Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-07-01


was at an end. 1t seemed TO me as if
he Were still expecting some calamity
to happen to him. and l began to Won
der whether there might not be some
thing seriously wrong with his health
to account for all that had surprised me
in his manner. This explanation which
had not occurred to me while there was
any real danger, struck me forcibly,
now that we were safe on the gunboat,
and, as soon as l had enjoyed the lux
ury Of bath after my five days of dis
comfort, l strolled down to the Lieuten-
ants cabin to have a look at him in the
new light of a patient.
The door of my friends cabin was
a jar as l had approached it, ard when
/ glanced into the room before knock
ing | was surprised to catch sight OF
Engineer Lashton standing by the side
of the Lieutenant's bunk
The fact of Lashton's enmity for
my friend was so undlsputed that at the
sight of his figure in his enemy's cabin
| fell quite justified in watching what
was going on before making my pres
ence known. Gilby was lying across
his bEnk, half undressed and apparent
ly fast asleep. The engineer was stand
ing over him with a bottle of some
black fluid in his hand. While l watch
ed, he made five small marks with it
on the sleeping mans arm. The opera
ton seemed such a mysterious one that
l watched him till he put the cork back
into the bottle, without moving Il step
to interfere with the man, but 1
pounced upon him as he turned to leave
the cabin.
"'What on earth have you been do
ingP l asked unceremoniously and the
fellow seemed rather taken aback.
1T is only a practical joke he said,
with a feeble attempt to smile uncon-
cernedly.
"'Joke or no joke, l demand to see
what is in that bottle | said authorita-
lively, my mind full of mysterious poi
sons, and the engineer handed it over
tamely.
"The bottle contained nothing but
ink"
"Ink!' l exclaimed when the great
brain specialist reached this point in
his narrative, and Macpherson smiled
in a peculiarly quiet way he has when
he has perfectly mystified hearer.
"Yes, ordinary ink" he went on.
"The discovery naturally made NE feel
rather foolish, but not SO much as it
would have done If / had not been
convinced still that his action was in
some way a malicious one. What his
idea could be, however it was impossi-
bic for me to divine and felt so curious
about it that | should have reused my
friend at once to inquire how five black
marks on his arm could possibly affect
his happiness if he had not looked so
thoroughly worn out and In need %
sleep, As soon as Lashton had gone |
left the cabin at once for fear of dis
turbing the sleeper, without stopping
even to try and remove the ink stains,
piece Of stupidity at which l have not
ceased to wonder. You see it was i'm
possible for me tor guess how desper-
ately serious the plot was that the en-
gineer had formed against the man
whom he considered his rival. l re-
tired TO my own cabin opposite Gilby's,
keeping the door open to make sure that
Lashton did not return to do more mis-
chief, but | made poor sentry. | was
tired out, like the young Lieutenant,
through not having had my proper
amount of rest for four nights, and I
oil oh
five black marks.
'When | awoke do not know how
long after, it was to find Gilby stand
ing In my room, half undressed, as
had seen him in his bunk, but with his
shirt sieve buttoned up over the ink
stains ON his arm. l was too full of
sleep, however, to notice the fact at The
time, or even to remember for the mo-
ment anything about what l had seen.
Slepy as | was, | could not help no.
ticing the look of complete misery and
despair on my friends face. He was
standing at the side Of my bunk, hold.
ing an envelope, and when | started
up, rubbing my eyes, he put it into my
hand.
- am glad you are awake, Mac
pherson,' he said, in strangely CON
strained tone. L wanted to ask you to
do me favor. VIII you give this letter
to Miss Cailan personally when you see
her? / do not want to take the risk Of
sending it by mall
but you will see her yourself as
soon as l SHALL l said in surprise at the
request, and Gilby did not reply. Iu-
stead, he turned and walked out of the
cabin leaving me staring at the letter
in my hand and wondering what 1t
meant. | was so stupid with sleep still
that it took me two minutes to think
OF any explanation at all. When | did
l was out of my bunk and running
across to the opposite cabin in a second
Just in time, too, for Gilby was in the
act of locking his door when l burst It
open and rushed in without ceremony.
The fact that the young Lieutenant S
reyoly er and a couple of letters, one Of
them addressed to me, were lying on She
table, served to assure me that my fears