The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-01

captain. as Robins darted to the ladder
with an oath.
But now he won't answer,'' cried the
T., steward.
/ And even with his words the answer came
| in the terrific report OF a revolver fred in a
/ confined space. Next instant the inspector
had hurled himself into the little slloon
the others at his heels. and half the SHIPS
( company at theirs. There was no Feed 20
point out the culprit's cabin. White smoke
was streaming through the ventilated pan
| els; all stood watching it, but for a time
none spoke. Then Robins turned upon the
| captain.
1--WE have you to thank for this. Captain
| Nelson" said he. 1T is you who Will have
| to answer for IT.
| Neiison turned white. but it was white
| heat with him.
And so / will" he thundered but rot
to youi don't answer 10 any con,ounded
colonial policeman. and don't take cheek
for one. either. BY heaven, sir, I'm mas
ter of tNNis ship, and for two pins I'll have
you over the side again. detective or 10
detective. Do your business ard break In
/ that door, and you leave me TO mind niire
at the proper time and In the proper
place"
He was furious with the fury Of a mas
terful mariner. whose word is law aboard
his own vessel and yet beneath this virile
passion there lurked a certain secret sat
isfacton in the thought that the oonpan-
ion Of so many weeks was at all events
not to hang But the tragedy which lad
occurred was the greater unpleasantne5s
for himself: indeed it might well lead to
something more; and Nelson stood in the
grip o. grim considerations, in his own
doorway while Robins sent for the car
penter without addressing another sylia-
bit to the captain.
The saloon had been invaded by steerags
passengers. and even by members of the
crew. but discipline was for once a Sc
ondary matter in the eyes of Captain Neil
son, and their fire was all for the inso,ent
intruder who had dared TO blame him
abroad his OWL ship. The carpenter Rad
to fight bis way through small but e1-
ceedingly dense. crowd. beginning on the
quarterback outside. and at it's thickest
In the narrow passage terminating in the
saloon. On his arrival. however. the lock
was soon forced. and tho door swung in
wards in a sudden silence. broken as sud-
denly by the detectives voice.
Empty. by Eeaveni" he shrieked-
Hunt him-he's given US the slp!
And the saloon emptied only less rapidly
than it had filed. till Nelson had il to him.
self: he stepped over to the passengers
cabin. half expecting to find him hiting in
some corner after ALL There he was
wrong: nor did he at once grasp the full
significance of what he did find.
revolver was dangling from a peg on
one side OF the eabin-danglins by yard
Of twine secured TO the trigger. A few
more inches OF the Irvine, tied to the
butt. had been severed by burning as bad
another yard dangling from another peg
at the opposite side of the cabin. An inch
OF candle lay upon the floor. The Irvine
had been passed through it: there was its
mark in the wax. The whole had been
strung across the cabin aud the candle
lighted before S6rimshire left; the re-
volyer hung by the trigger as 4 man is
hanged by the neck. had been given a
three-foot drop. and gone off duly as the
flame burnt down to the string. Such was
the plan which an ingenious Cf pe=vert-
ed mind had taken several weeks 20 per-
feet.
Nelson rushed on deck, to find all
hands at the rail, and a fresh sensation
III the air. The pilot met him on the
poop.
MY boats gone!" he cried. ''And the
night like pitch,"
Nelson stood thunderstruck.
Did you leave a man aboard?"
mo; he came up for a telegram for the
police in town.
Then you can't blame me there
And the captain leapt upon the rail at
the break of the poop.
"SiIencei" he roared. "Silence-every
man OF youi II we can't we must listen
a that's it not whisper
. now ."
At first there was nothing to be heard
but the quick drawn breath from a half
a-hundred threats: then, out Of the i'm
penetrable darkness. came the thud. thud,
thud OF an oar in a rowlock, already some
distance away: but in which direction it
was impossible to tell on such a night
E. W. Hornung in the Strand Magazine.