The Final Adversary (18 page)

They found Andy and Del Saunders already there, arguing over the book of Genesis. “Happy New Year,” Andy grinned. “You two sleep any last night?”

“Why not?” Awful asked with some surprise.

“The way this old ship rolled, I thought I’d have to tie myself in,” Del grumbled. He was a short, strong-looking fellow with blue eyes, red hair and freckles to go with it. “I didn’t sleep a wink!”

“You slept like a rock! I heard you!” Andy countered with a grin. “You’re the world’s worst hypochondriac, Del. Always got some new disease.”

It was true enough. Though Del was probably the healthiest person on board, he complained constantly about his health. “I was too sick to open my eyes, that’s all,” he said. “Where’s the crop of newlyweds?”

Barney shook his head. “I hope they’re not still sick. Not much of a honeymoon for them, is it?”

Slim Ranken had married a girl named Lily Jones, and she had been sick from the moment she stepped on board—even when the ship was docked and steady as a rock. Slim had spent most of the voyage holding her head and trying to comfort her.

The other couple was no better off, though it was Tobe DeLaughter who was seasick, and his bride, Pearl, who had to nurse him.

Barney had been uncertain about the quick marriages, but Beecham had approved. “The jungles of Liberia are the loneliest places on earth. A single man has a hard time. I wish
all
of your Company were married!”

Soon the four were joined by the others—except Lily Ranken. “She just can’t make it,” her tall, wiry husband said, scratching his rapidly receding hairline. He was close to being a genius in his field, they had soon discovered. His skill as a mechanic would come in handy in the jungle.

Andy began the service by saying, “It’s the first day of the new year, and I’d like us to commit ourselves to God again. Let’s read a few lines from the Psalms.”

As the meeting progressed, Barney studied his fellow missionaries.
We’re all tied together,
he thought.
When we get to Liberia, we’ll only have each other.

Andy Winslow.
There was a man with confidence. The others might have fears or misgivings, but not Andy! He was the most intense of all, of quick intelligence, with a flair for leadership. Yes, he would make a good leader.

Slim Ranken.
Barney was pleased that Slim was there. Lily might be a problem because of her fears and tendency to worry, but she would get over that.

Tobe DeLaughter.
Tobe was twenty-five and of slight build. Though he was eager to plunge into the work and was absolutely dependable insofar as his powers allowed him to serve, his health might be a predicament. He suffered from a severe form of respiratory ailment, and Liberia was known to be hard on the healthiest individuals.

Pearl DeLaughter.
Of all the missionaries, Pearl was the one Barney understood least. She was a tall, attractive woman of twenty-five, with curly black hair. She could have married well, having come from a rather well-to-do family in Chicago, of whom she said little. Why she had chosen Tobe, no one could figure out. Pearl had wandered into the Rescue Mission one evening, drunk, and Katie had prayed with her. She had given her life to the Lord, but kept a wall around her none could penetrate.

She caught Barney watching her, and smiled slightly, then turned back to listen to Andy.

Irene Bailey.
Short, blond, with blue eyes and a forward manner, she had been successful working with the common women who came to the mission. She had led a rough life, and made no secret of it. She was a pretty tough lady. She might not be quite as spiritual as some, but she didn’t seem to be afraid of anything.

Katie Sullivan.
In spite of the rough sea voyage, Katie’s face shone with fresh color. And there was an expectant air about her, one that did not require great events or high drama; the little things drew her attention. Barney had noticed her intense pleasure at the first bud on a tree, or the flight of a gull over the sea.

She was a mixture of gentleness and strength, Barney thought. The gentleness was in her soft blue eyes, her voice, and her quick sympathy for others. But beneath that softness lurked an unexpected core of strength. He had seen it exposed a few times, when the soft lips would grow tense and the mild eyes would lose their serenity. Her strength came through in difficult situations as she relied on the Lord. Katie’s excitement in her new life in the Lord was infectious. She would be a strong member of the Company.

Awful Gardner.
The Australian, wise, cheerful of spirit and bold in courage, was the forerunner, the pioneer, the father of their group. Had it not been for his love for God and others, his inspiration and persistence, none of them would be here, on their way to Africa as missionaries.

Bringing his thoughts back to Andy, Barney listened as his brother expounded the Word. He had much knowledge and zeal. But Barney wished Andy would take Gardner’s wisdom into consideration. Andy liked Gardner, but paid no heed to the few mild suggestions that had come from him. But then, Andy seldom paid attention to suggestions. He was like a powerful locomotive, pounding down a single track with one hand on the throttle.
Oh, Lord,
Barney prayed.
Guard and direct us in this momentous undertaking, for apart from you we can do nothing!

Finally the service was over, and they went to the mess hall for breakfast. They joined the officers of the ship and the other passengers, though the latter were conspicuous by their absence. The rolling seas and heavy weather did not create hearty appetites for most landsmen.

Barney sat next to the first mate, Gerald Sipes, a large man,
with heavy muscles and great physical strength. He appeared to be about forty years of age. The officer was not thrilled at having the missionaries on board, and he wasted no time in venting his displeasure. His disgust took the form of a string of sarcastic remarks directed at the Christian religion.

“Well, gentleman, we’ll have to watch our manners,” he said as soon as Barney sat down. Sipes’ eyes pulled down in a squint. “The saints have gathered.”

“Good morning, mate,” Gardner said. He was seated across from Sipes. “Did you ask the blessing yet, Mr. Sipes, or shall I do it?”

Laughter erupted from the sailors, and the captain said with a slight smile, “Mr. Sipes did forget to pronounce grace this morning. Perhaps you’d better remedy his oversight, Mr. Gardner.” Captain James Seale, a native of Maine, was not a religious man, but was interested in philosophy. He had spent several evenings talking with Andy, the sole member of the team who could debate him in this area.

Gardner responded, “That I will, Captain.” He bowed his head, thanked God for the food, then asked Him for better weather and to bless the members of the crew and the officers.

The prayer was hardly finished before Sipes jumped in. “So you think you can talk God into changing the weather, do you, Gardner?”

“Right-O!” Gardner nodded as he piled his plate high with food. “A sea-faring man like yourself can appreciate the tale of how the Lord Jesus handled storms.” Without missing a bite, Gardner quoted the passage: “And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!”

Gardner nodded at the mate with a smile. “Now, that’s what I’ve always liked about Jesus. He always knew what to do.”

The captain considered Gardner thoughtfully. “And do you believe that actually happened, Reverend Gardner?”

“No fear!” Gardner exclaimed. “It’s in the Bible!”

Sipes growled, “The Bible! Nothing but a book of fables!”

Andy jumped in. “Did you ever make a study of fables, Mr. Sipes?”

“Study fables? Of course not!”

“Then how do you know the Bible consists of fables if you don’t know what they’re like?”

“You don’t think the stories in the Gospels are a little like fables, Reverend Winslow?” Captain Seale asked.

“Not a bit! Take the story of the woman taken in adultery. When they brought her to Jesus and accused her, what did He do?”

The captain answered promptly, “He stooped down and began to write in the dust.”

“You know your Bible, Captain!” Andy said warmly. “Well, that simple action of a man writing in the dust with his finger—you cannot find anything compared to it in any fables that I know. I’ve read fables most of my life, and there’s nothing remotely like the account in the Bible.”

“That’s interesting,” Captain Seale said. He considered the missionaries carefully, then asked, “But do you really believe that Jesus spoke to the storm, and that at His word it grew calm?”

“Yes, I do,” Andy nodded. “The scripture says in John that all things were made by Him, by Jesus, that is. If He made them, He can command them. You command this ship, Captain. With one word you can send it wherever you wish. I think that Jesus Christ has that power over all nature.”

Sipes swallowed a huge bite. “Than why don’t you ask Him to make this storm we’re in give up?”

“Because God knows what He’s doing,” Andy said easily. “It’s not for me to give Him orders.”

The meal went on slowly, and Barney listened as Andy handled the questions, some of them sarcastic and some genuine. He caught Katie’s eye and winked at her, for he knew she was grateful, as he was, that Andy was there.
I’d sound like a fool if I tried to answer Sipes!

But after dinner there was a different contest with Sipes. The burly officer had thrown barbed comments during the entire evening meal, and finally he’d said, “The thing that makes me sick is what a bunch of weaklings you Christians are!”

“Well, some of us are pretty feeble,” Gardner admitted. “But so are folks who don’t know God.”

As the meal had progressed, Barney’s mind drifted to future plans and wasn’t paying much heed to Sipes. But he looked up when Sipes said contemptuously, “Look at you! I could wipe the deck with one swipe of you all.”

“Mr. Sipes is quite a pugilist,” Captain Seale said. “It’s his strong right arm that keeps the crew obedient, I suspect.”

The second mate, a dusky-faced fellow named Davis, asked, “Are you having the bouts tonight, Sipes?”

“Yes, we are. We’re—”

“What’s this, Mr. Sipes?” Awful interrupted.

“The crew likes to have some boxing matches from time to time,” the captain said. “Some of them are quite good, aren’t they, Mr. Sipes?”

“Fair, just fair,” Sipes admitted reluctantly. Then his eyes gleamed. “Now, why don’t one of you fine young men join us? I’d be glad to go a few rounds with one or two of you.”

“You’d kill them, Sipes,” Davis grinned.

“Not if the Lord blessed Sipes’ opponent,” Gardner insisted. “Think of David. He had no trouble with the best heavyweight in the world because the Lord wuz with ’im.”

Sipes stared at him. “Another fairy tale!”

“You don’t really believe what you’re saying, do you,
Reverend Gardner?” Captain Seale asked. “It’s not even reasonable that the average man can stand up to a trained boxer like Sipes.”

“I think it might happen, Captain.”

The captain turned his gray eyes on Andy. “Surely
you
don’t agree?”

Andy had seen where Gardner was headed, and he turned his head and looked down the table, giving Barney a slight wink. “Why, certainly I do!”

“Then let’s have a man from among you!” Sipes cried out. “If he beats me, I’ll come to your blasted church every Sunday until we make port.”

“I might even make the same promise, Mr. Winslow,” Captain Seale added, a look of humor in his eyes. “As a matter of fact, I think I can speak for all the officers and the crew. If your man is able to stay with Mr. Sipes for—oh, say four rounds—why, you can count on all of us to be at the services. Right, men?”

The other officers had seen Sipes, and they agreed—with some laughter. Then one of the passengers said, “I can’t speak for the rest of the travelers, but I’d make the same promise.” Several people, taken by the challenge, called out their willingness.

Andy said, “Of course, as ministers we’re opposed to fighting—”

“I knew it!” Sipes shot back. “Not a backbone in the crowd!”

“However—” Andy lifted his voice. “I think we all have enjoyed sport at one time or another. For the sake of sportsmanship, I think we might allow one of our number to go a few rounds with Mr. Sipes. Let’s see, who shall it be?”

He pretended to look the men over, as though trying to make a choice.

“Barney!” Katie said, “you’d be willing to accommodate Mr. Sipes, wouldn’t you?”

Barney looked at Gardner, who nodded. “Well, I couldn’t do it without warning Mr. Sipes.”

“Warning me?” Sipes demanded.

“Why, yes,” Barney shrugged. “You see, actually, I did a little boxing when I was younger.”

Laughter circled the table, and Captain Seale said, “I really can’t permit this to go on. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt, young man, and that’s what would happen.”

“I see it as a test of faith, Captain,” Andy insisted. “We believe that God is able to take care of Barney. You don’t think so. I think we are bound in this case to cast ourselves out on faith.”

“Let them fight!” someone cried.

Obviously captivated by the challenge, Captain Seale said, “Very well, but I will referee the fight myself.” He gave the first mate a stern look. “It’s to be a boxing match, Mr. Sipes. Nothing else.”

“Right, Captain!” he replied, but when the captain looked away, Sipes winked at Davis. “Well, I’d better go get myself prepared. If I’ve got to go into the ring with a wildcat like that young fellow, it’s going to take all I’ve got!”

“The match will be at eight tomorrow night in the main cargo hold,” Captain Seale announced as he got up. “I expect it will be an interesting evening.”