, 1880-01-26

Ian Win b SullIy l6uBu. 4OOA
me for ghost, eh ?"
"I beg your pardon, sir; I oughtn't
to have called to you. Shouldn't have
done it if I'd known it soas you. But it
took me aback, SIR"
Naturally. You need not be sur
prised at seeing me in any part of the
vessel. I'm studying its construction,
-as scientific man. Captain Payson
has been good enough to give me ad-
mittance to all parts of the vessel.
You needn't shout in that disagreeable
way again. 1t startles nervous man;
and with vague smile he blew out the
candle and went up on deck, leaving
Dan staring after him.
1T is not all right; or why should
he, bein' gentleman, make such Il
long winded explanation to me, bein'
the cabin boy?" Dan said at last, shak-
ing his head.
That night, Captain Payson was alone
on the quarterback, when Dan present
ed himself before him and saluted. His
voice shook little. for he was terribly
scared. cold Job was . bigger man
in his eyes than any king Or potentate.
Well!' what's the matter with
you?" growled the captain.
The-the passenger, sir"
"What have you to do with the pas
senger?"
81 beg your pardon, sir,-but are
you sure he isn't thief, or-or
worse?" gasped Dan, forgetting in his
terror, the respectful speech he had
planned, in which lie simply meant to
state the facS of Doctor Farnall's visit
below deck.
The captain seized ropes end.
"Take that for your impudence! he
shouted, aiming a blow at Dan, who
lodged it, and then blurted out the
whole story.
Searching among the hunks? DIR.
Farnall!" muttered the captain in as
tonishment, dropping his weapon; and
then he walked thoughtfully up and
down. Suddenly he stopped before
Dan.
''It is we'll that you came to me and
nobody else with the story he said.
1T is Of no account. DIR. Farnall is
an eccentric man. If he wishes to ex-
anime the ship in any part, he is not to
be watched and spied upon. So keep
your eyes to yourself; and your tongue,
too. If you go blabbing this story
about. I'll fog you
Dan crept off to his work feeling as
if he had had sound drubbing Tears
of rage and modification stood in his
eyes.
Mothers rules do very we'll on
land, but they don't wear on ship
board" he mutrered. "But there's
something that needs watching in that
man, and I'll watch him."
Nothing of moment happened, how
ever, for a week. Then Dan observed
that the passengers days of fasting and
depression grew more frequent. There
were whole nights when he paced the
deck until morning.
The crew joked together about him.
One declared thaG he was a murderer; !;
another, that he had escaped from a
lunatlc asylum; but the common opin
ion was that he had run away from a
termagant wife.
.'D'ye mind" said Irish Jem. how
he eyes every ship we hail, as thop yh
she might be aboard?"
Dan, alone, never joined in the gos
sip below decks about the mystery.
One day, little incident occurred
which suddenly strengthened his sus-
picions.
Just before nightfall, when passing
the after hatchway, in the covering of
which was slide that could be opened
and closed at will, Dan met Dr. Farnall
mil rrt
There was an unsteady glare in his
eyes. He seized Dan by the shoulders.
do you know where have been" "
he said hoarsely.
In the lower hold, sir; among the
boxes"
What dye think is down there,
boy,-for you and all of us? Death!
Death! But tell nobody-nobody -
He dropped his hold aud staggered on.
"Mad as q March hare!" muttered
Dan.
But half an hour later, DR.. Farnall
was seated at the supper table. gay.
self possessed, keeping the captain in
roar with his good stories.
About the middle of the second
watch that night, Dan tarned out of
his bunk. The boy was really too anx
ious to sleep.
"Death in the hold, eh? Death in
the hold ?" he repeated to himself.
He did not dare to 60 to the captain
or crew with his story. Yet he was sure
that some peril was at hand. He sat
shivering for awhile, then pulled on
his clothes.
eff Deaths in the hold, I'll find
him." he said.
He groped his way to the after hatch
way unquestioned; for the mate, who
had charge of the deck, was reclining
listlessly against the rail farther aft