Rocky Ford enterprise., 1911-05-05
CHAPTER VI.
Toms Confession.

SHA~I EN- VI.
Toms Confession.
At intervals during the day those
enigmatical words Of Mr.. Fanshaw's
recurred to the girl with the reflection
that they wanted serious thinking
over, at the first convenient oppor-
tunity. But the day wore away and
the opportunity did not appear.
The captain Of the yacht-his name
was Warner-was on shore In COM
mand of the searching party. but the
first oficer. Mr.. Scales. remained on
board. He was in possession Of all
the data, though they had not told him
the story Of Philip Cayley's old rela-
ton with the murdered man.
1T stands to reason" he said. that
the only party Of white men that could
be here would be the survivors of the
Fielding expedition. We know from
the news that young Mr.. Fanshaw
brought aboard that there is one such
survivor here. II there were any
considerable number Of them left.
able-bodied enough to walk across the
glacier, We could be sure they'd be
here on the shore waiting for Us. We
could be certain they would have
made some attempt to signal US as
soon as they sighted Us.
If they weren't white men but In
dians-Chucotes- have been
quite as glad as white men to get q
chance to go back with US as far as
st. Michaels. And in tho third place.
II they were not Chucotes. but some
strange, unknown. murderous band OF
aborigines, there wouldn't have been
even one survivor Of the Fielding ex-
pedition.
"Of course that's not an absolute
water.tight line Of reasoning. but It
seems to me there is . tremendous
probability that it's right. and that
this flying man has lost his Wits"
BY four o'clock they had decided
that. whether or not the sky-man's
story might be true, II was high time
to send q relief party ashore to md
the lost ones.
At five o'clock accordingly. the re-
lief expedition went ashore, and Tom
Fanshaw and the girl were left alone
on the yacht
Two hours later. perhaps. after they
had eaten the supper which Jeanne
had concocted in the galley. they sat.
side by side. in their comfortable deck
chairs. gazing out across the ice-ioe.
The evening was unusually mild. the
thermometer showing only q degree or
two below freezing. and here in the
lee Of the deckhouse they hardly
needed their furs.
They had sat there in silence q long
while. Toms promise that they would
keep a brisk lookout against q pos
sible attack on the yacht. had passed
utterly from both their minds. II
was SC still-so dead Sstill: the world
about them was SO utterly empty rs
to make any thought Of such an at
tack seem preposterous.
Finally the girl seemed to rouse her
self from the train Of thought that
had preoccupied her mind. straighten-
ed up a little and turned for a look
into her companions face. But this
little movement OF her body failed to
rouse him. His eyes did not turn to
meet hers, but remained fixed on the
far horizon.
A moment later she stretched out a
hand and explored for his beneath the
great white bear skin that covered
him, found 1t and interlocked her fln-
gers with his. At that. he pulled him
self up. with a start. and abruptly
withdrew his own from the contact.
She colored little. and her brows
knitted in perplexity. What an old
bear you are, Tom," she said. What's
the matter today? It's not a bit like
you to sulk Just because we disagree
about something. We disagree all the
time. but you've never been like this
to me before"
81 always told you l. was a sullen
brute when things went wrong with
me. although you never would believe
it." he said. I'm sorry"
"T don't want you to be sorry." she
told him: Il just want you to be few
shades more cheerful"
He seemed not to be able to give
her what she wished. however, for he
lapsed again into his moody abstrac-
ton. But after a few minutes more
of silence, he turned upon her with a
question that astonished her. What
did you do that for. just now?"
At first she was in doubt as to what
act of hers. he referred to. DO you
mean my hand?" she asked. after look
ing at him In puzzled curiosity for a
moment
He nodded.
"Why-because ! was feeling a lit
tlo lonesome. l suppose. and sort Of