Show BEN AIEs Q BIE 1 I 1 aka W V CHAPTER XVI continued 17 peter sat said J angrily resenting her refusal feisal to accept his word dont ase talk like a 10 fool I 1 tell you hes dead I 1 peter be because why hy should angry elie could n not ot believe this ble ahe she thing forced herself to listen to what peter said when he now began to relate what had happened telling while the others listened st ened george peter said they came out at last on an open hillside grown with berry bushes they saw the pond on the he saddle of the ridge and a great flock of geese in the pond 1 I would have to crawl to get near enough to shoot peter said explaining to them as they listened without speech isaiah and hiram in jj the he do door with corkran behind thern hem george eorge and mary at the table tommy hanline had come to stand behind peter eter tears streaking his cheeks peter went on with his story of his brothers death id have to crawl he said on my hands and knees richard and gee stayed where they were sos not to scare the birds I 1 crawled within shot range and waited till they lined up good and shot some were dead and some of them flapping on the water the others flew away 1 I stood up and yelled and gee came running we chased the wounded geese in the shallow water and caught some till we had 4 eight then I 1 asked gee where richard was he said richard had gone down to the beach I 1 went along the top of the cliff looking for him and finally I 1 saw him there was a point of rocks running out into the water and he was sneaking toward the point as if he was trying to cut something off from the water I 1 I 1 thought it might be seals but I 1 see them 1 I saw him start to run and then I 1 saw them coming toward towar d the water galloping on their flippers the way they do but they were sea lions bigger than seals some of them ten or twelve feet long dick got in the way of them and he hit at one with his club it snapped at him bim I 1 was too far away to see just what happened but they have long tusks teeth like a dogs only longer it must have sunk the tusks into his hand and it just galloped on dragging richard with it into the water 1 I think one of the tusks stuck in his wrist somehow maybe wedged between the bones or hooked into the tendons he was jerked off his feet do anything it dragged him into the water and they went under together the place was boiling with them dozens of them like a school of mackerel they churned it into foam like milk even from up where I 1 was I 1 see down into it 1 I stayed there running up and down the beach shouting and yelling like a crazy man but I 1 never saw him again CHAPTER he cant be mary realized she had spoken aloud for their eyes turned to her richard cant be dead peter he stood up angrily 1 I tell you he is we can go back and find him Pl please easel 1 peters face darkened but he spoke without heat understandingly im sorry mary I 1 know how you always felt about richard but I 1 feel worse than anyone he was my brother he he looked around at them all he cried as it if their eyes accused him blast iiii t I 1 do anything I 1 I 1 tell you hes dead I 1 no one spoke he came to his feet strongly 1 I want to get away from here this east erlys what we need to get out of the bay we e might not get another for weeks were leaving no one denied him peter said his tone placating corkran come on deck I 1 want a word with you without waiting in 9 fo for r an assent he turned abruptly into the after cabin corkran went through the steerage to ascend the companion ladder there george put off richards coat that tommy had given him land and went to his bunk to lie under blankets there she followed him her legs stiff and wooden with the penetrating damp and chill standing by the bunk she could see through the small window above it a headland a mile away she watched the headland tall fall slowly behind and she felt the heavier teas seas outside the bay begin to lift we she stood there long not moving her eyes f fixed axed on that bluff luff which was gray through rain till presently they changed course brought the wind more abeam and the ie headland disappeared when mary came into the main sabin abin that night peter sat in rich arts ards place at the head of the tale ble he told her that corkran had been wen appointed second mate the mates had not yet come below she went to speak to george and found him m stronger than he had been bent on n coming to be at table with them she ue sat on peters right as she bae af een cen on richards right during these weeks of the voyage willie leeper beeper had roasted one of tiie the geese shot tot that afternoon had cooked it so thoroughly the meat fell off the bones at a touch peter served her ana and Liec george irge and as mat forbes joined them he served his own plate and then mats me when n corkran appeared a little uncertainly peter heaped his plate and he asked in an agreeable tone do you know navigation mr corkran no sir mr forbes can give you a start better work on it peter smiled grimly the had hard luck with her officers this voyage something might happen to me yes sir corkran assented in a toneless voice peter looked at him thoughtfully but he said nothing there was little speech during that meal dick was always a hero to rn me e 11 peter said hau half to himself 1 I think anything could happen to him he seemed so strong and sure and luck was always with him I 1 almost went crazy running up and down that beach today he rose shaking his head george and mary followed him into the common room and george lay down on the long bench there it was still broad day in these high latitudes but the small window gave scant light peter lighted the whale oil lamps 1 I dont like the dark he said im dreading tonight probably wont sleep he decided after a moment ill go on deck and have a look at her george lay quietly mary stood looking out of the small square win N 6 but dont you see george this means richard dead dow at the boil of water under the LIAC stern the desk was at her left the log book lying on the end of i it t after a while she looked down at the book and presently she lifted it and turned the pages to the latest entry she read it her eyes glancing along the lines hoakes bay day began with southwest wind and rain repairs finished this morning captain richard corr and mate peter corr went to shoot geese on shore while the water casks were being filled captain corr descended to the south beach and tried to club a sea lion the animal bit at him and its tusks fastened in his arm and it dragged him into the sea he was lost wind came southeasterly in the afternoon giving us a 2 fair chance to make out of the bay will stop at stanley to set up new topmast and topgallant rain squalls tonight corkran was promoted to be second mate mary read and nodded slowly As she conned the words she seemed to hear far away a faintly famili familiar ar sound not easil easily y identified she tried to hear bear more plainly peter had written t this his the capitals were ornate involved in sweeping curves and there were blotches blotcher blot ches where the pen had pressed too hard and the letters staggered erratically up and down peter had written this it was very dif different lerent fr from om the preceding entries in richards small ne neat at careful hand richards hand was compact and firm peters large and sprawling peter had written this what mat was it she seemed to h hear ear something heard long ago or seen peter had written long ago peter 1 in a sudden widened her eyes eye s startled attention richard had written once years ago her a note t two wo or three lines brief curt cruel wait till you dont be asilla a silly little fool grow up but richard had written that note had written this en the me w way ly peter A me A in sprawling hat hand id a try in the log and down the words straggling up the capitals ornate suddenly she knew in a complete revelation that it overpowering and who had been peter not richard that cruel note long ago wrote ote w the log book snapped shut v with ith a sound so loud th that at george sat up staring at her a asking sk ing quickly what is it mary as asked ked in a sharp I 1 whisper she what made you think ri richard ch george other that and I 1 loved each day about that its do dont nt be unhappy all right tell me no she ins insisted isted demanded acute acutely ay george sa s1 she ie letter he be said a did peter give you id written to richard he looked at her steadily said at last why he give it to mg me no I 1 wanted to go on deck and it t was cold and peter gave me rich ards aids big sea coat to wear over my own after we got on deck I 1 put my hands in the pockets and felt a piece of paper and before I 1 thought I 1 looked at it it was your letter to richard mary she spoke quickly it began dear richard having been captivated by the charms of your person for answer he fumbled in his pocket produced a crumpled paper gave it to her she smoothed it out read it swiftly with racing eyes that nevertheless lingered over the familiar not to be forgotten words she smiled as she read once these words had seemed to her so impassioned and tender and beautiful that they made her senses swim and once she had treasured this scrap of paper in her bosom happily but now even in the tension of this moment she was amused and she looked up at george in a deep mirth you really thought id written this to richard what could I 1 think d 1 II 11 I mean since we came aboard here im afraid I 1 did he admitted my dear can you 1 imagine magine any girl really writing a letter like that so many long words so stilted and silly and everything he said half smiling at his own confession ive never had a love letter mary I 1 dont know much about them you write atif it yes but years ago my handwriting even look like that now bowl 1 ive never seen your handwriting you know weve not been separated so weve never written letters to each other and its signed mary doncaster she insisted not mary mcausland 1 I thought you had forgotten you were my wife lie he spoke so humbly that for a moment she caught him close in tenderness der ness but then she spoke in swift explanation and soberly now listen george I 1 copied this letter out of a complete letter writer when I 1 was in school in new bedford it was supposed to be from a man to a girl and I 1 thought it was perfectly beautiful 1 I see he assented but mary richard kept it all these years so perhaps he loved you tool too she shook her head no he keep itt it he never saw it I 1 know that now peter stole it from me in school he tolda told me e he ass was going to give it to richard I 1 begged him not to her cheek colored and she said honestly next day he brought m me e what he said was richards answer but I 1 know now that tha peter wrote the answer himself because its the same handwriting in the log and he must have kept my letter all this time her voice checked as though some thought though struck her then she went on and he put it in richards coat to fool you to make you madl mad he said grimly remembering that storm of emotion which had racked him so 1 I was crazy mary ill spend the rest of my life making up to you for the way I 1 acted that day she told him warmly comforting 1 I mind really george her eyes twinkled almost mischievously you know youve never told me you love me its only when you get terribly jealous that I 1 can see you do then she cried tense again leaning close to him so that they could not be overheard but dont you see george this means richard deada if he is peter killed him but I 1 know he he asked gropingly how does it mean richards not dead why my dont you see she insisted peters a co coward w ard and a sneak and a thief or he have done that with my silly letter I 1 george weve got to make him go back to hoakes bay and find richard after so some me consideration george agreed with M mary ary to seek aid from the crew in forcing peter to return to search for richard mary sat beside george and in a whisper explained that when peter was s surely asleep they could creep across to wake th the e mates and enlist their aid for if help were to be found against peter it must come from those next in authority aboard mat forbes and corkran were sound asleep asleele p when george in darkness opened their door and felt his way to mats bunk and whis in the mates ear warning him to sile silence nce mary pressed the door shut without a sound and george lighted the candle and corkran woke at the sudden flare except for their boots he and mat were both fully clad sleeping in their clothes against the pitiless and searching ing cold mat an and d corkran when the lamp was lighted loo looked ked at their vi visitors si it ors in a sleepy wonder waiting to hear what this visitation meant and M mary ary tried to explain she found that there was terribly little she could say she had no evidence beyond her own C certainty ertain tY that richare richarc was alive and that peter knew it and that they must return to hoakes bay TO BE CONTINUED |