The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1912-07-25
CHAPTER XIII.

a windy swagger; as Quick had fore
told, a series of thunderstorms swept
the sea before dawn, so that 1t. like
the sky, seemed newly washed. clean
and brilliant.
O'Rourke relieved Quick at four
bells of the morning watch and kept
the deck for the remainder of the day,
his meals being brought to him on
the bridge. His duties were simple
enough, requiring little more than a
display Of the habit of authority
which sat so we'll on his broad snour
ders. 1t was no great trick to keep
the crew in order: they went about
their work peaceably enough and
showed no signs Of desiring to renew
their disputatons. Otherwise he had
to keep an eye upon the helmsman
and see that he held The Rance to the
course prescribed by Quick; and that
was nothing difficult to man Of av-
erage intelligence. Naught but deep
water lay between .hem and Bombay,
so long as direct course was shaped
and maintained.
As the suniit watches wore out and
nothing untowad took place,
O'Rourke's grim apprehensions dissi.
pated into shadows. He began to be-
lieve with Quick that the affair Of the
winged knife was merely hapchance
ecident, quite unprecedented.
+ Below decks, Dravos and Danny
were standing watch-and-watch. with
clockwork regularity. where the for
mer's beloved engines were justifyins
his confidence and pride in them and
clicking of their twenty knots with
out hitch.
Now Danny happened to have ION"
the first afternoon watch. O'Rourke
from the bridge saw him come up the
engine-room companion ladder, dive
into the messroom for his dinner, ano
later emerge. picking his teeth and
grinning self-complacency until his
master could have kicked him, had
such a course been polite before the
crew, or even consistent with the dig
nifty of his Office
"a word to say to ye, sor, If I may
make so bold"
O'Rourke glanced at the helmsman
and having long since made up his
mind that the man was competent
left him In possession OF the bridge
for a space, and joined Danny below
What is it,"
Danny lowered his voice to hoarse
whisper. "Kape yer eye on thot black
divvle up there. sor, for the love o'
Hiven, and don't look surprised al
anything"
O'Rourke moved q few PAGES aft
along the rail, to point whence he
could see the head and shoulders OF
the helmsman. "Well?"
"'Tis nawthin' l cud swear to, sor
but tbs meself thot's mortal leary aV
these naygurs-rapspicts to ye-and-
and"
Come, come. Out with 1t, Danny
Sure, sor, tbs the serang. Have
ye chanced to notice him, sor?"
O'Rourke glanced down to the fore
deck, where the parsonage in question
was standing at ease. What Of him !?
he inquired. running his eye over the
fellows superb proportions.
otis nawthin' I'd take me oath TO-
,sor, but I'm thinkin' he's the mar. who
boarded the Panjnab at Suez, sor
And as for the naygur I run against
on the s1oon deck, yer honor, he's his
mortal twin"
"Ah," commented O'Rourke. Thank
you. Danny"
He continued to watch the serang
until the latter, as II Influenced by the
fxtty of the Irishman's regard, turned
and stared directly into O'Rourkes
eyes. For full minute he gave him
look for look, dark eyes steadfast and
unyielding above his fine aquiline
nose, then calmly turned his back, re.
suming his contemplation Of the tur
bulent horizon.
An instant later Quick came up to
relieve O'Rourke, and. eight bells
sounding, Danny dived below to take
Dravos' place. O'Rourke, unpleasant
ly impressed by the incident, still for
bore to mention It to either Of the
ships owners; he retired to think 1t
over, and spent long hour consum'
ing an Indifferent cigar and studying
the cracks In the bulkhead between
his room and the cabin.
Without profit, however. Lacking
more substantial proof than Danny's
suspicious, he could arrive at no def
mite conclusion.
The night passed without incident;
the second day dawned the counter
part of its predecessor, and wore
away quietly enough.
It fell to ORourke to stand the first
dos.watch, from four to six In the
evening. Shortly after he ascended
the bridge, 1t was bis happiness to be
3oined By Mrs. Prynne, who improved
the moment to express her sratiSca.