Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-11
CHAPTER XVII-Continued.

Not till two bells-one in the morning
did the putting and snorting of donkey
engines. the clangor of windlass pawls,
the shift and scuff1e and pound of feet
upon the decks, and the husky blatancy
Of mems voices die out upon the still and
peaceful bosom Of the night, when the
Orion ceased to rub shoulders with the
Cynthia and swung off to her former
anchorage.
Yet another half hour elapsed before
Nine. Savaran's snorts and complaints
against procrastinating sleep had by de-
grees become absorbed in regular If
slightly stertorous respiration
Then Cynthia sat up on the edge Of her
berth, and with infinite precautions slip
ped out of her nghtdress and into her
bathing suit.
Fastening the straps of black cloth SAN
dalS round her slender ankles in their
heavy black silk stockings, she stood up,
in black from head to foot save for the
fair wan glimmer of her arms and neck
and face, and the brighter glow lin the
dim starshine that drifted through the
for she had no rubber cap. A heavy
mantilla of black Spanish lace - ma
DANES gift-thrown over her head and
shoulders. served measurably to deepen
Moving as softly as a shade of night
itself, with infinite stealth she found the
door and let herself out into the dark
alleyway, reclosing the door without
sound.
Listening a breathless moment, she
was treasured by the sustained drone of
Nine. SavaranS gentle Snore: and no
other sound alien to the night life of the
vessel was audible to alarm her. Indeed.
if anything, the quiet was more than or
ri1 NJ
rupted uproar Of the last twenty hours
or SO. Officers and men alike with hard
ly an exception. the crew of the Cynthia
rested in slumbers SO profound that they
were as il drugged. No hour could have
been selected more propitious for her I'M
dertaking
Yet it was with a faint heart, timid to
the least alarm. that Cynthia moved for
ward. cropping in the obscurity. to the
forward companionway. and descended.
There was no cowardice in her temper,
but a soul-shaking terror of being dis
covered and held back.
Acklin was waiting at the bottom of
the steps. masked in a murk so absolute
that Cynthia could not say whether he
were there or not. until his whisper
warned her and her fumblng hands
caught his arm.
"All right he said. softly This
wy, please, miss-and gently. Ears l
can tell there ayn't anybody about, but
you can't be too cautious. ."
Guided by the movement of his Shout
der. on which her fingers rested lightly,
Cynthia followed him, sensibly enheart-
ened and more confident, through what
seemed a maze of pitch-dark passages.
eliminating in an abrupt descent to a
lower deck.
Suddenly she saw the head and Shout
ders Of her guide Stenciled against the
simmer of starlit water, visible through
an open cargo port.
simultaneously the steward paused.
Z" Ere" he said. in a voice somewhat less
secret. "ere's the lifebelt. Let me
'elp you-just like putin on a jacket.
miss. So. now the other arm. nix
you. Right-o. 4" Now I'll fasten
it." His deft fingers knotted the straps
across her bosom. I've tied a pistol,
miss. an automatic pistol. to the belt;
It's 'ad bawth of oil, and Mr.. Critten-
den'll know 'ow to wipe ii dry"
Thank YOU said Cynthia, gratefully.
She approached the port looking down
through which seemed to her a consider
able descent to the surface of the water.
How am I to get down. she inquired.
with subdued. nervous laugh. rs there
a ladder, or must l diver
mo ladder. miss but-'ere." Ackln
put into her hands an end of stout rope.
loOped and knotted. IF you'll put your
foot in the blight of this, and let your
self over the edge of the port, 'oldin' on
to the rope with both ands. I'll lower
ANY, till you let go. Then I'll myke it
fast. ere, and tyke turn Of it round
my arm. so that just twitch on it will
wyken me if / should chance to fall
asleep before you come back, miss
Yes" approved Cynthia. uncertainty.
her notions as to the manner and prob
able time of her return being of the most
vague.
She sat down as hidden, with a little
shrinking of the flesh to find her feet
overhanging a gulf of profound black
ness, where the shadow of the ships
swelling freeboard lay like a sheet of
pitch upon the waters.
Beyond the wavering edge of 1t they
moved most gently, mirror of ink for
the transplendency of the coruscant
heavens. The pale glimmering line Of
the island shore seemed just then very
spirit of the girl There was not sound
in all that placid gulf of night other than
the soft sibilant lisp of ripples tapping
along the invisible waterline beneath her.
For the first time she was sensible of
a weakening of her purpose, for the first
time she was little daunted by the mag
nitude of her rashnesS and the ambi
guilty Of its potential sequel. The mys-
terry, the enigmaic might and majesty
Of that strange trOpic night. laid its hand
upon her heart and taught her fear.
For little time she trembled and was
afraid realizing her poignant limitations
she was at most a woman. fashioned
for the softer side of life. with a body
of adventurous fortunes and the strain
of arrogant mischance, with only the
mettle of her spirit to nerve her on to
reckless daring-that and her love alone.
Dwelling upon the thought of Critten-
den to reinvigorate her failing pluck. she
bent over and adjusted the moose round
her foot. Then swinging sideways until
poised insecurity upon one hip she caught
the edge of the port with one hand, the
rope with the other.
I'm ready, Acklin,'' she said. in
steady voice. '"Try to get the mantilla
back to my staterOom without being seen,
if possible. If anything happens
ex plain to Nine. Savaran in the morning.
please. ." And thank you and good
bye
Yes, miss-'nk you.'' the mans voice
came out of the shadows. Just one word
more: I've stuck a note for Mr.. Crit
tenden inside the medicine tin: just a
line of advice. You might read 1t your
self, If you don't find i'm able.
Ready? = q" Then, goodbye. Miss Gr'yce
and be careful to kick your foot free
before you let go. please-and God guard
Her wonder that Acklin should have
troubled to write note to Crittenden o.
nature SO impersonal that he was will
ing she should know it's contents. in pref
erence to charging her with an oral mes
sage faded and vanished utterly from
her mind as Cynthia found herself swing
ing by one hand from the lip of the port
bo iub nj hOdy "a