Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-16


to mamma. You're in bad company"
The innocent eyes smiled into his own
and then-a foolish proceeding, which
only bachelors are guilty of--he held
her above the rail in testing menace.
shall l drop you over to the fishes,
babyT' he asked, while his features
softened to an unwonted smile. The
child gave little scream Of fright.
and at that instant young woman ap-
| peared around the corner. She spranp
toward Rowland like n tigress, snatch
ed the child. stared Mt him for mo-
ment with dilated eyes and then dis
appeared. leaving him limp and nerve.
less, breathing hard.
at is her child" he groaned. THAT
was the mother look. She is married
married" He resumed his work with
n face as near the color Of the paint
he was scrubbing as the tanned skin
of a sailor may become.
Ten minutes later the captain in his
office was listening to complaint
from very excited man and woman.
"And you say, colonel" said the cap.
tnin. that this man Rowland is an old
enemy
"ue is-or was once-a rejected adj
!nirer of Mrs. Selfridge. That Is all I
know of him. except that he has hint
ed Mt revenge Ny wife is certain of
what she saw. and I think the man
should be confined"
why. captain said the woman We
hemently as she Rugged her child, you
should have seen him. He was just
about to drop Myra over as | seized
her. and he had such a frightfu leer
on his face too. Oh. it was hideous.
l shall not sleep another wink in this
ship, know"
II beg you will give yourself no IN
easiness. madam" said the captain
gravely. II have already learned
something Of his antecedents--that he
Is a dsgraced and broken down naval
officer But as he has sailed three
voyages with us | had credited his
willingness to work before the mast
to his craving for liquor. which he
could not satisfy without money. How
ever, as you think, he may be follow
Ing you. Was he able to learn of your
movements-that you were to take
passage in this ship
why notf" exclaimed the husband.
"He must know some of Mrs. Self.
ridges friends
Yes, yes" she said eagerly. 81 have
heard him spoken of several times
Then it Is clear" said the captain.
'If you will agree, madam, to testify
against him in the English courts I
will Immediately put him in irons for
attempted murder"
"Oh. do, captain" she exclaimed.
Il cannot feel safe while he Is at lib
rrty OF course | will testify"
Whatever you do, captain" said
the husband savagely. rest assured
that l shall put a bullet through his
head If he NEEDLES with me or mine
again. Then you can put me in irons
Il will see that he Is attended to,
colonel" replied the captain as he
bowed them out OF his office.
But as a murder charge is not al
ways the best way to discredit a man
and rs the ccStan did not believe that
the man whH had defed him would
murder child and as the charge
would be difficult to prove in any case
and would cause him much trouble
and annoyance, he did not order the
arrest of John Rowland. but merely
directed that for the time he should
he kept at work by day In the tween
deck out of sight of the passengers.
Rowland. surprised at his sudden
L.
bling to a soldiers job" of painting
life buoys in the warm tween deck.
was shrewd enough to know that he
was being closely watched Ivy the
boatswain that morning, but not
shrewd enough to affect any symp-
toms Of intOxication or drugging.
which might have satisfied his anxious
superiors and brought him more whiS-
ky. AS a result of his brighter eyes
and steadier voice-due to the curative
sea air-when he turned out for the
first dog watch on deck at 4 o'clock
the captain and boatswain held an in
terview in the chart room, In which
the former said: DO not be alarmed.
It is not poison. He Is halfway into
, the horrors now. and this will merely
bring them on. He Will see snakes,
ghosts. COLLINS. shipwrecks, fire and
all sorts Of things. 1t works in two or
/ three hours Just drop 1t into hla
drinking pot while the port forecastle
is empty"
There was n fight in the port fore
castle-to which Rowland belonged.
ut sumner time which need not be de-
scribed beyond mention of the fact
that Rowland. who was not part'ci'
pant. had his pot Of tea dashed from
| his hand before he had taken three
swallows He procured a fresh sup
ply and finished his supper, then. tax
ing no part In his watch mates open
discussion of the fight and guarded
discussion of collisions, rolled into his
bunk and smoked until eight bells
when he turned out with the rest.
Rowland" said the big boatswair
as the watch mustered on deck, take
the starboard bridge lookout"
" 1T il not my trick, hoats'n,' sale
Rowland In surprise.
q Orders from the bridge. Get ny
there"