The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-08-19
CHAPTER xll-Continued.

went IN the nOlu. ne thirty vi III -
passengers, one and all, seemed tc
have disappeared below. There was
the welcome clang OF the englne-room
bell, the slow throbbing of the propel
Ter, and the quay was already three
yards away. The streak OF moonlii
water between the ship and the tide
wall widened and widened. The pas
sage had begun.
The two young men climbed to the
upper deck and paced slowly up and
down, arm in arm, talking Of what
lay before them.
The turbine slid away into the night
on the long four and half hours pas
sage. The white cliffs of England
glimmered for little space, and then
a sea-fog got up and hid them. The
steady throb, felt rather than heard
of the mighty engines pervaded the
still air. mile or two out from land
the harbour wind ceased, but there
was an oily swell, which made the
Princesse Henrietta roll little.
Grant was a good sailor, however,
and Basil Marriott was, of course, more
at home upon deck than the floor
of room.
They were quite alone upon the up
per deck. All the seats were deserted.
The great tunnels rose amidships
white and ghost-like, and the only
sound of life came from the bridge
above them, where the captain and
the mate were pacing. They could
see the red lights of their cigars, as
they passed and repassed each other,
and now and then they heard the cap
tain give an order to the man at the
wheel, and the hoarse reply: Port
1t is! Starboard 1t Isl"
"Well, old chap" Grant said, 1--WE
are fairly In for il now, and l hope
you don't feel you have come upon a
wild-goose chase. At least, don't
quite mean that. What / mean is, that
you don't regret having thrown in
your lot with us upon this business"
Regret, my dear fellow?" the sailor
answered; regret? You don't know
what 1t means to me. Why, l have
met my sweetheart on this voyage.
That Is fact. only it's a fact you
need not expatiate upon"
do you know" Grant answered, II
thought there was something of the
sort, and 1t was ! who proposed to
the Duchess that Miss Hobson should
accompany her. l thought-don't you
see-it was my artfulness-that I'd
get you more easily!"
"Oh, come, Grant," the other an
swered, you could not have known
much about 1t. l didn't know much
about 1t myself until 1t actually hap
pened. It's astonishing, by the way,
how rapidly these things do happen
sometimes"
"Oh," Grant replied, time is nothing
20 men like you and me. 1t is what
+ we feel, not how long We have felt It,
that really matters"
THAT Is just what have thought"
Marriott replied 'Halloa What's
this?" he broke of short.
Someone came stumbling up the
ladder to the upper deck.
The two men were forward, and
In the moonlight they saw tall, thin
figure go rolling away and plump
down upon seat on the port side.
Then. quite distinctly in the still air
of the summer night, they heard a
groan.
Grant and Marriott bent over the
valet and looked in his face. The
mans breathing was thick and ster-
torous There was something about
his face they did not like.
Grant lifted up one eyelid with his
thumb. The cornea was turned up
wards. The edge OF the pupil which
they could see, was strangely dilated.
why, the man Is in q ft," Grant
said, in a sharp, frightened voice.
Basil bent down towards the Wallets
.ace. He shifted.
mo, it Is not that" he said. Then.
a curiously hurried voice, 1T is not
hat at all The man is drugged.
You know, Grant, was one of Percy
SCOTS Naval Brigade in the Boer
Mar, and some of our chaps were
wounded, and | went to them In hos
,ital; In fact, l saw a good deal of
ield doctoring. Someone has dosed
our man with a sleeping draught."
but thai is impcssible!" Michael
answered. 1--WE have been on deck
II the time. Nobody has been up!"
Basil thought for a moment.
Good heavens!" he said. my
ask! Somebody must have put
omething into 1t at my rooms, when
williamson went to fetch my gear"
'sNonsense!" Grant answered. mo
ody could have got into your rooms.
Ii! | think see it now. Marriott!
that about that man with the beard
tho was in the carriage with us1
Didn't we go to sleep?"
II believe we did, for half an hour
So" Basil answered. That's it!
his little dose was meant for you
"a perhaps for me-"
The athlete continued In a hard
FERN voice. Where is your fask?"
BASIL took It from his pocket. un
.rewed the top, poured little o.
ID brandy that remained into the
1p. and smelt 1t.
seems to have queer sort O
nell!" he said. and then ne sippe'