Show A EN aeils WILLIAMS E ea WILL AMS W ac alce allar Cl lAr 19 when she ended mat forbes fioke maam im not saying re right or wrong but weve youre ae nothing to 60 90 on weve got to took at it straight he pointed out ive can ask mr corr to go back but if he e wont why hes the captain we cant make him unless we ne know for sure to attempt to cam compel pel him in any or even to disobey his commands way ay anan I 1 ds was an action tainted with mutiny and mat as the whispered discussion proceeded repeatedly pointed this out ile he says caan corr was killed iles hes logged it that way and he cant go back on that if its true or riot not iles hes got to stick to it and short of handling him theres nothing we can do abut but I 1 know hes lying mary pleaded leaded 1 I know caan borrs p alive she felt Cor krans eyes upon tier her and she appealed to him dont you corkran corkran was as a long mom moment ent in replying corkran and before he spoke his eyes swung from her to george reverence he asked gravely what do you say are you for going back yes i would you be thinking to satisfy the young lady so shell know hes dead Is that maybe it no no ym im sure hes alive iles hes hurt maybe if he hed have come to the boats but I 1 think hes surely alive then its knowing hes alive that want to go back and get him yes certainly corkran stood up and turning to the he mate said simply mr forbes if himself here says go back then I 1 say go if he said not id say no but well do what hes bes wanting mat forbes nodded yes certain id say go back if wed anything to go on but its hard to say to peter that hes got to go back without dit hout knowing something theres a way to know corkran told him quickly gee was with them ashore whatever happened gee knows gees hated caan corr and talked killing ever since the caan had him flogged maybe he was in this maybe not but whatever happened he knows about it this was clearly true if peter had lied about richards movements on shore at hoakes bay gee must know it mary whispered earnestly yes besl yes dont you see mr I 1 forbes gee must know CHAPTER A half hour later corkran reported that gee after some persuading had bad given him enough information to justify turning back mat then led the way into the common room aft and he moved with a certain heedlessness careless of 0 the noise he might make there he lighted one of the hanging lamps and corkran lighted another and mat turned toward the door of the captains cabin where peter was asleep but before he could touch the door it opened and peter faced them he stared from one to the other there were six men and mary against him alone peter must have read their faces I 1 ind id guilt for a moment flickered in is so every man there could see it he leaped backward and slammed the door shut but before he could bolt it Cor krans weight against it forced it open and threw peter headlong against the cabin wall arid and corkran after a moments st pinned him helpless there then peter his voice cracking asked ked in a sharp panic what is this i anyway the matter mat forbes said bring him out here mr corkran the matter peter demanded what is this mutiny Y vo mary watching him almost with sympathy ym pathy thought again that his beard card was like a mask behind which s eyes flickered peter cried blast you g get et out of here back where here you belong mat forbes spoke almost gently mr corr were going back to hoakes ba bay to find caan corr find him peter wetted his dry lips PS hes gone I 1 well have a try anyway t ily you ou cant f find him I 1 told you what happened to him mat said were going back to ve a look and gee tells a differ nt story gee this was peter s he says you told him to say y a lion killed caan corr but he 1171 ys caan corr never came cam bout out of the e tussocks socks on the way up the ridge lies Hes a aliar liar V not gee he lying lie he ew w it safe to then you scared him A scared d ky will say anything you want tan to I 1 tell you hes lying well we 11 go back and see tor for sure blat at asked a almost ost pleadingly will boll U go 90 along sir or do we have to iron on you t peter er seeming eming to consider moved absently y toward the desk he stood lu ith one hand on top of it looking down at it his side toward them cocklan aktan had left the upper drawer a little e pulled pet bets out and suddenly hand dropped into that drawer but t before the he could fetch apon clear corkran with a leap burc nun and down the heavy revolver clattered against the edge of the drawer was jerked 1 by his fall from peters pet rs hand mat forbes picked it up corkran held peter flat twisted him on his stomach dragged him to his feet peter was stony silent now mat forbes turned to mary you and mr mcausland move in here into these cabins he said briefly ill iron him to the mizzenmast later mat came to speak to her ile he was white with strain but his voice was calm and steady hes secured he said ive left mr corkran with him and the doors bolted between be safe here ill go call the watch and wear ship make back for hoakes bay well be there with luck soon after day mr mcausland can take the cains cabin you have yours it was upon mat forbes that the responsibility for the and those aboard her now fell half persuaded by mary and then convinced by gees enforced confession he had accepted the necessity of leading what was technically a mutiny he had not read that treason never prospers since if it succeed then none dare call it treason but he be understood quite clearly the implications of his own position if richard were found dead or alive mats action would be justified if richard were riot not found then he a and nd i I 1 af ill shoot you if you do george retorted those who had supported him in making peter captive were simply mutineers muti damned not only by the laws but by all the tradition of the sea so for their salvation richard must be found mat on the way back to hoakes bay questioned gee the negro repeated that he and richard and peter started through the tall tussock grass up toward the pond where the geese had lighted that they entered the grass abreast and became separated in its maze and that when he emerged at the upper border of the grass he was first and peter presently appeared but captain corr did not beyond that he swore in beseeching terror he knew only what the mate had told him believed what he told you did you mat demanded yas suh sub mat said evenly youre a liar there any beach in the socks nor any sea lions you knew well enough nothing like that happened to the caan in there with one strong motion he ripped gees shirt off his back get a boat spade he directed cut a hole through his small cut the truth out of him said with a relish take my knife its nicked and dull and jagged as a saw but you can hack a couple of rib chops chop s out of him with it at the fearful picture words evoked gee surrendered altogether and damned peter beyond derti denial al he said the mate had given and promised him a him a pearl p rich reward later if he would tell the tale and stick to it gee appeared to have no more to tell but mat had no remaining doubt of peters guilt yet even so it was that richard be found feces necessary sary final proof mat alive or dead for had intention of 1 evading the issue no if I 1 richard were not found he must rel release e ase peter and return him to cam command mand and aimse himself if submit to the arrest that would follow when reached stanley the but if richard were found then situation would be in richards the hands so he must be found mat decided t that hat when they carrie came to anchor again in hoakes bay he would and direct command send corkran to search ashore corkran tho th himself and strong mat was wise board had better stay on clearly someone must keep the gee for peter and on an eye on and the ship herself the two prisoners the key to the s situation were ile he so mat wa would ule stay aboard send ashore as many men to meant the search to prosecute as possible richard with wit h the best chance of for clearly could not success strength george would not permit go his would wish to stay with it mary her husband As matters developed one other man stayed aboard the VeD after the anchor was down since the wind was freshening mat ordered the sails all furled this meant sending the men aloft hurd the little cockney descending afterward in some way fell the last few feet to the deck he landed on his feet but he howled with pain and when he tried to stand he could not apparently he had broken a bone in his ankle or suffered a severe sprain certainly he would be of no use ashore so when the boats put off twelve men went in them or ra rather ther eleven men and tommy hanline corkran commanded one boat big pip the other seven men and mary weri were left aboard hurd was in the forecastle gee and peter in ir irons ons below george in his bunk in the cap bains cabin willie leeper in his galley and mat and alq and mary on deck to watch the boat depart like the other harpoon ers was by the etiquette of the ship restricted in his movements forbidden to come to the after house except on business so while the boats moved away from the vessels side he stood alone in the waist mary and mat were together by the rail just forward of the after house they saw the boats land and saw the men haul them high and dry it occurred to mat to inspect peters irons he called to the harpooner take a look at gee the other man went obediently toward the fore hatch and mat descended into the cabin with mary he slid back the bolt on the door between the common cornmon room and the main cabin peter sat there at the table his hands in front oti of him the irons on his wrists passed through the loop of chain around the mizzen and he met mats eyes but he did not speak mat closed the door and bolted it again when he turned mary stood in the doorway of the captains cabin and george was on his feet inside the cabin facing her and coughing a little mat forbes felt rather than saw a shadow pass along the skylight over his head he looked up sharply at the skylight too late to see anything and then he took the revolver out of his belt and cocked it and stepped quickly toward the companionway he started to ascend mary came to the foot of the companionway and his feet were level with her shoulders his head just emerging from the companion when she heard the crack of the smashing blow that felled him the revolver without being discharged dropped out of his hand and clattered down to her feet mat slumped forward limply on his face his body sprawling on the deck his is legs hanging down the companionway shouted something and she looked up and saw the harpooner his face red with excitement grab mat by the collar mary snatched the revolver from the floor but hauled mat out of sight before she could shoot on deck someone came running aft george crossed to her side took the weapon from her looking up he whispered what happened she was strangely not excited killed mat she told him simply through the companion above them they could see the sky the rain filled clouds the after rail they heard speaking watch the companion he panted his voice thick ill go get him loose and gee you stay here and if anybody shows a head bust pem cm mary did not know hurd was aboard she looked at george and saw with a quickening respect and admiration that he was calm that strength had run into him to me meet et this emergency he said go get the guns out ot of the rack and load them ill watch here in case they try to come down she said from across the cabin by the arms rack its locked the guns uns are locked in can you break it open not no I 1 dont see how then find the bomb gun she turned to look for that huge and awkward weapon someone tried the bolted door between and peter called to them sharply mary let me in george said strongly no peter you sick fool ill break down the door peters voice crac kedas it was likely to in moments of emotion ill shoot you it if you dol george retorted ile he made a sign to mary tc to hurry his lips shaped the words bomb gun peter was whispering to in the main cabin george and mary could hear the murmur but no words mary found the bomb gun a as s heay heavy as a small cannon luckily it 1 was vas loaded the voices in the main ca cabin bin could no longer be heard and there wa was s no sound on the deck above their heads she asked george will that bomb explode if it hits a anything 1 I dont know he admitted 1 I dont know how t they hey work he grinned doubtfully richard said the back end of a gun like this does as int much ich damage as the front but its better than nothing and if that bomb hits anyone even if it explode know iti it TO BE CONTINUED |