Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-27

Tt was now after seven o'clock in
the morning Five hours had elapsed since
the Venture had been captured at the coal
wharf in Petoskey, and the yacht was by tins
time well out upon Lake Michigan, headed
nearly northeast, on course for the Straits
of Mackinaw. 1t was about the hour that
the pursuit by Lieutenant Pomeroy and Sher-
iff Keyes was begun on board the steamer
Chicora.
During the greater part of those five hours,
Commander Brant had reposed prisoner In
the state-room on the starboard side OF the
school-boat where the mutineers had consign-
ed him shortly after leaving the village.
During all this time the young commander
had not slept. He was keenly alert to every
movement on the deck above him which could
give him clue to what was going on.
When the course was changed and steam
was turned on, he understood the boats posi-
ton quite as well as though he had had the
freedom of the deck. With the coming of
daylight he took up his position at the air
port which lighted the state-room. Through
the aperture he could see the shore-ine, not
over mile away.
he knew that the mutineers, as yet uncer-
tain of their qualities as navigators, were hug
ging the land. Commander Brant did not be-
lieye that Lofty and his coterie could success
fully navigate the Venture. They would com
init some blunder before twelve hours elapsed
that would insure their capture.
While he felt radically certain of this event,
however, Commander Brant did not purpose
to rest inactive in his state-room. He longed
for chance to confer with the prisoners in
the forecastle
Between the cabin and the forecastle,
stretched the full length, very nearly, of the
vessel. To make his way thither, the prison
er in the stateroom would be obliged to gain
first the ward-room, and pass thence forward
through the engine-room and the galley. The
engine-room presented, at first view, an in
superabe obstacle.
While the prisoner so delberated, his eyes
rested on the transom over the door of the
state-room in which he was confined
The transom was wide enough, he was sure,
to admit the passage of his body through it.
If it were not for the guard outside, who mo-
mentarily could be heard shifting his position
before the door, access to the ward-room
would be easy and the first step would be ac-
complished.
Brant had an idea how he could obviate the
danger of passing through the engine-room.
1t was while Brant was examining the tran
som. with an eye to business, that he heard
the word passed down from above for the
sentinel before the state-room door to report
to Captain Rankin" The sentinel arose and
left the ward-room. In an instant Brant had
placed chair under the transom and had the
sash up.
just as he was on the point of drawing him
self up, he heard step on the companion
stairs communicating with the deck, and an
exclamation of disappointment escaped him.
Somebody was coming down into the cabin
and would surely enter the ward-room before
he could put into execution the plan he had
formulated. He drew back accordingly and
waited.
The person who came down the stairs and
entered the ward room was Ricketts,, and he
was followed by all four of his associates in
yiIlainy. When he saw who it was, Brant
did not feel so badly put out at the intrusion
as he had at first.
Brant, next to his desire to oqtwt the
that end-was desirous of knowing something
more about Ricketts, and his intimates The
presence of the men on board the schoolboat
was as yet unaccountable to the young com
mander, and 1t was imperative that he should
ascertain their exact Standing with the run