Page:Weird Tales Volume 4 Number 2 (1924-05-07).djvu/17

 sprayed him from behind. It covered his matted hair with burning oil, and he sank below the surface, suffering excruciating agony.

He rose. But now the fire was all about him. The entire surface of the oil was covered with liquid fire. But the color was changed. From the oil, the fire rose dull red to blacken into suffocating smoke. It filled the tank with deadly fumes. It sucked up the oxygen like a fiery dragon.

Was no one coming to help? Baden gasped for breath, choked up with oil. Blinded in an agony of fire and smoke, he realized at last that his was not to be the victory. The flames settled once more upon him. There was no escaping them. He saw nothing, heard nothing, felt only the torture, the soul-racking pain.

His mind was strangely clear. Only a few more seconds to live. Dimly, he realized it. Hazily, he racked his wavering mind. The old half-forgotten training served him not falsely.

"L-lord—" his weary feet trod the oil slower and slower. "Lord have mercy"—the thick black smoke settled down upon his head. His nostrils distended, his hands flew upward. Slowly, his body sank—"on my soul."

The words were inaudible. The oil closed over him silently. A few slow, sluggish ripples marked his passage.

From the little white wicket gate that marked the entrance to Mrs. Gates' front yard, the Kid watched, impatiently, a huge black cloud of smoke rise from the distant trap door and spiral upward, and hang, heavy, black, an

d foreboding, above the big, oil tank.

 

OME years ago, a commander of one of his majesty's ships of war, having been stationed for some time at Boston, received orders to cruise for the joint purpose of protecting our trade, and watching the motions of the enemy; and, after an absence of two or three months, unluckily returned on the sabbath-day.

The moment this gentleman's wife was informed that the ship was in harbor, she hastened down to the beach; when her husband, delighted with this proof of her affection, sprang from the boat, caught her in his arms, and, in the presence of many witnesses, repeatedly embraced, and pressed her to his heart.

This interesting scene of conjugal felicity was beheld by the superstitious inhabitants with horror and disgust, who conceived it an absolute profanation of all religious decorum, to have testified such emotions on a day dedicated to God. The next day he was summoned to appear before the magistrates, who severely reprimanded him for the indecency of the act; and, after having given him many pious admonitions, ordered a certain number of stripes to be inflicted upon his back.

As flagellation is a very common punishment in that country, the inflicting it was not considered as any particular mark of disgrace; and the captain was just as well received in every society after the degrading circumstance as before it had taken place. Notwithstanding this behavior on the part of the inhabitants, the son of Neptune's pride had received a wound not easily to be cured; and though he stifled the indignation that glowed within his bosom, he was determined to have ample revenge for the deed.

As soon as he had received orders to return to England, he waited upon the principal inhabitants at whose houses he had been entertained, and particularly upon the magistrates, who had taken so much pains to instruct him in the decorum that was due to the sabbath-day.

After expressing the sense he retained of their kindness and civility, he invited them to spend the last day on board his ship, that he might have an opportunity of testifying his gratitude for the numerous and friendly attentions he had received. The polite invitation was readily accepted; the day was spent with the utmost conviviality and glee; and the party resolved to stay till the very moment that the ship was getting under sail. At length it arrived; the anchor was apeak, the sails were unfurled, and the boat was in waiting to convey them from the ship, when the captain, after taking an affectionate leave of them, kindly followed them to the deck. There the boatswain stood ready to receive them, with the cat-of-nine-tails in his hand; and the crew were all placed in order for the purpose of witnessing the ludicrous scene. The captain again repeated his gratitude for their kindnesses, a just sense of which, he added, he should ever entertain, and only wished he had possessed the ability of making them a more ample return. "One point of civility, however," continued he, "I trust I can now recompense," and immediately reminded them of the disgraceful manner in which he had been used; and giving the signal to the crew, they were instantly pinioned, and the boatswain commanded to take his revenge; when, after each receiving three dozen of lashes, they were put into the boat amidst three hearty cheers. The ship instantly set sail for England, and was very soon out of sight.