Mexico Missouri message., 1913-01-30
CHAPTER DISCONTINUED.

There's no other eNplaIaJoh' HV
decided, conclusively.
You mean he committed suicide?'
Call Il what you like, sir
But there was no reason for him
TO DO such a thing" ! objected.
Il understand he's been pretty i'll,
sir"
He was i'll. yes. But he was on the
road 10 recovery" And then, witk the
! retaliation that I was speaking OF
cameron IN the past tense, as though
. If were already settled that / should
never see him alive again, q SILVER
of horror swept over NE. ] know Mac
Iecd observed it, for he said:
There's been a drop in the tenn
perature, in the last half-hour. tn
be more comfortable in my cabin, sir,
lac you don't mind coming in, and talk
ting the thing over q bit"
Good Heavens. Macleod" eX-
claimed, turning on him with nervous
savagery. do you expect me to sit
down and talk calmly al such mo-
ment? ! cant. It's all can do TO
stand stu here. for q minute at a
time. feel must DO something. It's
torture TO have ones hands tied this
way"
q think know how you feel, sir
But walking the deck will do no good,
and II you could calm yourself enough
20 talk It over quietly, We might get
down 10 something that would guide
US. so TO speak"
Guide us?' ! repeated.
"Yes, sir It's not impossible, you
J. know, sir, that when he went over
board he was picked up"
The light from his cabin portfolio
illuminated US both, and now as be
looked at me he must have seen my
perplexity.
you said yourself, sir" he eI-
planned. that you thought you heard
the exhaust Of some sort O. craft not
far away"
II was this reminder I think, which
brought back my woolgatheriug wits
and steadied me 10 perception Of the
real importance Of the captains plea.
Of one thing, at least, was assured:
Cane ron was not a suicide. How he
could have gone over the taffrail with
out my seeing or hearing him, should
neyer be able TO understand. But gone
he wac, and It lay upon me 10 dis
cover BY whose assistance this mar
vicious disappearance was accom-
plished. And so 1t came about that,
controlling my futile unrest, ! vas
presently seated IN MacLeCd's swivel
chair, while he, from q place on the
eide OF his berth. fired pointed ques-
lions al me, which l either answered
as best I could or returned IN kind.
Now maybe it's none Of my bust
ness. Mr.. Clyde, but in view Of TO-
nights occurrence l think its peril
nent TO know why there was such a
Thorough inspection Of the Sibylla be
fore we sailed, and such lot Of eau
ton regarding the crew" That was
the first Of his volley, and for a mo-
ment Il staggered me. ! recognized
3howeyer, that this was not time for
quibbling, and as Macleod had been
for years a staunch soldier in Gamer.
on's army Of employees, ! saw NO
harm In letting him know the truth.
"Tn tell you," l returned, frankly
but it's not to go any further. In the
past nine weeks Mr.. Cameron has
been receiving a series OF threatening
anonymous letters. The last one came
week ago today; and in It this wal
named as the date for the climax"
Climax" he repeated, questioning
ly
Yes. Today, the letter stated, Mr.
Cameron would disappear"
The calm, phlegmatic young captain
aid not start He simply narrowed hi
eyes Ia thought
That's ode" he said, grayely
damned odd" And then, after a sec
onds consideration, he asked WA
that but OF course It was-why h
took this cruiser"
mo" told him That was not hi
reason: though Il was mine"
did not mean 20 be enigmatic, bu
suppose was. for Macleod shove