The Washington times., 1910-06-07

going TO take the ship. we
depend upon you to look after the
lieutenant. Lock him in his cabin or
keep him below until we have attended
70 the men on deck. and the Hiram and
Susan will be yours in the morning. II
You will help US, walk aft on the poop
deck at six bells in the second dog
watch"
That was the note II was unsigned
and was written with a blunt carpen-
ter's pencil on a piece of paper torn,
apparently, from the fly leaf Of book.
She now remembered that. greatly 10
her surprise, MIR. COnant had asked fuI
a Bible a few days before She had
never known him TO make use Of the
volume before. but she had said moth
Eng when the request had been proher-
ed. This was evidently the purpose
which he had in mind.
The note made an appeal 10 ner
which she could not by any possibility
disregard. and yet in the performance
20 which II committed her she found
herself unable TO experience tnat JOY
and elation that should have been hers
at the prospect of success
She knew the mate, his courage ana
reSourcefulness. What he attempted ne
usually achieved. Her mind ran rapid
~ over the possibilities
The crew OF the Hiram and susan
Including the officers. had numbered -
Captain Hiram did not believe In beng
Ehort-handed. and he had never sunJed
his ship in service any more than IN
anything else. He found II paid Ia the
lonS run TO have enough hands to work
the ship easily under all conditions
From that twenty-five three were to be
de1ucted-the old cook and his boy and
her father.
That left nineteen Americans, social
cd. under the matches.
The prize crew from the Rockingham.
which had been bound east on a long
cruise and did not desire to deplete her
own complement any more than she
wanted the incumbrance OF prisoners
IN the hold. numbered twelve men and
two officers. Six Of the men would be
on watch and asleep IN the fOrepeak;
one officer would be below in the cabin,
Mr.. Merryheld. III whose watch the up
rising was 10 be made, would, Of course,
be aft at the pOop OF duarJeT-deck. one
man would be forward on lookout on
the fOrecastle; two would be on guard
at the hatch leading 10 the sUaCe he
low decks beneath the forepeak, in
which the prisoners were chartered
This would leave two men in the
waist These Two would probably be
doing. The rest would be awake and
alert and heavily armed. The men in
the forepeak were available almost in
SANITY Against the watch would be
eighteen men of the crew, led bv the
mate. whom she knew to be a hardy
enterprlsing man who did not know the
meaning OF fear and who was as strong
as a bull.
There were no arms, not even a
sheath-knife. among them. They would
nave 10 depend Oh naked fists or such
chance weapons as they could come at
IN Ihe shape Of pieces Of plank or brol-
had. ' - nc
The weather conditions wore fs,,o-
6Die. There was no moon. and fEera
was every promise Of a fresbeDirr
vino. IL was already a good tongaI.
Iant breeze. and should il come on 70
a
would pro badly be under siugle-raefad
topSalls- This was an advantage for
II eliminated from the game me man
a the wheel.
Unless the direction of the wind
changed, the Hiram and Susan prob-
aoly would be on the port tack In
mat position she knew from evnarf-
Snce mat her ship steered heavily and
required constant watching. To LET %
the wheel would probably rim a r9sst
Oul OF her. She reasoned, and the
mate, she OWNED. had reasoned ~
game way. that the man at the wheel
Seihg sailor before anything else
ne would instinctively cling fo tbs
sPokes ana hold the ship steady. what
ever happened. Thus the men on re-
Geek available for defense against the
the boy. @4iN
The boy was brave and resolute. but
only boy-1ust past sixteen wears oT
az e, S sui, ne was a factor to be reck-
a "a inc
point for the others. ---9
one did not know what the details Of
tne mate S plans were, OF course. b,,t
sne realized that practically the sue
go LalIure or the whole enter
Prise depended upon her, for if a man
OF the lieutenant's courage. darfng.
ana skill entered the fray he couid
{robaoly rally his men. if thew were
attempt at recapture
Or II he did not succeed in that
tnere would be a bloody confict on
the decks, in wnich-her heart con-
StdSIso sudqenly-MOrningt might
oe killed. She estimated him correct
~, ana knew that If there were to he
of IT, Al the Ihlck
Singularly enough. with the sopbistrv
OF affection she persuaded herself maj
she would be doing the lieutenant = s,oc,S
turn In saving his life BY praverfines
MIN from coming on deck The rOSsibIe
Danger TO him-and in her lima ginatioD
she saw him stretched IifeIess on The
deck. and always by a blow from eo-Is
weapon IN the hands OF Mr. COnanr-
was the Illuminating touch necegsary 70
reveal 70 her the actual condition If be7.
learL Inc Wild surge Of her heart as
me realization burst upon her was like
nothing less. in her mind. than a tidal
wave. ''0'l'
She dropped the note. clasnad be-
hands 10 her breast and turned male
III Wy N4lAtutt OF ner emotion
Whatever happen ed. whatever o~r,,,--el5
she would love This man through Iffe
through death, beyond, To love preafIy,
Is 10 love grandlv, and perhaps to die
nobly. The spher, OF life and the form
OF death are Of little moment Vhar-
ever she might go, whatever she MIGHT
90, Whatever she might be this girI
suddenly and in truth becoming a W0ro
an TO the very full, knew that She would
be possessed with an eternal and ,lnd,,-
ing passion for this man
At first she was concerned ONLY, with
her own emotions. There was enougb
that was new and startling in then, 70
occupy her to the full Presenfl1- sba
would realize that a passion which is
not met and matched is, after all. like n
bird which flies awrv because Of one
famed or broken wing. But then her
mlnd had not room for two conscious
nesses, and that she loved him was
enough.
Loving him now in this vvav without
reserve, ard realizing IL without deIr1
sion, could she assist in recapturina the
ship?
There was, first OF all. the question Of
property. The ship did, indeed. belong
TO her, and by every law she was iusti-
fed in retaking her own. vet that state
ment did not weigh with her a single
moment She would have given IN a
thousand ships for the welfare and han
piness OF the ran she loved.
She realized that the capture OF the
ship would be, first, blow to his pride;