The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1912-08-01

EoQderfuuy bright Win stars, the
wind went down with the sun, then
rose again refreshed and wa1ed to
half a gale. At midnight O'Rourke,
leaving the bridge, left the Rance driv-
ing steadily through racing sea,
through world noisy with the crisp
rattle and crash of breaking crests.
Fortifying himself with strong cof-
fee, the adventurer settled himself in
q chair by the foot Of the companion
way s.eps leading up from the tiny
saloon that served as dining-room for
all b the crew OF the tramp. From
this position he commanded both en-
frances, port and starboard, from the
upper deck, as we'll as the doors that
fanked them on either hand, to the
quarters occupied by Mrs. Prynne and
to Dravos' stateroom, which was emp
ty and would be so until the next
change Of watch.
The succeeding hours dragged inter-
minably, quiet and uneyent-
About six bells the moon got up,
and its rays, flltering through the
heavy.ribbed glass Of the skylight,
file t@a saloon with an. opalescent
SA..l2.e that assorted anonymously
Wit. lie dull glow of the electric
bulbs-dull, because there was some
thing wrong with the dynamo, accord
ing to Dravos.
O'Rourke, weary and yawning, watch
ed the milky rainbow dance upon the
half-opaQue glass overhead for several
moments before it conveyed to him a
warning. Then immediately he aban-
doned his seat and stretched himself
out upon a transom against the after
bulkhead, whence he could see some
thing less of the upper gargway, but
sufficient for his purposes. For his
chair had been beneath the skylight,
and the wings of that were open for
ventilation.
"'Tis safer here" he considered
"Therell be no dropping one of those
long knives on me now, be premedi-
tated inadvertence. I'm thinking
He gaped tremendously. The peace
Of the night, the singing Of the waves
against the Ranee's sides, the deep
throb and unbroxen surge Of her en-
gines, and the sustained, clear note
of the monsoon In her wire rigging
these combined with physical fatigue
fo cnn+h4 Thn IN lf,l1 him fnfO
fantastic borderland Of dreams Yet
such was his command of self that he
would not yield to the caressing touch
Of drowsiness, bat merely lay motion
less and at rest, communing with his
fancy. And that led him out of the
sordid saloon of the Rance across the
seas that lay ahead Of that ships
PROV, to the fair land whittier he was
10 convey the Pool Of Flame.
Abruptly he leapt to his feet, wide
awake and raging.
A blow was still sounding through
the saloon a dull crash. Buried half
way to the hilt in the bulkhead back
Of the trsnsom a knife Quivered. In
Btinctively the wanderers fingers had
closed upon the grip of his revolver.
He pulled the trigger almost before
be realized what had happened and
sent a bullet winging toward spot
on the gangway above where pair
Of long brown legs had been but now
were not. On the heels of that fruit
less shot he sent another, this time
with no murderous intent but to
warn the captain on the bridge. Here
1T last was an issue forced, animus
proven, assassination indisputably at
tempted.
He sprang for the companionway,
was half way up 1t in thought, his
heart hot within him, mouth dry with
thirst for that lascar's blood. Not &.
third time should the man escape his
Judgment at the hands Of O'Rourke,
he swore.
A stentorian roar saluted him as he
gained the deck-a below choked and
ending in sickening gurgle.
O'Rourke in a fash swung on his
heel. simultaneously he came face to
face with Quick. He could have cried
aloud IN pity.
The captain swayed before him, a
nassively built figure clothed all IN
white, huge arms trembling towards
his head, revolver dropping from
nerveless hand, his chin fallen for
ward on his chest, a stupid, weary
smile on his face, and dark and hid
sous smear spreading swiftly over the
bosom Of his shirt
A cry Of horror, despair and rage
stuck In the wanderers throat. Quick,
who had hailed his appearance on the
Rance at Alden as harbinger Of good
luck. had been foully murdered His
dominant emotion Of the moment. an
intense and pttiful solicitude for the
dying man, threw him OF his guard.
Under its influence he forgot the des-
perate case of which this tragedy
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