Show 6 6 ON O N R BAN 4 D by RANDALL PARRISH A wari wea sea 1 story abounding in adventure and high romance A C mcclurg co HOLLIS CONSENTS TO TAKE CHARGE OF SHIP AND CONTINUE VOYAGE BASCOM AND MCANN ARE DEADLY ENEMIES dissatisfaction DEVELOPS Synopsis robert Kobert who tells tella tho the story Is a guest on girard ons yacht Us li smeralda meralda it Is supposed to bo be a stag party and Is surprised on discovering a woman who evidently wishes to remain unknown aboard she merely tells him her name Is vern vcra carrington Currl agton tells his guests of the coming war and that lie Is engineering a copper pool tile the yacht Is sunk in a collision and saves mccann millionaire and one of the party hollas und and sic me cann rescue vera vcra und end leave tho the ship in a small boat mccann refuses to submit to the authority of Il una and the latter enforces obedience the castaways casta ways are sighted by a ship the indian chief which takes them aboard the vessel Is badly storm damaged all officers are dead bascom Ha scora the owner says lie he Is taking a cargo of ammunition to germany CHAPTER X 7 we accept adventure As I 1 emerged from froia behind the butt of the mizzenmast the only person visibly was a long legged cabin boy industriously rubbing away at a grease spot pot i on the deck lie ila was not aware of ruy my presence until I 1 spoke when rhen lie he gazed in ill at me across ills his shoulder with seeming little Intelli intelligence geace in lila ills dull llull eyes do you yon know which of these state rooms the lady was given oh yes sir sar over there I 1 just took tier her in a needle an sonic some thread all it right what la Is your name joejoe joe joe joo moon sir I 1 crossed over and rapped at the stateroom coin door which had a figure 15 6 an on the ilia upper panel who Is there shi asked tills this Is clollis could you spare me flie a few moments I 1 will come out directly site she 1 I luve have been doing some emergency mending I 1 picked out a chair unil ana sat down A moment later the lie door of no ko 5 sad and the girl greeted me pleasantly tho ilia cabin swiftly and extending her hand na as I 1 arose to my feet J f 1 I reel feel actually born anew mr 1101 als alls sho she exclaimed 1 I am almost I 1 was losing my berye in that little boat where ts to this steamer boil bound tal 11 that Is I 1 called upon you to lo discuss discus sit down dow n here ind and I 1 will give you sou the whole story the captain and both mates are alre dafid ilia fellow on deck in charge when we came on board wits was the chief engineer tho the otner ot boat and edlgo however Is here I 1 have just been talking with hi him ii in the cabin yonder lie ile la Is in ili poor health and crippled in ono one limb what is his name foolishly I 1 fowl forgot to ask and musters masters that Is 18 tile the ot of the engineer eer neglected to mention it when lie ile Introduce dus Ilo however wever that wilkes no difference in the facts ill tell you the ilia story as briefly ns as I 1 can silo listened intently leaning for arird in her her hill hands 1 13 clasped on my face tile 4 h L V k E 4 her eyes were shining and her hand reached forth unconsciously and rested in aline story seemed to thrill tier her breathing lid did thy the mystery mastery find and romance of diw the sell een and that vera I 1 said nt at lust last Is tho the p present situation situ n tion it Is for you to furnish tile tho final solution for me aniol I 1 you toll ml tile till oil tills this merely to leave tile decision with avith me mot yes I 1 sh shall nILdo do nothing against your sour wish why chy but what would bould you do it if you NOU saw aa 30 that would I 1 have no eniry ab near relatives relative living not even any special friends friend 4 to mourn greatly over my demise I 1 might willingly risk my life in such tin adventure aad little of it I 1 know tho the sea andeits and its perils and such it II game us as this Is Is likely to lave have its you you consider the attempt v v dangerous of capture and possible imprisonment yes probably our lives will not be in any special peril we have no arms with which to resist it once overhauled a prize crew would be put on board and we would be taken to the lie nearest british or french port as eriq boners of war our cargo destined for the german government would be amply ammy sufficient clent to condemn us un under d the circumstances our own country would mato make no effort to protect us I 1 should not mind but I 1 cannot expose you to hardship and possible imprisonment 11 iler her eyes were shining and tier her hand it end re readied forth unconsciously ind find rested on mine ilow how long would it require weeks probably I 1 should choose the more northern route around scotland and then skirt tile the norway const coast through the north sea to place me on some other ve vessel stcl at sea would your plan mr hoi its it would want render our chances of success much less the only possibility would be the meeting of sonic some american ship homeward bound whose captain would promise to make no report such a one might be hard to flud find especially if he bo suspected wo we were endeavoring to carry munitions of war to C germany ler I 1 do you believe the germans are right in this war that you ought to at aid them 1 I cannot answer that t L answered honestly enough for I 1 do not fully understand ilia conditions to be perfectly frank however my sympathies it are re with ragland england anti and france in t this I 1 its case I 1 am not considering either cither side but the poor devil who owns this ship and cargo what wo we carry on 0 a board here will not lo be c r arop drop in the bucket but its loss will v ilk spell ruin to him rind and that Is the thought which in ili finances me and I 1 could not even dispatch a message wireless Ill tile the indian chief has no equipment no N 01 miss vera WO we shall be absolutely lost to the world until we are cither captured or safe in some germ gerron n port I 1 would not deceive you xou the tha project is both a i desperate and a dangerous one the girl remained silent her eyes lowered to the deck I 1 lind had said nil all possible determined ns as I 1 was not to influence tier decision As silo she did not speak or change her attitude I 1 arose and walked across the cabin to where I 1 could look out forward mr Il 11 yes I 1 turned 1 I must decide this you mean to leave it all to mo me there Is no other way 11 but I 1 do not know what to eay I 1 thought at first I 1 could coulta answer yes yf s gladly I 1 tim am not afridi not the dunst denst hit bit afraid ond and if I 1 could only get some word back to my people in new york that I 1 am safe I 1 would almost welcome lio ilia adventure I 1 nit am only it girl you know and 1 I 1 I like such things but they will worry horribly for they have no knowledge of where I 1 am ani no one knows 1 I 1 I have simply disappeared and papa will have detectives hunting for me and will have to tell mother they will imagine all sorts of horrid things and you say it may IQ ile weeks or even months before I 1 could get a flics mies sago sage to america 7 1 I cm am afraid so SUBS miss vera vcra I 1 elsh vl sh d you to understand the exact truth alil oil I 1 I 1 jo do not think that would ho be right do you 1 I thought you might fed that IN way fly and so made no pledge before telling you the story of course I 1 know knew nothing of how you ou were situated or under what circumstances you had left home 1 I stole away unknown to anyone it was just a hirk a foolish joke no one knows where I 1 am it I 1 could only send them word I 1 I 1 touched the bent head gently with my hand do not worry I 1 said bald kindly we will give the scheme up entirely rind licud head toward the ilia nearest american port luck may favor us and it 1 wo we meet tin an american ship wo we can you rind ind then take a chance knowing knotting that you iou tire are safety safely homeward bound but I 1 understood you to lo say pay met that hut would only increase your peril it might and it might not at least I 1 will not consent to have you impal anted in tho the affair any further than you tire nio now I 1 will not sacrifice you to heli licup our friend yonder save lit hla fortune ill give him my answer now I 1 took a step aft but paused suddenly for the door of ilia ha owners cabin opened and he came limping forth resting heavily on a cane ills hla white face clearly baled in the glare of the skylight I 1 stepped hack back beside the girl who aroused by my sudden movement glanced up tip find saw him almost alaio instantly silo sho was as upon tier her feet hosl tilted an instant na its though perplexed at the roans mans appearance than advanced 11 ed unit and met him 11 air in bascom silo sho exclaimed can this indeed be you you my name certainly he replied but gazing into tier her face seemingly without recognition yet I 1 do not recall oil oh yes PS you do surely you must slie lie interrupted why you have changed more than I 1 do you not remember the hie moonlight nights at palm beach Ilea cli the fishing shing 11 parties along the con const st i veral vera I 1 lie cried fl a note of delight in his voice of course I 1 remember but you have become a woman tilt the very ery last art person in tho ilia world I 1 expected to see sec and so you are the ludy andy we e were fortunate enough to resent rescue sir mr hollis nover never even mentioned your ilaine there was no reason why I 1 shot should I 1 said having no thought of your previous acquaintance the young lady antly and I 1 have just been discussing the situation walt just n moment mr alollis II ollis she interrupted tier her eyes still on oil lias ens coins face this discovery changas everything very thing mr bascom Is no nn old friend sol so I 1 judge but I 1 do not intend to let that influence your decision hut it will hlll and boesl a certain cortash impetuous appeal in tier her voice 1 I dad fit not understand cunderi before as I 1 do now you are the owner mr bascom IS ascom this la Is your boat find and cargo yes vera things have not gone well with me of late anti and my entire fortune Is hero here lie answered rather bitterly 1 I am sorry I 1 tied had not heard you hovd hn been terribly ill from your looks find and are mine lame it it was that affair in new york from which you never recovered 1 I was vas in a the hospital for months and scarcely hoped to live that was when hen my bus business ineRs went to smash rather father never told me and your mother Is living in philadelphia but in rather straitened circumstances and III my younger brother hits has been compelled to leave school and seek employment ile he smiled weekly Mi akly 1 I tied had hoped this voyage would set us all on our feet again she released her hand from ills grasp and sank down once more into tile chair tier glance leaving ills his face unit and sucking seeking mine mr clollis she ehe sold said almost dell defiantly it Is my wish that the indian chief celec continue its voyage but I 1 cannot consent P you left this decision to mu me well I 1 make that decision my comfort even the momentary fear which my family may feel over my strange disappearance pe arance could never justify roy my refusal I 1 know this ills gentleman find and have met ills his mother wo we were good friends ile iio shall not bo be ruined through tiny any whim at 9 it girl I 1 urge you to go attend ahead not considering me in ilia least 1 I cannot quite understand so ad sudden a change perhaps you do not understand women she said and smiled smile surely you recall who mr bascom Is not lu fix the remotest degree lint but wo spoke ot of him in ilia boat philip linscom Kasi Coin my eyes widened and I 1 caught my breath good heavens heaven st yes yea now I 1 recall the ilia affair ile he Is the man fergus me cann shot in the hotel restaurant that was tile accident lio lie speaks s of why this Is strange enough to be fiction bascom stood leaning on ills its cane looking at us its as though falling failing to comprehend pre liend what it was wo we were talking about Ilos possibly sibly lie he did not catch our words clearly for his white faeo face appeared puzzled puzzle you speak of me lie le asked of my difficulty with mccann slie she looked up at him earnestly yes it Is 18 very strange you should know the truth there were three of us who escaped together when the yacht sank mr clollis myself and fergus mccann bascom straightened ills his lips pressed tight lie ile la Is hero here now a guest on board my chip yes I 1 do not know where sleeping in one of ilia staterooms state rooms probably I 1 have not seen him since I 1 came over the side 11 bascoms expression was one of gt struggle ruggle as a lie stared into our faces it was mill for him to find words to even control hui his mind th tills 8 iq 1 a oft misfortune fortune lie ho aali II 11 nally 1 I lift do not know how w it will nit nil I 1 have bought to avoid the mini imin vorn vera to do you oi know the truth of that not tile newspaper story but tile the facts she shook tier her head 1 I only heard that the trouble occurred over myra myn bradley mccann found you iou together und and shot you ou la in a lit of jealous rage 11 so far the story was ns true but I 1 ans as not at the ilia restaurant with miss bradley rudley Il I 1 hal never but once before oven even spoken to tier her bile called ino ilia to tier her table that evening where she was dining alone to question tile 1110 regarding sonic some mutual friends in delphia our brief conver conversation was most commonplace mccann shot nio me without warning I 1 did not oven even know lie was mas near until the woman screamed hut but I 1 bald as lie ho paused was nas there tie no trial that was not thu ilia newspaper story 1 I know it bitterly and I 1 have only my war word to jive gho you iou I 1 could not defend myself and ami no one else made tiny auy effort to do BO mccann hud had money and influence I 1 wall wag lying unconscious in a hospital the girl was ni shipped orf off to europe a walter swore that I 1 drew a n revolver rc oher which flitch lie he afterwards picked up on oa the floor tile the po lice exonerated mccann ou on the ground of self defense and the case never came to trial I 1 held out my hand I liming laving tied some experience lately with mccann I 1 said heartily 1 I min inn perfectly ready to accept your version ills being on board Is awkward find and unpleasant but we roust must put up lip with ith it if ng as best we can Is this your sour thought mr bascom lie ila did not answer nt at once not until aho looked up tip questioning iF there la Is nothing else possible lie ho said nt at last but na as though the admission hurt my aly nature Is not revenge ful although I 1 certainly have no feeling of kindness toward this man ilow how aver cr tills this Is my ship find lie he Is my guest as long as lie rent remains ains on board I 1 shall treat him as I 1 would auy any other under like circumstances 1 I knew you would say that the thoRl girl rl exclaimed now everything Is all right light mr Il As nearly so BO Us na we can make it I 1 answered assuming an case I 1 was far from feeling your decision Is that we e continue tho ilia voyage to germany 1 to wherever heraver mr dascom desires to go very vc well and you yen ap appoint me ilia captain delegating to me full authority 1 I do with pleasure I 1 hold out my hall surprised to note tile strong grip ot or tile slender blender white fingers responding to my clasp the file matter Is i thle then 11 let alio ill result prove what it may it Is already growing tusk dusk I 1 aill go on deck and assume command CHAPTER XI I 1 select my officers the afe was as cast Ilo II wever tile strange adventure adien turo might eventually end whatever peril lurked abend of u us it was nas now too late for regret the full responsibility I 1 had assumed almost overwhelmed me as I 1 first emerged upon |