The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1907-01-03
CHAPTER XXI

ana p} TOUR O'CLOCK Il was blowing very
hard. The seas drove against the sides
of the old ship in thunderons murmurs
aow and again they sprang the bulwarks.
crashing down upon the deck above as
and shaking the iron fabric in convulsive
tremors- In the confined cabin my nau-
sea visited me again. Enough that l
was supremacy miserable.
At six, Blake had brought as a sup
per. His presence irritated me; and
when he pressed food upon me. l 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 l could hear Graden snor-
ing For myself. l could not 90 TO sleep.
but lay in the lowest misery. staring at
the opposite partition. that rose aud fell
at the ships r~ollings with a siekening
regularity. Just before midnight. the
lamp-that had probably been injured
when Graden fell in the lazarette-
smoked, fared. and expired l was too
unwen to care. except for the smell.
Yet it was the darkness which saved
our lives.
1t was about half an hour later thar
! first noticed it-a faint ray of illum-
nation winking liz the center Of the cabin
door. 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.
II anything. increased in volume. IL was
a ghostly thing TO witness. this white
knife-edge 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-
ettsI
For some moments | remained staring
At the crevice through which the rays
passed up 10 me- After all. il might be
some member Of the crew; but If not
If il were old Marnaei What then? He
was an old man: he could not force the
even If he had obtained the key.
We had seen to that
| do not pretend to say that / was I'M
afraid There were devilish possibilities
in a hatred such as that In which tue
mad professor held US. Yet after a while
curiosity overcame my fear. just as
fear had put aside my sickness.
rolled from my ~bunk-nOisily enough,
Hare say. but all sound was dniled by the
turmoil without The ~pifchings Of the
made 1t impossible for me TO
'taud, so ! crawled forward to where the
'dge Of the trap was outlined ] felt for ,
md found the ring. gripped il with my !.
eeth, and slowly, for the r0ns hampered
ny balance, raised the edge. Then with
ny hands / thrust the edge Of the boot.
which | had removed for that purpose. r
nf0 the crack Flat on my face, l peeped Il
/,
1t was indeed Marnac. The light Of :.
ships lantern, damned between two :
arrels. drew streaks of silver from his
'hite hair as be bent to his labor. Seat a
! asrride one Of the steel cylinders that
e rad noticed, he was u~nscrewing. the o
Ist of the nuts which secured its iron 8
up What he intended had no idea.
He was lingering the nut which the 4,
,anner had loosened, when / saw a face
.eep out Of the shadow behind him.
was the captains boy With infinite y
lution be moved forward, with a blend =
( Of alarm and curiosity In his manner Il
I'D showed he was no party to what was "a
-oceeding- Probably the key to the
zarette had been ~purloined from him, q
I'd he had discovered its loss. When =
arcely two yards from Marnae, the -
rch Of the ship threw him from his
lance As he stumbled forward. Mar ~
&c spur round with a scream Of the
ost violent passion. Swinging the N
.avy hammer, he brought it down upon G.
e bent head with a scrunching blow. e.
be lad had dropped Upon the floor face
'wnwards; nor did he try to rise again. ,
Murderer | cried down upon him, "
horror at so fearful a spectacle. ke
dropped his weapon and
lrted back. his fingers twitching, his IN
es searching wildly round for n sight I'll
his accuser. Yet when, at last, he Fl,
my face above him, he drew himself
yether without a sign Of t~repidation =,
save that the hand with which he ~
Ipped the stairs still shook slightly. Eh
'Aehi but it is you" he whispered up. sir
or a moment / thought-but it was
folly Of a child. And so, Mr.. Har- me
ID, you come again to trouble me. Well. az
IS for the last time-mark you that ro,
tor the very last time"
sat himself across the cylinder. A.
did so / felt a hand upon my shoulder. +,
a hAAt ma A11Eh al ANdEts 49,
You might have spared the lad" he -,
4 very quietly. =
looked up with one Of the "n
Ist-like g'ances that showed the dis inf
erred brain. fri
1t was a necessity" he said. "He
uld have prevented my act Of justice q
IN you-upon you who have tried 20
d to hinder me In my revenge upon eau
enemies who are also the enemies Of fac
nee Do you understand what I am Z"
"
Perhaps" answered my cousin grim out
and at the word be jerked away my UNI
letting the trap fall into it's place.
the door. Robert" be whispered. q
the door and shout for help. or II
II over with US. He must have no cha
d the ammonia cylinder this after ="
n. II he turns the tap. that stuff for
choke the life out af Us. The gas Hor