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

unusual silence gave him unusual oppor-
tunities for secret observation, and he was
thankful indeed that for the time being
there was no necessity to live I'D to his
popular reputation. The scene OF the
! morning was all over the ship: yet, SO
far as the saloon passenger could see,
/ the captain had not told anybody as yet.
! The chief mate invited him into his cabin
for a smoke, spread the usual newspaper
for spittoon and spun the inevitable
yarns; but then the chief was a hard-bitten
old dog with nerves OF iron and face oil
brass; he might know everything, or moth
ing at all; 1t was for Skrimshi-e to adapt
his manner to the first hypothesis. and to
impress the mate with the eyuberance OF
his spirits and the utter lightness of his
heart. Later in the morning he had
some conversation with the second officer
II was but a word, and yet 1t confirmed the
culprit in his conviction about the sig
nails.
what have 1 done" he asked McKen-
bricks. TO make the old man jump down
my throat like that"
at wasna you" replied the second. cit
was the signals. But ye might have
known not to bother him wi questions just
then"
But what the deuce were the signals
sbout7'
That's more than ken. Bennett"
This was Skrimshire's alias on board.
Cant you find out2''
"Mebbce l might-after a Bit
why not nOw?"
The old mans got the book in his cabin
the deectionary- about the signal
ling, ye ken. It's my place to keep yon.
but the old mans carried it off, and there's
no another in the ship.
aha"
"Ou. ay. 1t was somethin' for hissel. nae
doot: but none of us ken what: an nco
we never wull. for he's rs close as tar,
is the old man
The cold man" was in point Of fact no
older than Skrimshire. but he had worked
his way aft from ships boy, and cruel
boyhcod followed by an early command
had aged and hardened him. a fine sea-
man. and a firm. though fiery. commander.
Captain Nelson had also as kind a heart
as one could wish to win. and a mind
as simple as IL was fair. 1t was on these
qualities that Skrimshire determined 10
play as he sulked in his deck chair on the
poop of the f9urmasted barque Lochwin
noch, while the captain thumped up and
down in his rubber soles. his face black
with thought. and baleful eye upon the
picture of offended oblivion behind the
novel in the chair.
1t was an interesting contest that was
beginning between this pair. both of whom
were strong. determined. willful men; but
one was as cunning as the other WIS kind,
and he not only read his better like book.
but supplied in his turn very legiblc and
entirely plausible reading OF himself He
never dreamt of impressinS the captain as
an innocent man; that would entail an al
Iteration of pose inconsistent with the atti-
tude of one who entertained no title of
suspicion that the mornings signaling had
been about himself On the contrary.
what he had really been. and what he must
low dUubly appear. was the guilty man
who had very little fear Of ever being de-
tected. and not the fieeting shadow OF a
notion that such detection had already TAX
en- place.
This was the obvious and the only role;
he had played it instinctiyely thus far and
reed only go on as he had begun. The re-
ward was at best precarious. 1t depended
entirely upon the character and tempera-
ment of Captain Nelson. Skrimshire cred
tied him with sufficient strength and suf-
ficient humanity to DO nothing and to tell
until the Australian detectives
came aboard. But that remained to be
proved. Nelson might have him free
man all the voyage. and yet put him in
irons before the very end; it would be
kinder to do so at once. However, he
should not do so at all if SlSrimshire could
help it; and he was not long in letting fall
an oblique and delicate, though an excess
sively audacious hint upon the RESPONSE
bility of such course in his own partic-
ular case.
1t was at the midday meal, while the
smoke of the accursed liner was still
dirty cloud on the horizon. Nelson re-
manned morose and silent. while the Of
tended passenger would not give him wo.d