Show in the best sea 0 nt ira an d story of the war that has by randah Manc Sall parrish in deen written copyright A C mcclurg C co r CHAPTER continued 14 you showed forged papers aye that was waa easy enough you never supposed I 1 was such a tool fool ns as to overlook that did you wo we are front from st johns to liverpool with wath a miscellaneous cargo tho the follow fellow swallowed my yarn BS as though it was waa sugar candy and the best ot of it is that la Is the only war vessel patrolling these waters we have ft a cinch not without me I 1 answered calmly after a pause in which my mind gripped the situation the telltale compass shows you are three points oft off your course now ill talk with you mccann but if I 1 continue to this ship it will be at my own terms and either cither give mo me what I 1 ask or well fight it out here and now what are your terms I 1 took ume time to think determined to demand every concession I 1 dared ask assured that I 1 held the winning hand well I 1 said finally anally this const coast t tf the west of us la Is no joke at tiny any season idason of the year and there are sen currents along here to fool any sea roan mail you con can take the chances it if you want to but it la Is my belief you fools will have tills this ship on the rocks within twenty four hours it you trust in blind reckoning D it sung out liverpool hoarsely wo we dont need no sermon on the dangers ot of the deep stow the gaft an tell us what yer want 11 1 I will I 1 snapped back the freedom of the ship tor for both myself and miss carrington our meals are arc to be served privately and the lady la is not to be addressed by any one of at you my bly bawd exclaimed a muffled voice you dont want much I 1 who are you the czar ot of russia Ilus sla 1 I am the rightful captain ot of this s ship I 1 returned stiffly and the only man on board capable of navigating her you can accept my terms or leave them and those are arc not alt mccann I 1 am talking to you not that sea scum all right go ahead what else 1 I am to retain this revolver tor for protection end and tho the key to my stateroom miss carrington Is also to retain tain her key when you men desert which I 1 know you plan to do ithe tho indian chief la Is to be left in seaworthy condition thata all enough I 1 should think you yon must consider your services indispensable however I 1 accept the terms providing you agree to do what ye we ask to in return that I 1 navigate thle the ship to within fifty miles of st SL johns notify you when we wa reach that point and give you correct sailing directions that Is what we want good I 1 accept take your men out of the cabin I 1 stood motionless still gripping the revolver vcr in one hand band listening Haten fing to catch every sound the other side of the closed door there was a muttered discussion the words mostly inaudible although I 1 heard enough to convince we me that mcclinn mccann was urging acceptance of my conditions on the ground that it would bo be impossible for me alone and under surveillance to add to their danger some words were added in it so BO low a tone as aa to tall fail to reach my illy car but whatever they were they evoked a laugh and seemed to restore tho the dissatisfied to better humor liverpool took sides with mccann in the dispute and the two unit ea cd must have pre prevailed for the men finally dispersed and we could hear bear their heavy sea boots boota tramping up the stairs believed of the strain I 1 turned to meet the questioning eyes cye ot of the girl that that was waa better than acht fighting it she asked almost anxiously yes I 1 lost my head for the moment ni nt and could only think of reaching deck and shouting an alarm to the cruiser it was too late for that yes we inov it was now and 1 probably I 1 would never have reached there alive I 1 am very thankful to you to me I 1 iier her lips smiled although iier her eyes remained grave why I 1 merely opened a door besides even that act was supremely selfish 1 I cannot conceive how you do not yet surely you can realize what it would menn mean to mo me to lie be left alone on board with with etli fergus mccann I 1 do so BO despise the creature that I 1 shrink from f roni even look ing into his eyes it it wa ana to avold avoid meeting him again that I 1 locked tho the door ile he talked with you then yes at the table we were wone for a moment and it was Ms his manner which frightened me rather than any words said I 1 left the table without speaking lie ho he followed me however and ant tried tiled my stateroom door saying nothing if no it was locked and tin dond and he be laughed and went away 1 I suspect the man la Is almost ns as rauch much afraid of of you yoa as you are of mm I 1 said bald quietly and la is puzzled what to oo co with you vl v l of me why well if 1 you were not aboard tits ills problem would be ba a much easier one to solve the arvest ot of nono none of the rest of us would mould weigh much in tho the calculation and you think my life does undoubtedly mccann Is a villain i by nature ho he was born with criminal instincts which have no wise been changed by the possession of 0 wealth hut but he Is fully awake to the peril of tits his position tho the fellow Is a n coward back of nil all his fits bluff and I 1 do not think his criminal instincts are bloodthirsty hut but he has drifted luto into a desperate situation from which he must extricate himself at any cost you mean oll oh not thail 1 I mean there la Is but one suro sure solution dead men tell dellno 1110 tales CHAPTER A plan to t save ourselves she stood with bands clasped and parted lips her eyes vide open with unconcealed horror for the moment unable to utter a word you you actually think that mr you mean he would be willing to tv top murder all on board to protect himself 7 it if assured such on an act would bring safety I 1 do not believe he would hesitate at even that crime to be perfectly plain miss vera it la Is my judg Ment that your presence on board presents the only problem lern unsolved my presence I 1 why he his has no cause to fear me no one knows where I 1 am it if I 1 never appeared alive again not a soul could ever account tor for my disappearance true and probably mccann Is fully aware of these conditions but he wishes you yon alive not dead that Is what makes the problem she bhe crossed the narrow sp space a ce of deck and Ir grasped rasped my illy coat in her un fla gers oh I 1 this la Is too ter terrible riblet I 1 ile hehe he cannot imagine it possible and why not I 1 interrupted iio he Is all powerful on board ile he judges the virtue of 0 others by his own standard ile he dreams that you yon might even make that bargain to preserve life that I 1 would marry him halml marriage would seat seal your lips would win him safety end and also your subjugation and wealth it Is a stake worth playing for surely and the others what would bo be the fate ate of you and the others it if I 1 made that hateful bargain in no way different I 1 imagine from what it will be it if you refuse I 1 said soberly and my hand closed on hers mccann has no intention that we shall ever put foot on shore share he would bo be a tool foot to permit such snell a thing you think it all planned out lu in detoll detail mccann mcclun liverpool and white know exactly what they intend doina their questioning of 0 me and their scrutiny ot of the chart convinces me of this I 1 even believe now I 1 could name the other men of the crew who will be in their boat when they abandon ship dugan dubols dubois sacks sachs and the negro watson with perhaps two others I 1 nin am not so sure of why miss vera you heard I 1 was compelled to assent to a moment ago 1 I RM nm to pilot the indian chief to within fifty miles of the harbor ot of st johns timing our arrival at that point to some hour of the night I 1 am to give mccann notice ot of k kur ur arrival there and furnish him with exact sailing directions to completo complete the course tills this means that the crew expect to abandon the ship there and take to the boats there aro are enough remaining in good condition and just enough to carry themi them all hut but tho the indian chief will be left with none to rescue those of us who are left on bo board ard rd lu in case of accident to the vessel and you anticipate accident 1 I believe the ship will bo be deserted in an undean orthy condition either cither with her bottom pierced ced or tier bir sea cocks open 5 and that those of us left aboard wll will be so confined as to lo be practically helpless to save we the vessel from going down and the men in the boats will ket get ashore scatter and never be heard front from again no one will ivill ever learn what became of the indian chief or that we were aboard the french cruiser will report having spoken us at sea that will be the last word the truth will wil I 1 never never be made clear our fate wit will bo ba another sea mystery never explained some of the crew might talk later in liquor there la Is always that danger and mccann Is farsighted enough to guard against it as far as possible the boats will easily become separated in the darkness if tho the others are ever picked up it will bo be accidentally by some ship at sea sealand and there are almost no nn ships in this ocean there are few flaws la in tho the plan as I 1 have figured out she sha did not answer ber berreyes he reyes leyes on my face tier her expression exhibiting the horror she felt at this vivid picture which I 1 had bad drawn then she slowly gently withdrew her hand from my grasp graep sinking into a chair her head bent forward you you really bellevo believe they actually plan to do nil all this sho she asked at last and what what about roe me you suggested that that marriage might save me from tills this fate do you think so ill III of mo me as aa to imagine I 1 would ever consent to such auch a bargain what I 1 nitty may imagine has nothing to to do with the case miss vera my thought and that of fergus mccann Is not liable to be the same on tiny any subject the only hope lie ho can have of ever winning you la 19 through threat lie ile possesses power and can assail you with deadly peril it Is my illy belief that lie contemplates doing so BO that he will offer me choice of marriage with him or death yes it will not be put in just so BO brutal a form tor for the fellow has R n certain polish over his villainy but it will mean that loan me the revolver tor for what purpose to kill the brute it if ever lie dares such BUCU a proposal mr hollis I 1 would die before I 1 would ever permit his touch I 1 marry him to save eave my rife I 1 why I 1 am so ashamed I 1 cannot look 1001 you in the face cannot even find words to express my illy detestation of such a suspicion I 1 stepped forward and roy my hand gently rested on the bowed shoulder my dear girl I 1 said earnestly 1001 look at me and believe roy my words lift your eyes ayea I 1 want you to read the truth in roy my heart it Is not your life alone it is ulna mine also a and nd the lives of nearly nil all the others aboard which are at stake for the sake of us its all I 1 am going to ask of you a sacrifice 11 there had bad been rt mist of tears in the uplifted eyes but us I 1 paused this had vanished A sacrifice she stammered that imarri I 1 marry that pan mail god ad forbid I 1 no but that you yon en courage him to think it possible oh I 1 could not 1 I could nott not I 1 do not ask that or of me but listen I 1 urged eagerly forgetful ful of nil all else la in the earnestness of my plea pica avem vcra listen before you make decision thu the only possible hope iles hea in the alie fre freedom edorn of one of us ua aboard I 1 can so juggle figures na as to keep the ship safely at sea for fat another day and night but no longer someone must be irce free to act and plan I 1 cannot nor tiny any of those moil men confined amidships by winning mccanns confidence by seeming to yield to his desires you will be allowed freedom on board you can demand it na as the file price of your surrender all else must depend on your iv omans wit but but could I 1 convince the man of my sincerity I 1 I 1 detest him so he will want to be convinced your mere consent will satisfy him you must not look at this from your standpoint lie he Is conceited and cowardly to save his own life he would bo be guilty ot of any treacherous act he will judge you by hla his standards there will be no necessity for any pretense at love you need not even permit him to touch you merely allow him to belleve believe that tear fear makes you an unwilling victim you you yon actually wish me to do this his ploy play tills this hideous part only because ot of our desperate situation we must light fight with tho the only weapon at band there Is no other 01 ell J 1 I could not do not ask ak that of me M 0 00 course open the one thing I 1 have in mind Is someone on hoard board free to release the prisoners immediately after the boats leave in time to enable ne to prevent the ships going down but but mr hollis would would he not insist upon my going with lui in the boat I 1 walked twice across the narrow space of the deck conscious that her questioning eyes followed roe me yes I 1 admitted pausing to study her face you might even be obliged to do you must front this possibility lity although the necessity way may be avoided dut but McCa mccanns Mc Canos nils boat will make st bt johns ho he daro dare not resort to J force once you are ashore I 1 do not count that a serious danger only he must not suspect your purpose until too late to prevent his interfering with your action nor will you be unsafe with him in tho the open boat for the two of you will not be ba alone your greatest peril will bo be while aboard this ship elila and completely in mccanns power the open boat will not be long at sea scar not to exceed a few hours probably liverpool and white tire seamen enough to see sea that it la Is equipped with it sall sail and it if tho the wind bo be favorable they will make inako land quickly hut but there Is even it a chance that you need not take this risk what chancel tho the full measure of her emotions flailing finding evidence in tier ber voice it leaford or cr olson could be secretly released or even if you could be assured that I 1 was free to attain the tha deck at the proper moment and thus thua able to release these cheso others wo we might best play a bold rome game by urging somo some excuse you could delay leaving the ship until after all U the muti nears were over the side bide and in the bouts boats might remain on with you but lie he would be only one man mait to handle once wo we had control contra of the ship wo we could defend tho the decks deck and prevent those ruf ruffling flang from returning on board at least until they surrendered nil all arms and agreed to an such ell terms its as we offered ott ered that that would be a roost most despo rate expedient she sold said dejectedly its success doubtful you would bo be terribly outnumbered and without weapons 1 I do not see sea it so outnumbered yes yea but with every advantage ot of position those fellows could not clamber up the side unless it lie be one at a time besides tho the major part of tho the crew are arc doubtless mutineers muti against ag ainest their will und would be glad enough to return to td duty it prom leed protection I 1 doubt it 1 there be three revolvers on board I 1 have one of these and mccann carries another really the plan looks feasible to me inc ashe urne and crossed over to the open port gazing agn zang out in silence across ahe waste of waters the wind lifting strands of her ruffled hair she remained there motionless so long I 1 became impatient have you no answer to make I 1 questioned nt at last you think the scheme impracticable I 1 no it Is riot not that hut but without changing posture or glancing about and I 1 felt thero there was a deadness in her voice |