The log cabin Democrat., 1914-10-02

| part that took her to the deck The | captain had quit the bridge and stood at the door of the engine room, his face betraying the anxiety he tried to conceal from his passengers Louder. louder grew the thudding sound, fol lowed now by retching like the rip ping of rotten cloth.
 "A boiler in the engine room," Lou beque said quietly. when she returned to his suit
 She stared at the spy incredulOusly. | Came another thought with thaf{ helplessness. a thought of whic&z felt ashamed for the second. If VI came to the worst this man would tempt to save, to take with himt most priceless possession. If onlyt could find out where the stolen p
 were concealed she would get
 It was not wrong to take advanth4y-. the weakness of physicfl invalid /ho | possessed such giant mental strength.
 Mingling with the horrid retching sound came long hiss The spy sprang to his feet again and opened the door. Passengers were rushing wildly about the decks. their faces be- traying the abject terror they felt. At the rail stood the captain and second mate supervising the lowering of the | lifeboats. A white faced steward head inside.
 Fire" he whispered. then. as though ashamed for the fear which had robbed him of his voice. Its hre to the boats"-
 Lucille turned away, a sickening feeling clutching at her heart. Fire! Fire out here on the broad ocean and never sight of land since Manila. What could she do? She suddenly was conscious of Hugo Loubeque's swift notions. The spy darted across the room and drew from the top drawer of his desk package of papers which he hurriedly replaced as she turned nance which told her the truth, told her that he had revealed the secret of the stolen papers. He slapped the drawer shut, reassuming his aspect of indiAsrence as he brushed her away from the door.
 Quick as the spring of cat she Sc cured the papers while he stepped tol the deck. apparently to study the sltu- | ation. When he returned she was nov ing carelessly about the room, wearing so innocent an expression that he studied her suspiciously second. Their eyes met. and he sprang to the desk. slapping open the drawer so vio- lently its contents fell upon the floor. As he whirled upon her she saw In hsa face that the truce was at an end, that he knew of his loss and would stop at nothing to regain his secret Swiftly she sprang through the open door, losing herself in the mass of pas sengers huddled against the rail. Be low them sounded that horrible hissing sound. the sound of unbrdled fire.
 Lucille felt an overmastering n- pulse within her to remain with A2s terror, anything save the great, thrept- ening ocean that looked so monstrdfls now, waiting the tiny craft that creak- 1 ed down from the davits. Then power
 
 herself being lifted and hurtled for ward, huddling down in the crowded | boat that was being lowered to the waves.
 | A hand reached out and rested upon her shoulder For a second she was unconscious of it, then something steadying, indomitable about the clutch of finger tips made her turn. Hugo Loubeque smiled into her eyes. smiled with the pitying expression of an in- vincible one who grieves for the weak ling that dashes against him.
 Her eyes upraised toward the boat, a mass of whitish smoke now through which leaped playful reddish flames Now and then figure would dart to- ward the rail and lunge overheard, the bodies striking the water in great cir cles that lost themselves in one an other And for a second the thought came to her that even that inferno of n ship was preferable to this man be- side her.
 Well played, Miss Love-" the spy murmured sikily. "But l fear you must return the
 A piercing shriek made him turn swiftly, a shriek that lost itself in the heavy crunching of wooden oars against wood. Came a horrid pumping that seemed more like the crunching of wild beast upon bones than anything she had ever heard. Heat, intense. steaming. beat upon her cheeks. She looked up and only the dark hulk of the Empress loomed above her, only a