Charlevoix county herald., 1910-03-19
CHAPTER TX.
IA Which I Learn Our Port.

b Which | Learn Our Port.
Sam down into the depths of an
upholstered divan without, rested my
head within my hands, and endeavored
earnestly to collect thought and nerve
for the coming struggle. The terrible
ness of our situation only became
more apparent as l considered it in
the light of the discoveries already
made, and in my understanding of the
nature of those with whom 1 was now
associated. Neither futile nor De
Nova had ever mistaken the Sea
Queen for the warship Esmeralda. 1t
was impossible to conceive that these
two trained seamen could have made
such an error, or that the men under
them GOULD have. been 80 utterly de-
ceiyeh, Tuttle's boat came up directly
beneath the bows, with the riding
lamps burning brightly and revealing
the name every man aboard must
haYe seen it plainly. Yet what OBJ
jecI could have led to so desperate an
act Of piracy? What part was L des-
tined to play in the final working out
of their lawless scheme?
The longer / studied over the prob
lem the, more thoroughly did | become
mystiieh and confused. What could
theee . In ever hope to accomplish in
this iaWfess fashion? They must be
fools or madmen. This was not the
age of piracy; every league of sea was
patrdIed; every port protected by
Geographic communication.
Difficult as my own situation I'M
do1btedly was, apparently helpless
among this crew OF sea devils, with
out man on board in whom l could
PUG trust, it was rendered a thousand
times harder by the presence of those
tSQwomen. In what way could pro-
tecf and serve them? l wondered if
All the crew forward were in the plot,
or were the leaders alone involved?
eoldd l count on finding a single hon
est sailor in all that riffraff who would
stand by me In revolt? There were
others on board-the three seamen
aud the engineer of the yachts crew,
the Chilean officer captured on shore
but they were prisoners, far more
helMess even than myself. The longer
IT&hought the darker grew the pros
pect, the closer the cords of Fate
pressed about me. There was moth
ing to do except to face the conspira-
tors boldly, and thus ascertain the
whole ruth. | glanced upward at the
telltae | compass overhead-the yes.
sd,s course had already been altered;
we were now headed westward, direct
lyS6ut into the broad Pacific.
I met futile at the end of the
bridge. clinging to the handrail, his
eiisI1ins tapping in the head wind. He
meyer glanced toward me, the cool,
studied insolence of the fellow causing
nae. TO feel more deeply than ever be-
fore his consciousness of power.
"Thayacht is several points off her
course Mr.. Tuttle," | said, sharply
determined to test him. May / ask
II. the change was made by your
Grders'
He swept one long arm toward the
north, and, following the direction of
his finger, / dimly perceived a spiral
the horizon.
Il thought we had better sheer on,
as there was no guessing who that
felton, yonder might prove to be-"
remained silent, watching the dis
taut. smudge, and occasionally glan-
cins aside into his imperturbable face.
r'reyamAed sleepily.
T. II ra( irr guess one of us had better
turp In, Mr.. Stephens" he suggested
fiunlIy, for we'll have to arrange
about our watches aft"
Presently, Mr.. futile; We haven't
brealSfasted yet. Meanwhile 1 should
wafer to understand matters a little
more clearly. I've just been through
the cabins. None of the yachts OFF,
GERS are on board
4 could see his thin lips drawn
back in a sinister grin. which re-
yealed his yellow teeth.
''Ihe Lord helpeth those who help
themselves" he returned, piously. up
rolling his eyes. "The race is not al
ways to the swift. nor the battle to
the strong"