The evening world. Newspaper, April 2, 1914, Page 17

THE AFTER Eight bells rang out sharply. The wateh changed. I took the volver and Burnes posttion at the compan- while emtae J went aft. He took from the cook a long meat knife and brought both the negro and knife forward to me. The man Mrs, Was- almost collapsing with terror. He maintained that he had taken the knife for self-protection and we let warnin, ught me an hours see the firet since my (Panzecing fin re attitudes of dejection, one or two of them leaning over the rail witch. ae dolly-boat riding easily be- ine Jonea heard me fa CHAPTER XIII. (Contiowsd.) The White Light. turned. “Your friend below must be ve: MAT night at four belle I baa, sit,” he sald, “Your lady Tors mustered the crew 288 has been asking for you, 1 wouldn't moving and ailentl: round let them wake you.” ently as possible aroun ‘My-—owhat?” beas astern, and Charlie Jones ous- Cre man witha maid, save the Hook Seated & white light in ite bow, eo we — “You should have called me, Jones,” could be sure at night that it had not I said sharply. 9 broken loose. that sort with the men." ~ He looked hurt, but made no reply Accordingly, we attached to the neyond touching his cap, Ana. wine ‘dow of the jolly-boat a tailed block I am mentioning that, I may speak of with an endless fall riven through st, the changed attitude of the men #0 as to be able to haul in and rofli toward me from the thao they put me the lantern. Five bells struck by the * r time we had arranged the towing: omca rather than thon tae, he 5 whether in placing me tn authority We dropped the jolly-bont astern they had merely exprenaed-o general and made fast the rope. It gave ‘ne Sourious feeling, that small boat rise thennee tient, Vary Witt them ee ing and falling bebind us, with its inclined to think the former, Tha dead or and its rocking light, and result, in any case, was the same. ita side above the water line the pL ge curious feeling of pure TheY deferred to me whenever ponsi- " hip's hold was one that I could not ee rOURDt large and small issues “I stall not come back uniess you danger, but barred acresy with atrips ® a boat Were THOR Cae te pelt allke to mo, norved me my food alone, send for mes aaige Bee Peay CanKer, but barred those in the after Place a regular knocking, which kept u pat were el owing us. ian per- nat my protestations, aud, while you to Know that my one object in house. 1 culled to him through the T located it at last, approximately, &ft toward Imes it acemed to drop bend oe we navigating the ship on thelr own re- lite from new om Isto me orate open window, but the only answer wag i! One of the ballast ports, but’ Burns! times it ee te chee tenind a8 If sponsibility, took care to come to me safely to land; that your safety 1enewod and louder pounding. there wan fothion 6.66 The for the Danish Nereat lent of the chase, and again & for authority for everything. comes tirst, and that the yiilance on 1 ran around to his door and felt rt had been onretatly caoree and foolish, but 1 Peet abe tbe overtaking us, tobe “Retore I went below that morning, deck It your iets eee ane re- for the key, which I carried. fore cae cone Cowen? peee ae Uaht and a black cross on the side. thn after deck, ond eiey eeetar OF whine words!” the stewardess mut- peat noises I seemed to feel ae well as © murders ‘The rain by that time was driving steadily—a summer rain without CHAPTER XIV. wind. ‘The mon seemed glad to have From the Crow’s Nest. eccupation, and, from that time on, T HE night passed without in- the tent which they erected over the “verity. At six bells, during the cident, except for one thing hatchway aft of the wheel was their night that precedes the early dawn wig found all four women awake’ and of summ Adams, from the crow's dressed, and Mre. Turner, whore hour Rest, called down, in a panic, that it was on duty, in a cha outside th there was somothing crawling on all oo The stewardess, arm in a ng, Was making tea over a spirit fours on the deck below him. lamp, and Flea was helping her. ‘Mrs. Burns, on watch at the companion- Johns was stretched-on a divan and way, ran forward with his revolver, on the table lay a small revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained— qeneey eae nes told the incident of ys I fel he { Adams at that moment finging down of gntugoniern re ieee ere @ marlinspike that he had carried me coolly from under lowered eyelids, aloft with him. The stewardess openly scowled. And I heard the crash and joined Burns, Mr& Turner rose hastily and glanced The low mumbling from ‘Turner's room had persisted steadily. Now it rose again in the sharp frenzy that had characterized it through the long night ‘Don't look at me like that, man!" cried, and then—"He's lost a hand! A hand!" Mra. Turner Went quickly into the cabin, and the sounds ceased, I looked at Elsa, but she avoided my eyes. I turned heavily and went up the companionwa; so certain that it added t darkest hour of the curity. Turner was violent that day. I CHAPTER XV; A Knocking in the Hold. T rained heavily all that day. Late in the afternoon we got some wind and all hands turned out to trim suited our disheartened state better t Mra. Johns, as if in doubt. “ there,” he said. looking the next seven days passed and together we went over the deck had her back’ to me and wac mat than had the pitiless Aucust sun, the over’ Me shoulder, “It's been there Site Garhea tae, and both houses. Everything was with the cups. glaring white of the deck and canvps, three times, looking in—all in white? quiet; the crew in various attitudes — “I'm afraid you've had a bad night,” of exhausted sleep, their chests and I said. ditty-bags around them; Oleson at “A very bad night,” Mrs. Turner the wheel; and Singleton in his fail- replied sti: : and the heat. The heavy drops splashed and broke on top of the jolly-boat, and as the fog-horn steadily. She altered her course then and came toward us, and we ran up our code flags for imme- diate aasiatance; she veered off shortly after and went on her way. Wo made no further effort to attract her attention. Burns thought her a nger steamer for the Bermudas, and as her way was not ours she could Ag have been of much assist- ance. One or two of the men were already Elsa Lee wheeled suddenly and anced scornfully at her sister. cs ‘Why don't you tell him?" she @emanded. “Why don't you say you didn't give the bromides?” “Why not?" “Mrs. Johns raised herself on her he explained, “at er the rail, and at first it wt “You didn't say before that it wae white,” “Tt was shining,” he sald slowly, trying to put his idea into words. eibow and looked at me. “Maybe not exactly white, but light. °!bow " ee It stood still for so long, I, "Why should we?" she asked. “How thought I must be mistaken—that' it de we now, vant Fou are eiving was a light on the rigging. Then 1 Mim? You are not friendly to him ” ty 4 nts, Utenstin were ot to thinking that there wasn't no Pt to us. We know what you are | (nd or two of | ain, Oleso! “It wasn't a head, For God's sake, white yacht, motionless, her sails !l;" 1 sald; “merely unshaven. 1 looked ‘up, scarching the group for Allowed him: but he w Place for a Jight to come from Just Soin i do ey eon, ware ene of a ont, fellegeatty Lealier 'T can'e tail you aay. more drooping—for not a breath of air , But you Gre Pale) AUG WOUr OVE, Cornelian? Maslatant Gade tae tng t to lock there.” suard at th8 companionway. You fever and a mild delirium, and Adams than that. I saw it. That's enough. moved—with unpolished brasses and girl, She had dressed, and the light ‘That was true enough, rail off the deck for our safety. You complained of sore throat and nausea. I saw it three times.’ dirty decks; in charge of all, a tall from the tern beside me on the “Wirat it was as tall as a man, oF Grop a th storeroom key in Mr. Oleson's illness was genuine enough. “Jt isn't enough for me," I said youth, unshaven Ike the rest, and deck threw into relief her white taller maybe,” he went on. “Then it umers oabin, where Else will find Adame I suspected or malingering. doggedly. “It hadn't any head or face, gaunt from sickness, who hardly Bnew aaa. in? figure among the dark ones, She seemed about half that high and still i ang will be obliged to acknowledge’ He had told tho mon he would not but it looked in! It’s dark out tl & nautical phrase, who shook the Said i hardly say. With this wind, ©@me forward as my eyes fell on her. ip the same place. Then tt got lower Sho 'Zound it andl than cake ir fake, €O UP tO cae Chae eee ae CRETE looked Int Tt ttle officer’a hand ‘with a ferocity of | it can hardly s ) OAS rahe atlo, bad, noe: wat had ond Meee te ener T yatled ne °2 her by force, so you can show it later out a revolver, and this I would not "For peply he leaned over and, turn- welcome thet canis Witt change color, bernape Tu ing Nn n, Ina’ moment sho Mlated on h its belly. ie wa toap t vee.” star- 00 8nd pave yourself!" permit. Ing down the lamp, blew 1 ont, we 800 mints Ravors conmaten ef tre “Philadelphia. held out the threaded needle, Hor I looked down. ‘The green star- sat in the smo farkni ° ‘ aol hand was quite ateady. She made board light threw light over only a lea turned on her SOR assis nikecoili inh, wank bef Witenes slowly, out of the thick night, the shir, open at the neck: end BAPE 4. char tienes ? CHM U8 YRCEE Or eee eet tg Mie RRe tin vietn Promptly offered to make SRO PASS Of Che deck, The cod HERE 5 (CO, ta wom, 6 * elev But the two negroes were window outlined itself, I could Set ue wallowing tn. se iy moe "You. Biss Lee,” oring edges of the wound #o that I him, out of wire, a key to no better. i . -boat, not seamen, and were frightened into it @ state bordering on collapse. Of the men actually useful there were left only five—Clarke, McNamara, Charlie Jones, Burns and myself; and I was @ negligible quantity as regarded the working of the ship. With Burns and myself on guard duty, the burden fell on Clarke, Mc- Namara and Jones. A suggestion of mine that we release Singleton was instantly vetoed by the mon, It was arranged finally that Clurke and Mc- Namara take alternate watches at the wheel and Jones be given the lookout for the night, to be relieved by either Burns or myself. bad watched the weather anxtously. We were too shorthanded to manage any sort of a gale; and yet the emer- gency of our return made it unwise to shorten canvas too much, It was aa well, perhaps, that I did so much to distract my attention from the situa- tion jn the after house, The second of the series of curious incidents that complicated our return voyage occurred that night. I was on watch from eight bells midnight until four in the morning. Jones was in the crow's nest, McNamura at the wheel. I was at the starboard for- h, if you pretend to protect him bly thirty feet above the hull, ec Re ecres no illuminating purpose “I am rather bewtldered,” I said whatever. From tho bridge forward Slowly; ,"but, under the circumstances, the deck Was practically dark. 1 soppode you do not wish me to look “ n wi hap- er Mr, ner?" eT Sen eek NON GR Se tuink ant’ trom Mra, Ture, His reply was vague, troubled. “How will you manage alone’ “I'm not sure,” he said slowly. “It Mrs, Johne got up and loungs seemed to fade away, Tho white got the table. She wore a long satin ‘amaller—went to nothing, like a cloud negligee of some sort, draped with blown away in a gale. I flung the lace, It lay around her on the floor spike.” In gleaming lines of soft beauty. Her T accepted the story with outward reddish hair was low on her neck and belief and a mental reservation. But she held @ cigarette negligently in 1 did not relish the Idea of the spike her teeth. All the women smoked, Adams had thrown lying below on Mrs. Johns incessantly. deck, No more formidable weapon She laid one hand lightly on the hort of an axe could be devised, I revolver and filcked the ash from her as much. cigarette with the other. ‘I'm going down for it," I said; “If = “Ww, We decided,” she said inso- you're nervous, you'd better keep it tently, “that if the crew may estab- by you, But don't drop it on every- lish a dead-line so may we. Our thing that moves below. You almost @ead-line is the foot of the compan- got Burns.” fonway. One of us will be on watch I went down cautiously and struck eiways. I am an excellent shot,’ a match where Adams had indicated “1a, sot doubt it" T feced h the spike. It was not there. Nor 7 4.0% not doubt it. jared ‘her, had Burns picked it up. A aplintered am afraid you will suffer for air; board showed where it had struck otherwise, the arrangement in good. and @ emaller indentation where it You Feileve me of part of the re- had rebounded, but the marline spike sponsibility for your safety. Tom will 1 was gone and Burns had not seen it, Dring your food to the steps and We got a lantern and searched sys- leave it there. ward corner of the after house, look- tematically without result. Burne ane you ing over the rail, I thought that I turned to me a face ghastly in the “With good lek two weeks will had seen the Nghts of « ateamer. oll light, * see us ia port, and then'— . _ The rain had ceased, but the night “Somebody has it” be sald, “and (In port! You are taking us back?” was still very dark. 1 heard a wee On, my “Why not?’ of rapping from the after house and She picked up the revolver and ex- took a step toward it, listening, Jones there will be more murder! God, Leslie!" hen you went back after the amined it absently. en slanced heard it too, and called down to me alarm, did you count the men?” at me and shrugged her should nervously to see what was wrong. “No; Oleson said no one had come “How can we kno Perhaps thii I called up to him cautiously, to * forward. ey could not @ passed @ mutiny, and you are on your wi come down and take my place while I He bas the to some God ‘Tha forsaken island. it his seeing them, pone D and’ two” other the, usual ‘thing among pirates, tan’t investigated. I hougae it was Sin- franecie lantern ton. When Jones had taken up his lights. ition at the companionway 1 went "And @ came from the efter “I Rave no answer to that ure peward ge Ad on e x s § ty od hy oaifing conte and ae “ie ese” ae - . 2 Mex A MARY ROBERTS RIN He retreated before me, with his hands out and huddled apne the wall beside the window. match. torted and he held up his arm as it to ward off a blow. ‘ie lights in the forward house, and stared at him, amazed. Satisfied that IT was really Lesite, he had stooped and was fumbling under the window. held something out to me in the palm of his shaking hand. I eaw with sur- prise that it was @ tobacco pouch. hoarsely. the time I was pounding I , ing that if tt was still there, it wasn't true—l'd . sail. Action was brief, and the weather pouch was on the floor, I'd know. and grinning at me.” terror, he had yet, I was not so sure. “I was asleep, the frat time," he said, as. ing ‘that something was looking at me. was a thing at the window. looking in.” = “What sort of thing?” | “What I told you—white.”” “A white head?” faceless, had it stared In at the win- dow or reached through the bars, as Singleton declared it had done, and waved a fingerless hand at him? physical collapse, and begged @o staring etraight out, motionless. With the first light of dawn Burns lieved me, and I went forward with ingleton, and was asleep almost immediately. Then, inch by inch, I went over the deck footprints for any clue to what, under happier circumstances, Tshould f have considered a ghastly the deck was slippery and sodden, the rail drippin, id where the stretched a Burns's hung on it, absurdly enough, to dry. dignity of first mate, and trying to dress the part! Oleson and Adams made no attempt to work that day; indeed, Oleson was not able. breakfast for the after house was Placed on the companion steps by moved by Mra. Sloane, of either Elsa Lee or Mra. Johns. Huns was inclined to resent the dead. y line the women had drawn below, and we give up guarding the after house and let then handed enough, he ung d, if they were going to take it attitude, let Ht fat me"avee Wevallad aver” uke eal “Ed 4 COMPLETE NOVEL EACH WEEK IN THE — lory With a M That No Read where the jolly-boat rose to meet the fremb sea of the mornin, dhe col- it. Pal After that he made no com- ment. Singleton awakened before noon and ate hie first meal since the mur- dere He leoked better, and we had & long talk, I outside the window and he within. He held to hig story of to bribe me.” =. He could see Burns’ mitted, but the thing had close to the window. A found myself convinced my will, and that afternoon, alone, I made a second and more thorough examination of the forecaatie and the ¢: hold. In the former I found nothing. Having been closed for over twenty. four hours, it was stifiing and full of odors. The crew, abandoning |t io haste, had left it in disorder. | made & systematic searen, beginning for- room, print ow 1 “Mra, Bi filthy pictures under the same pillow; more than one bottle of whiskey; and~ even, where it had been dropped in the haste of flight, a bottle of cocaine, ‘The bottle set me to thinkin: oad byt ge board, we had, who was it The examination of the hold led to one curious and not eaally explained discovery. The Bila wes in gravel he ballast, and my search there was dif- ficult and nerve-racking. The creak ing of the girders and floor plates, name Wa} “Not that the groaning overhead of the trestie- = trees, and pnce an unexpected list ‘ ¢ that sent me careening, head first, galnst ballast tank, made my po- nition distinctly disagreeable. And above all the incidental noises of a eal same time.” hear it. I ear A ganken) down, and he came up, puzzle aa Ci pviny tilad ‘gp eat ad cracking aga! or ribs.” struck & “You didn’t notice it yesterday, 414 - your” Garr fg yerNo: but yesterday we were not Matening for noises.” The knocking was on the port side. We went forward together, and, lean- ing well out, looked over the rail. missing mariinespike was swinging there, banging against the hull with @ roll of the ship. It was fastened by @ rope lanyard to a large bolt below the rail, and fast- ened with what Burns called a Black- wall hitch—a sailor's knot. CHAPTER XVI. Jones Stumbles Over Some- thing. FIND, from my journal, that “For God's sake, open the door!” I unlocked it and threw it open. His face wi I lighted the lamp, for there were no When he straightened he “Well?” I demanded. “It was on the ledge,” he sald “I put it there myself. All ept say- If the Just fancied It. “Know what?" Several times during that Period we sighted vessels, all outward bound, and once we were “A man?” . —it hasn't got any face." ‘How could it grin at you if it But we were only a few days out by q, that time, and, after ati what could they do? He offered ‘o spare us a hand, if tt could be or:ranged: but, Adams having recovered ty that tim: we decided to got along px we were. A strange sight we must have p sented to the tidy little officer in his uniform and black tle; a haggard, unshaven lot of men, none too clean, all suffering from atrain and lack of sleep, with nerves ready to snap; a “T don't know how long ago it I woke up cold, with the feel- I raised up in bed and there It was . iw, whi! siese has it ataret . @o miscalled, with its sinister cargo. The Buenos Aires wer on, leaving us a bit cheered, pe but none the better off, except that ahe verified our bearings. The after house had taken no notice of the incident. None of the women had appeared, nor did He was in a atate of mental and peared at the companion for abreath doo of alr I was off duty and missed her. I thought it was by design, and I wan desperate for a aight of her. Mra, Johns came on deck once or twice while I was there, but she chose to ignore me, The stewardess, ver, was not @o partisan, and the day before we met the Buenos Ayres she spent a little time on deck, leaning against the rail and watch- ing me with alert black eyes. “What gre you going to do when you get to land, Mr, Captain Leslie?” she asked. “Are you going to put us all In prison?” “That's as may T evaded. She was a pretty little woman, plump and dark, and ehe alid her hand along the rail until it touched mine, Where- on I did the thing she was ex: ing, and put my fingers over h She flushed a little, and dim; “You aré human, aren't you?” she asked archly. “f am not afraid of He dropped into his bunk hoax. But for the duty, between the davi' jolly-boat had swung was line with a shirt of pute below, Poor Burns, promoted to the atop fered hi cigar. ling. As T had promised, the ) the cook, whence it was re- T saw nothing ‘o one ts, T am sure.” Silly! Why, thoy aro all afrata of you down there.” She jerked her head toward the after house. “They want to offer you something, but Rone of them will do it.” “Offer me something?” 18 ool R822 ee, tat ew ? they, were so wf themselves, do it, Wo were short- nulla “Why not? You need mone: And that's the one thii bave—money.” I began to understand he: “I nee,” I said slowly. She shrugged her shoulders. “Phat in a nasty word. They might wish to buy—a key or two that you it was what they wished to buy; the incriminating key to the etore- found on Turner’ access to the axe, with its on the handle. The stewardess saw my face hard- ‘and put her hand on my arm. am afraid of yo cried. “When you look like that!” I said, “I do not know that you were asked to do this But if you wore, say for me what I am willing Aa 4 for —T think not. “But—the other key?” “That is not in my keepin “I do not believe you!” “I am sorry,” I said short! ter of fact, Burns has ¢! By the look of triumph in her eyes I knew I had told wanted to know. She went below soon after, and [ warned Burns that would probably be approached in y. T am afraid,” I added, But—keop the little Sloane woman at a distance. She's quite capable of mesmerizing you with her eyes and dead. robbing you with her hands at the “I'd rather you'd cai “although I'm not afrat It's not likely, after”—— He did not finish, but he glanced 1 believe we had really cared rl. refused to take the key from him; I felt eure he could be trusted. on the early morning of Wednesday, the 12th. It wae Tuesday that Mra, Sloane and I had our little conversation on deck, and on Wednesday we came up with the day, therefore, tw days after the cargo steamer had lid over the edge of the ocean and left us, motionless, a painted ship upon t the incident hap- pened that completed the demoraliz- ation of the crew. For almost a week the lookouts had reported “All's well” in response to the striking of the ship's bell. Tho hyaterla, as Burns and I dubbed it, of the white figure had died away as the men's nerves grew leas irritated. Although we had found no absolute explanation of the marlinespike, an obvious one suggested itaeclf. The men, although giving up their weapons without protest, had grum- bled somewhat over being left with- out means of defense. It wae entirely Possible, wo agreed, that the mariin- apike hed been #0 disposed, as some seaman's resort in time of need. The cook, taking down the dinner on Friday evening, reported Mr. Tur- Buenos Aires, It was on Fri painted ea, thi ‘ck and spoke to me for the first tine in several daya. when she saw me, and no wonder. In ‘the frenzied caution of the day efter the crimes, I had flung every ragor overboard, and the remit was an villainous a set of men aa I have ever “Have you been ill again?” she asked, T put my hand to my chin. Fivery one on itt “That ia up to the police. ‘They will probably not hold the women. will be roleased, I imagine, on your own recognizance.” “and—Mr. Turner?’ “Ho will have to take his luck with But I could not allow this, and I tried to explain my reasons, crew were quartered there, for one; for the other, whether they were will- ing to take the risk or not, | would not open it without placing a guard there, and we had no one to spare I suggested that use the part of the deck reserved for them, where !t was fairly cool under the awning: and, after a dis- Turner, very weak, came up the few wiy, but refused my prof- . A little Inter, he called me from the rail and offered me a ‘The change in him was etart- We took advantage of their being on deck to open the windows and air Hut all were secure- barred before the after house, ly locked and went below again, time they had all been on deck to- gether since the night of the 11th, It was a different crowd of people that sat there, looking over the sail and speaking in monosyllables; no bridge, no glasses clinking with Ica, no elaborate toilets and carefully dressed hair, ro flash of jewels, no pr laughter following one of poor O 4s 0 thew weat below, but not until I had nd after 10 Mra, again, She did dropped yawned, stretch saw that she h: the night before, but was atill vague carry,” loose nogligees she affected for un- pected: fo just how the thing looked. "Of — “The storeroom key, of course. But dress, and her ane Were bare excent Tell slong. ‘Saline crate at foube. twee the aprctro of either “BEY eas around atone, AL Giant! bells Burne oretve ‘ : , er 0 around—we were At eight bells (midnight) “ Woman Geenee one wiegencluded the A ilght breexe filled ‘the walla and took my place. Charlie Jonew wen at pect noon Na ere tal De getting a Woman, Gecatise she was shorter. As ficked the end of @ scarf she wore the wheel and McNamara in the 2 1 stood outside he srecweres on me against my face. crow’s-nest. Mra, Johns was dosing » the approximate height of the + oy The Key to the captain's cabin,” in her chair, The yacht was maki leas rition—somewhere about fi feet she said, very low. perhaps four knots, and, far behind, boat ahowed floor, and telitale relieve Burne, refreshed. The we dripping, Jones, touched me on “Go back to ward and working back. I prodded myself; I shall tell wi know, kindly. the jolly-boat, and we low- He. wasea ie ak oe in and under bunks, and moved the and there is not money enough in the ered it into the water. The ‘mat: just my foolishness, Leslie,” 3 2 be atl bun b Hb yA Lately phe lt ent m Bop? 4 cece ’ poastbt1! if 4 had con- “i “ 4 ae swung, to the jo! + straight. The right man is going to sleep you p vinced rid yeaa beieee Hi was pro pg 3H hom gag ae ges at with every swell. Much curious sal- pe punished, and the key to the store- But done. If it. is ‘you °° vage I found under mattresses and room to the potice the better. We arranged to tow the harm don "eabamed, boy. “The & Raert beneath bunks; a rosary and @ dozen and to no one clas” as I had. Ir stove. “Ag It wus still di been out, came ir what she jurne lay thet CHAP tt," he waid, of the lady. YX firat } after Jolly-bo Poor Perhapa I was his heart, whic! been committed Dut regularly, on the foltowing on the faise pro got Mian without telling pened. I mad On deck the around Burn: been popular. the h few 4 about and partly dressed, ‘i within communicating distance of a MCF up an ah obliterating the humillating memory room, breathing heavily, ‘Delirium? wind came up it rode beltind us like a ‘ " T demanded tm- ‘The heat wan frightful, All day we > bi Adams's nerve was completely “Very marked. He hay talked of a live thing. PAentiy,” “Pun yourself. together steam cargo boat on her way to Ven- had hada followin teoze. fend ithad "we" carried tha tuares. aes Bineacon’ reason [ras stronger, q4zone, and, being now thoroughly hits REVS. HAUROY make it out. Our distress signal hung sodden, and tell me what you saw.” ezuela. She lay to and sent her first Rinne emanice Lnpireieon pond and with much implements as I had Fs Jt Paes] \awakey E joined him in the crow's It seome Me tiwer—Mr. Vail too wet to give more than a dejected It was some timo before he could mate over to see what could be done, !: iy ged paying little ot I cleaned and dressed the wound. It Like Turner, he w: fH pest. Nothing could convince him | She had not opened the door, but pesponse torte wind that tugged at tell a connected story, and, when he ie was a slim little nan with dark ve, eh, oar T needod sewing, and It geemed beat to he was drinkin. cad ugly only Peapec ne Lad been the viction of'@ ner. Siok, nervously twisting ner Anwers, te Late In the eterhoen me sighted did, I was inclined to suspect that | ; ail mustache above a nothing, domed under t canvass do it before he recafhed conscious. net nyee enough lan, ond, there vous hallucination, He stuck to bis bah Ae idea had no effect?’ 4 large steamer, and when, as dark- he ‘had heard us talking the pigs hee a ute a frog, iad bop ing > Pree ee She epee, peat, Jones and Aduins wont below revive poor Burns. “ie spent he atory firmly. oe fess came on, she showed no indica- before, had heard Adams's deacrip- 5 foot to the forecuatie, therefore, and see Hb Was on foreastionneed Grats | .HUe HURGOSG, DeIIOMRIY Of the) Teer oe che nTIne ee irae, alone: hatorey had BAare AGaais forscaatle; lence Yo my story, and shuddered simmering heat waver, “and the jrougry ‘ru amputating wat, pure that he intended Sieg’ aited he Aainitained, 1 saw it gleaming. moment. . and I sent up a rocket and blew the head, and that ivleapdy le a Ss when I showed him the jolly boat. ere Toy avlieh Wine Lae came ion which contained, bealdes its knives, his fortun nd I believe he con silk, @till in I opened th knives, the which were in She started maker, to thre: could see to clip and working di id needien to k old case yielded You attempting an fully not to be left that at last I told ecco. tia Neat Of Ue and the instruments put out of sight. ‘The cook was a shrewd mulatto, him I would take him with me, on ‘hey make any inautry of the cook the rest of us” questions, but — His condition was Kod. ‘The men and he iet\ Singleton mule. te atest his promise to remain in @ chair until that night, As entirely as possible, switched at once to what brought carried him to the tent, where Jones It waa after ten that morning when dawn, and to go back without demur, G10) MEO Oe that had pared’ they heron deck. Bat eaide him. and the other men he brought it to me. t wus trying to He wat near me, amidships, huddled fay'} ope Wann vaives. “The eabin is unbearable," she stood outside, wy nnd watchful, get the details of hia inyury. trom down among the cushions of one of Turner was better, I imagined; but sald. “We are willing to take the looking on Hurms, at the time, in the tent. the wicker chairs, not sleeping, but 1.0 "few times when Elsa’ Lee ap- of opening the after companion The operating case, with its knives, didn't see or came tn for its share my hands. Pe ity, and 1 Girl was there. Cy 1 eaid. plaining, but 1 cane belonged to greed to this, member of the crew, I had th from & to 12 that night, and at half into @ steamer chair and the light of the companion lantern the mmall, white light of where she rode. I slept heavily, and at eight belts I Tolled off my blanket and prepared to and, leaning far out, poured it over my head and shouklers. As I turned, “We need you, and we're goin’ to need you moro when we get ashore. You've been talkin’ in your T was wide awake by that time, and he had had as little sicep forward together, Jonen t. which stood all night on the galley in the less than four weeks we had the port forwar: Jones stumbled over something, and gave a sharp exclamation. The ext moment he was on bis knees, injured lighting a match, ectous, and bleeding profusely from a cut on the back of his head—but aot hy The Axe Is Gone. had been fond of Burns, Was working over him, mut- tering to himself., I felt he was not dying, ran down into the after house. The cabin was empty; evidently the guard around the pearl- th handled revolver had been given up heat was suffocatin, Tran to Misa Leo's door and tried It was locked, She came a moment later, and I asked her to call into each cabin to I ordered & rigid eeargh fee It overy one was wat s * which I have forgotten, she evidently did not believe it. faces among them, and mutterings of hatred and revenge; for Burns had beget them all. t pitch, bad even abed a jame-faced tears, some curved needi ood condition, long surgi tering and amazed, I did not know also waa watching until, having re- quested Jones, who had been a a@nil- trembling hands refused their duty, bandage. Hy the tin ment or two the operation was over I felt that an explanation was due the even remember being hit. I feit there men. To tell the t h, I had for- was some one behind me, Tho gotten all about the case, Perhaps Fa ‘That 'wee Swaggered a bit as T went over to "Tues you looking at my case, boys," “Perhaps I'm a little late ex- you've seen you'll quietly located Johns came on deck jot peak to me, but gai fo. I'm @ cub doctor mayeelt. bean sick, aad T needed the eon and They were not so impressed ag I ‘ing out her arma. Le] ad put on one of the {ne Jolly- wish—pat, if you do, tahe Reedice and the cy as a alk; we may need . There wa bon nd re. ergum emon mee. 1 waa stiff, weary, un- al? wan very atill and relieved of the wheel, the arm, sleep, boy,” he raid jumb scared me.” ‘etused, and we went 10 got coffee, lark. The dawn, even perceptibly later. At corner of the after “It ten't ¢here at all,” ' T ran into the tent, where having exhausted.the Tesonteee 2 man’s clothing, was Among tho blankets ‘There was no key. re on his face, uncon- TER XVII. pemeient ws Yor “ thought was of the house. Jones, who me. fan't it possible,” knowing ntere the Dy hen one wisi to get it, and ‘80’ indicated the tent and I know then. How and stupid! meaning, too, ‘ly forward, t ‘h was beating slowly and, convinced that mise of peace, All the ing, however, and the a but almost in- from inside: Can you come but the axe was . ever found, It bed taken ita Bice story 0, ee the ere many crimes have been are slime of the seasbotion, eis: t mem than the afc ns, & complete revolution the earlier crimes, and TWO things influenced my change of mental attitude, The attack Burns was one. I did not believe that d q oul i y Lee for my anxiety her what had hap- some sort of excuse, copt that men were gathored There were ominous the beat-liked =man Jones, wrought to Turner had strength ¢ and was and surgical trived, finally, a clever evo foolery. He was anxious to talk ash complained bitterly of loneliness, Using every excuse to hold Tom, the cook, when he carried him his meal © inorning of Bi visited Singleton, n™® Malury E The new outrage, coming at a time when they were slowly reco: confidence, had turned the men surly. k was a ringtesder of the Certain case, and before the a0 before the scalpel they fell back, mut- that Elma Lee ad the needles, his the bleeding vessels, leftly with the silk eep me aupplied. My also @ roll or #o of Burns was rdinate move door, ho that he could cer w wanted from it. ‘The cou wi an impression of the lock fe axe change, Tom was to fetch hi 4 hiding place which Singleto nated in the forward . of whiskey, ia igi ine hear anything, of scrutiny,and Lesite,” Burna said feebly. “I don't ‘There had been nothing sus: Hier Inthe night?” Suspicious He lay thinking, He was atill some- what confused. “No--I think not, Or—yes, [ thought once I saw some one stand- ing by the mainmast—bebind it, It wasn't.” (To Be Continued.) It was my firat op- was young and the Ruess after what understand. ‘Tho my grandfather, who PAR they It was the first Monda I CT Rb = ROT & CO. Harold McGrath ‘LL BEGIN IN NEXT=S "s Evening The tale of a self- exiled American's strange adventures on lhe other side of |