Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-04-30

impossible range-but the unbeatable
fact remained that the Indians meant
to be aggressive. For Il little time no.
one spoke They heard the echoes of
the gunshot family thrown back by
the nearest wall of rock The regular
pIash Of the paddles as the canoe sped
shoreward was distinctly audible. They
watched the tiny craft until 1t vanish
ed round the wooded point which con-
cealed Otter creek.
The muffied clang of a hammer broke
the silence which had fallen on IN
watchers from the ship. Walker had
slipped back to his beloved engines
Had he not vowed that the massive
pistons should again thrust forth theiI
willing arms on or about New Years
day. lie had forgotten the cannibals
aud their threats ere he was at the
foot Of the engine room ladder. Courte
nay aud TolleInache joined him; Chris
tobal went to the salon to visit his
patients: Elsie was left with Mr. Boyle,
who forthwith fell into a doze, being
worn out by the fresh air and the ex-
element
joey, having followed Courtenay to
the one doorway in the ship which he
could not enter. trotted back to find
Elsie. She greeted him with enthu-
siasm.
Hail, friend,'' she said. "You at
least are not jealous If speak to youl
master, wherein you show your cx-
noo,gify x,.sef5>x,, Nx,,,- e.;nro Won. Z, :. Il
l are persons of leisure. tell me, Joey,
what we shall do to make. ourselves
useful
The dog was accustomed to being
spoken TO- He awaited developments.
IT seems to me, joey" she contin-
ued, that Guglielmo FrascueIo is the
one person on board who claims our
attention. There is a mystery to be
solved. Bound up in it are my poor
Isobel, that beast Ventana and a
drunken coal trimmer-an odd assert.
ment to rub shoulders, don't you
think r
joey Still reserved his opinion. When
the girl went to the forecastie by climb
ing down the sailors ladder to the low
er deck he thought she was making a
mistake, but she held her arms for his
spring, and all was Well She had not
previously visited the quarters set
apart for the crew. Puzzled by the
large number of small cabins with
names of subordinate officers painted
on them, she paused and cried loudly
''Are you there, Frascuelo? May
speak to you?"
An exclamation of surprise, a some
what forcible exclamation, too, answer
ed her from an inner berth. Fras-
cuelo had heard from the Chilean who
brought his meals that there was an
Englishwoman on board, but he did
not know that she spoke Spanish flu
emily.
Fraseuelo was reclining on lower
bunk His injured leg was well on the
way toward recovery, but the wound
and its resultant confinement had
clllstened him. He had lost the brig,
andish swagger which was his most
cherished asset.
After acknowledging inquiries as to
his progress he showed such eagerness
for news that Elsie told him briefly
what had caused the latest uproar.
She cheered him, too with the an
nouncement made by the engineer and
then led him to the topic on which she
sought information
I'm some ways l regard you as most
unfortunate. she said. Il have been
told You are here by accident: that you
never meant to take the voyage at all
Is that true:'
Fraseuelo, delighted to have secured
a sympathetic listener. poured forth
his sorrows yolubly. He bore no i'll
will against the captain, he said. He
knew it was wrong to draw a knife on
the chief officer, as his tale was an
unlikely one, and he ought to have
trusted to a more orderly recital of the
facts to obtain credence.
But was that mad, senorita, I just
saw red, and the drink was yet surg
ing up in me. I felt l must fight some
body, whatever the consequences
4.Can you tell me why any one had
such a grievance against you that you
should be thrown into the hold and
nearly killed? That was strange
thing TO do especially as you came
aboard too late for your work
''Ah, that is the point, senorita. You
see, we trimmers work in gangs. and
the man who flung me through the
batch was the man who had taken my
place. see no reason to doubt that ii
was he who made me drunk the previ
GUS evening, and know who did
that"
'sWhat was his name?"
..Jose Anacleto-sJose the Winebag'
we call him on the plaza. ought to
have smelled mischief when Jose paid
Never before had seen him do such
thing. And a good liquor too. Dios
it must have cost him dollars"
What object had he in coming on
board instead of you!"
..Ah, there you beat me, senorita. ]
have twisted my poor brain with think
ing of that We only earned A dollar