The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1913-01-16
BILE

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went to the rail. My impression is
that 1T was not. I'll admit it is mys-
ferrous. The whole awful thing is
mysterious"
MY candor seemed to relieve him.
We'll, Mr.. Clyde" he said, with
equal sincerity, maybe 1 was out
spoken, but | wanted to- know what
you'd say to the points that were
puzzling me-"
You did perfectly right" 1 told
him. "As o have said, there must
be no secrets between U.S." And then,
as | resumed my seat, l asked: What
about the fisherman? He hasn't evad-
ed his guard, has he?"
Macleod sat down again too.
Hes in where I put him, now" he
answered with a shade of reluctance,
PUTIN not sure; it's almost as
mysterious as the other-but l could
have sworn / saw him come up that
for'ard ~hatchway and go sneaking aft
while l was on the bridge"
When was that?" 1 pressed, eager
ly.
About a quarter of twelve"
What did you do?'
Nothing, just then. / waited. And
While l was waiting l saw that black,
spooky craft come out of the dark,
and go skimming astern of us. A
little after eight bells l came down
from the BRIDGE stopped there for
just a minute, to have a word with
Brandon when he came up-and then
| went myself to look after Johnson
and the nan I'd set to watch him. The
fisherman was in a bunk sound asleep,
and the man swore he had been lying
there snoring, for the past two hours.
Who was it came up the ladder twen-
ty minutes ago. l asked. He looked
at me as if he thought l was gone
suddenly loony. Before the watch
changed?" he asked. l nodded. Not
a soul came or went he said, since l
been here"
And the boat without lights?" I
questioned. did you inquire about
her? Who else saw her?"
Il asked the lookouts; but-well,
no, sir-and that's very strange to me
neither of them saw her. l gave
them both a rating. If they weren't
asleep l don't see how they could
have missed her"
The thing was growing more and
more battling. Macleod was the last
mar to be accused of imaginative fan
cies. He was thoroughly in earnest in
what he had told me; and yet for
neither of his statements had he the
smallest confederation. For my OWL
part l was sure that, at the time he
mentioned, no vessel of any descrip-
ton had passed anywhere near. US.
What did you make the craft out
to be?"
well, sir, l couldn't say exactly.
She was in sight only a minute, COM
ing in range Of our own lights. She
looked more like a tug than anything
else; but she had more speed than
any tug ] ever saw. She hadn't the
lines of a yacht"
"She wasn't a pilot boat?"
oh, no, sir. New York pilots don't
cruise this far east, and the Boston
pilots wouldn't be so far away from
home either"
l offered the captain a cigar, which
he declined, filling his pipe in prefer
ence. When l lighted a cigar myself,
I asked:
s." suppose you have some theory,
Macleod. You don't seriously think
it vas suicide?"
AS usual he was slow to answer
After a thoughtful second, he said:
I'D be sorry to think that, Mr..
Clyde. Taking into consideration what
you told me about the threat, and
connecting that boat with it, it
looks" and then he paused, thought
full again. ITS not in possibility" he
went on, after a second, that they
could have plucked him of with a line.
But If that fellow saw going aft-Oh,
Lord, no, sir! It's past me to see a
way out. All the same, we are keep
ing that craft in sight, and If we can
only get thirty knots out Of the Sibylla
again, Well find out what she is and
what her business is, before morning"