The times., 1901-06-16

watch one morning at eight bells a a. M.
to my surprise | found young Frank, the
boy in my berth. He was a sharn in
telligeut lad of about fourteen whom
had shipped specially 10 be useful in the
cabin, at table. etc As | entered he lift
ed a white, frightened face to mine and
whispered: Captain. they're a-gofn' to
do for the lot Of us. l heard EN- It's
settled an fixed up ready"
| ] stared. thinking the boy had suddenly
gone mad. Then, noting the desperate
eaEerness in the implorinE gaze he tur.ed
on me. / thought it best to humor him,
and. shutting the door. | said: "All right
Frank: tell us the yarn. and you'll see
how Wen euchre EN-"
My. coolness and unconcern Gained him.
and whilst I lit my pipe he told his story
with hardly a break.
In the second dog watch, it appeared
Rafael had sent him into Benton's berth
with tray and some glasses. The stew
ard rarely did this. preferring even when
pressed for time, to go himself. Thus it
! was the second occasion only that Frank
had been in the private berths Benton S
was empty And setting the tray upon
the table he boy-like, paused and took a
look at the books and pictures lying
Then, sir" he continued. II card EN-
a-talkin tOther side o the curtain, instid
o bein' on deck where Id thought they
was. So | was just goin TO clear when
Mister Sinclair says; Well, says he,
thank goodness 1t won't be very long now
till Pedro begins TO put his work in.
/ They'll be rayther surprised. these iOkers
won't they when they feel the knives slip
in into EN-? An he chuckles. sir: an I
! stan's there all of a sweat with wantin'
I to ear more, an tremblin' les I'd be
caught listenin'. Anyway. l stays" con-
/ tinued Frank. AN Benton says, arter
bit, Pedro II want this boat. l expect,
! he says. An tOther answers as fierce
as YOU like. Then. says he 'want'u ave
to be his masteri The cutter an all on
/ board, excep we three, mus be sunk or
better suil, burnt. Not a trace will we
leave behind us that may possibly prove
our ruin. But what's the use o. talkin' p
ne says. You know all this business was
settled long enough since an Pedro will
| ardly wait for fresh Instructions Then
! says Benton, very quiet an low. says he
( Wen, wen, the Lord ave mercy on their
sinful scuis An with that I turns sud
| dent to come out when my elber catches
the tray. an down she goes-wop Mex
| minute Benton shoves through the cur
tain, his big face turnin' as white as that
| struck stupid-like- Why says he arter
a bit; ITS only our little Frank. Good
boy; Frank, says he. But I seen a look
/ In his eye an put my arm up, for
| thought he was going TO catch me
/ stousher But he only says, Tut. tut
what a mess. Been ere long. Frankie?'
Spedkin' as sweet as first-class caramels
/ No, sir, please sir | says; Just this
! minute come But l seen ne didn't be-
heye 1t. although he pats me on tn cad
an says: Good boy, there don't cry
/ You go now and tell Rafael to come an
I clear up
IAN the same, he's got it in for me
"a y sir concluded poor FRANK. snug
tee where I sat smoking and listening to
this most extraordinary story.
( Now Frank" ] said. steTnly ARE YOU
| sure you haven't been dreaming or in
| venting this cOck-and-bulI yarn Mind. if
I | iind you out in any goat-aCting of the
kind III put you on bread-and- water
| from here till we get home, and then have
you sent on the Sobraon for three years"
Sir, he replied, raising a pale tear
| stained face and looking me straight in
MEL IL
( there was no use in questioning further
| strike me pink but I've told you the
truth. not leayin,,, put word nor putin
We'll. well, sonny" I said I believe
you. Now go TO your bunk and don't so
mucn as whisper to your self about the
| matter let alone to anybody else. You've
| done quite right in coming TO me first
/ and | won't forget you when this raffie's
laid out clear. Shouldn't wonder If it's
all a mistake from beginning to end
There, get along, and don't look so much
like a monkey in a fit"
| Then ! sat down again and did some
hard thinking; scarcely knowing what to
! beheye 1t all seemed so monstrously in
CTedlDie! UnSuSpiCiOuS by nature
IQuhd myself slow TO credit the existence
OF Such villains as the pair aft must be
II FRANK had heard Alright Still some
now, as l smoked aud overhauled the
Whoie business from whipping to clinch
II was gradually borne in upon me that
boy story might be true, and that we
ana the little ship that ! had become quite
accustomed to regard as my own proDer-
/ try We're TO be sacrificed in order to cover
the retreat OF the cunning wretches who
We're using US so cOoIly and unscrunt,-
-lonsiy. And as ! thought on II all ana
| my mind became slowly penetrated by
I convection. a cold hard fit of desrerat ta
I anger took possession of me 50 strono
( and sudden in its working that had some
/ trouble TO restrain myself from rushing
I ait ana taxing the pair with their treach-
I cry. instead, l. almost mechanically op-
| ehed and turned over my chest till I felt
my revolver Then. loading ii. put it in
| my pocket, and went on deck
/ PM ! found aft, near the tiIIer. and
surprised to see me. with scarce an hour
| Oh my Watch passed. But making some
! excuse concerning the close air below. |
! I'b MN out or earShOt Of the helmsman
/ ana told him the story And at once and
. almost without question. he believed II
/ implicitly. and, as his manner was. com
/ piettF lost heart and shiyered, protest.
! ing we were al dead men, or words 10
/ that effect. Knowing. however that the
/ cpid NJ would presently pass off, leaving
/ MN his own brave self again, | sirnDIy
! iagh"d at him advising him to 90 and
/ get his revolver for fear of something
/ happening, as for instance Pedro and his
! cut throats becoming impatient and meet
/ ing US sooner than We expected, and then
| returned to my berth to lie and think
| ana smoke for another hour before sleep
! ing.
At seven bells & 80 a. M when steDned
/ outside the first person to catch my eve
/ was Rafael in his little pantry getting
/ ready to lay the cabin table. one hand
/ / noticed was bound up with a white rag
/ on my asking what was the matter he
! said he had cut il whilst drawing a cork
/ lie looked scared; and, in place Of the
! usual dark brown. his face seemed to
! have turned a sort of nasty greeuiSh-
! grey he was sflaky, too, for even as
/ spoke he dropped iish which smashed
, 70 pieces. Phil and his man were wash
/ ing decks, and he gave me a wink as |
/ passed art that told me he was ready for
/ anything. All at once / heard Rafael
! singing out, in the shriI foreign voice
( he at times affected, for "Fer-ank! Fer
/ ank But there was no answer. and he
! called again.
! Where's the boy" l asked Of Adams
I who happened to be at the tiller that
morning.
Il couldn't say, sir" replied the man.
7 He wasn't in his bunk when l came on
/ deck"
/ Suddenly, all suspicion now. I remem-
/ bcrcd Rafaels cut hand, and his curious
nervousness awhile ago. and my heart
/ felt heavy as lead with the weight of a
/ forCgOue conclusion. But " no would have
/ imagined the scuUudrels could have been
so quiCk2 | suppose my face must have
/ shown something Of what | thought, for
I th" man said, with nevertheless a fash of
/ alarm coming into his eyes. Surely. the
J kiddys all right, Captain Frank couldn't
J ran overheard. not ii he tried. He's
about somewhere
! But he was about nowhere, Search as
we might we could find no trace Of him
! except, TO my mind, that lump of white
stun round Rafael's fingers. And bitterly
enough reproached myself for not hay
. ing at least warned the boy TO be on his
I guard, in place of making light of his
story
/ Presently Benton and Sinclair appeared.
+ the former seeming very shocked, the lat
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