Show C n I 1 A N 9 A dom ance oe north Norih atlantic MC C h CO AUTHOR atly onY LADy MAID ame M bonet FO nET ETC CHAPTER XIV continued 16 only sonic in miracle acle or the loii ilon of their interest temporarily on oil what was being dono done forward till lanil sayed us front from discovery yet I 1 could not remain there almost in plain view lew whore here should I 1 turn first bascom Hasco iii would ile be of no value even if I 1 released athil my oni only y hope of if assistance lily in ili tile wo two sen seamen nien gripping chipping tit tin iron bur bar tit tho revolver snugly slowed away in lily pocket I 1 crept down the black lending forward torM nl kind glad to escape front from the lie light of tin till Alc Carin believed ills his prisoners were secure Boci ire that it wim ft us quite bulto safe to 1 genvo avo for the lie abort period before lo fro deserting the still ship the very filet fact that tile lie undo lind hall been loft left eloiie in tile cabin to watch over miss vern and myself was evidence that lio lie needed doll every to curry carry out tile work on oil deck dech till or of lits his confluence iier lift ills con conceit celt wata what gave its tills opportunity to net act my aly liend fumbling for tho lock encountered it bur bar a stout wooden bar extending front from jamb jania to jamb and lily liefert henrt bounded mildly madly tills was the place once I 1 I 1 lind hall found it already and the liten I 1 anine to release were imprisoned exactly 1 I 1 had bud been I 1 topped tapped gently on oil the alio pan annel who Is it low na its tile he whisper was I 1 felt convinced the speaker must ile 10 Len lenaord yord 1111 ollIR stand by now are you alone yia yes olson and musters masters ore are together in tho loanna quarters Alaster sl when did they lock illin hlin 11 p 1 about an hour ago lie quite bulto r ight fight ot of it how bow I 1 know what woj wao going on sir can get mo me out aye I 1 ill rip thlu thia bar off in a jiffy nave you it light in here binck lack us its the inside of a wholes belly sir I 1 rot got a pur clinso with my iron lever level nod put my full strength to it till tho bar wits of oak but the jims soft pine and the nulls nalls drew out creaking slightly but making no noise to create any alarin it was so intensely dark I 1 could not oven even perceive tile outlines of tho innas figure yet fot aej aware that alint lenaord I fronted lite ino in the open door ile found ruy my hand somehow soni chow and gripped it tin im sure glad to meet you captain lio lie exclaimed heartily and get out 0 that hint hole the word sir release Ke lense the others and get busy minutes are arc worth hours now mccann and ills ilia gang tire ire deserting still ship they have tho the boats provisioned and alongside already arc nuy that Is why the guards leavo love been withdrawn they were going to leave us aboard locked in aye and with tho the sea cocks open lead men tell no tales lie he whistled his list flat salt smiting n 9 the wood of tile door the rho dirty hound t and where are wo sir air off the newfoundland const coast they think less than fifty but tf theres cres nearly a hundred miles of blue witter water to the west of us diores tile WRY of it in a nutshell I 1 was locked in my stateroom the same as you it t was miss carrington who gave us our chance she became friendly with me cann and agreed to go with him sho she was left free on board and managed to release me while tit crew were all on deck tho the was left on watch in tho the cabin and she had to hit him with this iron she sha did dudl I 1 lord ill id never have thought it of that slip of a thing become 0 0 the girl sites in fit her room waiting for me cann to come down for liar ter shell I 1 ile lay him film all she can Is this tha door aye aye sir and give me tip lc iron ile he was avila not a minute at the ja jo rail it required scarcely longer to acquaint the other two released men with a knowledge of tile situation olson picked up the bur bar of wood for a I 1 wen weapon tion asking pl avat vat we do now captain iss IRs it to allush Ilu I 1 v whispered musters masters ther theres a someone coming up the ladder wo we crept back into the bosoms stateroom and waited breathlessly there wits scarcely room for the foar foyr of us 1 nud it the ho door caught and would not 1 wholly close A dim light reflected ablong the walls of the alie passage making me lite aware that the fellow who was hiis lowly climbing the he iron ladder from froin below half it with hlin him len sord retained ned the hie iron log leg and I 1 drew my tit gun holding it tight gripped in one hond the minis hind bead und and shoulders bould cra 1 emerged through the round opening and tin the dlin dim light enabled erih lod me lite to jilts tom dugan lie ile paused on the vilge edge looking down all quiet enough up here lie he call called ed you letter hotter draw the fires tony no use 0 that answered it sullen voice from a distance tile tho water will fix lern cm in half nit an hour theres two to cocks open im coln on deck that crooked mIllion millionaire dont git no chance ter drown me dugan laughed always a th Inkin how flow to git out ot of a 0 safet yer got yer price yer enough ter arr make tit me 0 unlit tri live iho jong Illon bough nough gli ter spend it anyhow are arc von on con conijn ifill down tills way ngan dugan i no ill lino have a look tit lit the cabin on lily wily ay iy up the bons boms ant tiny any ini stake made theres left tor ter to do aboard this hooker ashes ticketed for davy jones lie ile stared below abdow ft a minute as though to make sure of what lint tony was doing down in tile engine room then lippart atly satisfied swung to firm footing on oil the deck of tile passage its ills light lift tile radius was na finall and ills his glanek roust must have revealed nothing strange att 1110 for ito follow fellow whistled soft softly us its lie ho advanced ile II 11 was MH ilinoe bidinost t nt at tho the stateroom door behind which wo we wore were hiding ho even the absence ot of the wooden bars lil cli lind had confined the lie stopped it a look of on oil ills his face tho the lantern swung higher to throw tile light forward for nid lio lie could inove anop it unit I 1 lind stepped forth foitle luto into tile lie rad hince tho the muzzle ue of my illy re volver aoler held within three inches of his ia CK dont drop your hands land dugan 1 I 1 sold salil sternly wot not nn nit inch you sou ln ill ute lite here Len lenaord yord the lantern front ill bilm move quietly oil nil of you yon now olson it if there Is it 11 sheet tit in there or anything yon yen cun can make 1 n I cord cora out of bring in ing it to ine yes take tin the lantern it illin minute tik gogill goedl that will answer now lads ninko it strong it sailors Kiil lors knot duhm and swore avro under his brent li but alib block had robbed iani of till nil power of resistance I 1 never saw it 11 wore more amazed look in it eyes ito ho stared ut tit us a as though we 0 o were kliots gli oits raise from the alio grave to haunt him aliu anyone below beside I 1 asked slipping gripping his shoulder so BO na as to kiako him blin look tit lit me inc answer now or ril take cunna to luuke juu no 11 no what ant you OH fool I 1 you arp ing to the lie captain of tilts this ship no or hir better you the he two lust last men inon left aboard I 1 tithe take it it 11 wits was your jot job to open tho sen colls cochs ile ho nodded sullenly its as I 1 dug tile alic revolver deep into ills his cheek check you dirty murderer I 1 where lid did you leave McC Al cCann timi twist his neek neck lea yord until lie ho finds hi ahli tongue ou on deck lie ho sputtered close by thu tho companion he he wits going down to tile cabin after the girl tony was MS the only one left in tile tho englun room and I 1 was sent seat along to see that lie left the cocks cocka open the boats were oil all over tho the side then yes sir mr illow how many of them four where were they ile iio set ills ilia hecth but the freure pres gure of fingers compelled un till answer ahrea 0 ent cm had pot got away liln maybe a hundred yards out and the fourth was v ns still tit nt tile the ladder waltin fer us its to come over the side tills this last one was mccanns boat who were cro in it 1 I look over ter ler see sec sir 11 not but you ou know just the the well mon were cre till nil picked tor for tho the boats live give mo me the ti well was liverpool white dubols tony an myself the alb er watson na an lets soo see joe sachs seven with ath Ble cillin and tile the girl nine not overloaded surely and quite I 1 it dont drop your hands dugan I 1 said sternly it a picked company worthy their chief the other boats held more about twelve men each sir Leny eyes met mine in silent understanding der standing ile he was seaman enough to instantly grasp the purpose of tills this iiii cual lual tho the lighter boat mould bo b tho lite better sailor the poster easier operated in a heavy sea men which boat was it you fellows chogo lie ho asked the port quarter baat 11 1 I thought so we wa do with ulpin sir throw him into the bosina bunk and then unit up tip the door aeu give him a dose of hla film own medicine moyo move lively theres another job waiting us on deck CHAPTER ws we capture the ship they hey were in III no way gentle about it yet t the work was wai noiselessly done ind and with fill thoroughness ghorom linss dugan to curse but WON uis so BO instantly killed that lint only the lie first muffled boid ord H lite 1110 in tile binsfield er beld the lantern lillo tile two snatos the alie door driving lionie home the nalls mills with ih the iron bar chril moment tills this was secure I 1 wn n ready for the ho next oct net give the lantern to olson musters youve youre got to look lifter the engine room arid nn d leave us its to attend tile deck job therell be thoice sea ben en cods els to see see to first and then keep itcek enough denoo fir fire under I 1 IL r the lie bolli hollors rg for steerageway down with alth you and dont pay any uny attention to whatever we e do bleavy ns ng ile he was ns he went don own tile iron roll runs of ill aln ladder like a at call and the alie three of alio ito were left behind in the pils sage stared into cibeli others faes barely visible in the dalm of light want next or asked leaford noxiously theres only three of us ui now nil an forty ahr P 0 thein one loss less youre counting dade and lies safe enough the imy boy antoon Is of if no account and I 1 llie there tire twenty men out in ill host bolits boats who ho line have no in ili tills ln ilni bo be with W us now it they lind had ally chance that so olson yn mr but they wont vont likely git no chall chalaco challco cli unco co true enough yet it Is something to knew that lint mccanic and big hl gang can call 1 jot count on oil them thein either if it comes to n fight As things stand it Is nil all a matter of luck hick and nerve thero there tire only six in tile boat lin nging to the toot foot of tit alio ladder diler In willi mccail left alone on deck ought to be able to handle 4 that bit il lenaord dug the iron bar lie he held into ther fleck planks savagely AN what lint did yer tell masters to only I 1 keep ill nil enough for steerageway for sir he asked bluntly 1 I wits afraid they inight notice if lie ired fired up tip taint likely so tho the funnels dont kit git ter the only fellers with ft ath eny brilius tire in thet hot hont boat cloo clo O ill n alongside sir nn they cant see lili thin them co common ninion fo castle rats in ili thorn them other bonts boats never would notice a bit moro more what Is it you have n plan speak quick annn wo we cant st stand ind talking lipi apri 0 Tid nt not V n plan sir lie ho explained bri I 1 dont soo why wo Q just naturally heave this till cuss mccann overboard cr el else elo o kill ailin just us na you please eny two 0 could keep that crew front from cotil cotilli ln up tip tho ilia ladder on nn then if mas tors ind had ills his boilers hot up tip no darr colont could over ever catch us its the would loave us its one liand hand nt at tho the wheel it was true tho the very simplicity of it making tile nip curso my own stall stupidity alty I 1 stared into its his face without ili uttering cring n i word of comment yet with my y mind grits grasping pIng instantly the necessary ry details with n single step I 1 was bonding over tile ladder peering down into the depths below A faint faraway far fir away light appeared tit nt the bottom masters I 1 I 1 called my voice thrown downward through hollowed hollow cd hands I 1 saw his shadow emerge into the circle of light aye aye sir winve you tiny pressure now nawt fairly rood good sr sir the waters drawing nn nir tind the wet eval cial will steam up in a 6 jiffy well stand by tor for nit nil the steam po possible Ible and rive give it to her ter tile the instant you pet get signal only be careful not to name your funnels you li hear nr me every word sir all right stand by anil and dont fall us now lads I 1 sold standing erect first its the after cabin find and then the lie deck douse the glim 01 oliou S on were better ort off in the lie dark follow me and mind your footing the gloom was no tio handicap in that narrow space where we could feet feel either wall with bilth our fingers but I 1 emerged into the cabin with caution ittin caring tho the possible presence i there oi of mccann naho vho might even have brought it man illan or two back on oil board to assist him the hanging lump had been extinguished or else it hod had burnt out from lack of oil but there was a faint glit glimmer taner of light tit in bliss ons stateroom enabling me ine to discover nt at a glance that tho the main cabin was unoccupied aupied iler her door stood wide open but with no ito signs of confusion within A what hat had happened thero there was not nothing ing to tell me the truth had me BIC catin succeeded in inducing her to nc ac company him on deck had lie taken irr her there by force or had the girl finally yielded to his hi insistence after i exhausting every avi ry form of delay her lost last batth in my return having vanished nothing remained but to follow them and find out what had occurred javil I 1 and it if not already too late I 1 a t rescue theres no one here I 1 said in a whisper w av 11 ell try the deck quiet both of r a 11 wo we cached the hend of the stairs on our nandi fiands and knees I 1 and my revolver gripped in my illy fingers lenaord his iron bar while olson had found ft a hatchet somewhere in the darkness the companion door was but halt half closed find I 1 squeezed my body through the opening assured no one occupied that immediate portion of deck tile the other two followed noiselessly and we huddled close together in the black shadow of D the cabin so still it was I 1 could hoar hear thila breathing and my eyes trained by long service in the darkness below were able to distinguish ting objects forward beyond tho the mainmast there was waa nothing living visible to nil all appearances the ship was totally deserted the last stragglers had taken to the lie bouts bonts olson who lay next roe me on tho the deck jerked my sleeve ilia hla uplifted hand pointing toward the starboard roll rail amidships 1 theres os two of eni he whispered sly my eyes caught uie me indistinct outlines lines unable for the instant to jitske appear bunian indeed I 1 was till I 1 in doubt when McCan mccanns McC annn nm voice alth itil the old hateful sound round in it culled called into the lie darkness below there hero ore art you still fiest aye AP fust fast enough nn an blamed tired 0 holdin tin in grumbled someone soni conc below testily why dont yer come along town don in a minute nil nute la IF everyone in the bonti boats 1 11 I dont know euthin bout thi t oward nobody aint seen him 30 3 sf 0 1 ile leis ss lie lic rot got in else pr nr tom dugan 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