The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-03-20
CHAPTER XII

i
and then to my chagrin found that
Macshiel was her attendant ca
Waller. Several turns they took up
and down together, | watching
them eagerly; for | had begun to
think some strange things concern
ing the captain. But as soon as the
girl made for the bench aft and
seated herself, l went round to
them and began to chat away as
though oblivious of the fact that
| Capt. Macshiel twisted his scraggy
neck-whiskers with an exaggerated
motion.
"By the way, captain" said I,
'this is awful news about the Sec
| ond mate"
The old man scowled; but the
girl started forward, an anxious
| look in her face.
"The second mate-that is Mr..
Hayling?'
yes"
what has become of him." She
grew perceptibly whittier as she put
| the question.
Have you not heard?"
| Nothing"
| looked at the captain, and a
curious shade played up and down
his cadaverous jaws; but whether
it was annoyance at my laundering,
| or certain indefinable shame.
| facedness. could not say.
Very sad" said he, in his most
unctuous manner, very sad indeed.
and singularly unaccountable."
What is very sad?" asked the
girl.
This about the second mate
he's missing"
"Missing?" she echoed, the scare
passing as plainly over her face as
a cloud crossing the sun.
! Eyes. He can't be found any
where. We are wondering whether
he fell overheard or committed sui
eide"
ooh, no, mol" cried the girl. "He
could not"
81 admit" said Macshiel, with a
queer smile, that l would not have
thought him capable of one or the
| other; but how else are we to &C.
count for his disappearance?
No sooner had Capt Macshiel left
us than the girls eyes sought mine
with truth-compelling look.
81 don't for one moment believe
that Hayling either fell overheard
Or committed suicide" l said, reply
ing to that look. ''He was not stu
pid enough for the one, and there
was no immediate reason for the
other. Besides, he was not the
man to shuttle out of trouble"
81 don't believe he was" she re-
Piled. "And yct-if not"
"He had many enemies on board,
and one in particular. If he were
surprised, the rest could easily be
| done"
The rest?" she gasped.
81 fear we can only put one con-
struction on his disappearance.
Poor Hayling must be quite hun
dred miles astern by this"
| She did not answer; but as
looked into her face I saw it grow
white as death. Fearing to speak,
turned about and fumbled for a
match, and just then I beheld the
sea through a strange mist.
poor fellow" she said. 81 won
der whose turn it will be next"
That night passed as uneventfully
as the others, and | awOke with a
new feeling of security. On deck
there was the same awful loneliness
of which | have so often remarked
and which was rapidly becoming a
part of me, or | of it. The smoke
was stealing up through the funnel
in a thin, transparent haze; the
screw ground its way through the
water astern. Now and again a
smooth wave broke and fell back
from us with low, mOnotonous
roar.
| was glad when our sweet Lady
of the Sea stepped out Of the com
panion and came towards me. TIC
my inquiry as to the state of hel
health she smiled rather YEARLY,
thought, and explained that she hat
not enjoyed very good night, al
her rest had been disturbed by the
pertinacity of sundry ill-manneret
rats.
Rats" I echoed; for with all he
faults the Pulo Way was as free o
those vermin as one would expec
to find the best regulated ship.
Yes rats" said she, 'and | new
er heard such a villainously sys
tematic knocking and scraping il
all my life"
That's unfortunate, said |, smil
ing gravely, for she was much il
earnest. 81 will speak to the cap
tain and see if he can do anythin,
for you, Your cabin must be owe
the store room"
Then why don't the creatures
eat the stores and leave my foo
/, alone?"
Il don't thinl; they can possibl.
eat your floor, because between i
and them there is an iron deck"
But tmay they got get between
the iron deck and the floor? |
they were to come through, MI
Ravensford, believe l should di'
of fright"
"If you will allow me l will ex
anime the floor when you go be
low"
could not help smiling as
thought of any one on the Pulo Wa.
being frightened of rat. But