Show black OX by E PHILLIPS 5 novelized from the picture drama of the fame same name produced by tha Uni universal film manufacturing company copyright 18 19 1 11 if ott otis ir wood TENTH installment 4 CHAPTER THE SHIP OP OF HORROR quest leaned a little forward and gazed down the line of steamer chabre the professor in a borrowed overcoat and cap was reclining at t full length studying etu dying a book on seagulls which he had round found in the library laura ant an t lenara were both doling dozing tranquilly air harria harris of scotland yard was deep in a of 0 detective stories orlee et As an ft a pleasure cruise quest remarked t grimly eri roly thia this little excursion seems to be a complete success t laura opened her eyes at once trying to get my goat again ch ehl bhe she retorted 1 I suppose thava what youre after going to tell me I 1 suppose that it craig I 1 paw raw aboard this steamer ate asner if excuse me inc laying saying go miss laura haraf ventured leaning deferentially corar i her there a passenger on oa board this hip ship or a eel Iser rant vaut or oua of the crew whom we seen weve been into every stateroom and weve even searched ithe ahe hold weve been over the ship backwards and forwards the captains own steward has been our guide and weve conducted an extra search on our own account rf personally I 1 emust buet say I 1 bare bays corn como to the same conclusion as mr quest at the present moment there is no such person as a the man wo we are looking for on board thia this steamer then he lie either changed into another one laura laum declared obstinately or else he jumped overboard come on harri harris you and I 1 prom teed food t W report to the captain this por morning nIng I 1 dont hell be any too pleased with us up lete levs get through with ith it the two two men walked down the deck together the I captain alone jalone Is ja hia his mm with a chart spread bout in n front of him and a pair of corn com passes passee la to hie his hand he lie turned round and greeted them wellar no luck sir air quest announced your steward haa has given us every assistance si stance possible and we have searched the ship thoroughly unless he be has found fount a place in n kiowa to your steward slaward and not alft ent to us the man Is a not on board the captain frowned lightly slightly brown said sald the cap capiali capt aLj tALi turning taming to tho the steward 1 I understand that yo say may that you have taken these gentlemen into every corner comer of the ship that you have ransacked every possible hiding biding place that you have given them every possible opportunity of searching fo that is quite true sir athe the man acknowledged N you with me that it la Is im possible for anyone to remain bidden hidden in this shiar Absolu absolutely tel r air you hear gentlemen the captain 1 I really can do no more what the mischief are you banging about for brownt hea ho eked asked turning to the toward steward who was standing by fittra with a carpet sweeper in his hand room wants cleaning out badly sir air the captain glanced distastefully at the carpet sweeper 11 1 1 do it when I 1 am at dinner then be he ordered and take that damned thing away the steward obeyed promptly quest and harria harris followed him down the deck queer looking fellow that the latter remarked Doe ant seem quite at his daxe does be seemed P trifle I 1 thought when he was showing ua us round abe the ship quest agreed the captain cap Cain who waa was down to dinner unusually early rose to welco welcome rhe quests little party and himself arranged the tho seats they settled down into the places arranged for thom them an elderly lady dressed in somewhat oppressive black with a big cameo brooch at her throat and a black satin bag in a her hand was wab being shown by the steward to a seat by quests side sho she acknowledged the captains greeting acidly good evening captain she be said 1 I understood from the second ate steward rard that the seat on your right hand wo jd id be reserved reec for cae 1 am mrs foa fos ton too rowe jf the captain received the announcement ito nt calmly very vory pleased to have you at the table madam he replied As to the seating I 1 leave that entirely to the steward I 1 never interfere myself laura pinched his arm and lenora glanced away avay to hide tilde a emile smile mr booton rowe studied the menu digap ilore doeu she declared 1 I never touch tonch no one know known how long tholie e a een opened bouillon I 1 will have some bouillon steward in one motu moment ent madam tin tho professor came ambling along towards the table 1 I fear that I 1 am a few moments la IM 64 be he remark remarked sid an he took the chir next to ulak folton rowe I 1 ter for you my apologies captain cupta ln I 1 con you upon your library I 1 have discovered a moet moat interesting book upon the habit habits of seagulls it kept me engrossed until the very last lat la t moment and I 1 am hungry well you 11 have to stay star hungry a long time at this table then mrs fos ton tom rowe rows napped snapped 0 me that the service Is going to be aaman a omin able the steward who had just arrived presented a cup of bouillon to bujol the others had bad all been served quest burred it thoughtfully and aa as to the custom mrs foston rowe continued of serving gentlemen before ladles it Is I 1 oae peculiar pecullar to thi this tc er quest hastily laid down mot M spoon raised the cup of lot bouillon and presented it with a little bow to bis his neigh bor pray allow me madam he be begged the ate steward ard was to blame mrs foston rowe did not hesitate for a moment she broke up some toast toas t in the bouillon and commenced to sip elp it the spoon suddenly went from fromi her ainge i she caught at the sides alder of the table there was a strange look in her face with scarcely a murmur she fell back in her seat leaned hurriedly forward there was a slight blight commotion the doctor came hurrying up from the other side of the saloon he bent over her and his face grew grave grays what Is it the captain demanded the doctor glanced at him she had better be carried out he whispered whis wa was it a fainar faint lenor lenora asked we shall know directly the captain replied better keep your places I 1 think steward serve the dinner as an usual 4 the man held out hie his hand to withdraw the cup of bouillon but quest brer it toward toWar dir him let it wait for a moment he ordered lie glanced at the captain who nodded back in a few moments the doctor reappeared he ile leaned down and whispered to the captain dead I 1 quest turned tamea around doctor be he said 1 I happen to have bays W chest with me and some ome special testing tubes if it you li allow flow me id like to examine this cup of bouillon you might come round too it if you will the captain nodded id better stay here for A time he decided ill follow you presently the service of dinner wae was resumed laura however hoever sent plate after plate away the captain watched her acx ax foully 1 I cant help it she explained 1 I dont know whether youve had any talk with mr quest but weve been through some queer time lately I 1 guess this death ie in get getting ang on my nerves the captain was startled you dont for a moment connect mrs foston rowes death with the criminal you are in search of he exclaim laura sat bat quite still for a moment the bouillon was offered first to mr quest she murmured t the thee captain called his steward where did you get the bouillon from you served that laet list cup especially ci ally be he asked from the pantry just a as usual sir the man answered it was all served out from the same caldron any chance of anyone getting at it quite impossible sir air in stateroom the doctor dictor the prota professor so quest and lenora lenom were all gathered around two little tubes which the criminologist was exam examining n with an electric torch no re reaction acton it lt all the latter muttered an ordinary poison polson anyway tho the professor who bad been stand ing on one bide side suddenly gave vent to a soft exclamation walt he whispered hilti I 1 have an idea he ile hurried off to his ills stateroom the doctor was poring over a volume of tabulated poisons quest que st was w still watching his tubes learra sat upon tho th couch suddenly the proffesor reappeared he ile was carrying v amah notebook in his band hand bl his manner man n er betrayed some excitement he lie closed the door carefully behind him 1 I want you all he begged to listen very carefully to n YOU on will W discover tbs application of what bat I 1 am going to read when I 1 am finished now it you pleas please this he began 1 I is the diary of a toja made by cragg and myself in northern egypt fau fourteen arteen years ago here is the first entry of im port part i MONDAY twenty itne miles sout southeast healt of port bald said we havo stayed tor for two of day days at a little vilh age I 1 ha be 0 today come to the definite that anthropoid ape apes were at one time dent zens of thie this country TUESDAY noth both craig and I 1 have been it little uneasy today these cef os into whose we have found our way are one of the strange tranget tran gMt at and fiercest of the tribe tribes they are descended deece oded without a doubt from the ancient mongolian who invaded this coun try ome some seven hundred year years before carlst but have preserved in a way their individuality as a a race WEDNESDAY this hm has been a won darful day for us chiefly owing to what I 1 emust place on record aa as an act ot of great bravery by craig ray servant eer vant early this th mom morning inc a it mane man eating atin lion found hia his way into nto the encampment tt we a Nion gars behaved beha v ed like arrant cowards they fled right and left leaving fe f e chief little daughter feerra at the brute brutes mercy craig who la in by no an adept in n tre tm of firearm firearms chafed the animal as a he waa was making off with the child and more ore by good luck tan than anything else managed to und it mortally he brought the child back to the encampment bist aa as the chief and the warrior warriors of the th tribe returned from a hunting ex tim our position here Is I 1 now abao cutely secure we ire re treated like god coda an and d appreciating roy my weakness wt for ali all matters of science the chief haa his today explained to me many of the th ecret secret mysteries of the tribe amongst other thing things he haa has shown me a wonderful secret polon on known only to thie this tribe which they call it brings almost instant death and la Is exceedingly difficult to trace the addition of augar ar balses a curious condensation and resolve resolves it almost to a white pasts the only antidote la to a sub tance stance which they use here freely and which la Is exactly to our camphor the professor eeor cload his hi book quest promptly rang tang the bell some augar sugar he ordered turning to the toward steward a they waited in absolute silence the suggestion which the profess professors oes disclosure had brought to them waa was stupefying even quest quests fingers finger as a moment or two later he rubbed two knoba knobs of sugar together so that the contents cou tenta should fall into the tubes of bouillon shook the result was magical the bouillon turned to a strange shade of gray cray and began slowly to thicken it Is poison polso nl the professor cried with breaking voice 1 they all looked at one another craig must be here amongst us quest muttered and the bouillon laura cried clasping quests arm the bouillon was meant for youl you I 1 there seemed to be somehow among all of them a curious indisposition to discuss this matter suddenly lenora who was sitting on the lor lounge uge underneath the porthole rut out her hand and picked up a card which h was lying by his side aide she glanced at it at first curiously then the she shrieked A messaged mes sagel agel she cried A ass mss 1 I sage from the hands handal 1 look they crowded around her in that same familiar handwriting was scrawled across the face of the card these few words to sanford quest you have escaped this time by a chance of fortune not bebau because your wita wits are keen not because of your own shrewdness simply because fate willed it it it will not be for ion long 9 underneath waa was the drawing of the clenched hands there Is no longer any doubt L lenora enora eald said calmly craig Is on board he ile must have been on deck a few minutes ago it was bis his band hand which placed this card on the porthole listen 1 t that hat there was a scream from the deck they all recognized lauras voice harris was out of the stateroom first but bat they were all on deck within ten seconds laura aa um was standing with one hand clasping the rail mil her ha hand lid fiercely outstretched towards the low er part of the promenade deck through the darkness dar knes they heard the bolind ol 01 angry voices ahik what Is it laur laura lenora cried she swung round upon them craig Cral gC she cried I 1 saw bis his face as an I 1 eat sat in my chair there talking to the captain I 1 saw aw a mans white face nothing else he lie must have been leaning over the rall he ile heard me call out and he digap 1 feared the captain came camj slowly out of the shadows limping a little and fol lowed by his steward who was mur profuse apol dd you find him L hura tura demand ed ta gerly 1 I did not tho th cutha replied a I 1 little ittle tersely 1 I ran alno brown here and we both had e r shake up but he was therea there a anc agot laura cried out 0 1 I beg your pardon miss drown ventured but the decks docks closed the end and as you cas see with at cloth and 1 I wa waa a leaning loaning over the th rail rall myself when you shrieked there ther wasl t anyone clue near me and one can possibly gitya no pasted ro unit the deck as you can bee se a your self quest u mt hid bad disappeared mine seconds ago ile e came thoughtfully back little later e I 1 captain te he aked asked what bat ball shall doaa you say y it I 1 tell you yo u that I 1 have proof that craig Is on board the captain glanced at baura laura and rest r boned himself I 1 should probably say a great many things which I 1 should regret after wards a he replied grimly sit down and well tell you what has happened in my room quest con linued ile told the story calmly aly and with b out remark the captain held bis his bead the he ship hall shall be searched earch ede the captain declared once more MOM wet well look into very every crack and every cup board bo 4 lenora grasped the rails ot of the leaner steamer end glanced downa down dows a ads rd at the great barge full ot of arab sailor tailors and merchandise 1 in the acar back ground were the docks ot of port said 1 I cant tell you how happy I 1 an am she he declared to quest to think that thia this voyage ie Is over every night I 1 have gone to bed terrified ter rifled he lie smiled grimly coming on shore any ot of you fiarris inquired wo may when the boat moves up quest replied the protea eor went ent off on the first barge here be he I 1 is coming back A little boat had lad shot out from the dock docks manned by a couple ot of arab arabs they could see the professor seated in the stem he ile was poring over a email small document which he held in hl his hand he lie waved to them excitedly hes got quest muttered he ile came glit to quest and len ora era and gripped the former by the arm am look I 1 he cried look he held out ft a card quest read it aloud there la in net not one amongst you with the wit of at a child thild good byl the handal hand where did you get quest demanded the point the whole point the professor exclaimed excitedly hes iles don done ual he hes landed that paper wai win pushed into my hand by a tall arab rho who mumbled and hurried off across the docks on tho th landing stage mind mindl the captain came and put bl his head out 0 the door yr quest he be said can you spare me |