The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-06

His manner had been quickening no.
ticeably. and as he saw the impossibilits
of finding any small boat moored at this
distance. he gave the order to turn
back.
The last gAw in the west was waning;
1t was fast becoming dark. and still
Christopher Poe sat in the bow scanning
each rowboat on land as he passed.
Finally he started up from his seat
wait" he cried. giancing back
through the growing darkness. second
later. Row to that pier!"
1t was-with dufficulty Joe remained In
the boat until It nosed against the land.
when he leaped out. The skin that had
attracted his attention was one which
had been showed up almost behind low
| shed, in such q manner that only its
stern showed, and It had been impossible
to see IL when Poe was being rowed In
the other direction.
Hurrying into the little hut at the
waters edge. which partly concealed the
boat. of which Poe made a hasty exami-
nation on his way, the detective shook
a sleepy old German by the arm and
asked abruptly about the skin. IL II were
for rent.
mo. 1t is too dark. have no light
for it." The German eyed him closely
through narrowed lids.
Poe knew from the mans manner that
he lied, and urged anxiously: But you
rented 1t to my friends this afternoon.
My friend with the sick boy?"
The old German looked at him keenly.
and his eyes suddenly became sullen.
shifty. NO." he growled. II don't
know what foolishness you talk"
1t was enough; Poe knew that sullen
look from long acquaintance with crimi-
nal kind. His eyes had been searching
the dispirited little shack: he suddenly
turned to one corner and picked up a
handful Of neglected rags.
A throaty cry came from the old man.
Leave those aione!' he beloved,
charging Poe.
| But Poe had unwrapped one and was
holding 1t before the Mortified old eyes Of
| the waterman. 1t was a bit Of burlap.
and 1t was heavy and stained black
with blood.
| Tell me, Where did he go?" cried
Poe, realizing the condition of affairs
from the old mans bearing. II mean
you no harm. You got a good round fee
when the boat came back, and you saw
the blood, or 1 misjudge you. 1t is moth
ing serious. You will not appear in
| court / only want to find the man"
A relieved look swept across the old
fellows face. in spite of his savage eff
fort to seem calm after the one ex-
hibtion of wrath that had convicted him
of guilty knowledge.
Poe dropped the blood-stained rag and
flashed an English sovereign, universal
currency among sea-fsring men. The
old eyes lighted.
Where did the man with the sick
boy go?'' he demanded. slipping the coin
into the trembling palm. which closed
over it with a snap.
Il don't know" answered the other.
But II you were 10 follow this alley
to the place of Frau Klittenlein, who
keeps a boarding-ho for foreign sail
ors. you might find something to your
interest. I believe l heard at dinner to-
night that she had staying with her a
black man with a little daughter, but
you wouldn't expect him to be riding
about in boats. hear he is injured"
Gut cried Poe. leaving the crafty
old fellow and darling through the alley,
filled with strange and loathsome odors
issuing from huts and long, low lodging
houses occupied by lawless sailors from
abroad: many from India and China and
Borneo: men from everywhere. A very
cut-throat of a neighborhood.
At the rambling. low-browed lodging
house to which the old waterman had d.
rected him. Poe entered; having torn of
his collar on the way and wrapped his
silk necteie- about his throat after the
cinity. He had rumpled his hair and
his shirt in the hope that. with an OBJ
fuse stare. he might convince Frau Kilt
tenlein that he was her kind, and not
arouse too much suspicion.
The Frau stood behind her dirty. fly
infested bar; the place was not yet in
full evening swing. only a few sailors
iolled about in the front room playing
with thumb-gummy cards and tapping
Poe lounged up to the dirty bar with
the loose swing of a sea-faring man: his
coat thrown back so she could see the
shirt he had torn and dirtied and over
look the newness of the cloth.
I've got friend stayin' here. Frau
klittenlein." he said in staggering tone
in very low German, having ordered a
drink. IF it's convenient for him to see
me I'd like to say hello. We. as mateys. |
him an I, you know. sailin' out from
Borneo. I know all about the sick little |
daughter OF his-an' the woman. Can |
see him.
Right you are- she answered in good |
broad British, for she dealt with all |
kinds. and bits of language are universal |
along the docks. But he's sick, too. my |
bucko!" she continued in the kind of
German Poe had employed.
And l was Just going to suggest" he
OF the best schnapps you've got in the
house. Frau Kittenlein. He's a black
man. you know. and we've drunk our
whisky together out of Borneo, many's
the time, to keep of the fever"
She gave him a shewd. calculating look
and reached mechanically for a fly
specked bottle on a shelf behind her,
handing II to him with the remark:
Il guess you'll do, You're a jolly one
for the drink yourself-or the woman
head like that. Four marks is the price.
Helrs Quarter"
wink. took the bottle and paid her; still
he money.
yrowled, expressing the grutf good nature
II her kind. More drink
mo. The key
She looked at him for a calculating
second. Evidently he passed muster.
$50 you know the buckle. all right"
she twisted her hard features into a
sour smile. Them black men is bad.
Ie amt the first that's had himself
ocked in while he was nursing sore
read or something" Her German quite
matched the English Of a practiced I
3owery matron.
CHAPTER III.
She handed him the heavy iron key ,
nd indicated the ricketty stairs at the
nd of the room. way in the back,
ight-hand side, last door," she told !