The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-12-27
sAnd without food. Yes, sir"

when did he tell you this story"
about six o'clock, sir"
Gould a starving man recover that
quicklyT
"He might, sir" Macleod answered
'The average healthy man can 60 ten
days without food or drink"
What have you done with him7"
He's in the seaman's quarters, for
ard, sir"
See that he's kept there, Mr. Mac
Leod," l told him. I'D feel better II
you put a watch on him tonight. To
morrow wen run in to Gloucester and
look up his people and friends"
Very good, sir"
Thank you"
l thought Of having a look at Peter
Johnson, myself, for was somewhat
curious to study that face again when
It was Bentient, and had eyes open.
but on second thought l decided to
wait until morning. It seemed silly
to suspect this seemingly honest but
unfortunate fisherman.
We had not been speeding so well
during the afternoon; there was some
trouble reported from the engine
room, and it was a question whether
we had made over fifteen knots an
hour since two o'clock. l know that
at ten o'clock that night, when the
moon went down, we were somewhere
east Of Nantucket, and directly in the
path of the transatlantic liners.
The night was balmy as a night In
springtime, and Cameron and in
light overcoats sat on the after-deck,
watching the moon slide slowly below
the dark horizon line. Our chairs were
close together, facing the lee rail; his
the farther astern. We talked Of
many things, remember. He was al
ways interested in my work, and es-
peclally in my ambitions to make The
Week a power for national good; and,
I remember that we discussed several
projects then had in mind for bring
ing about reform in high places. But
the subject which then interested me
most, and regarding which l still ex-
perienced vague, unreasoning uneas-
mess, he had avoided throughout the
day and evening, with what seemed
to me studied intent.
The sudden cessation of hostilities
on the part Of those whom he had
been given every reason to look upon
as his implacable enemies, was GER
tainly strange enough to have invited
endless debate; and l marveled that,
after having accepted my falsehood
as truth, he had not chosen to go over
with me the whole marvelously per
picking business.
\ His mind, l knew, was relieved by
what 1 had made him believe, or he
would not now be the man he was;
but despite that, 1t appeared to me.
1t would be most natural for him, on
this day Of all days-the twenty-flrst
Of the month-to question, at least,
my previously emphatically stated
conclusions.
There had been a moment Of silence
between US, and these reflections were
dominant with me, as six bells, ring
ing out unsteady, announced that
midnight was but an hour distant At
that instant, while in time to the
bells strokes, there echoed in my
brain the words: Know then, that be-
fore the morning of the eighth day
hence" Cameron, lowering his CT
gar, turned to me with
"Clyde, wonder if you have for
! gotten what day this isl"
l don't know why, coming at Just
that particular juncture, the question
should be more upsetting than If 1t
had come at some other time Of day.
but know it seemed so to me.
For a little space my tongue refused
It's office. There was a lump in my
throat which demanded to be swal-
lowed, and l made a pretence of
coughing to hide my plight. At length
answered, bit lamely:
mo, haven't forgotten. It's
Wednesday, the twenty-frst of Octo-
ber."
He returned his cigar to his lips and
smoked in silence for full minute
Then, he said, quietly:
IT'S seven days since that empty
envelope came"
YES" l returned.
There was another slight pause and
he went on:
II have been thinking that possibly
you were wrong about the significance
Of that empty envelope. Possibly
those enigmatical persons intended
that absence Of definite threat to
imply the inconceivably terrible"
Now that he had started to talk
about 1t, 1 wished that he had contin-
ued his silence. l could not under
stand how I had convinced him be-