The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-12-22
CHAPTER II.
The Voice in the Dark.

nc VOICE IN tho Oark.
The importer also arose, and coming
over to Tom, once more took his hand
and peered searchingly up into his
face.
you are perfectly satisfied with the
conditioner" he queried, not without a
note of anxiety.
why not? have your word for it
that the enterprise is honest; as for
the other part of it, why, the secrecy
and all that sort of thing, 1t only
makes a fellow a bit more keen, don't
you know"
"You are confident you can fill the
billets!"
Sure thing. know the very chaps
who will jump at chance like this,
where they would turn down an ordi-
nary offer. You didn't know where to
look, Mr.. Brownlow"
The old gentleman breathed a sigh
Of relief. Il suppose not" he admit
ted. II never before had to deal with
matter like this. You know where
the Claremont is?'
Tom nodded. He had dined there
often enough to have it's location and
its other characteristics pretty we'll
stamped upon his memory. Brownlow
continued:
1.-THE Kohinur is at anchor In the
Hudson, just off the Claremont land
ing. Her bunkers are full; most of her
supplies are on board, but I'll take it
upon myself to complete the list this
afternoon. I'll wait for you there.
There are some further instructions
that l must give you before the char
terer and party come aboard"
Tom fastened away. His assurance
that he could find the men to com.
plete the Kohinur's equipment was not
ill-advised; he had in mind the very
men he wanted, and his task was sim.
ply one of running them to earth.
As being of prime Importance, he
first secured the engineer, and by five
O'Clock had found Phil Mercer. This
young man he was forced, almost lit
orally, to shanghai. That is to say,
Mercer was disposed to hang back be-
cause of certain delinquencies which
had been the occasion of his expulsion
from Annapolis, SO that Tom was
obliged to pick him up bodily and de-
posit him beside the drivers seat. Cox,
the engineer, lolling at ease in the
tonneau, grinned cheerfully.
Maybe you don't want the Job or
need the money" announced Tom with
decision, "but l do need a first officer
in devil of hurry, too-and I'm
not going to be over-particular about
how get him. You're elected. As
1t is, I'll have to get along without a
second, unless l can break in one of
Brownlow's tars. I've got you, and
take it from me, you're not going to
get away"
"But-you know, Tom" Mercer
tried final protest, even while Tom
was throwing in the clutch. The lat
ter cut curtly in:
Eyes, l know. But, believe me, Phil,
the booze isn't going to get you while
you're on the Kohinur with me. This
job will beat all the jag cures you've
ever been up against. You'll be en-
titled to postgraduate diploma when
you are discharged"
Mercer sNbsided, grumblingly ac-
cepting the inevitable.
At the Claremont Tom stabbed the
machine, tried to get Van Vechten on
the phone and failed, and notified RAM
ley at the. Kenmore's garage where to
find his employers car Then he and
Mercer and Cox clambered down to
the Claremont's landing. where a
launch was waiting.
After persuading Phil Mercer that
he didn't have to attend to a suddenly
recollected telephone message, or any
other errand that might take him In
the neighborhood of the Claremonts
bar, Tom addressed himself to the
white-uniformed sailor In charge Of
the launch.
rs this the Kohinur's launch?" he
demanded.
The fellow jerked an Indifferent
thumb in the general direction of the
boats vanished bow. where the name
was conspicuously emblazoned in
SSozp- .>,H2 -,