic habit of
his. Suddenly he pulled them out,
a look of bewilderment on his face.
“Holy smoke! Feel in your
pockets, Easy. Wotta y’find?” he
6tJumping Blue Blazes l"
12 WASH TUBBS

asked his hand full of bank notes.

“Jumping blue blazes! Five hun­
dred bucks!” Easy exclaimed, after
examining his own pockets.
The two lads thrust their money
back into their pockets, as they
saw a big, rough-looking man with
only one arm approaching them.
They knew very well the money
was a present from Prince Willy
Nilly of Pandemonia, whom they
had served.
“Scram!” Easy Said
14 WASH TUBBS

The rough-looking stranger

drew nearer.
“Ye’re fine lookin’ lads. How’d
ye like to see th’ world aboard a
whaler?” he asked.
“Not on your life,” said Easy,
giving the stranger a dirty look.
“Excellent chance fer advance­
ment, mates. Big money—easy
work—all the comforts of home,”
continued the big man.
“Heck, no! We’re off for Gay
“Oh, Ho! Smart Guys!”
i6 WASH TUBBS

Paree,” replied Wash, throwing

out his chest.
“Scram!” Easy said, squaring
his jaw and doubling up his fists.
Wash and Easy turned on their
heels and walked away from the
wharf, not even giving the stran­
ger another thought. But they did
not know the resourcefulness of
Mr. Slugg.
The big man muttered to him­
self as they walked away.
RaWFace” and a Waiter
i8 WASH TUBBS

“Oh, ho! Smart guys! An’ wi’

a roll of bills fitten to choke a billy-
goat.”
The two soldiers of fortune were
unaware that the big man and a
slinking rat-faced fellow trailed
them to a waterfront cafe, nor did
they know that “Rat-face” and a
waiter in the cafe struck a secret
bargain. Consequently they sus­
pected nothing when they became
very drowsy after their meal.
20 WASH TUBBS

“Stuffy in here,” Easy mumbled

sleepily.
“Yeah—can’t keep my eyes
open,” Wash replied, resting his
head upon his hand.
When they had fallen sound
asleep, the waiter who had made
the bargain with “Rat-face” came
over and shook Wash and Easy.
At that moment “Rat-face” ap­
peared within the cafe and ap­
proached their table.
22 WASH TUBBS

“Bummers!” exclaimed the

waiter. “Dey vent to zleep mitout
paying for der zupper. I can’t vake
’em.”
“Dot’s 0. K. I pay for der zupper
und take dem home—dey friends
uf mine,” replied “Rat-face.”
“Rat-face” summoned two men
from outside the cafe to assist him
with Wash and Easy. As he left
he winked at the waiter.
Wash Opened His Eyes
 CHAPTER II

SH A N G H A IE D

Slowly, Wash opened his eyes,

and was conscious of a splitting
headache. Then he became aware
of a strange fishy smell, and the un­
mistakable roll of a ship at sea. He
sat up, bewildered, startled.
“Where am I?” he groaned,
holding his head in both his hands.
24
5Eu3inS331ilSll

“Wot Happened, Easy?’’Wash Asked

26 WASH TUBBS

Then he noticed that Easy, a

short distance away, was just re­
gaining consciousness.
“Wot happened, Easy?” Wash
asked.
Easy glanced about him for a
moment.
“Somebody musta given us
knockout drops. There’s six o’ us
in the hold of thet blasted whaler,”
a third man replied.
“You mean we bin shanghaied?”
28 WASH TUBBS

Wash asked, unbelievingly.

“And robbed, to boot. My ring
and my five hundred dollars are
gone. So are yours,” Easy replied.
Easy leaped to his feet. Followed
by Wash, the two of them tumbled
out of the hold, hopping mad. The
others followed a little more slowly.
At the top of the hold they met a
sailor swabbing the deck.
“Where the blazes is the skipper
of this tub?” Easy asked angrily.
the Skipper ?”
3» WASH TUBBS

The sailor just stared dumbly at

them.
However, the one-armed stran­
ger, whom they had met on the
wharf, a murderous hook now pro­
truding from his empty sleeve,
came on the run.
“So it’s the skipper ye’re after,
hey?” he asked gruffly.
“Y’dern right!” Easy exclaimed,
angrily. “We bin shanghaied ’n’
robbed.”
“We Bin Shanghaied an’ Robbed.”
32 WASH TUBBS

The one-armed man glared at

them furiously.
“Aye, ye’ll see the skipper, ye
blasted stowaways! Into the cabin
wi’ ye! Down ye goes,” he bellow­
ed.
Wash and Easy and their com­
panions were brought before the
captain of the whaler.
“Here they are, Cap’n Folly, and
as mangy a parcel o’ stowaways as
ever ye clapped eyes on,” the one-
They Were Brought Before the Captain
34 WASH TUBBS

armed man said, rapping the cap­

tain’s desk with his hook.
“Lies! Lies! We’ve been shang­
haied and robbed,” Easy exclaimed
angrily.
“Don’t ye believe a word o’ it,
sir. They mistaken this whaler for
a bloomin’ pleasure yacht, an’ now
they’re sore,” the first mate an­
swered.
“Please, please. I’m a sick old
man. A very sick man,” the cap-
“Here They Are, Cap’n Folly.”
36 WASH TUBBS

tain whined. “I—I must retire and

leave the case for you to settle,
Mr. Slugg
“Right ye are, Cap’n Folly. An’
we’ fit’n proper justice to one an’
all, sir,” Mr. Slugg replied.
His face was wreathed in a dia­
bolical smile, which boded no good
for the shanghaied men. They
knew one and all what justice to
expect from a man of his caliber.
Without further ado, they were led
“Right Ye Are, Cap’n Folly.”
38 WASH TUBBS

to the first mate’s cabin, and a copy

of the ship’s articles was placed
before them on the table.
“Now, ye blasted dodos! Lissen
to me—I’m mate o’ this bark, an’
I’ll stand fer no bloomin’ non­
sense.”
As he spoke the mate gave them
an ugly look.
“Ye’ll either sign the ship’s ar­
ticles an’ go to work in fitten style,
or ye kin blinkin’ well spend the
“Lissen to Me.”
40 WASH TUBBS

rest o’ the voyage in irons,” he

continued. “Wot’s more, ye’re
stowaways! An’ the next one o’
ye as claims he was shanghaied—
by thunder! He’s gunner git the
liver stomped outen him! D’ye
hear?”
There was a moment’s tense si­
lence. No one spoke—one could
hear the tick of an alarm clock up­
on a shelf.
“Well, speak up! Are ye ready
*T11 Sign Nothing,” Said Easy
42 WASH TUBBS

to sign the articles, or ain’t ye?”

Slugg yelled.
“I’ll sign, sir,” one of the men
said.
“Yes, sir,” spoke another.
“I’ll sign nothing!” Easy ex­
claimed indignantly, his hand on
his hips.
“Me neither,” chorused Wash.
Wash Tubbs always followed
Easy’s lead, regardless of conse­
quences.
44 WASH TUBBS

“Speak up! Who’s th’ blinkin’

swabs as ain’t goin’ to sign the ar­
ticles?” Slugg asked threatening­
ly, looking at Wash and Easy.
“I’ll do no work, suh, till I get
back my five hundred dollars,”
Easy replied.
“Blast ye! I’ll—” the mate start­
ed to say, as he lunged at Easy with
the vicious hook.
Easy ducked and drove a hard
left hand to Slugg’s midsection.
He Lunged at Easy
 WASH TUBBS

But the hook, having missed on the

way forward, caught Easy in the
back as the mate brought it down
and backward. A stabbing pain
shot through Easy’s body. A sec­
ond later the mate struck him a
terrific whack with a blackjack.
‘Til gi’ ye a lesson ye’ll never
fergit, me young bucko. First the
hook, an’ then the blackjack. Ho,
ho! Ye’ll never beat that combina­
tion, ye squint-eyed dodo,” Slugg
“Ye Squint-Eyed Dodo.”
.48 WASH TUBBS

snarled, as Easy toppled to the

dloor half unconscious from the rap
with the blackjack.
Easy tried to rise to continue the
fight, but the mate kicked him in
the head and he fell back in a coma.
At that moment Wash charged
with the only weapon he could find
handy, a water bucket. Swinging
the bucket with all his might, he
hit the mate squarely on the head.
The mate simply shook his head
Wash Charged With the Bucket
50 WASH TUBBS

like a mad bull and, turning, seized

Wash too with that dreadful hook.
With a terrific overhand swing,
Slugg sent Wash crashing against
the cabin wall.
That was their first taste of bru­
tality aboard the good ship
“Jonah.” They had met their mas­
ter in the dirtiest, crudest, most
vicious bully of the seven seas.
Their First Taste of Brutality
 CHAPTER III

SIG N ED UP
V
Still groggy, Easy struggled to
his feet to continue the fight. Then
he saw the burly mate—with his
blackjack and that horrible steel
hook, ready and waiting to con­
tinue the uneven fight.
“Well, me heartie, ha’ ye learnt
yer lesson?” he asked.
52
Ready and Waiting
54 WASH TUBBS

For a moment the situation was

tense. Neither man moved. They
stood toe to toe. The silence was
deathly. Finally Easy spoke
through closely locked jaws.
“Suh! You stick that hook in
me again—and I’ll kill you!”
The first mate, still gripping his
blackjack tightly, replied:
“You sign them articles.”
Then, with a shrug, Easy turned
and signed aboard the whaler.
With a Shrug, Easy Signed
56 WASH TUBBS

The mate grinned wickedly be­

hind Easy’s back. From that mo­
ment these two men were mortal
enemies.
Wash and Easy were facing the
miserable prospect of spending the
next three to five years aboard a
whaler, and what a miserable pros­
pect it was! The work was dan­
gerous, hard, monotonous. The
food was sickening.
The crew were in mortal terror
The Food Was Sickening
58 WASH TUBBS

of the mate—and with plenty of

reason. Hardly a day passed that
he did not kick or cuff some mem­
ber of the crew about.
There was only one ray of hope.
One day while Wash and Easy
were busy repairing the jib-sail,
Easy said:
“I hear we’re going through the
Panama Canal.”
“Oboy!” Wash exclaimed joy­
ously. “Goodby, whaler!”
A Ray of Hope
 CHAPTER IV

WASH. M ISSES T H E FU N

One day the first mate called all

the crew on deck so that he and
the other officers could select their
boat crews for the whale hunt.
There was much excitement as
the men were picked.
“I’ll ha’ Easy an’ the Swede,”
Slugg said, picking the best men.
60
Selecting the Boat Crews
62 WASH TUBBS

But Wash was not one of the

chosen few. He cautiously asked
Slugg about it, but the mate cut
him short.
“Scram! Yer too little,’' the
mate roared.
Wash Tubbs was disappointed.
Though the crews toiled for days
on end, until exhausted, Wash was
still envious. To him would come
the dirty work, and never the
thrills and sport of whaling.
Boat Practice
64 WASH TUBBS

One day the “Jonah” ran into a

school of porpoises, smallest ani­
mal of the whale family, and there
was sport for the harpooners and
fresh meat for the crew.
Except for Wash mistaking an
island for a whale, there was no
more excitement for days.
Days on end dragged by, with
nothing but hard work to break the
monotony of an uneventful voy­
age. It was maddening.
A School of Porpoises
66 WASH TUBBS

Then, early one morning, came a

piercing, thrilling cry from aloft.
“Blows! There she blows!”
shouted the lookout, gesticulating
his arms wildly. “Whales to
star’r d !”
Silence for a moment—then the
lookout shouted again.
“There she blows! There! Right
whales! A pod of them!”
Men were running, shouting—
wild with excitement, and into
68 WASH TUBBS

their midst strode the bellowing

mate.
“To the boats, blast ye! To the
boats, V lower away,” he shouted
to the crew, above the noise and
excitement.
Soon boats were dropping into
the sea, with men leaping into
them. Officers were shouting and
cursing. Away they went, hot on
the hunt, and Wash was left be­
hind.
70 WASH TUBBS

Glumly he leaned upon the rail,

watching as the boats pulled away
in the direction of the whales,
wishing disconsolately that he too
was in the thick of it all.
In the first mate’s boat orders
were being barked, mixed with
curses.
“Lively there! Up wi’ sails ’n’
away. D’ye hear! Up wi’ sails!”
the mate bellowed at the top of his
voice.
Away They Went
72 WASH TUBBS

Soon they were in pursuit of the

whales—right whales, fat and pig­
eyed, with queer “Venetian blinds”
in place of teeth. The sea mammals
were wallowing through a school
of mullet—gorging themselves—
unaware of approaching danger.
On and on they swam, catching
half a ton of fish at each mouthful
of water. Huge, enormous, each
was the size of two dozen circus
elephants! Each had a tongue as
Unaware of Approaching Danger
74 WASH TUBBS

large as a hippopotamus!
Was it any wonder, then, that
one of the crew, catching his first
sight of the mighty mammal,
leaped overboard in terror? The
man was scared out of his wits.
While the boat crews were bat­
tling with whales, Wash was busy
on board. His job was to steer the
“Jonah.” Soon Captain Folly came
on deck and Wash hopefully plead­
ed with him.
76 WASH TUBBS

“Please, Cap’n Folly. Please,

can’t I watch ’em, even if I can’t be
with em?” he asked.
“You stay at that wheel.
Y’hear?” bawled the long-bearded
captain.
Wash even missed the excite­
ment of finding Tom, the sailor
who became frightened and leaped
from the mate’s boat.
He missed everything — the
chase, the kill, and the thrill of
“You Stay at the Wheel.”
78 WASH TUBBS

picking up the triumphant boat

crews and their prize: a huge right
whale. Wash Tubbs was green
was envy, and in no mood to be
kidded.
“Talk about thrills! Boy, boy!
Why, compared to whales, tiger
hunting is downright sissy,” Easy
kidded Wash.
“You mention whales to me
again, an’ I’ll pop you one!” Wash
growled back at his pal.
“I’ll Pop You One.”
8o WASH TUBBS

As soon as the dead whale was

secured to the “Jonah,” the mate
came aboard, hopping mad.
“Where’s Tom? Where’s the
blinkin’ swab wot lept out o’ my
boat?” he bellowed.
Finding his man, the brutal mate
hooked and slugged and kicked
poor Tom, until hardened men
turned away, sick at the sight of
the unmerciful beating.
“I’ll learn ye to turn yella!” he
T il Learn Ye to Turn Yella.”
82 WASH TUBBS

growled, lashing out with his arms

and feet.
When Tom was unconscious, he
let up and shouted.
“You, Tubbs!”
“Yessir! Aye, aye, sir!” Wash
exclaimed, coming on the run.
The mate hooked the front of
Wash’s shirt, and pointing a finger
at him, said:
“Ye’ll take Tom’s place in my
boat, ’n’ if ever I see ye so much as
“You, Tubbs”
84 WASH TUBBS

tremble at the sighta a whale, I’ll

bat yer brains out!”
“Yessir,” Wash gulpad, perspira­
tion dripping from his brow.
 CHAPTER V

H A R D W O RK

Soon the sailors began cutting

into the fatty layer of blubber,
which covered the whale, and huge
blankets of this blubber were un­
rolled. Sheets of blubber weighing
half a ton and more were hoisted
on deck by means of block and
tackle.
86
Cutting into the Blubber
88 WASH TUBBS

Wash’s job was to mince the

blankets of blubber into small
pieces for boiling. It was hard,
monotonous work, slicing the blub­
ber into small pieces. He had to
work hard to keep up with the men
slicing it from the sides of the
whale. He was so short he had to
stand upon a soap box to reach
the planks laid across the top of
the tub into which he scraped the
minced blubber.
Wash Minced Blubber
90 WASH TUBBS

Easy was at the tryworks, feed­

ing the fire and boiling the oil from
the minced blubber. This was one
of the hardest jobs in the process
of procuring whale oil.
For several days and nights this
went on. So sickening was the
smell of whale oil and so awful was
the greasy smoke, that they hoped
to heaven they would never catch
another whale. The men were all
dog-tired.
At the Tryworks
92 WASH TUBBS

What a relief it was when at last

the job was finished and the last
barrel of whale oil was stored in
the hold of the “Jonah.” Then the
denuded carcass of the whale was
left to the sharks and gulls.
But the following day began
more boat practice, with Wash
taking Tom’s place in the mate’s
boat. Slugg would sit at the stern
and yell at them.
“Crack yer backbones, ye lazy
Stowing the Whale Oil
94 WASH TUBBS

loafers! Pull, blast ye! Pull!”

And all the while, Wash, Easy,
the Swede and another of the crew,
were sweating from their toil.
Poor Tom was still confined to
his bunk from the cruel beating-
given him by the mate.
“I swiped some soup for ya,
Tommy,” Wash said one day as he
sat down beside the unlucky man’s
bunk.
“’S no use, Wash. I can’t eat it.
96 WASH TUBBS

I’m all tore up inside,” Tommy

groaned.
The fellow seemed to be in ter­
rible pain. What a miserable voy­
age, Wash thought.
But at last, passing ships became
numerous—they were nearing the
Panama Canal.
Every sailor aboard was eagerly
laying plans to dive overboard and
escape.
AsPanama loomed into view,
Nearing the Panama Canal
98 WASH TUBBS

and every man aboard was eagerly

planning to jump ship the moment
they entered the canal, the boom­
ing voice of the mate was heard.
“All hands on deck,” he shouted
at the top of his gruff voice.
As the men came on the run the
mate began issuing orders.
“You, Tubbs an’ Easy an’
Whitey an’ the Swedes — lively
there—into the hold an’ break out
them water casks.”
“AU Hands on Deck!”
100 WASH TUBBS

The crew, in a hurry to do his

bidding so that they might be
finished in time to make their es­
cape, hurried down the ladder, all
unsuspicious of what was in his
mind.
“You, Otto! Lend a hand. Live­
ly, I say,” the mate shouted.
When the last man of the crew
had disappeared in the hold, Slugg
slammed the hatch cover in place
and fastened it. Nine dumbfound-
“Lively There—into the Hold/*
 102 WASH TUBBS

ed men were trapped in the hold!

Gone was their chance of escape.
Gone was the hope of cutting short
this unpleasant voyage aboard the
good ship “Jonah.”
\ The mate engaged a tug to tow
them through the Panama Canal,
while Wash, Easy, the Swedes and
the other members of the crew sat
glumly in the dark hold of the ship
and bemoaned their fate.
Nine men had been outsmarted
Slugg Slammed the Hatch Cover
104 WASH TUBBS

by the bullying mate of the Jonah.

They could have kicked themselves
for being so stupid.
By the time the hatch covers
were removed, Panama was far,
far behind.
The mate bent over the hold and
shouted:
“Pile out, you lubbers!”
When they had returned to the
deck, Slugg looked at them with a
Sneering grin.
Through the Panama Canal
io6 WASH TUBBS

“Now, blast ye, baek to work!

An’ if’n I hear any grumblin’, me
handsome buttercups, I ’ll take a
cat-o’-nine tails to ye,” he said.
“Pile Out!”
 CHAPTER VI

A TW O -W AY JO K E

One day the crew had what they

considered a great joke on the
mate.
The cook had just baked an
apple pie especially for the mate.
When he took it from the oven he
brought it to the mate and let him
smell it.
108
no WASH TUBBS

“A h!” Slugg exclaimed with de­

light.
But while the cook had the apple
pie cooling on the galley window
sill, someone stole the pie.
“Ho, ho! You orta of seen him,”
one of the crew confided.
“Yee hee! Dat mate he so mad
he chew nails,” another said, laugh­
ing heartily at the great joke.
That was the first joke that any
of the crew had played on the mate,
Someone Stole the Pie
112 WASH TUBBS

and it was a source of amusement

to all for the balance of the day.
The very next day, cookie baked
another pie, and Easy, smelling the
pie cooling on the window sill
again, could not resist the tempta­
tion.
“Hfflni, boy! Just smell!” Easy
exclaimed to himself. “Blazes! I’m
going to get that pie, or bust,” he
muttered.
Pie—a sailor’s idea of heaven—
Not a Soul on Deck
114 WASH TUBBS

hot, fragrant, fresh from the oven

—cooling in the galley window.
“And not a soul on deek,” Easy
said to himself.
Easy slipped over the rail and
cautiously worked his way along
the side of the ship, toward the
galley window. His feet felt their
way along a narrow projection on
the side of the boat.
“Blazes! I wouldn’t miss an op­
portunity like this for a million
Easy Grabbed the Pie
ii6 WASH TUBBS

dollars,” he said as he neared the

resting place of the freshly baked
apple pie.
Finally he reached up and grab­
bed it.
A short time later he and Wash
had a feast in the hold of the ship.
Seated on casks of whale oil they
devoured the pie.
“Oboy! Obaby!” Wash exclaimed
between mouthfuls of the delicious
pie.
Wash and Easy Were Sick
ii 8 WASH TUBBS

“The first bite o’ decent grub,

podner, in weeks!” Easy said, a
broad grin of satisfaction spread­
ing over his face.
But soon the two boys began to
feel sick at their stomachs.
“’S funny! I feel sorta queer.
You don’t think it coulda bin that
pie, do you?” Wash said, feeling
his middle with his hands.
“Couldn’t be. We only ate one,”
Easy replied, but he too felt queer.
“On Deck,” the Mate Shouted
120 WASH TUBBS

Meanwhile, the theft was dis­

covered, and the mate’s roar could
be heard for miles.
“On deck! Every mother’s son
o’ ye, on deck!”
When the entire crew except
Wash and Easy had appeared on
deck, the mate looked them over
and said:
“Well, blow me blinkin’ brains
out! Ain’t none o’ ye bums sick?”
he asked.
122 WASH TUBBS

His face showed unmistakable

bewilderment.
“No, sir,” the crew answered in
chorus.
Slugg turned to the second mate.
“I can’t understand it. Dash my
buttons, I can’t !” he exclaimed.
“Wait. The crew ain’t all here,
sir. Tubbs an’ Easy’s still missin’,”
the second mate said.
At that the mate flew into a ter­
rible rage.
The Mate Gave a Short of Triumph
124 WASH TUBBS

“Stab me dead! Didn’t I say all

hands on deck?” he roared.
Just then, Wash and Easy, both
deathly pale, emerged from the
hold. The mate gave a shout of
triumph.
“Well, me handsome butterboxes,
’n’ how was the pie you et? A
tasty morsel fitten fer a king, no
doubt,” he growled.
“Please—we’re seasick,” Easy
replied.
“Please—We*re Seasick.”
12 6 WASH TUBBS

“Seasick? Ye blasted robbers,

ye bin trapped. ’N’ trapped fit ’n’
proper. That pie was doped, ye
hear—doped o’ purpose so’s I could
catch the blinkin’ swabs as stole
it.”
The mate’s face was wreathed in
a diabolical smile as he reached for
the cat-o’-nine-tails.
Wash and Easy were so sick they
could hardly stand, but the mate,
roaring and cursing, tore into them
12 8 WASH TUBBS

with the terrible whip and his hor­

rible steel hook.
The beating was unmerciful! It
was inhuman! Even after the two
men had fainted in agony, he whip­
ped them.
The crew stood about, undecided
just what to do. Some of them
held belaying pins, but could not
seem to make up their minds to use
them on the mate. All were in
sympathy with Wash and Easy.
Captain Folly Appeared
130 WASH TUBBS

Then, to the amazement of all,

Captain Folly appeared. In his
right hand he gripped a revolver.
“You drop that whip, Slugg or
I’ll kill you!” the captain exclaimed
indignantly.
Slugg turned upon the captain.
“Back to bed, ye moth-eaten old
goat, or I’ll tear ye limb from limb,”
Slugg growled at the master of the
craft.
Toe to toe they stood, and there
“I’ll Tear You Limb From Limb.”
13 2 WASH TUBBS

was not a man aboard who did not

expect to see a killing any minute.
The second and third mate and a
harpooner backed up Slugg, while
the crew long downtrodden, backed
up the skipper.
“I’ll not stand for such inhuman
treatment aboard my ship.
Y’hear?” the captain said.
“Come on, boys! Git yoreselves
a belaying pin,” a sailor said.
“Come on, Boys.”
 CHAPTER VII

AN O TH ER W H ALE H U N T

The tense moment was suddenly

broken up by a whoop from the
rail of the “Jonah.”
“Whales! Whales! There she
blows! There! There! Not a
hunnert feet away!” exclaimed an
excited sailor pointing to a school
of sperm whales.
i34
A School of Sperm Whales
136 WASH TUBBS

There was wild excitement

aboard the ship for a short time.
The mate sloshed a pail of water
into the faces of Wash and Easy
to revive them.
“Lively, there! No sulking!” he
shouted at the still groggy men.
Then, seizing Wash by the belt of
his trousers and hooking Easy
through the back of his shirt, the
mate carried and dragged them to
the waiting whale boats.
“Lively, There! No Sulking.”
138 WASH TUBBS

“Lower away, I say. Lower

away!” he shouted.
In a few moments they were
breasting the swells of the ocean in
their light boats. Eighteen men
were off to battle the mightiest
monsters on the face of the earth.
“Crack yer backbones! Split yer
sides! Pull, blast ye! Pull! Any
man as gits afeared, I’ll knock ’im
stiff,” the mate roared at his men
from the stern of the whale boat.
On Their Way
140 WASH TUBBS

The whales were dead ahead of

them. The three boats raced mad­
ly after the great animals. The
mate’s boat was in the lead.
Bam! A sudden jolt—the boat
was deliberately run into the side
of a gigantic bull. The mate yelled:
“Let ’im ha’ it, Bennie!”
The harpooner in the bow of the
whale boat drove his harpoon into
the side of the whale with all his
might.
Bennie Hurled His Harpoon
14 2 WASH TUBBS

SOCK! SOCK! Two harpoons

were buried to the hilt in the
whale’s side.
Then there was a hurricane of
action. A thunderous splash! The
monster’s mighty flukes were
hurled thirty feet into the air.
“Stern, all! Stern, all!” the mate
shouted as the gigantic bull started
into its mighty dive.
Only the mate’s boat was fast
when the whales sounded.
A Hurricane of Action
144 WASH TUBBS

Down, Down! Deeper and

deeper! More line! More line!
Three boatloads of line!
“Hold ’im up, Bennie. Hold ’im
up, can’t ye?” the mate asked.
It seemed there would be no end
to the whale’s dive. Then, sud­
denly, a mile below the surface the
whale stopped. For nearly an hour
the men held their own. Then the
line slackened. The whales were
coming up!
“More Line! More Line!"
146 WASH TUBBS

Wild excitement reigned su­

preme—the men worked like mad,
hauling in the mile of wet line
which they had been forced to pay
out when the whale sounded.
Then, of a sudden, a gigantic
bull breached not fifty yards away.
They were in deadly peril. Any
moment another whale might
breach beneath their boat, which
would mean death and destruction
for them.
In Deadly Peril
148 WASH TUBBS

Whales were breaching right

and left of them. Crash! One of
them breached directly beneath the
second mate’s boat. There were
screams and curses—a cry for
help. Men and equipment flew in
all directions. A splintering of
wood could be heard as the boat
split asunder.
But the mate’s boat could not
stop. It was fastened to a whale—
a runaway whale.
A Cry for Help
i5o WASH TUBBS

“Hey! Ain’t this thing got no

brakes?” one of the crew yelled,
as they raced along in the wake of
the harpooned whale.
“Hoo-ee! Like a tin can on a
wildcat’s ta il!” answered the mate,
as he strove to guide the racing
boat.
Wash and Easy were holding on
for dear life. It was the ride of
their eventful lives.
“Talk about thrills!” Wash yell-
Thrills
152 WASH TUBBS

ed. “Boy, oboy! Is this fu n !”

Mile after mile they traveled at
express-train speed. Out of sight
of ship and land. The men, soak­
ed with spray, were striving their
level best to pull the boat alongside
the flying whale.
“Pull, blast ye! Pull!” Slugg
urged them on from the stern of
the boat.
They were gaining inch by inch
—barely out of reach of those
The Lance
154 WASH TUBBS

churning flukes—then the lance

was used.
“Let ’im ha’ it, Bennie. Let ’im
ha’ it,” the mate roared as the
whale boat came alongside the
whale.
The harpooner stood up in the
bow, balanced himself for the
plunge, and then drove the lance
far into the whale’s side.
“A dead whale or a stove boat.
Hoo-ee! Gi’ it to ’im!” the mate
“Hoo-ee! Gi’ It to ’Im!”
15 6 WASH TUBBS

yelled, as the boat dodged nimbly

in and out.
Avoiding both tail and jaws,
Bennie struck again and again
with the sharp lance. Finally the
whale gave vent to a crimson spout.
The boat withdrew to a safe dis­
tance. The mighty whale was
done for. His desperate four-hour
battle was lost.
“Take it easy, me bully boys. It’s
only a question o’ time,” the mate
The Crimson Spout
158 WASH TUBBS

said, satisfied with their efforts.

After a time the whale went in­
to his death flurry. Round and
round he went in circles—his head
held high—jaws snapping at the
empty air. After a final mad con­
vulsion the whale was dead. He
rolled over on his side, with one fin
showing above the surface of the
water.
Fin Out
 CHAPTER VIII

A B E C A LM ED SHIP
Cold, hungry, and miserable, the
men sat all night in the open boat,
beside the carcass of the dead
whale—waiting.
Morning came with a blazing sun
and a dead calm. The ship was no­
where in sight. There was no
chance for it to reach them.
160
The Ship Was Nowhere in Sight
162 WASH TUBBS

Toward noon the second and

third mates appeared with their
crews in whaleboats. Tying one
boat behind the other, and fasten­
ing the last to the whale, the eight­
een men labored for twelve hours
—hard, back-breaking toil, to tow
the dead whale back to the ship.
To make matters worse, the mate
kept up a steady stream of curses
at them to pull harder.
At last the exhausted men reach-
Towing the Whale
164 WASH TUBBS

ed the “Jonah,” but there was no

rest in store for them.
“Lively, there! Git to work.
D’ye think I’m a’ goin’ to let thet
blinkin’ carcass spile?” Slugg ask­
ed, pushing the men toward their
posts.
Again began the long, unpleas­
ant task of cutting in, and boiling
blubber, as with the right whale.
It was hard, unpleasant work.
But with the sperm whale, the
“Git to Woric/’
166 WASH TUBBS

teeth were extracted and the huge

store of oil was bailed from the hol­
low head. It was wearisome labor,
and the men were driven until they
dropped.
The men were not yet finished
with the sperm whale when sud­
denly from the lookout came an ex­
cited yell.
“Hoo-ee! She blows! She blows!
Lone sperm—six miles to leeward.”
“My gosh! Another dem whale
Oil Is Bailed From the Hollow Head
i68 WASH TUBBS

—’n’ we ain’t got ridda th’ last one

yet,” Wash cried angrily.
“What the blazes is this? An
endurance contest?” Easy growl­
ed.
“Dat whale, he can go yump in
de lake. I going to rest,” said one
of the Swedes.
“Me, too!” exclaimed another. “I
couldn’t row six miles if I had to.”
“I couldn’t even climb in the
boat,” a fifth man expostulated,
170 WASH TUBBS

hanging over the rail with weari­

ness.
The mate overheard these re­
marks as he approached.
“None o’ yer skulkin’, ye blasted
loafers! Every man 0’ ye to the
boats,” he said, placing a kick on
the seat of Wash’s pants.
In spite of their sullenness the
men were forced to obey. They
piled into the boats and were off on
another whale hunt.
mil

“Going to Rest.”
17 2 WASH TUBBS

When they were still a mile

away, the whale sounded. Half an
hour passed, and Wash and Easy
dozed in their boat.
Suddenly they were awakened
with a startling splash. They leap­
ed to their feet to see the whale re­
appear in deadly combat with a
giant squid—the most terrifying
monster of the seven seas.
There ensued a battle of mon­
sters. Writhing, choking tentacles
Dozing
i74 WASH TUBBS

forty feet long were snapped off by

mighty jaws like so much spaghet­
ti.
The mate’s boat was in deadly
peril. The men were terrified.
Slugg seized a bomb gun and fired
it at the monsters. There was a hit
and an explosion. The giant squid
was free, and in a moment he was
headed straight for the mate’s
boat. Now they were in greater
danger than before. If that mon-
A Battle of Monsters
176 WASH TUBBS

ster ever got hold of them they

were done for—there was no doubt
about it.
Bennie screamed and hurled his
harpoon with all his might, but
missed. There was a tense moment.
The men all stood as if petrified—
riveted to the spot where they
stood.
Then as if with one accord they
leaped from the boat on the oppo­
site side from the oncoming squid
The Men Were Terrified
178 WASH TUBBS

and swam for their lives. The squid

seized the boat in his enormous
tentacles.
A few moments later the mon­
ster disappeared. A thirty-foot
shark cut through the water and
the terrified men scrambled back
into the flooded boat. But a man
named Mike had disappeared.
Then new danger appeared. The
whale lifted his head high in the
air, as if to charge.
The Squid Was Free
i8o WASH TUBBS

The mate bellowed for help.

“Ye blasted dodos, after him wi’
bomb guns! After him, I say.”
The mate’s boat was flooded with
water and the whale was charging
them. The second mate came to
the rescue with a bomb gun. He
aimed and fired—there was an ex­
plosion and the whale sank out of
sight.
Then came a splintering crash
and the second mate’s harpooner
One Man Was Missing
182 WASH TUBBS

was knocked to kingdom come as

the monster struck the boat with
his enormous flukes, spilling the en­
tire crew into the sea.
The whale again sank out of
sight in the depths. There was a
long moment of agonizing sus­
pense.
Then that enormous head came
up directly below the boat of the
first mate. There was a sound of
breaking wood as the whale
Crash!
184 WASH TUBBS

crunched the boat to splinters in

his mighty jaws.
“Jump fer yer lives!” Bennie
shouted.
The air was filled with screams
of terror. Men splashed into the
sea in all directions.
One man dead—one missing.
Two boats smashed to bits. Two
crews floundering in the shark in­
fested waters. The maddened
whale raising an unholy rumpus. It
i86 WASH TUBBS

was certainly a terrible predica­

ment to be in.
The third mate came to the res­
cue—trying to dodge the whale and
pick up men at the same time. An­
other charge and the third mate
fired a bomb directly into the
whale’s open gullet.
There was another moment of
suspense and then that mighty tail
again lashed viciously up from the
water, and the third and last
Down His Open Gullet
188 WASH TUBBS

whaleboat, overloaded with men,

was smashed to splinters.
The men were left splashing
among bits of wreckage and sharks
—terrified, expecting each moment
to be their last.
Splashing Among Bits of Wreckage
 CHAPTER IX

E A S Y SA V ES T H E M A T E

The wounded whale, with a

school of hungry sharks at his tail,
swam off, apparently satisfied with
his victory.
The men, dazed and battered,
clung to bits of wreckage. A head
bobbed up near Easy and he grab­
bed it.
190
The Wounded Whale Swam Off
19 2 WASH TUBBS

“Glory be! He’s rescuin’ the

m ate!” one of the crew yelled.
“Leave the big bully be! Leave
’im drown!” someone else yelled to
Easy.
But Easy clung to the uncon­
scious form, holding him up until
the “Jonah” picked up all who sur­
vived the disaster.
It was indeed a heavy blow to
the master of the “Jonah.” Three
whaleboats were lost and several
“Leave *Im Drown
194 WASH TUBBS

of the crew had drowned.

It was a forlorn group of men
that was picked up by the “Jonah.”
Captain Folly greeted them with
icy contempt.
“Fa! Three boats lost—and
nary a whale.” He looked at Easy.
“And you! Are ye the gallant hero
who saved this man’s life?” he
asked.
“E r—yes, suh,” Easy replied
rather sheepishly.
Greeted Them With Icy Contempt
19 6 WASH TUBBS

The captain’s voice rose to a

scream.
“Small thanks ye’ll ever git fer
that, ye brainless idiot!” he holler­
ed wrathfully. “Well—take ’im be­
low. Do what’s fit and proper to
make ’ini well—but may ye pray to
heaven it’s too late.”
Easy and his companion carried
the mate below and administered
first aid to revive him.
For several days the mate was
“Take ’Im Below.”
198 WASH TUBBS

confined to his bunk. One morning

when he awoke he found Captain
Folly going through his locker.
“Avast, there! What are ye
about?” he asked.
“I’m taking your revolver and
blackjack,” the captain replied
with unconcern.
“You put them back!” Slugg yell­
ed, sitting up in his bunk.
“I’ll do nothing of the sort! I’ll
have ye know, Mr. Slugg, that I’m
“Avast There!”
200 WASH TUBBS

master of my own vessel,” the cap­

tain said.
“Why, wot d’ye mean?” Slugg
asked.
“I mean that I’ll stand for no
more of your bullying. From now
on, ye’ll do as I say, d’ye h ear!” the
captain screamed, glaring at the
mate.
Wash was at the wheel and could
hear every word that was spoken,
through the skylight.
“You Put Them Back!”
202 WASH TUBBS

“Why, ye, blasted pelican, I’ll

wring yer neck!” Slugg exclaimed
angrily.
“Ye step out of that bunk, and
I’ll shoot!” the captain said.
“Oboy! A fight,” Wash exclaim­
ed under his breath.
He waited expectantly for the
next move on either side.
“From now on, ye’ll take orders
from me, d’ye hear!” continued
Captain Folly.
“Oboy! A Fight.”
204 WASH TUBBS

“Ye blinkin’ old billygoat, gi’ me

my pistol,” Slugg repeated.
For a moment bitter hatred flam­
ed between the two. Captain Folly
was determined to be master of his
ship. Slugg was just as determin­
ed to keep control.
But a moment later the tables
were turned. Slugg, with a quick
movement, jabbed his wicked steel
hook into Captain Folly’s gun hand
and the pistol clattered to the floor.
206 WASH TUBBS

There followed a wild scramble—

curses—screams! Then a door
burst open and they were on the
deck. Captain Folly, cut and
bleeding, was fleeing for his life.
The mate followed at his heels, his
terrible steel hook covered with
blood—slashing at the skipper.
Captain Folly gave a muffled sob
as the mate overtook him. That
terrible steel hook had been buried
inches deep in his throat.
Curses—Screams
208 WASH TUBBS

From his place at the wheel,

Wash could not see what followed,
but he heard a splash, and, a few
minutes later, saw the mate return
alone.
Wash Could Not See What Followed
 CHAPTER X

W A SH G E T S A W A R N IN G

Wash was as pale as a sheet

when the mate stopped before him
on his return to his cabin—and no
wonder. He was the sole witness
to Captain Folly’s tragic battle
with the mate.
“So it’s you at the wheel, is it?”
Slugg asked menacingly.
210
“So I t’s Yoo a t the Wheel, Is I t ? 5’
212 WASH TUBBS

There was a moment of silence,

broken by the mate.
“Well—speak up! Ha’ ye seen
anything unusual aboard ship?” he
asked meaningly.
“N-No, sir. I haven’t taken my
eyes off th’ compass. Not once!”
Wash stammered.
“Heard anything?” Slugg con­
tinued.
“N-Not a sound, sir! Cross my
heart V hope to die, I’m as deaf as
214 WASH TUBBS

a doorknob,” Wash said.

“It’s a blasted good thing, too!
An’ mark my word, ye bug-faced
brat, I’m a’watchin’ ye! D’ye hear?
I’m a’watchin’ ye.”
Slugg jabbed his steel hook
through Wash’s shirt.
“Remember! One yap out o’ ye,
an’ ye’re shark bait.”
Wash was scared stiff. He knew
too much. He alone knew the facts
about the fate of Captain Folly.
216 WASH TUBBS__________

Wash did not even dare confide

in his best friend, Captain Easy.
That night when they were prepar­
ing to bunk for the night, Easy
said:
“What’s the matter, laddie?
Why, you’re as pale as a ghost!”
“I—I’m awright,” Wash falter­
ed.
But when Easy had gone, he roll­
ed and tossed in his bunk—unable
to sleep.
 4
“I—I’m Awright.”
2 l8 WASH TUBBS

Easy watched him in alarm, cer­

tain that something was wrong.
Finally Easy got up and ap­
proached Wash’s bunk.
“Psst! You haven’t swiped an­
other o’ the mate’s pies, have you?”
Easy asked.
“Go away. Leave me alone,”
Wash said.
Strangely, no mention was made
of the skipper’s disappearance.
The crew suspected nothing, think-
“Go Away.”
220 WASH TUBBS

ing the captain was confined to his

bed again.
Only Wash and the mate knew
the fate of Captain Folly. Wash
dared not say a word, because the
mate’s eyes were always watching
him.
Wash was “on the spot.” The
mate delighted in giving him dan­
gerous jobs, and one of them came
close to being his last.
There was a terrible storm rag-
Only Wash and the Mate Knew
222 WASH TUBBS

ing and Wash was ordered to go

forward and fix the jib. While at
work he was nearly washed over­
board by a heavy sea, which splash­
ed across the deck, but he grabbed
the shrouds and was saved.
The mate was disappointed—
and cursed.
One day, in mid-Pacific, the crew
of the “Jonah” was mystified by
the appearance of a seaplane flying
overhead.
Wash Was on the Spot
224 WASH TUBBS

“Well, wotta y’know about th a t!”

exclaimed one of the crew.
“One of them round-the-world
fliers, I betcha,” Easy said.
Half an hour later they were sur­
prised to again see the flier return­
ing.
“He musta forgot something,”
one of the men said.
“Look! There’s a lotta smoke
over there,” Wash said, pointing
away in the distance.
226 WASH TUBBS

“Ships! He’s headin’ for them

ships,” another said.
Soon four ships hove into plain
view, headed toward the “Jonah.”
“Hey! Dey coming dis vay,”
said someone with a Swedish ac­
cent.
“It looks like a battle fleet,” said
Easy.
“My gosh! Maybe a big war’s
broke out,” Wash said.
“Sure, we’d never know! A war
“It Looks Like a Battle Fleet,”
228 WASH TUBBS

mighta bin goin’ on for weeks,” re­

plied Easy.
In a few minutes the crew of the
“Jonah” looked on in disbelief as
the four ships passed over them
majestically.
“Stab me dead if’n it ain’t a
blinkin’ whale faet’ry,” cried the
mate.
“Gee whiz! They got airplanes
’n’ everything,” Wash said.
The slow-moving “Jonah” never
“Sure, We’d Never Know.”
230 WASH TUBBS

even sighted a whale. All they did

was hear the booming of their riv­
al’s harpoon guns. By the time
they arrived on the scene the hunt
was all over.
The whaling fleet had bagged
fourteen whales—seven times as
many as the crew of the “Jonah”
had taken in the entire season. The
mate was mad as a hornet when he
saw that.
For the next two weeks Slugg
The Mate Was as Mad as a Hornet
333 WASH TUBBS

was like a madman. He knocked

and kicked the members of the
crew around for no reason what­
ever. The men were disheartened
and terrified.
“If you had the backbone of a
flea-bitten mouse, you’d mutiny!”
Easy exclaimed in disgust.
Slugg Was Like a Madman
 CHAPTER XI

SLU G G GO ES H U N T IN G

Even after the “Jonah” had got­

ten into the Arctic region for the
summer season, the reign of terror
continued.
One day they sighted a lonely is­
land oxf Alaska, and the mate or­
dered a boat lowered. He was go­
ing ashore.
234
He Was Going Ashore
236 WASH TUBBS__________

“I’m going ashore after a mess o’

fresh meat,” the mate remarked as
he came on deck.
He was carrying a rifle and had
his revolver strapped on at his
waist. There was an evil glitter in
his eyes, as he sauntered over to
Wash.
“ ’N’ ye, me handsome lad, will
go wi’ me,” he grinned evilly.
Wash Tubbs was terrified at this
statement. What might happen to
He Sauntered Over to Wash
238 WASH TUBBS

him if he accompanied the mate

alone to this lonely island? The
mate could very easily shoot him
and say it was an accident.
“Please, sir? I—Fm not feelin’
very well,” Wash faltered.
“Ye’ll go ashore whether ye like
it or not. D’ye hear?” Slugg
answered.
Easy, overhearing the conversa­
tion, approached the mate.
“I like to hunt, suh. Couldn’t I
“I Like to Hunt, Suh!”
240 WASH TUBBS

take his place?” he asked.

“Blast ye! Back to yer swab-
bin’ !” Slugg roared at Easy.
As Wash climbed into the boat,
the mate whispered to the second
mate.
“Psst! Keep that hook-nosed
Easy aboard, if ye ha’ to hog-tjc
’im.”
“Aye5 sir,” replied the secctitd
mate.
As they rowed toward the island
“Blast Ye. Back to Yer SwabbinV
242 WASH TUBBS

the mate spoke triumphantly.

“Well, here we go a’ter big game,
lads. Bunny-nose’ll stay wi’ the
boat, ’n’ Tubbs’ll go wi’ me.”
As they landed on the island,
Slugg repeated:
“Bunny-nose’ll stay wi’ th’ boat
’n’ Tubbs’ll walk ahead ’n’ scare
up th’ game fer me.”
“But I’m—I’m libul to get shot
walkin’ ahead. It’s dangerous,”
Wash said uneasily.
244 WASH TUBBS

The mate stuck the barrel of his

rifle into the pit of Wash’s stom­
ach, threateningly.
“Ye’ll blinkin’ well do as ye’re
told. Stab me! Don’t ye think I
know how to handle a gun,” he
rasped.
Wash did not say any more, but
obeyed orders. But his heart was
beating like a tomtom. He recalled
with terror that he was the sole
witness to Captain Folly’s death,
Wash Obeyed Orders
246 WASH TUBBS

and the mate would never rest eas­

ily about that.
For some time Wash and the
mate hunted without anything
happening. Suddenly they came
upon an old cabin.
“Hmm! A deserted cabin,”
Slugg murmured.
They walked toward the hut and
saw an old well.
“Ah!” the mate said, a sudden
gleam in his eye.
A Deserted Cabin
248 WASH TUBBS

“It’s deep, too,” Wash said, be­

ginning to feel less uneasy.
Then suddenly it happened—
what Wash had been afraid of
since they had left the ship. While
his back was turned, Slugg gave
him a vicious kick which sent him
sprawling into the old well.
“There, blast ye! Ye’ll never
squeal on m e!” Slugg called down
after him.
“There, Blast Ye!”
 CHAPTER XII

E A S Y TO T H E RESC U E

Cold-bloodedly, the mate went on

his way. When he had reached the
bank overlooking the shore, he was
surprised beyond words.
“Well, wot d’ye know about
that? A motorboat on the island,”
he said, as he viewed the craft from
his vantage point.
250
A Motorboat on the Island
252 WASH TUBBS

For a moment he hesitated. Then

he fired his rifle and shouted.
“Ahoy there! Who’s aboard?”
Easy heard the shot and was sick
with anxiety.
“Blazes! If anything happens to
my podner, I’ll—”
He was about to jump overboard
and swim ashore, when the second
mate stepped in. Facing Easy
with drawn revolver he said:
“Oh, no, y’don’t !”
“Ahoy There!”
254 WASH TUBBS

Quick as lightning, Captain Easy

swung a terrific left, catching the
second mate squarely on the jaw
and knocking him out.
“Blast you! Fve had enough
orders around here,” he said.
In a moment he had bent and
picked the man’s gun from the
deck. He leaped overboard. There
was a rain of bullets as the third
mate opened fire, but Easy’s pow­
erful crawl never slackened.
“Blast You!”
256 WASH TUBBS

Meanwhile, the mate scrambled

down the hillside, eager to learn
what a motorboat was doing in the
Arctic Ocean. He received the sur­
prise of his life, as a beautiful girl
suddenly stepped from behind a
large tree and stuck a revolver in
his face.
“Stick ’em up, you!” she exclaim­
ed.
“Stab my bloomin’ liver! A gal!”
Slug cried.
258 WASH TUBBS

Then he began to plead.

“Now, now, girlie! Easy wi’ th’
artil’ry. I—ah—thought ye was in
trouble, ’n’—I—” Slugg stammer­
ed, confused.
“I need no help from you, sailor
boy! On your way!” she exclaim­
ed angrily.
“Hmm! I don’t see no men
folks around—if it’s motor trouble,
girlie, I’d be glad to—” the mate
started to say.
260 WASH TUBBS

But the girl cut his speech very

short with her crisp words.
“I’m able to take care of myself,
thanks. If you don’t believe it, just
start something,” she said.
“Alone, eh? A pretty dolly like
ye alone in th’ Arctic Ocean. Bless
my soul! An’ wi’ motor trouble,
too, I warrant,” Slugg went on.
The girl brandished the revolver
threateningly.
“On your way, sailor!” she ex-
“Alone, Eh?”
262 WASH TUBBS

claimed angrily, at the same time

stepping forward.
“Now, now, girlie! I’ve took a
likin’ to ye. Spunk, tha’s wot ye
ha’. Yes, siree! ’N’ if it’s motor
trouble, girlie, I’ll take ye wherever
ye’re bound fer, ’n’ ye may lay to
that,” the mate said, twisting his
face into what he considered a
handsome smile. “Yes, siree! I’ll
take—”
“Scram! Do you hear me?
“I’ve Took a Likin’ to Ye,
264 WASH TUBBS

Scram!” the girl left little doubt

of what she meant.
The mate followed her advice
and walked away, but he returned
very shortly—sneaking up cau­
tiously under cover of the trees
and bushes.
The girl was preparing a meal
over a campfire.
“Stab me! A bloomin’ wildcat,
tha’s wot she is. One o’ thim high­
born beauts. Ho-ho! But she’ll
“A Bloomin’ Wildcat.”
266 WASH TUBBS

change her tune, ’n’ no mistaking”

Slugg said.
Cautiously, he stole down to the
girl’s boat on the shore.
“No dame kin pull that high ’n’
mighty stuff on me,” he said as he
dipped a pail of water from the
ocean.
“Well, she ain’t a’goin to leave in
this bloomin’ craft, I’ll see to th a t!”
So saying, the mate proceeded to
pour the water into the gas tank.
268 WASH TUBBS

“There! Just enough water in

th’ blinkin’ gasoline to make it
sputter,” he said.
Chuckling over his dirty work,
the mate sat back in the bushes
waiting for the girl to try to start
her motorboat.
The Mate Sat Back in the Bushes
 CHAPTER XIII

O N W A SH ’S T R A IL

Suddenly Captain Easy appear­

ed beside the girl’s campfire.
“Well! What do you want?”
th girl said, reaching for her gun.
“Don’t be afraid, ma’m. I’m
looking for a one-armed scamp and
a little fella with curly hair,” Easy
said.
270
272 WASH TUBBS

“A big gorilla with a hook? Sure,

he was here—but nobody else.
Why? Is something wrong?” she
asked.
“Blazes, yes! If that mug’s
alone, lady, there’s plenty wrong,”
Easy exclaimed.
Turning, he hurried away from
the camp site.
“Well, stomp my blinkin’ brains
out!” the mate exclaimed, at the
sight of Easy.
“Blazes, Yes!”
274 WASH TUBBS

As Easy started out in search of

Wash, the mate followed, shielded
from view by the bushes.
“Blast him! I ha’ a mind to set­
tle him good ’n’ proper,” he mum­
bled, gripping his rifle tightly.
But at that moment the girl
started toward her motorboat, and
Slugg stopped to watch her efforts
to start it.
For half an hour he chuckled to
himself at her vain efforts. Then
The Girl Started Toward Her Motorboat
276 WASH TUBBS

he stepped out on the shore and

spoke up.
“Well, girlie, I offered before to
take ye wherever ye’re bound fer.
It looks like ye’ll have to accept
now.”
“I—I’m afraid so,” she replied.
Climbing out of her boat, she
joined the mate as he strode along
the shore toward the boat in
which he, Wash, and Bunnynose
had come.
«I—I’m Afraid So.”
278 WASH TUBBS

Meanwhile Easy had come upon

the deserted cabin in the woods.
As he approached the old well,
Wash yelled:
“Hey, there! Help!”
Easy heard his pal’s call. Look­
ing about him, Easy found a long
branch of a tree, and shoved it
down into the well.
“Is that you, podner? Here—
grab this stick,” he said.
“Boy, oboy!” Wash exclaimed,
W ash Yelled
280 WASH TUBBS

as his head came above the surface

of the ground. “It’s lucky you
found me. Another hour, Easy, an’
I’d’ve bin all in.”
“Mate tried to bump you off,
eh?” Easy asked.
“Sure! Kicked me in when I
wasn’t lookin’,” Wash answered.
“Well—I socked the second mate
and took his pistol. I reckon we’re
both in a jam,” Easy said.
“Mate Tried to Bump You Off, Eh?”
 CHAPTER XIV

ST R A N D E D

“Le’s get this straight. Both of

us are in a jam, an’ dass’n’t go
back to th’ ship,” Wash said,
scratching his head.
“Right!” replied Easy.
“In other words, we’re stranded
on a dinky little island in th’ Ar’tic
Ocean,” Wash said.
282
“Le’s Get This Straight.”
284 WASH TUBBS

“Now, now, laddie, don’t go get­

ting panicky. There’s a girl on this
island,” Easy consoled.
“A girl?” Wash cried.
“Exactly!” Easy replied, start­
ing down to the shore. “And what’s
more fella, she has a motorboat.
Come on.”
But when they had reached the
shore, they were surprised to see
Bunnynose poling the motorboat
out toward the whaling ship.
“A Girl?”
286 WASH TUBBS

“Hey, Bunnynose! What the

blazes happened to the dame?”
Easy called to the sailor.
“Her ? Oh, she went aboard ship
wit’ th ’ mate. Motor trouble, I
think, an’ he’s takin’er to Alasky,”
Bunnynose replied.
Disappointed and bewildered,
Wash and Easy watched Bunny­
nose pole the girl’s boat out to the
“Jonah.” They were hopelessly
stranded on the lonely island, and
Easy Called to the Sailor
288 WASH TUBBS

could think of nothing but the bit­

ter Arctic winter ahead.
“I—I wonder how cold it gets
here,” Wash said, discouraged.
“Eighty, ninety degrees below
zero, I reckon,” Easy responded.
“Easy, we got to get away from
here!” Wash declared.
“Blazes, yes!” Easy exclaimed,
determination in his voice.
“Listen—there’s only one way
out Are you game to go back
290 WASH TUBBS

aboard ship, and fight it out?”

Easy asked.
“My gosh, yes! Anything’s bet-
ter’n stayin’ here,” Wash replied.
So when night had come and
darkness was spread over the Sur­
face of the water, Wash and Easy
launched a dead tree trunk and,
straddling it, paddled out toward
the “Jonah.”
“What if th’ crew won’t join us?”
Wash asked.
‘‘My Gosh, Yes!”
292 WASH TUBBS

“Then we’ll mutiny by our­

selves,” Easy replied, determin­
edly.
When they reached the “Jonah,”
Wash and Easy climbed aboard as
quietly as possible.
“Now into the fo’c’sle—we’re
just in time,” Easy said.
But they were surprised by a
sullen, hostile greeting from the
crew, who were armed with har­
poons, spades and knives.
“We’re Just in Time.”
294 WASH TUBBS

“What’s the big idea?” Easy

asked, bewildered.
“Don’t nobody say nuthin’ till
we learn if’n they’re wi’ us er ag’in
us,” one man said.
“It was Easy who saved the
mate’s life,” another said.
“Yeah! Ent nobody goin’ squeal
on us,” said a third.
“Listen, you mugs! The mate
tried to murder Wash. We came
back to knock his block off, and if
“Listen, You Mugs.’
296 WASH TUBBS

this is a mutiny you’re cooking up

we want to join!” Easy exclaimed.
“H’ray! Dey’re wit’ us,” one of
the men cried.
Unaware of the fact that the
the third mate was eavesdropping
at the top of the companionway,
the men went on planning.
“Stow the gab, and let’s start
the mutiny,” someone said.
“Everybody got a spade or har­
poon?”
‘Stow the GabJ
298 WASH TUBBS

“Blazes, yes! And six marlin

spikes and a ‘38’ besides,” Easy re­
plied.
“Snakes alive!” exclaimed the
third mate running for the mate’s
cabin.
“What! Tubbs ’n’ Easy back?
Stab me dead if’n I don’t go be-
low’n’ wring their blinkin’ necks!
I’ll—” the mate began, when the
third mate had told what he heard.
“Don’t be a fool, Slugg. This is
300 WASH TUBBS

mutiny, I tell you—the whole crew

is armed!” replied the third mate.
“Then let ’em mutiny! I’ll show
’em a thing er two. Git the second
mate ’n’ harpooners on decks, ’n’
revolvers ’n’ rifles all around,”
Slugg said, an evil grin on his face.
Trapped Between the Ice Floes
 CHAPTER XV

M U T IN Y

“Remember, men, no violence un­

less absolutely necessary,” Easy
cautioned.
“Ho—ho! Wotter you think I
bin sharpenin’ this here harpoon
for?” asked one of the men.
“One charnce at the blinkin’
mate, Chummy, that’ all I arsk.”
302
304 WASH TUBBS

With a rush they were up out of

the fo’castle and charging across
the deck for the cabin.
“Now or never, boys. Let’s go!”
shouted one of them.
“Git the mate!” cried three in
unison.
“Here they come!” shouted one
of the harpooners from their am­
bush.
“Hoo-ee! Let ’em ha’ it, m ates!
Gi’ it to ’em!” Slugg shouted.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
306 WASH TUBBS

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The guns of the mates and the
harpooners spoke out. Taken en­
tirely by surprise, the crew broke
and ran for cover. Though only
one man was hurt, their morale
was badly shaken. Easy tried to
save the day.
“Buck up, fella! We outnumber
’em two to one,” he said.
“’S no use, though. They got
guns,” the man replied.
“Git the Mate!” /
3 °8 WASH TUBBS

The crew were stung by the

jeers of the mates.
“Yah-yah! So ye was go in’ to
git the mate, was ye? What’s the
matter—lost yer nerve?” yelled
Slugg.
“You call this a mutiny? Come
on and fight,” jeered the third
mate.
“Gi’ us somethin’ to shoot at!”
exclaimed the second mate, a de­
risive sneer in his voice.
“You Call This a Mutiny?”
3io WASH TUBBS

The crew huddled behind the

tryworks, and listened to the jeers
of the mate. They were so mad
they were boiling, but it would
have been suicide to brave the guns
of their enemies.
“Yah! Yah! Ye’re a-feared!
Ye’re yella! Why don’t ye fight,
ye blinkin’ sissies?”
Meanwhile, Wash, Easy, and one
of the Swedes crawled forward
and overboard.
“Ye’re Yella!”
312 WASH TUBBS

“See this ice floe?” asked Easy.

“Here’s the plan: ‘We’ll sneak
around and try getting ’em from
behind.’ Are you game?”
“Sure!” replied Wash and the
Swede in chorus.
In a few minutes the three men
had made their way around to the
stem of the “Jonah.”
“Now to get this rope fast,” Easy
said. With a deft movement he
lassoed a spar.
“Are You Game?”
3i 4 WASH TUBBS

“0. K., boys. Let’s go,” he said,

climbing the rope, hand over hand.
Wash and the Swede followed
close behind him. In a few minutes
they were on top of the cabin, di­
rectly behind the mates’ place of
concealment.
Mr. Slugg’s amazement was un­
bounded when Easy clipped out the
words:
“Drop that gun, suh, or you’re a
dead un.”
“Let’s Go.” ,
 CHAPTER XVI

SLU G G IS M ARO O N ED

Surprised from behind, the

mates had no choice but to obey
Easy’s command. At the same mo­
ment he was struck on the head by
a belaying-pin hurled by one of the
crew.
The harpooners were freed. The
second and third mates were
316
 Wl

Surprised From Behind

318 WASH TUBBS

chained in the hold and Slugg,

roaring and cursing, was led forth
to be tried.
“We got the mate, boys. Wot’ll
we do wit’ ’im?” one of the men
asked.
“Hang ’im to the mast,” offered
one.
“Shoot ’im!” exclaimed another.
“Throw him overboard!” cried
a third.
“Yeah—’at’s wot he did to Cap-
“We Got the Mate, Boys.”
320 WASH TUBBS

tain Folly,” said Wash, at last feel­

ing free to voice his knowledge.
“Whoopee! An eye fer an eye
and a toot’ fer a toot’. Whip ’im
’n’ t ’row ’im overboard,” said an­
other.
“Hold on, you birds! Two
wrongs don’t make a right,” Easy
said. “We’re not judges, and no
matter what Slugg did, we haven’t
any right to commit murder. Un­
derstand !”
“Hold on, You Birds!”
322 WASH TUBBS

The crew listened as Easy went

on:
“Here’s what I propose. Give
Slugg his choice. Either he stands
trial in the States, for the murder­
ing of Captain Folly, or he can re­
main behind on an iceberg.”
“Blast ye! I’ll ha’ the bloomin’
iceberg!” Slugg cried.
So a boat crew took the mate to
the closest iceberg and marooned
him there.
LLL
324 WASH TUBBS

“Pleasant voyage, sweetheart,”

said one of the men derisively.
“If you have any trouble keepin’
warm, just let us know. We’ll
bring you some nice polar bears,”
another said.
“Aw, he won’t be cold fer long,”
the third man said.
“Naw, he’s driftin’ south where
it’s nice ’n’ warm.”
The men pushed away from the
iceberg.
326 WASH TUBBS

“Well, so long, you blankety-

blanked old rascal,” a man called
back.
“We’ll be thinkin’ of ye when yer
iceberg melts. Haw, haw, haw!”
The mate only gritted his teeth
in silence as they paddled away.
When the small boat had been
hoisted aboard again, Slugg stood
on his iceberg and watched the
“Jonah” sail slowly away through
the fields of ice.
They Paddled Away
328 WASH TUBBS

Easy was elected captain of the

“Jonah” by the crew, because he
was the only one aboard who un­
derstood navigation.
“And I appoint Olaf first mate
and Wash second mate,” Easy an­
nounced after his election.
Everyone was well satisfied with
Easy’s choice.
The girl, though cool as a cu­
cumber, was rather uneasy.
“Just let those bozos try break-
Easy Was Elected Captain
33« WASH TUBBS

ing in my cabin. I’ll show ’em,”

she said to herself.
But the crew had entirely for­
gotten about the girl.
Easy called the cook and gave
him orders.
“Now, cookie, we want a meal fit
for kings. No more beans, blast
you! Nothing but chicken and
canned peaches and pies by the
dozens,” Easy said.
“Yassa,” replied the colored man.
“I’ll Show ’Em.”
332 WASH TUBBS

“Whoopee! H’ra y !” shouted one

of the crew, overhearing these or­
ders.
“Tha’s the stuff!” yelled an­
other.
When the meal was ready the
men ate as though they were fam­
ished.
“Oboy! I ain’t mad at nobody!”
Wash exclaimed as he took the
second helping of chicken.
The crew readily agreed to any-
334 WASH TUBBS

thing and everything Easy said.

“No more whaling, boys. We’ll
beach the old tub near Seattle, and
everybody scatter,” Easy told
them.
The next day, driven from her
cabin by hunger, the girl appeared
on deck.
“Well, bless my soul! Look who’s
here!” one of the men said, chuck­
ing her under the chin.
“Hey, you! Hands off that
“No More Whaling, Boys.”
336 WASH TUBBS

girl,” Easy shouted at him.

“Never mind, Big Boy. I can
take care of myself, thank you,”
she said, planting a well-placed
kick in the sailor’s stomach.
“I Can Take Care of Myself.”
 CHAPTER XVII

SLU G G R E T U R N S

Meanwhile, the mate was' alone

and cold on his iceberg.
“If anybody thinks I’m gem’ to
spend the rest o’ my days settin’ on
an iceberg, they’re blinkin’ well
mistaken,” Slugg grumbled to him­
self after the “Jonah” had disap­
peared.
338
Slugg Grumbled to Himself
340 WASH TUBBS

So saying, he set out on foot

across the field of ice.
“Alaska ain’t far, ’n’ I’m going
to git there if I ha’ to hop aboard
an ice cake ’n’ paddle,” he went on
as he walked along.
On the second day of his pilgrim­
age, Slugg sighted a boat.
“Hullo! A ship!” he cried, and
started on the run across the ice
cakes. As he drew closer he recog­
nized the ship.
‘‘Hullo! A Ship!”
342 WASH TUBBS

“Well, stomp my brains out, if ’n’

it ain’t the ‘Jonah,’ caught in the
ice,” he said.
He waited patiently for dark­
ness, hidden behind a cake of ice.
When night had come, he crept
quietly up to the “Jonah” and
climbed aboard.
Only two men were on deck when
the mate stole aboard. The rest
were eating supper.
Bingo!
Well, Stomp My Brains Out.”
344 WASH TUBBS

The mate cracked one of them

over the head with a belaying-pin.
There was a dull thud as the man
fell unconscious to the deck.
The second man, hearing the
sound, came over to investigate.
“Vas dot you, Lars?” he asked,
looking about in the darkness.
Then he discovered the man who
lay upon the deck.
“Himmel! Hees fainted!” he
exclaimed, bending over the form.
“Vas Dot You, Lars?”
346 WASH TUBBS

Bang!
The mate cracked him too, as he
bent down.
“That’s two o’ ye outen the way,”
Slugg growled, as he climbed over
the rail.
“Serves ye right, ye blasted mu­
tineers!” he exclaimed.
Next he bolted and tied the fore­
castle companionway.
“That ort to hold ’em,” he said,
chuckling.
“Serves Ye Right.”
348 WASH TUBBS

Then he climbed down the main

hatch, to where the second and
third mates were chained.
“Jumping jiminy! It’s Slugg!”
exclaimed the second mate, hardly
able to believe his eyes.
“Yeah! I come back to git even
wi’ them bloomin’ mutineers, ’n’
ye’re goin’ to help me,” Slugg re­
plied.
As soon as he had set the second
and third mates free, Slugg went
350 WASH TUBBS

on deck with his two pals.

“First, I want to know who’s in
the cabin,” he said.
“Easy was ’lected captain. I
guess him ’n’ Wash ’n’ Olaf ’n’ th’
gal’s there,” the second mate told
him.
“Oh, ho! The very one I’m per-
tikerly anxious to see. Lively, me
bully boys. We ha’ a visit to make,”
the mate said.
“What you going to do to ’em,
Slugg Came on Deck
352 WASH TUBBS

Slugg?” asked the second mate

anxiously.
“Goin’ to maroon ’em on an ice­
berg, sir, like they done to you?”
asked the third mate.
“Wot am I goin’ to do? I’m goin’
to settle scores wi’ them fit ’n’
proper, tha’s wot I’m goin’ to do,”
Slugg said slyly.
He paused.
“Stab me dead! I ha’ a better
plan! Here—grab some belayin’
Visit to Make
354 WASH TUBBS

pins, ’n’ see if they’s any harpoons

about. We ain’t got all night,”
Slugg said brusquely to his two
helpers.
The second mate looked into one
of the whaling boats.
“Here’s two harpoons and a
spade, sir,” he called.
“There’s luck for ye, lads. It’s
a bloomin’ wonder them softies
didn’t take ’em to bed wi’ them,”
said Slugg.
‘‘Here’s Two Harpoons and a Spade.”
35<5 WASH TUBBS

In a moment they were joined by

the third mate.
“Now into the galley wi’ ye, Pete,
’n’ grab the biggest knives ye kin
find,” Slugg ordered.
“I a’ready done it, sir. Three
butcher knives an’ a meat cleaver,
sir,” Pete replied.
The three men then started to­
ward the galley, all armed to their
teeth.
“Ho-ho! That’s the stuff. Up ’n’
'Three Knives and a Meat Cleaver.”
358 WASH TUBBS

at ’em, me bully boys! Let’s go,”

the mate growled.
The fiend could hardly wait to
surprise his enemies.
“All fer one an’ one fer all, that’s
the ticket,” cried the third mate,
brandishing a butcher knife.
When they had reached the deck
above the cabin, they peeked
through the skylight.
“It’s them, right enough,” the
third mate whispered.
360 WASH TUBBS

“Sh-h! They’re playin’ cards.

Tubbs, Easy, Olaf, an’ the gal,”
said the second mate.
“Blast ’em! Now fer the surprise
0’ their blinkin’ lives,” Slugg
growled through gritted teeth.
 CHAPTER XVIII

A T E R R IB L E R E V E N G E

“Wasn’t that someone coming

down the steps?” Easy asked of
his companions.
“It’s probably cookie, after the
pie plates,” the girl replied.
“Hey! Whose bid is it?” Wash
asked, engrossed in the game.
“Ay tank ay bid a spade,” Olaf
362
“Hey! Who’s Bid Is It?”
364 WASH TUBBS

said after studying his hand.

One moment the “Jonah’s” cabin
was peaceful and quiet, the next, a
sudden bellowing roar was heard.
“Hands up—every mother’s son
o’ ye!”
It was Slugg’s gruff voice that
issued the command.
“Make one move ’n’ ye’re dead-
er’n hoot owls! Reach fer the sky,
blast ye! H igher! Tha’s the tick­
et. 0. K., Pete, tie ’em up.”
“Reach fer the Sky, Blast Ye!”
366 WASH TUBBS

There was nothing to do but obey

the commands.
In a very short time, Easy, Wash,
Olaf, and the girl, were tied secure­
ly and left in the locked cabin.
Next the first mate issued orders
to the third mate.
“Ye’ll smash every boat aboard
ship but one, d’ye hear? Then
launch that one’n’ wait fer me,”
he said.
“Yes, sir,” the third mate replied,
They Were Tied Securely
368 WASH TUBBS'

hurrying away to obey.

Having issued these orders,
Slugg ran to the hold of the ship.
With a hatchet he broke open a
cask of whale oil.
A moment later he struck a
match and ignited it!
Little did the four people in the
cabin or the crew in the forecastle
dream of the fate which Slugg had
knowingly set for them.
The mate scrambled out of the
Slugs Hurried to the Hold
37« WASH TUBBS

hold, followed by a wisp of oily-

smelling smoke.
In two minutes the wisp had be­
come an inky, billowing cloud. In
five minutes the hold was a raging
inferno of burning wood, saturated
with the highly inflammable whale
oil.
Blood-curdling screams came
from the trapped crew in the fore­
castle.
The “Jonah” was quickly a rag-
The Hold Was a Raging Inferno
372 WASH TUBBS

ing inferno. The second and third

mates, dumbfounded, yelled for
Slugg.
“Wait, ye blasted idiots! Ye fer-
got to take along any food,” the
mate yelled as he appeared on
deck.
A moment later he disappeared.
Meanwhile, Wash and Easy be­
came alarmed.
“Hey! I think I smell smoke,”
Wash said.
“Wait, Ye Blasted Idiots!”
374 WASH TUBBS

“Heavens! Look! It’s coming

through the cracks in the wall,”
the girl gasped.
“The ship’s afire! Help!” Wash
screamed.
Vainly, desperately, they tried to
free themselves from their bonds.
They wriggled and tugged to no
avail.
The whole ship ablaze! Four
persons doomed! Crackling flames
were growing hotter and hotter,
♦Here Was a Moment of Suspense
376 * WASH TUBBS

higher and higher—not ten feet

away.
“Help! Help!” Wash yelled
frantically.
“Heavens above! Surely Slugg
isn’t going to leave us here!” the
girl cried.
“Baby, you don’t know Slugg,”
Easy told her between clenched
teeth.
With renewed effort he strained
at his bonds.
Help! Help!”
378 WASH TUBBS

Desperation! Panic! Then a

ray of hope—tears of joy, as Wash
discovered a knife lying on the
floor beside the bench to which
Easy was tied.
“Look! A knife on the floor,”
he shouted joyfully.
“Blazes! If I only can rock this
bench so I’ll fall beside it!” Easy
exclaimed, hopefully.
“Attaboy! Hooray for Easy!”
Wash shouted gleefully.
“Heavens! Look!”
380 WASH TUBBS

“Whoopee! We goin’ be free in

no tam,” Olaf cried.
There was a moment of breath­
less suspense as Easy rocked the
bench to and fro, in an endeavor to
topple it over in the direction of the
knife. Then there was bitter dis­
appointment as the bench fell in
the opposite direction. Fate had
once more decreed that they were
to suffer at least agonies of sus­
pense.
“Look! A Knife on the Floor.”
382 WASH TUBBS

Meanwhile, the mate on deck

was like a madman—scream ing-
laughing hysterically—refusing to
leave the blazing ship.
“Burn, blast ye! Burn!” he
screamed at the top of his voice.
Although his eyes smarted from
the smoke and his lungs were be­
ing seared by the terrific heat, he
would not go. It seemed to be a
mania with him to watch the
flames devour his enemies.
“Burn, Blast Ye! Burn!”
384 WASH TUBBS

The crew, trapped in the fore­

castle, were choking and gasping
for breath.
The cabin was filled with blind­
ing smoke. The crackle of the
flames grew louder and louder.
Easy was trying desperately to
wriggle to the side of the girl. At
last he was successful.
Driven by desperation, he gnaw­
ed and strained at the knot which
held her bound.
386 WASH TUBBS

Smoke! Blistering h eat! Flames

licking through the cracks in the
wall, all spurred Easy on to great­
er effort. At last he was favored
with success. The knot was loos­
ened—the girl was freed.
The Girl Was Freed
 CHAPTER XIX

FREE!

With a happy little laugh she

leaped to her feet and hurried to
untie Easy, Wash, and Olaf.
It was but the work of a few
minutes for her with both hands
free to untie the others. W ith a
glad rush they made fo r the open
deck.
388
She Quickly Freed Wash
390 WASH TUBBS

But here to they were to meet

with another disappointment—a
tragedy they had not foreseen.
“My gosh! The boats are smash­
ed,” Wash cried, dismay evident in
his voice.
“Quick! Take to the ice!” Easy
yelled above the roar of the flames.
Without further ado, Wash, Olaf
and the girl leaped from the rail
onto an ice floe which lay alongside
the ship.
“My Gosh! The Boats Are Smashed!”
392 WASH TUBBS

“Go ahead! I got to rustle some

food and supplies,” Easy called to
them.
Wash, Olaf, and the girl escaped
from the ship just in time. As they
stood on the ice watching the mass
of flames, Wash yelled:
“Hey! I don’t see anybody.
Where’s th’ crew?”
“Heavens! Maybe Slugg locked
them up in the forecastle, too,” the
girl said.
“Where’s the Crew?”
394 WASH TUBBS

“Wow! I better go see,” Wash

cried.
Suiting the action to the words,
he dashed madly toward the burn­
ing ship. Small as he was, Wash
Tubbs had a heart as brave as that
of a lion.
But just then the crew came
tumbling out of the forecastle.
They, too, had managed to escape.
Only Easy, who was searching for
food, remained behind.
L
Only Easy Remained Behind
396 WASH TUBBS

While the others were safe on

the ice floe, Easy was busily rum­
maging through the galley in
search of food. Naturally he did
not know that the mate, now gone
completely mad, was also still
aboard the burning ship.
Suddenly the mate saw Easy. At
first he could not believe his eyes.
He looked again.
“Well, stomp my blinkin’ brains
out!” Slugg exclaimed.
In Search of Food
398 WASH TUBBS

Then he cautiously sneaked up

behind Easy. Catching him by sur­
prise, he swung a terrific right
hand and knocked Easy to the
deck.
“Ho-ho! Thought ye’d escape,
did ye?” Slugg laughed wildly, as
Easy went down in a heap.
Easy, half stunned, tried to rise
to his feet, but before he had a
chance to do so, Slugg had jumped
upon him with both feet. The
“Well, Stomp My Blinkin' Brains Out!”
400 WASH TUBBS

mate’s heavy shoes battered and

tore at the flesh of his face.
“Ye’ll never git away from this
ship, ye blasted dodo!” Slugg roar­
ed in his mad rage.
But at that moment Easy seized
the mate’s leg, and sent him crash­
ing to the deck also.
Then they were at it in earnest.
Over and over they rolled, first one
on top—then the other. Two men
in mortal combat—rolling across
“Y ell Never Git Away From This Ship.
402 WASH TUBBS

the blistering deck—biting, goug­

ing, kicking, slugging. Two power­
ful men—both determined to win
this fight. To lose the fight meant
to lose his life. Neither could af­
ford to lose.
Easy was trying desperately to
avoid that terrible steel hook. One
moment he was up, the next mo­
ment down. Then up again, and
he landed a terrific left to Slugg’s
jaw.
A Terrific Left
404 WASH TUBBS

The mate went down on his

back with a mighty thud and Easy
dove at him, but got two heels
planted firmly in his face.
Two Men in Mortal Combat
 CHAPTER XX

SLU G G ’S FIN ISH

Meanwhile, the others were

watching the fire and waiting for
Easy to return from the burning
ship.
“Wonder wot’s happened to
Easy,” Wash said uneasily.
“Aw, he awright. He come
purty soon,” Olaf replied.
406
“Wonder Wot’s Happened to Easy.”
 saanx hsvm 8°^
But at that very moment, Easy
was battling desperately for his
life—battling against odds. He
was slowly being eut to ribbons by
that terrible hook, yet he was cool
in desperation.
“Stab me dead if’n I don’t mur­
der ye!” Slugg yelled.
The mate was completely mad
now—a raving maniac with a ter­
rible weapon in his sharp steel
hook. How any man could stand
A Raving Maniac
4io WASH TUBBS

up and fight against him could not

be imagined.
At last Easy got the chance he
had been waiting for. With a
lightning-like movement he seized
the mate’s left arm, the one with
the steel hook, and grabbing a
double wrist lock he gave it a quick
backward snap.
The mate gave a scream of
agony. His most useful arm was
broken. He could no longer use
412 WASH TUBBS

that terrible hook. Easy threw

him to the deck.
Then lefts and rights! Kicks,
jabs, uppercuts and ju-jitsu! And
Slugg was through. It was only a
matter of time.
More lefts and rights and a final
“haymaker!” Slugg was out!
After he had knocked the mate
out, Easy stood for a moment hold­
ing himself up by the rail, waiting
to regain his strength.
4 14 WASH TUBBS

Then battered and bleeding, but

victorious, his clothes in tatters,
Easy started to climb over the
ship’s rail.
When half way over the side,
Easy hesitated for a moment. Then
he returned to the mate and catch­
ing him by one leg, dragged him to­
ward the rail.
“You r a t ! I ought to let you fry,
but I reckon I haven’t got the heart
to,” Easy muttered.
Battered and Bleeding
416 WASH TUBBS

Tired as Easy was, the mate was

a heavy load for him, and before he
reached the rail, there were two
terrific explosions.
The crew on the ice were aghast,
as the two explosions ripped the
“Jonah” to splinters.
“It’s dose cases mit dynamite,”
one of the crew shouted.
“Run for your lives!” another
man yelled.
“Wait! Easy’s aboard! We
“You Rat!”
4x8 WASH TUBBS

can’t leave old Easy,” Wash shout­

ed, starting on the run for the de­
molished ship.
Wash would not desert his pal.
The crew started to run away
from the wreck.
Wash stopped and yelled after
them.
“Come back! Hey! My pal’s on
there! My buddie! Please—please!
Won’t somebody help me?” he
pleaded. “Gosh a’mighty! I gotta
“Run for Your Lives!”
420 WASH TUBBS

find ’im!” he cried, continuing on

his way.
“You fool! There might be more
explosions,” someone yelled.
Wash did not return, but con­
tinued toward the ship, leaping
from ice floe to ice floe.
After moments of frantic search­
ing, Wash found a figure clinging
to a cake of ice. He pulled the fig­
ure up and it was Easy.
“Boy! Wotta relief! I thought
422 WASH TUBBS

you were dead,” Wash said.

“Where’s Slugg?” was Easy’s
first words.
“Never mind. He probably es­
caped hours ago,” Wash replied.
“No. He was hiding aboard the
ship. Tried to fry me. Big fight.
Then an explosion. I never saw
him again,” Easy panted.
“If you ask me, Buddie, I’d say
he prob’ly got wot was coming to
’im,” Wash said.
He Pulled the Figure Up
424 WASH TUBBS

“Dead?” asked Easy.

“Must be. He’s not around
here,” Wash replied, “but what’s
the difference. We’re safe to­
gether again—and after what
we’ve been through, we’ll get back
to civilization okay—I know it.”
 FAMOUS COMICS Stories in the
BIG LITTLE BOOKS

Walt Disney’s PLUTO the Pup

MICKEY MOUSE Runs His Own Newspaper
DONALD DUCK and His (Mis)Adventures
LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY
FRECKLES and the Lost Diamond Mine
TINY TIM and the Mechanical Men
BLONDIE and Baby Dumpling
LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE in the Movies
POPEYE in Quest of His Poopdeck Pappy
JUST KIDS
PERRY WINKLE and the Rinky-Dinks
CHESTER GUMP in the Pole-to-Pole Flight
APPLE MARY and Dennie Foil the Swindlers
OSWALD RABBIT Plays G-Man
WIMPY the Hamburger Eater
ALLEY OOP and Dinny in the Jungle of Moo
DETECTIVE AND POLICE STORIES in the
BIG LITTLE BOOKS
INSPECTOR WADE of Scotland Yard and the
Red Aces Mystery
KING OF THE ROYAL MOUNTED Gets His
Man (Zane Grey)
DAN DU NN , Secret Operative 48, on the Trail
of Wu F a n g
TOM BEATTY, Ace of the Service, Scores Again
IN THE NAME OF THE LAW: War Against
Crime
Bob Stone, the YOUNG DETECTIVE
G-MAN and the Radio Bank Robberies
DICK TRACY and the Hotel Murders
JUNIOR G-MEN and the Counterfeiters
Jim Craig, STATE TROOPER, and the Kid­
napped Governor
Chuck M a llo y , RAILROAD DETECTIVE, on the
Streamliner
BRICK BRADFORD and Brocco the Modern
Buccaneer
Jim Starr of the U. S. BORDER PATROL
WESTERN AND ACTION STORIES in the
BIG LITTLE BOOKS
KEN MAYNARD in Western Justice
TIM McCOY on the Tomahawk Trail
TEX THORNE Comes out of the West
BRONC PEELER, the Lone Cowboy
THE LONE RANGER and the Secret Killer
THE TEXAS KID
TWO-GUN MONTANA
BUCK JONES and the Two-Gun Kid
TOM MIX and the Hoard of Montezuma
GUNS in the Roaring West
Riders of LONE TRAILS
Black Silver and His PIRATE CREW
COWBOY LINGO: Boys’ Book of Western Facts
GENE AUTRY in "Public Cowboy No. 1”
Captain FRANK HAWKS, Famous Air Ace, and
the Legion of Twelve
The BUCCANEER: Story of Jean Lafitte the
Pirate
WELLS FARGO: Thrilling Story of the Old West
BASED ON THE F AMOUS A DVE NT U RE STRIP
fsz a sca
rJ^ B S S
HUNTING
F OR WH A t E S i
by

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