The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-12-21

CHATTER MI.
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 convulsive
tremors. In the confined cabin my nau-
sea visited me again. Enough that
was supremacy miserable.
At six, Blake had brought us a sup
per. His presence irritated me; and
| when he pressed food upon me, l So -.e
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. l found the handouts of small
| inconvenience. could hear Graden snor-
ing. For myself, 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-
nation 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
a ghostly thing to witness, this white
| knifeedge of light stabbing up from
| the solid planking without cause or eX-
PLANTATION. l was about to shout to
| Graden when | remembered the trap
| door. Someone was below in the lazar-
ettol
For some moments 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 We're old Marnac! What then? He
| was an old man; he could not force tn.
grating, even if he had obtained the key.
We had seen to that.
l do not pretend to say that l was I'M
| afraid. There were devilish possibilities
| in a 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
| 7 ,1oI sd To h.
| 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, l peeped
below.
1t was indeed Marnac. The light of
a ships lantern, damned 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 a 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 pur,oined from him
and he had discovered it's loss. When
scarcely two yards from Marnac, the
lurch of the ship threw him from his
balance. AS he stumbled forward, Mar
nae spun round with a scream of the
most violent passion. Swinging the
heavy hammer, he brought it down upon
the bent head with a 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 a spectacle.
Marnac dropped his weapon and
started back, his fingers twitching his
eyes searching wildly round for sight
of his accuser. Yet when, at last, he
saw my face above him, he drew himself
together without a sign of trepidatioI
Save that the hand with which he
gripped the stairs still shook slightly.
Zach. but it is you," he whispered up
For q moment l thought-but it was
the folly of child. And so. Mr.. Har
land. you come again to trouble me- Well
it is for the last time-mark you tina
for the very last time
!; He sat himself across the cylinder. A.
, he did so l felt a hand upon my shoulder
and knew that Graden was awake.
''You might have spared the lad," HI
said very quietly.
Marnac looked up with one of tn,
heast-like glances that showed the dis
ordered brain.
1T was a necessity" he said. II,
would have prevented my act of justice
upon you-upon you who have tried 81
, hard to hinder me in my revenge upo1
M enemies who are also the enemies 0
science. Do you understand what | an
about?'
"Perhaps." answered my cousin grim
ly, and at the word he jerked away m.
boot. letting the trap fall into its place
ITO the door. Robert he whispered
''To the door and shout for help. or
5 is all over with us. He must have no
ticed the ammonia cylinder this after
e noon. If he turns the tap, that stuf
2 will choke the life out Of US. The ga