Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-12-07
CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI.
The wind rose again that afternoon,
and by four o'clock it was blowing very
hard. The seas drove against the sides
of the old ship in thunderous murmurs;
now and again they sprang the bulwarks,
crashing down upon the deck above us
and shaking the iron fabric in convusive
tremors. In the confined cabin my nau-
sea visited me again. Enough that |
was supremely miserable.
At six, Blake had brought us a sup
per. His presence irritated me; and
when he pressed food upon me, i spoke
my mind strongly on the lamentable
want of tact general amongst sailors. He
gave us the comfortable news, however,
! that we were expected to reach South
ampton by three next morning.
The night crawled on. Blake had
helped us into hunks and covered us with
rugs. | found the handouts of small
Inconvenience. could hear Graden snor-
ing. For myself, l could not go to sleep,
but lay In the lowest misery, staring at
the opposite partition, that rose and fell
at the ships rollings with a sickening
| regularity. Just before midnight, the
lamp-that had probably been injured
when Graden fell in the lazarette-
smoked, fared, and expired. l was too
unwell to care, except for the smell.
Yet it was the darkness which saved
our lives.
1t was about half an hour later that
| first noticed it-a faint ray of illum-
inatiOn winking in the center of the cabin
floor. At first l imagined that the nau-
sea had affected my eyes, and so peered
into the black of the night, rubbing them
impatiently. But the rays steadied and,
if anything, increased in volume 1t was
ghostly thing to witness, this white
knife-edge of light stabbing up from
the solid planking without cause or ex-
planation. l was about to shout to
Graden when l remembered the trap
door, Someone was below in the lazar-
cite!
For some moments l remained staring
at the crevice through which the rays
passed up to me. After ALL it might be
some member of the crew; but if not
if it were old Marnac What then? He
was an old man; he could not force the
grating, even if he had obtained the key.
We had seen to that.
| / do not pretend to say that l was un-
afraid. There were deviish possibilities
in hatred such as that in which tue
mad professor held us. Yet after while
my curiosity overcame my fear, just as
my fear had put aside my sickness.
rolled from my bunk-noisily enough,
dare say, but all sound was dulled by the
turmoil without. The pitchings of the
vessel made it impossible for me to
stand, so l crawled forward to where the
edge Of the trap was outlined. / felt for
and found the ring, gripped it with my
teeth, and slowly, for the irons hampered
my balance, raised the edge. Then with
my hands l thrust the edge of the boot,
which l had removed for that purpose,
into the crack. Flat on my face, peeped
below.
1t was indeed Marnac. The light Of
a ships lantern, jammed between two
barrels, drew streaks of silver from his
white hair as he bent to his labor. Seat
ed astride one of the steel cylinders that
we had noticed, ne was unscrewing the
last OF the nuts which secured its iron
cap. What he intended had no idea.
He was lingering the nut which the
spanner had loosened, when l saw face
creep out of the shadow behind him.
1t was the captains boy. With infinite
caution he moved forward, with blend
ing of alarm and curiosity in his manner
and showed he was no party to what was
proceeding Probably the key to the
lazarette had been purloined from him,
and he had discovered its loss. When
scarcely two yards from Marnac, the
lurch of the ship threw him from his
balance. AS he stumbled forward, Mar
nae snun round with scream of the
most violent passion. Swinging the
heavy hammer, he brought it down upon
the bent head with scrunching blow.
The lad had dropped upon the floor face
downwards; nor did he try to rise again.
Murderer l cried down upon him,
in horror at so fearful spectacle.
Marnac dropped his weapon and
started back, his fingers twitching, his
eyes searching wildly round for a sight
of his accuser. Yet when, at last, he
saw my face above him, he drew himself
together without sign of trepidation
save that the hand with which he