The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-01-02
CHAPTER XVI.
SEALED ORDERS

know not, but when l began to re-
cover, my first sensation was that
of motion. l was lying down, and
the thing lay on was swaying
slightly to and fro. In my ears
there buzzed muffled metallic
vibration. !.
Then, as my heavy eyes roamed
wildly around the cramped space,
all that had happened came back
to me in flash, and knew that I
was in one of the sleeping berths
of the Nightshade. and that the
Nightshade was no longer in the
dock. The vibration was caused
by the pulsing of her engines. She
was steaming slowly in open
water. The voyage had begun. and
l was a prisoner on board her
bound whittier?
The shock of my awakening was
so horrible that the full signifi-
canoe of my detention on the ves-
sci only came to me by degrees.
But when l tried the plan of carry
ing my mind back to the day be-
fore. they were degrees that fol-
lowed each other quickly. and APP
palling enough found them. That
steady throb of the steamers
screw sounded like a death knell,
for I guessed all too surely that I
was the victim of deliberate plot
to get me out of the way of launch
ing ruin on Roger Marske.
That the brutal captain of the
Nightshade had any knowledge of
Arthur's unfortunate sister, or had
ever sailed with Roger Marske on
a yacht was extremely improbable.
Belcher did not look like a man
who would ever be intrusted with
the command of yacht. However,
by the light of what had befallen
me at his hands, that was imma-
terial. Doubtless Roger Marske, or
maybe Sir Gideon himself, had had
previous dealings with him, and
knew that he would be an unscrup-
ulous instrument for conveying me
where?
With an effort l staggered to my
feet and looked about me. The
place was in was a small cabin,
with two sleeping hunks, on the
lower of which had slept out my
drugged sleep. l saw with a thrill
of apprehension that the bed
clothes were fairly clean, nor was
this inconsistent. On such YES
sci as this cleanliness suggested
preparation and design, and there
were. infinite possibilities in the de-
signs of such people as had hold
of me.
One step brought me to the door.
which, of course. was locked, and l
turned to the circular port hole. 1t
was closed, but had l been able to
open it, 1t would have been useless
for purposes of escape, for 1t was
too small to admit the passage of
my head, to say nothing of my
body. 1t offered this advantage.
though, that 1t gave me view of
the outside world.
The sun was rising from bank
of haze, between which and the
ship, at a considerable distance, a
long line of low lying mud flats
was visible. was able to con-
clude, therefore, that 1t was early
morning. and that the steamer was
somewhere In the lower reaches of
the Thames, heading for the open
sea. And as ! gazed with wistful
longlngs at the far off shore
through the plate glass circle, the
steamer bore to the right. the land
fell away quickly. and, minute by
minute, the waves ran higher.
knew that we were out of the river,
standing down channel on south.
erly course for the Straits OF
Dover.
Vessels passed us In plenty, from
heavily laden barges to huge in,
ward bound ocean liners. but none
so near that even had I been on
deck could have made by distress
known on hoard them.
think that the tears would have
come had l not been distracted by
a loud knock at the cabin door-a
superfluous attention that l appre.
ciated vaguely, seeing that the door
was locked Oh the outside. and that
II was open to anyone to enter.
"Ahoy there. missy. You'll be
wanting some breakfast. eh?" came
the husky tones OF Captain Bel
cher's voice.
l decided rapidly that, NJ l was
J at the mans mercy and in com
a. f Il