Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-03
the girl and I leading.

| I'm the door, the string torn and pulled
| as II IL had been jerked away from the
unconscious man. Later on we veri-
fed this by finding on the back OF
| Burns neck an abraded line two inch
| es or so In length.
ordered rigid search of the deck.
| but the AK was gone. Nor was 1t ever
found 1t had taken it's bloody story
many fathoms deep into the old Allan.
| tic and hidden IL, where many crimes
thave been hidden. in the ooZe and
slime Of the sea bottom.
That day was memorable for more
| than the attack on Burns. 1t marked
q complete revolution in my idea of the
earlier crimes and of the criminal.
Two things Influenced my change of
mental attitude. The attack on Burns
was one did not believe that Tur-
ner had strength enough TO fell so
| vigorous n man, even with the capstan
bar which we found lying near by.
nor could he have jerked and broken
| the amherline Mrs. Johns / eliminat-
! ed for the same reason. of course. l
| could imagine her getting the key by
! subtlety, wheedling the Impressions
! BILE young sailor into compliance. But
! force,
The second reason was the stronger.
| Singleton, the mate, had become a
tracta BILE and almost amiable prisoner.
! Like Turner, he was ugly only when
| he was drinking, and there was no
| liquor on the Ella. He spent his days
| devising with bits of wire ring puz-
zle that he intended should make his
| fortune, and / believe he contrived
finally clever enough bit of foolery.
The morning of Burns injury l Wis
tied Singleton.
The new outrage, coming at a TING
when they We're slowly recovering con-
fidence, had turned the men surly.
They went doggedly about their work !
and whenever they gathered there |
was muttered talk of the white figure. !
There was grumbling, too, over their !
lack of weapons for defense.
The cook was a ringleader of the |
malcontents. Certain utensils were al |
lowed him, but he was compelled at |
night TO lock them in the galley after /
either Burns inspection or mine and
to turn over the key to one of us.
On the morning after the attack,
therefore, Tom, carrying Singleton's
breakfast to him, told him at length
what had occurred in the night and
dilated on his lack of self defense
should an attack be directed toward
him.
Singleton promptly offered to make
him out of wire a key TO the galley
door. so that he could get what be
wanted from it. The cook was TO take
an impression of the lock. In ex-
change Tom was to fetch him from u
hiding place which Singleton designat-
ed in the forward house a bottle of
whisky.
The cook was shrewd mulatto, and
he let Singleton make the key. 1t was
after 10 that morning when he brought
it to me. l was trying TO get the de
tails of his injury from Burns at the
time in the tent
Il didn't see or hear anything, Les
lie Burns said feebly. Il don't even
remember being hit 1 felt there was;
some one behind me- That was ALL
How long was Mrs. Johns on deck?"
Not long
Did she ask you to do something for
her?"
Pale rs ne was he colored, but he
eyed me honestly.
Yes. Don't ask me any more, Les
lie. 1t had nothing to do with this
what did she ask you TO dog per-
sisted remorselessly.
Il don't want to talk. My head
aches"
Very well. Then I'll tell you what
happened after 1 went off watch. No.
| wasn't spying. 1 know the woman.
that's ALL She said you looked tired
and wouldn't it be all right If you sat
down for a moment and talked to her."
No; she said she was nervous"
The same thing. only better. Then
she persisted in talking of the crime
and finally she said she would like TO
see the ak. 1t wouldn't do any harm
She wouldn't touch it"
He watched me uneasily.
"She didn't either,',' he said. I'll |
swear to that, Leslie. She didn't go
near the bunk. She covered her face |
with her hands and leaned against the
door. 1 thought she was going to \
faint"
Against the door, of course. and got h
an impression of the key. The door
opens in She could take out the key.
press it against q cake of wax or even
4 cake of soap in her hand and slip it 1
back into the lock again while you |,
what were you doing while she was \
loing all that:"
"She dropped her salts. picked I
hem up"
Exactly! Well, the ak is gone"
He started up on his elbow.
Cone
Thrown overheard, probably. It is
rot in the cabin" I
1t was brutal. perhaps. but the sit
lation was all of that. As Burns fell
Jack. colorless. Tom. the cook. brought
nto the tent the wire key that Sim
Teton had made.
That morning l took from inside Of
'ingleton's mattress bunch of keys
long steel file and the leg of one of
is chairs. carefully unscrewed and
trapped ar the end with wire-a for
lidahle club. One of the keys opened to