steadily. It was very late when Hazzard, Redman, and Chang threw in their hands, and the captain looked at Reisenbaum, saying, "I'll see your bet Mr. Reisenbaum, and raise."
The color of Reisenbaum's face began to turn scarlet. He fumbled with his money for a moment, and then shoved all of it into the center of the table.
"Und I raise," he snapped.
The captain put his cards on the table, reached out and counted the money that Reisenbaum had pushed forward.
"All right, I'll just call this time," and he placed his money in front of him. "What do you have?"
Reisenbaum slowly turned over his cards. He had three queens.
"That's a very nice hand," grinned the captain. "But not quite good enough," and he turned over three cards. All of them kings.
Reisenbaum could not control his rage. He snorted, kicked his chair back as he stood up, and stomped out of the lounge.
"Well," said Hazzard. "That just about cleans me out for tonight."
"Yes," said Redman as he rose from his seat. "I think it is about time for me to get a good night's sleep. If you gentlemen will excuse me," and he strode stiff necked to the door.
The captain was busy counting his winnings as Hazzard got up and left the table without a word. He walked up to the small bar in the corner of the lounge and tapped the sleeping Chinese boy on the shoulder.
"How about a Scotch and water, okay?" he said.
"Okey, okey, Scotchy water, okey, okey," came the singsong reply as the boy jumped up and began rattling bottles about in his search for Scotch.
"Mind if I join you?" said the voice of Chang.
Hazzard turned around to face him. "No, not at all," he said.
Chang looked at the Chinese boy. "One more Scotch and water."
"Okey, okey, Scotchy water, okey, okey," grinned the boy.
There it was again, thought Hazzard, the same uneasy feeling. There was something familiar about Chang. Whatever it was, it was not pleasant. Chang had gotten on in Hong Kong. That was four days ago. Sick in his cabin, the captain had said. But how had Hazzard missed seeing Chang when he came on board.
You came aboard at Hong Kong, eh?" said Hazzard, trying to act friendly. "It's strange I haven't seen you before this."
"I came aboard early in the morning, just before the ship sailed, and I have stayed in my cabin until tonight," Chang explained. "I do not particularly like sea voyages myself, but find them necessary at times."
"If it was up to me, I'd fly," commented Hazzard. "This is too slow. Why do you find it necessary to travel on this crummy ship, Mr. Chang?"
The boy placed the drinks on the bar, and Chang raised his glass to Hazzard. The drink was warm without ice, and after a small sip Chang set it back on the bar.
"I am a merchant, and I find it convenient to travel with my merchandise," said Chang. "I have quite a sizeable cargo on board."
"Looks like you don't trust anyone," observed Hazzard. "If you have to ride around with all your stuff."
Chang smiled at this. "And you Mr. Hazzard, do you trust everyone? And since we are both being curious, what excuse do you have for traveling on this, as you say, crummy ship?"
Hazzard downed the last of his drink. "I like the sea air, and it's more exciting traveling by ship."
"Yes, Mr. Hazzard, I agree with you, and you never can tell just how exciting it will become," and Chang bowed slightly as he turned and walked away.
Hazzard watched as Chang left the lounge. The ship was full of weird characters, and he smiled as he thought that maybe the others were thinking the same about him. He had the boy make him another Scotch and water. Surprising how much a warm Scotch and water tasted like medicine. He gave up the idea of having a third drink and returned to his cabin.
It was another suffocating night. The small electric fan over his bunk breathed a steady stream of hot air over his body. He tried to he still and think of snow storms he had seen when he was a boy.
| 4 |
|
The Hostage |
MORNING came, and Hazzard lay half naked on his bunk, his eyes shut, the sweat running down his sides in tiny rivers, debating whether he could stand another smelly shower of sea water or not. He had just made up his mind not to move when a deadly silence engulfed the ship.
The engines had stopped, and the steady vibrations that fill a moving ship were suddenly gone. Hazzard opened his eyes. The electric fan above his head was revolving slowly to a halt. He listened carefully and only the faraway sound of water lapping at the sides of the freighter came to his ears.
All of his senses snapped alert, he felt a chill surge through his body like an electric shock. This feeling he had known before. He knew the meaning. Danger!
Standing up, he peered cautiously through the open port hole above his bunk. Nothing but the empty deck, the sun, the sea, and silence.
Hazzard remained motionless and waited. One minute, the water splashed lightly at the rusted plates—two minutes, a sea gull screamed above the ship—three minutes, the sound of someone walking on the deck outside his cabin. Hazzard lowered himself below the level of the port hole. When the footsteps had passed, he raised his head slowly and looked out again. One of the ship's crew was walking forward with his hands clasped behind his head. Behind him were two heavily armed Orientals with rifles pointing at his back.
Hazzard grabbed the money belt off the bunk and strapped it around his waist. Taking Sam from beneath the pillow, he checked the revolver, stuck it under the money belt, and quickly put on his shirt.
He had just finished with the last button when there was a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Hazzard called out.
"Captain want see you Misser Hazzard. He say you come bridge," said a singsong Chinese voice.
"All right," said Hazzard. "Be right with you."
Quietly Hazzard stepped to the door, and in one motion unlatched and swung it open. Almost immediately a tough-looking Chinese sprang into the room with a wicked-looking automatic rifle.
Tripping the Chinese with his foot, Hazzard brought the edge of his right hand down behind the man's ear in a vicious karate chop. The Chinese slammed spread eagle to the floor and lay motionless.
Hazzard reached over to pick up the automatic rifle, then froze at the sound of Chang's voice.
"As you can see, these sea voyages get more exciting every day," said Chang.
He was standing in the door holding a pistol and smiling pleasantly. Glancing down, he nodded approvingly.
"Very efficiently excuted, Mr. Hazzard. It is a pity though, I had hoped to avoid bloodshed. I suppose
