Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-06

Patron noticing this almost involuntarily
mimicked the facial movement. He him
self shifted the air Of the cabin, and he
saw, or thought he saw, slight expression
of relief pass over the captains face as he
did So The old mans eyes were fixed on
him with an intensity of gaze which seemed
smell nothing except the usual odors of
the ships cabin.
For moment he turned his face away
from the captain and gazed helplessly
about the cabin. The thought of fire on
that explosive-laden ship was a terrible
one. When he looked back at the captain
the old man seemed to search his face for
some sign that he had accomplished some
thing by his survey of the cabin.
Il can smell nothing" said Parton, al
most ridiculing himself for the idea that
the old man, who was incapable of speech,
could understand what others said.
Again the captain shifted, shifted shifted
and as he did so winked. The power of
that movement had never been taken from
him. From the first he had had apparently
some control over the movements of his
eEelids and eyeballs. An idea occurred to
Parton. Perhaps there was a possibility
of communicating with the old man
through this very ability of his-about the
only comfortable power of movement which
had not been taken from him. Parton acted
on the idea without hesitation.
Captain he said, slowly and very dis
tlnctly, L can't understand you; but per-
haps can suggest plan by which we may
See If you can understand me-"
He looked eagerly at the face of the sick
| man, and he believed, although he was not
sure. that there was a flash of intelligence
| IN the anxious eyes there
Now try to understand me- captain {"
said Parton, very slowly and distinctly. II
shall speak very slowly, and If l am right
IN what say you are to tell me so by
closing your eyes once. If I am wrong you
are to let me know that by closing your
eyes Twice once for yes and twice for no.
Do you understand?
And the captain winked once
In half a dozen ways Parton who was nv
no means sure of the usefulness of his plan
tried to prove to himself that the captain
did not understand him, but that his wink
ing was mere haphazard, muscular move
ment. But every test that he could think
| or proved otherwise, and finally he was con-
vinced A
Then. for the first time. he realized the
terrloie agonles which the old man must
| nave suffered as he lay there. 1t flashed
upon him that during all that time he NAV
nave been wholly conscious but unable to
express himself He wondered if those two
cries mad been intelligent efforts and not
| mere meaningless shrieks of physical
agony.
He wondered IT, In the first place the
captain had tried to call him and in tha
second instance had tried to call others
TO ms assistance. He wasted no more time
however, in wondering about what was
past. He started at work on his new ex-
pertinent.
Now. captain" he said very SLOWLY and
with very careful enunciation, do YOU nm
derstand me? You are to wink once If T
| am right in what 1 guess at your meaning.
| you are to wink twice if am wrong. Do
you understand?'
| The captain wfnked once
| am not wrong in thinking that Won
understands
| The captain winked twice.
"A few moments ago you said three
words. Fire Humber and .Amidsbinc ,
action of your -nostrils that you smelled
| fire on board and that 1t might reach the
Humberite which is stored amidships2
| The captain winked once, and there was
| ar expression of relief on his face which
| could not be mistaken.
| Il cannot smell any fire. said Parton.
J now leaning forward with an intensity Of
| interest which the old man evidently recop
| nized and was pleased by. Are Won GER
| tain that you do?"
| The captain winked once
! shall call the mate?"
| The captain winked twice
| You don't want me to call the mate Is
| that right?'
! The captain winked once.
Shall call some one else?"
The captain winked once
| Whom shall / call? l will name the
! men over and when l come to the right
name let me know by winking once at me-
Do you understand?
The captain winked once
Then Parton named the crew over as well
| as he could. Long as he had been on the
\ ship he was not familiar with all of their
names, but most of them he knew. The
/ man who had come to him and told him
that the men would stand by him If the
mate tried to put him In irons or otherwise