Evening star., 1904-01-23
CHAPTER TX.

locks that turns out to be the safest
sea chest.-The Log Book OF The
Lyddy.
Besides the somewhat natural nervousness
which Parton felt as he went to his caolh
to remove the diamonds from his pelt anu
stuff them into his pockets, preparatory 10
hiding them from the possibly larcenous
fingers of the mate, there was distinct
worry about Capt. Burgee. Even While ne
was in his little state room engaged in this
interesting labor, vision of the old sailor $
pained. drawn face rose before him and
troubled him. There had been something
almost uncanny in its expression of sternly
combatted agony. His half prediction that
the mate would be in command OF the
Lydia Skolfeld before she reached her Bos-
ton wharf was not a pleasant prophecy.
Even aside from the fact that Parton had
learned to feel a real affection for the old
man. and was greatly distressed to think
that physical misfortune threatened him,
he had cause for regret in the fact that, as
the captain had said, if anything happened
to him the mate would be in command of
the ship.
He put the plugs which the captain had
made for him in one of his outside jacket
pockets, together with some rumpled-up
bits of newspaper which he thought he
might need for packing. Just as he emerg-
ed from the cabin companionway the mate
appeared a. the head of it to go down, and
Parton stood aside to let him pass.
As Parton walked aft the captain tipped
him one of his prodigious winks, and init
mated to him in dumb show that everything
had been arranged. Parton turned and walk
ed forward toward the open hatch, and the
cap tain walked with him, so that the soli-
tary excursion of the passenger should not
seem strange to the man at the wheel. BY
the time they had reached tEp hatch fhpV
were hidden from him by maStS and can
vas, and the captain had so distributed the
other members of the crew that Parton
could descend into the hold without being
seen by any of them.
The vCrk of secreting the jewels took
orly few moments. There was narrow
gangway running aft between two piles of
, the timbers, closely braced and shored SO
as to hold them firm, in case of heavy seas.
! Over these braces Parton clambered quick
ily until he reached the second pile of the
tinbers. He used his light very sparingly,
orly flashing it from beneath his jacket
after he felt certain that he was in a po-
sition where it could not be seen even by a
, person leaning over the hatchway and
looking down.
The space between the second and the
third piles OF timbers was scarcely wider
than was necessary for his cramped pas
sage, and was greatly encountered by brac
Ing rods and beams: but it was this very
narrowneSS which made him choose it.
He selected the log which was to form his
novel safety deposit box in way which he
thought of at that very moment, and he
laughed to himself as he decided on it. At
random he touched a log and feeling of its
smooth, square end. found the small hole
for the test which was designed to reveal
the work Of dishonest dealers If they had
done any. Having fully investigated this
hole with his fingers and found it was in all
respects suitable for his purpose, he did not
take 1t; but took the third one from it,
counting the outer planking of the ship.
He had with him bit of wire something
like four feet In length. This he thrust into
the hole. finding it's depth to be about three
ieet This was deep enough. and he thrust
his precious packages in. one by one, until
they had all disappeared into the log.
with a stick which formed part of his
equipment, he poked them in as far as he
could. and then he gently hammered the
plug which the captain had whitfield out
for him after them. The old man had evil
gently calculated its size with great care
Tor II went In with just enough unwilling
ness to make him feel certain that it would
take definite effort to bring 1t out. and
that it could not be dislodged by any ordi-
nary accidental circumstance
Then there came the necessity of marking
the log for identification. First he very
carefully determined its location in the nile
by count, and made elaborate notes about
1t in his memorandum book which aftcr
ward, he tucked into his pocket with much
greater care than had ever been bestowed
upon the little volume before during the
whole of It's existence
But he was not satisfied with this mere
memorandum. Many things. he reflected
might happen to that. He might lose tbr
pooh, Tor instance. To mark the log itself
was, as the captain had said a most nee.
eSSary precaution.
He solved the problem nv tak;r, rro,,
ms pocket his key ring. and selecting A fat.
steel Key. with numerous eccentric notches
along its edge. He held this against tte
end of the log. and hit IL two or three en,arI
DlOWS with his liftla ha
Iore he struck, each time until the sbi,
was groaning with the strain of the sea as
an wooden vessels will. Then he fla sbod
ms light upon the logs end and saw thar
,here was very distinct impression of the
Key there He smiled little as he sam II
Inc Key had been the one with which ra
had opened the safety deposit box in Lon
don the day on which he had taken the bcI+
with Its precious burden out of II Tbms Tor
,he second time it became the guardian of
his treasure a't "a
He believed that no one would be likely 10
observe so small a blemish He made ,e
surance of this doubly sure nv rnJn,nf,
over the impression some of the eartb
which chung to the end of one of the ofbar
Ioss All OF the log ends Were more or less
slnedred with dried mud and the presaucn
or tHis particular soled spot on this aenn
tention to it, ~
After he had completed his task he OK
amined its result with some care ard VIC
well satisfied that he had hidden his iaw,is
IN such way that the mate would be una
bic to find them. '"
Luck-or the captaIn-favored him. for no
member OF the crew was near at hand
when ne emerged from the hatch TO tbs
deck, and. indeed. he saw no man until IA.
reached the waist of the ship. where sayers
OF the men were working with pain, Dot
prush and considerable profane protes. A.
ne passed them he noticed that the sen was
rlsihs' and dash of salt water drar.be1
MIN here again was good luck
II Such Things occurred often II would h,
necessary To batton down the hatches Had
IL peen necessary 10 do so before II might
nave been difficult to arrange il So that
ne could have entered or emerged from the
hatch without making a good deal of trou-
PIE ana attracting much attention
The weather. although fresheuing was
sun dehghtful. The Lydia drove along
spankingiy. with every inch of her square
canvas pulling with bellies bulging toward
the Americas. The sun glittered prettily
on the ever-moving sea. and Parton felt
exhiiarated and elated. He was convinced
that he had escaped another danger He
was more convinced OF 1t than before after
ne had gone below. The mate was sitting
at the cabin table. busy with some papers
and nodded rather surlily when Parton en-
tered Parton sat down at the table after
he had lett his membranes In his little
cabin. which he could do without being
seen by the other. Parton passed over the
cigar box. The mate knocked off the evi-
n IL ftaN. a,f.. - -