The Washington times., 1913-07-23

ever aware of the constant attendance
of peril. might be expected to act with
more intelligence in an emergency
which may cost him his life than the
humdrurh going citizen ashore.
Left to himself. he will go out OF a
ship in midocean with whatever little
money he has stored in the bottom OF
his bag or chest. modei st upon " WIFE Sjs
watches below, a derby hat, or hash
necktie for which he paid four times
too much at his last port. Rarely mas
countless useful articles of clothing
such as Paul Lavelle saw on every
ihand-overcoats, Jackets, underclotn-
| ing which a day or an hour in an open
boat could make worth KING ram
This forecastle had been emptied in
| a hurry, but it told no other tale than
that There is no lair OF mankind; no
habitation of mans devisement more
cheerless than a ships forecasts:
There is no sight more depressing;
more dismal than one deserted
Paul crossed from the starboard sioe
through which he had entered 70 porI
air which he caught as he threw back
the door and stepped out on deeR i,t,aS WaS
as il dissipated the sea sour stenSh
which his nostrils were carrying: he
turned forward Immediately to az iasI
come upon an explanation VI
q
The fore hatch was open. The covers
were strewn about the deck. UP out Oh
the glistening cargo Of Goals came an
odor of fire There was no smoke, pu'
FIRE had been or was down there.
He recognized the dangerous quaney
of GOALS at once 1t was fear OF u thaI
had emptied the crew oversize IN PANE.
His mind, in the stress which nao oeen
upon II while he was art, hao not
grasped the probable character OF tne
cargo when he read In the log DOCK
with what the Daphne was laoen;
Dropping down through the hatch
way, his bare feet felt no heat. none
of the signs of trouble" which ne knew
40 we'll were present. He had fought
cargoes like this one. All was Gool' ny ny
the faIntest indication OF gas. buI sum
there was an odor OF f1re.
He crawIed out into the wings, ana as
he did SO his eyes became accustomed
to the semi-darkness. Then. py sisnt,
he located the source of the oa1nlns
fre smell. 1t was under the deck just
forward of the hatch-a heap Of ashes
burned from all sorts Of old junk: MAT
tresses had made part OF the nre. II
undoubtedly had made a lot OF smoke
while ii lasted 49,
fire had burned most briskly lay a i've
gallon tin of kerosene on its side. Ine
arsonist who had carried II there
either had lost his nerve at the end and
been afraid to open its cock or else ne
had depended upon 1t TO eXplooe.
Still, this fire which had been set with
the intention of destroying the Daphne
had made much smoke and burned out
impotently. The deck above II was only
slightly chaTed.
Paul raked through the ashes 1ever,
ishly The coal underneath was as cool
TO the touch as IL was elsewhere
Not more than a hanHsul Of II was
blistered.
When he drew himself up on deck
again he hauled a couple OF buckets OF
water from over the SIDE ana threw
them on the spot where the hre mad
burned, as matter of extraordinary
precautiOn Nor did he forget to bring
the kerosene out of the hold:
Emily met him with a smile Of glad
ness which Immediately turned into
laugh of humor as Paul stepped into
the galley again.
Where have you been-what have
you been doing?" she asked.
'Why-what Is the natter
You should see yourself in a glass.
You're as black as Moor
He paused a second TO survey HIM
self. He indeed was a sorry sight. The
thin. tattered shirt and the trousers.
which he had slashed of at the knees
when ne had struck out from the island,
still cIung to him damply. His limbs
were black with coal-dust.
Il can imagine the color of my face,
said he and he rubbed the stubble OF
beard on his cheeks. But never mind
NV appearance-only pour me cup or
that strong coffee.
While he drank the black brew he
summed up for Emily their exact situa-
ton:
We're all alone. partner-just US.
fre-panlc emptied the vessels fire which
The nurderers OF the skipper and chief
mate believed would destroy the ship
and the evidence of their crimes. The
shiD's laden with Australian coal-a
trea cherous cargo. Knowing Its danger
Gus character. It is easy for me to
understand what the first flash OF
smoke meant to the minds of the sort
OF gang for rard. They believed the cargo
was afire with those in authority
plying them with fear and not voice
to steady them. they must have gone
over the side like rats.
The more haste that marked their
9oinr, the better were the plans of
the rineieaders suited. / cannot help
believing that what happened aft was
known to only a few-the second
mate and perhaps the third. Yet how
was il explained to those outside OF
the secret of the assassinations-the
absence Of the skipper and chief
.'The ringleaders could have report
ed them as dead without explaining
what had killed them. They could
have reported them to have killed
each other. They could have report
ed them as having fallen overheard
They could have told the others even
that the men had been murdered
without giving any proof against
themselves. But I must have done
with this coniecturing. II Is idle"
Paul put down his empty cup with
impatiencH.
"Iiut where could they have gomez"
Emily asked.
"Chi disponde presto. sa POGO. That
is as the Italians have 1t: Who an
swers suddenly knows little. The fact
that they took provisions and the
three boats which the empty chocks |
show to have been in the bark seems
convincing that they did not flee to
another ship. Perhaps they believed
they were near some land"
Maybe another islands, trap like