Across to Singapore

1
Among the unsung deeds
of history there are none
more noble than Joel
Shore's heroic fight in the
great mutiny of August
      14th, 1857.

2
"Stand back! Unhand 
that woman .... or my
trusty pistol will bark 
     your doom!"

3
"Swim for your life, Priscilla!
Better a watery grave than 
life in the clutches of these
        blackguards!"

4
"That was the best mutiny
  we've had this week,
      wasn't it?"

5
"My brother Mark will be
sailin' home any day ....
and I'll be mighty glad to
    see him again."

6
"I reckon I've grown big 
and strong enough to
sail with Mark on his 
     next trip."

7
"It's Brother Mark's ship ....
     the Nathan Ross!"

8
"Look, Noah! Our baby 
brother's outgrown his
rattles and bibs at last."

9
"Priscilla! What a pretty 
   young woman you've 
    growed up to be!"

10
"Father .... I'm set on
shippin' with Brother
  Mark on his next 
      voyage."

11
"I ain't shippin' no infants
till they've shown me they
    know how to fight!"

12
  "Marse Crowninshield's 
here .... and his daughter,
     Missy Priscilla."

13
"To the prettiest and the 
nicest gal I've seen in 
   more'n two years."

14
"Mark's gettin' a bit too 
  sweet. Feed him some 
   of this vinegar."

15
"Any more of your capsizin'
glassware .... and off to bed
         for you!"

16
"Not too rough, Father.
I'd hate to see the lad 
 made uncomfortable."

17
"Splendid wine .... 'ceptin'
   it's a bit too sweet."

18
"Here's a trick to practice.
Maybe 'twill keep you out 
   of mischief awhile."

19
"I guess I'll stow this 
  baby in his crib."

20
"Now, youngster! Unfurl
your shirt tail .... and
    into your bunk!"

21
"I'll be back in a jiffy ....
   and you'd better be 
        sleepin'."

22
"I'm mighty lucky, Priscilla ...
gettin' chance to drink to
   you without anybody
      lookin' on."

23
"Folks always predicted
that when I fell in love
I'd fall terrible sudden
and awful hard .... and
    I'm doin' it!"

24
"Looks like my Priscilla
and your Mark are goin' 
 to make our wishes
 come true at last."

25
"Here's to her! The Heaven
it's been findin' her .... and
the Hell it'd be to lose her!"

26
"Go on .... ask him! Don't
stand there blushin' like 
    a port light!"

27
"Mr. Crowninshield, how 'bout
me marryin' your daughter ....
   after my next trip?"

28
"We'll have it announced 
in church tomorrow and 
surprise everybody .... even
       Priscilla!"

29
"I tell you what! Long as
Mark hid your clothes ....
why not wear a suit of
         his?"

30
Mark's "sudden outburst
of love" was the cause
for a private brotherly
celebration later that
        night.

31
"We specialize in any size
         riots, fights or wars!
No five or ten or a thousand men,
Are as good as us three Shores!"

32
"If you no want two big
    black eyes,
And punches on the nose-a;
    Never make the sailors mad
From the good ship SANTA ROSA."

33
"It begins to look like a
 very pleasant evening."

34
"My best Sunday uniform!
I'll ruin you for this!"

35
"If you try to ruin me ....
I'll ruin your uniform!"

36
"He's-a no sailor! He's-a
     de nurse-girl!"

37
"You licked Dog-nose Danny,
the toughest sailor afloat!
You've earned right to sail 
      with me now."

38
"No five or ten or a thousand men,
Are as good as us four Shores!"

39
There is always a Sunday 
morning after a Saturday 
        night.

40
"Dear friends, I have a
lovely surprise to gladden
your hearts .... one and all."

41
"Will Captain Mark Shore
  please step forward?"

42
"And next .... will our
beloved sister, Priscilla
  Crowninshield, come
      forward?"

43
"Our esteemed parishioner,
Joshua Crowninshield,
requests me to announce
the betrothal of his 
daughter, Priscilla, to
  Captain Mark Shore."

44
The next morning the
  NATHAN ROSS made
ready to sail again for
   the Far East.

45
"It's going to be terribly
   lonesome without you,
          Joel."

46
"I'll think of you lots of
  times too, Priscilla."

47
"Mark's waitin' to say
   good-bye to you,
      Priscilla."

48
"Joel .... I don't want
     to marry Mark."

49
South through
tropic seas --

50
Every day, every hour the
haunting memory of Priscilla
refusing his kisses .... and
 the constant struggle to
       forget her.

51
OFF CAPE HORN --
The cradle of winds...
the grave of ships.

52
"Noah needs you on deck,
Mark! We're fightin' a
    snortin' gale!"

53
"Let 'er blow! Storms at
sea ain't nothin'! They
    always stop!"

54
"It's storms in the heart
that never stop .... like
Priscilla's stirred up in
         mine!"

55
"You're wrong about 
Priscilla, Mark. There's 
  nobody in her eyes 
       but you."

56
"Nobody but me? Then
why did she draw 'way
from me? Why didn't
she kiss me good-bye?"

57
"It's lovin' somebody else
that's makin' her hate me!
Somebody else! Some day
    I'll meet him!"

58
 "You're wrong about
Priscilla! She don't love
   anybody but you."

59
"Come on, Mark! There's
a mad sea and a crazy
gale challengin' us Shores
       to fight!"

60
"Challengin' us Shores, eh?
Wantin' fight, are you?
Come on then .... howl and
  roar your damndest!"

61
"Order two men aloft to
smother that topsail!"

62
"Stay fast side o' me,
youngster! I don't
intend lettin' that old
sea sweep you over-
       board!"

63
"NOAH!"

64
"The sea's hungry .... and 
  she'd rather have two 
        than one!"

65
"I calc'late you'll make a
good first mate, Joel ....
but it's goin' to be awful 
lonesome without Noah."

66
"Goin' to make Joel first
mate over me, is he ....
same as he put Noah
   ahead of me!"

67
"I'm goin' to get this 
  ship for myself!"

68
  When we go ashore in 
Singapore .... I'll see that
  Cap'n Mark is got out 
       of my way!

69
SINGAPORE.

70
"You're too young to go 
ashore in this place!"

71
"Kinda recognize beauty 
 when you lay eyes on 
   it, don't you?"

72
"It'll take more than one
knife to get your gal 
'way from him. You'll
need a gang ... savvy?"

73
"Mark, you mustn't do 
this! You've got to 
remember Priscilla!"

74
"Why should I remember 
Priscilla? She'll be happier
if I forget her! She don't
       love me!"

75
"Priscilla! Priscilla! She's 
to be thanked for what
I'm makin' out of myself!"

76
"I'll throttle you if you
ever speak her name to
me again! Understand?"

77
"Fetch this youngster
 back aboard ship!"

78
"Big sailor man stabbed!
Many men throw him in 
        water!"

79
The home port of the
Nathan Ross had again
begun to watch east-
ward for sight of Cap'n 
    Mark's ship.

80
"See if you can make
out that craft comin'
   to the harbor."

81
"It's the Nathan Ross ....
and she's flyin' her flag
     at half mast!"

82
"Last month my son,
Matthew, went down 
with The Sea Robin ...
and now this bids 
 more bad news."

83
"Noah was lost at sea,
Mr. Shore .... and Cap'n
Mark was killed in
    Singapore."

84
"And where's Joel ....
   the youngster?"

85
"We had to bring him 
   back in irons."

86
"He deserted Cap'n Mark 
durin' the fight he got
killed in! He quit his 
    own brother!"

87
"I'll hear what the lad's 
got to say .... over in
      my office."

88
"Now, young man ....
what have you got
to say for yourself?"

89
"I guess his silence is
proof enough of his 
       guilt."

90
"A son of mine ....
a rank coward!"

91
"He lies, Father!
    He lies!"

92
"Priscilla .... you don't believe
the lie Finch told about me,
          do you?"

93
"Mark isn't dead! I'm sure
he isn't! He's down there
eatin' his heart out because 
         of you!"

94
"But, Priscilla .... wouldn't
   you be happy if Mark
    were found alive?"

95
"You're betrothed to 
  him, Priscilla!"

96
"You're the only one
who can get him
back from there!"

97
"I don't want him to 
come back! I don't
    love him!"

98
"You made him love you ....
and now you're not goin'
to quit him when he needs 
         you!"

99
"I'm sailin' back to Singapore 
tonight .... and you're goin'
          along!"

100
"We're sailin' for Singapore!
     I'm master now!"

101
"I've brought along a few
friends .... in case you don't 
    like what I say."

102
"These men are goin' to 
see us safely to Singapore
       and back!"

103
Six months in Singapore
   has made Mark a
drink-crazed, half-mad,
 gibbering derelict.

104
"No five or ten or 
            a thousand men,
Are as good as any Shore!"

105
"Stop! Stop! For six
months all I hear is
the same crazy song!"

106
"Aloft there! Reef her
down! Lively with it ....
or I'll slit your gizzards!"

107
"I'm goin' to stand my
regular evenin' lookout
    for my ship."

108
"It's my ship comin'
   back for me!"

109
"I'm goin' to find Mark 
  and bring him here 
       to you!"

110
"Joel, don't you see?
If you find Mark it
means I must keep
my betrothal to him."

111
"It will mean that every
 one else must be put 
   out of my heart."

112
"You're pledged to be 
    Mark's wife!"

113
"But it's you that's in 
my heart, Joel! It's you 
       I love!"

114
"No! You belong to 
      Mark!"

115
"We can't let him get 
ashore! If he finds 
Cap'n Mark it's jail 
      for us!"

116
"You're goin' to take me
to where you last saw 
     my brother!"

117
"See! Priscilla has come 
    for you, Mark!"

118
"You ... came ... for ... me?"

119
"I know why you came!
And I know why you 
hate me! It's him ....
       Joel!"

120
"What kind of woman are 
you .... pledged to me and 
lovin' my own brother!"

121
"I'll brain both of you 
love-thievin' hypocrites!"

122
"Put him in irons!"

123
"Soon as you've come 
to your senses, I'll give 
the ship over to you!"

124
"And when you do, I'll
feed you to the sharks!"

125
"You're no brother of 
mine .... you ship-thievin',
woman stealin' swine!"

126
"Mark! I tell you that
Priscilla came along
only to find you!"

127
"Tell my brother the 
       truth!"

128
"The truth is .... he quit
you in Singapore hopin'
you'd get killed, so he
could have Priscilla."

129
"Kill him, Finch! Rip out 
    his lyin' tongue!"

130
"Let him up! Give the
lad a fightin' chance!"

131
"My brother! It's my
brother! My kind 
you're killin'!"

132
"God help you if I get 
        loose!"

133
"You're both where I want 
you at last! Now, this
ship's mine .... and the 
     woman, too!"

134
"Open your eyes, youngster!
       Talk to me!"

135
"Forgive me, Joel ....
  I didn't mean it!"

136
"Taste the iron, you
  crummy lubbers!"

137
"Be good to Priscilla ....
  and be happy with 
      her, Joel."

The End

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