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Show By ARTHUR D. HOWDEN SMITH j VNU Service ARTHUR D. HOWDEN SMITH STORY FROM THE START Returning lo America, during Che War of 1812. after a successful success-ful voyage. Cape Lion Fell owes' merchant ship Sachem Is sunk oft Portugal by a British fripate. His crew surrenders, but Fell owes reaches shore exhausted His life Is saved by an English-speaking girl who conceals her identity He learns from her. however that she is about to set out for Lisbon. Fellowes goes to Lisbon, hoping to find a vessel America bound. He meets Capt, Chater, of the America n ship True Bou nty. an acquaintance. Cha ter offers him a berth as mate. Fellowes refuses, knowing Chater Is disloyal dis-loyal in trading with the enemy He meets the girl who saved his life. Cara Inglepin. daughter of the owner of the True Bounty Cara induces him to sail as mate Fellowes falls in love with her The True Bou nty is stopped by the British frigate. Badger. Capt. Collishawe. Despite his American citizenship Fellowes is taken aboard the Badger a "pressed" man. CHAPTER III Continued 5 "'Makes It worse tor you. A native-born native-born Englishman shipping with the enemy! 'Might be excusable II you were an Ignorant feller, 'didn't knou any better. Humph 1 Some captains would flog yon on general principles.'' A red mist swirled In front of Fel lowes' eyes. "If I'd had a weapon, you wouldu'i have taKen me." he snarled. "You trapped me, didn't you? That cur Chater put you np to It he was afraid I understood bis plotting.' "That will do. Another word, and you'll go in Irons." Something exploded In Fellowes brain. It wasn't only Chater who had betrayed him. Cara He choked. "If yon don't like words, try tils.' he gasped, and his fist shot up to Col lishawe's Jaw. The Englishman pitched backward, long limbs asprawl, as Clinch and halt a dozen more bluejackets closed In on Fellowes. Something like a grunt went up from the awestruck crew ot the P.adger. Collishawe lurched on to his feet There was a puzzled look In the eyes of the Badger's captain, an expression almost of uncertainty. "Easy with blm," be directed Clinch. "Don't maul him. Here! Stand him np." And as Fellowes wan dragged erect, cursing and fighting with all bis strength: "Why on earth did yon do that, man? Tls mutiny to strike your officer." "Ton know wby 1 'Crlmpln' ' Collishawe, Col-lishawe, that's what they call yon! You didn't eveo press me like an bonest Englishman. No, yon crimped mo like any lick spittle, pot-house shipping-agent. To clear the road for yourself !" Collishawe met Fellowes' glance squarely, and so they fronted one an other for several breaths. "I should have liked to Ignore yonr offense," Collishawe said llnnlly. "Yon seem to labor under a mltuip prehension " "Oh, no," mocked Fellowes. "J know what you're up to trying to cover the tracks of a pair of traitors " Colllshawe'8 hands clinched tight ly "You misapprehend me." he re peated. "I regret I cunnot t'.ui discipline must he maintained. Clinch. Mils man la to have fifty lashes ot once." Fellowes went lltnp In his captors grasp. A clammy sweat dewed his face, sweat brewed by a volcanic gust of hate thut rocked hlrn to the soul His eyes glittered Insanely. His voice came hoarsely: "I'll kill you. Wherever you go. however long It takes to ruu you down, I'll kill you, Collishawe." "Give him an hundred lashes Clinch." Collishnwe answered bleakly He turned and strode lift. Ignoring Fellowes' silent resumption of Lhe struggle will) Clinch's assistants "Easy all, lad." admonished the bosun. "If Hie cap'n doubles your ra tlon again ye ain't likely to worril much over your troubles. A 'undred lushes Is fair nasty. Hut rail yersell lucky, at that. Yer the tlrst man I ever seed strike n ri orf'eer. and live.' "The dog," croaked Fellowes. "I'll kill him " "Ob, no ye won't, me lad! Not artier a undred lushes. Now. then, what's the use o' llghtln' us? Were only adoln' of our djnoty. 'Ere, strip 'lm. a couple of ye." It occurred to Fellowes, as the rough hand ot the sailor? puwed his garments, thai to continue resistance mum only add further In bis ludlgnl ties. Whatever be did. bis punish merit would be administered He must suffer. Very well, he'd sufler silently lU'tler so. He'd not scjnninlei In Idle resistance the energy which should feed the fires ot tint red burning now In his heart with a high, rclcntlcs flume. I In t e. I He'd hale m, lung n ill,, pulsed In him. He'd hate unswervingly com'.imilngly. with nil the power (, i,ls spirit, each one of the group who hail brought blin to this puss- ( 'olllshiiwii. Chiller, ( lira Inglepin arid the hither who hud begotten her. He'd spend his life, bis money, bis at rencl h. In re TengltiK blinsell upon Ibeiu. one and nil. I '. 1 1 1 must of all upon her Noinethlng wiled up In bis Ihroni, arid be felt a slinging In bin cjoh. "Cryin, eh?" Clinch rumbled In bis ear. "All right, lad. Let 'er drip I've seen stouter men aweepln like babies under the cat." Fellowes shook the tears from bis eyelids. "The Englishman doesn't live can make me cry," he answered grimly "Get on with your duty, you called It? I shan't resist you." "That's the proper spirit! 'Ere ye are, now 'unds over yer 'ead and a turn 'round the wrisls. Trt ye? It hadn't oughter be tight ye ll wiggle main 'ard when Kitty starts to kiss ye, lad." The red mist, with the salty mois ture, had cleared from Fellowes' eves He was conscious of weariness, mental and physical ; yel bis body had acquired ac-quired a peculiar lightness. Around him on the deck were grouped scores of sailors, an Inhuman similarity In the ring of tanDed faces and museulni bodies, all wearing the Identical blue uniform. His warchers might have been hewed from a single pattern except for two, who stood together a short distance for'ard of the mast. He observed this pair particular! because "The Dog," Croaked Fellowes, "I'll Kill Him - one of them was a negro, a giant of a man. The negro's companion was equally ugly, very Bhort, monstrously broad, with comical, boned legs and long, apelike arms. Of nil those on the P.adgfrs deck this pair were the most brutal In ap pearance, ostensibly the most debased: hut In some uneiplulnable way they Imparted to blin a message of sym pathy. Their eyes signaled encour agenient In his ordeal, and be felt mysteriously heartened. He saw. with out trembling. Clinch striding aft. stripped to the waist like himself In fine gnarled fist a short stock of wood from which depended nine knotty chunks of brownish rope. He saw the odlcer of the deck. Mr. Curry, move nearer, aversion plain In his testy attitude. Then, out of the Hill of his eye. he saw Clinch step back, with n loud: "Heady, lad I This la the count sir One!" To save himself, he could not help flinching from the nine simultaneous biles of the cat- lie strained In toward the mast, arching up on his toes, and us he raised hlmscli to the limit of bis height be saw outboard nbo(r the bulwarks the True r.ount bearing away on the opposite tuck one superb tower of canvas leaning to the piessure of lhe wind. Then be had sunk hack upon the balls of his feel, and t'llneb's crisp "Two" pre ceiled the whistle of the lushes cut ting Into welts the first blow bud raised, bill this time be managed to keep from flinching. Cod. how he hnted her! "Three!" be lashes rolled InvlngU around his Hanks, ci iss-crossing the wells, drumming on tils ribs. Ilhklng the hair out by the roots. "Four I" Fire burned all over his back and sides, and reached to bis belly. Uls body quivered under the agony of IL But Inside him burned a tiercei fire He raised his head indomitably, and rasped over one shoulder at Clinch: "Why don't you hit hard, man?" Clinch paused In the midst ol a blow, almost abashed. "'Ard?" he echoed. "Don't be asty, lad. 'Ere's five and ninety-five to come." "No talking," called Mr. Curry. Fellowes huddled closer to lhe mast, bracing himself to the shock of the lashes. Presently be tasted the salty moisture again on his lips, and licked them with his tongue. He mustn't cry. Mustn't give this d n Britisher the satisfaction ol It But the im.is tu wasn't teara ll was blood At the next blow he saw It spurring over his shoulders. The red paint of the mast was flecked with II. He glanced down, and saw specks of blood on the clean, white deck. He laughed. "Butcher Collishawe they'll call blm after this." be said In a tired voice that was distinct In the oppressive silence. . . . "Thirty-five." counted Clinch, "thlr ty-slx. thirty-seven, thirty-eight." Fellowes was "one broil of: agon from bis loins to his shoulders He lay along the butt ol the mast, bang ing limp from bis fettered wrists For a while the strain on bis arms had burl bit". Now. it was simply one pan of the complicated torment thai was tils being. His hearing bad gone with his sense of sibt He didn't know when It was that the count of "Fifty!" tolled, and Cllnch't voice boomed at bis ear : "D'ye ear me, lad? Ye can take yer other fifty later. We'll 'ave the surgeon up for ye. Ter hack's cut to pieces." "(lo on," creaked Fellowes. forcing opeD bloodshot eyes. "Kill me If you can. That's what he wants." Mr Curry's voice was fretful. "If the man Insists, you'll have to go ahead. Clinch Here, fcich blm a pan of grog, one ot you." A new voice pierced Fellowes dwln dliug consciousness, a soft philuMve voice, almost womanish in Its husky musical quality : "Yah. mars'rl CufTee got him rum." Fellowes felt the rlui of a pannikin at bis swollen lips, and sucked thirst lly. The raw stuff burned his swollen throat, and he roughed and every muscle In his torso throbbed and stabbed. He throttled a groan. "More." be pleaded. "Yell git It. friend." promised an other new voice. "This here's Tom Crogan. of I'hll.vdelpby. H. A I'm asiandin' by. along of my ulgger. CufTee. here. Easy docs 111 That's miff." Gradually, Fellowes rallied under lhe stimulant. "Thanks." he man aged to say. Mr. Curry shouted testily: "If be won't have his punishment postponed you'll have lo resume. Clinch." "Aye, aye. sir." Clinch acknowledged reluctantly. "Iteaily. lad." Fellowes tried lo smile, but all that he could contrive was a crooked little lit-tle grin. "Iteudy." be assented. "And I want you to finish the hundred. Understand? Under-stand? Finish:" "Fifty one I" counted the bosun. Fellowes groaned as the dripping cat slashed Into the pulp of bis hack, but be straightened by a mighty elTort of will, and the following blows drew-no drew-no sound from blm. At lhe seventy sixth be sagged limp, hniiglni: from his tortured wrists, lie revhed with sail water sluicing over bis bead, smart Ing in the wounds thai furrowed blm lie fell as If he were dying under the reiteration of lhe lash, and belore long a numbness assailed him. A nil her pleasant numbness. lie was awnre distinctly of anoiliet deluge of water of voices nrguing. of a recurrent nervous shock. And at Insl oblivion relieved him (TO HE CONTINUKI.l) . |