The evening world., 1914-03-26

intoxicate him as much as
the rum; the more intoxicated he
grew the less did he care about the
matter which had been on his mind.
Soon the thin. weary ghost Of
song served to interrupt him.
Next day Sagessa showed signs
neither Of his intoxication Of the past
niGht nor Of the worry that had pre-
coded II. Neither did the deck show
sign OF Pedro.
At eight bells, 4 o'clock. there was
still no sign Of Pedro on deck. nor
word about him. Sagesse was no.
where to be seen, the deck house door
was clos I'd and Gaspard determined
on a bold stroke.
He must verify his suspicious. IL
Pedro had been done to death by Sa-
Jesse IL was important FOR MIN 10
have first hand knowledge or the
fact, which would be weapon
against this villain should be give
trouble In the future.
He went forward. passing the green
painted bell from which one or the
crew had lust rung out the hour.
Now, the fo'cs'le OF a ship is sacred
10 the hands. 1t Is entered by the
ships officers rarely, and only on en-
traordinary occasions. Gaspard knew
this fact, but the knowledge did not
He went to the fo'cs'le hatch. and
dsecended the ladder into gloom and
Q stifiing atmosphere.
IL was q roomy enough place, as
fo'cs'les 20, and considering the ton.
maze Of La Belle Arlesienne, put al
the winds Of heaven could never nave
nurred IL of the scent of blackbeetles
nd negroes.
hunks lined the sides. There was
only one hammock. II belonged TO
Julos: only one sea chest. Juless
To reat 81 the crew did not trouble
about luggage very much--a Knott
ted handkerchief or an old ftsh met
serving them for bags and chests:
Tho hunks ran up to where the heel
Of tho bowsprit came Into the place
boeween' the kuiehtheads.
There were Ave men here. all
asleep; Jules In his hammock ana
the four others in hunks; naked. for
thew had kicked of the last OF their
clothes in the sitting heat; and look
ing like bronze figures cast by some
fantastic sculptor. fresh from the
mould. and flung here and there 10
cool.
Pedro was not here.
0aspard carefully verified the fact.
The man must have died In the night
and been cast overheard like dog.
without clothes. naked and barbara.
lit by the dim rays OF the Swinging
lamp. here were the men who would
give him short shrift and plunge
, in the sea at the word Of their COM
) mander. Pedro was one or them-
selves. yet they had made no OPPOSE
ton 20 his murder
A. he stood looking, a man IN one
of the starboard hunks tossed MS
arms and moved in his sleep. Gas
pard did not wait. A soment later
he was on deck.
Gaspard imagined that the crew OF
this blind and easy going vessel we're
unobservant and that his expedition
into the fo'cs'le had passed unnotlced.
In this he was wrong.
Three days later In pink ana
pearl dawn. they passed the virgin
islands, their shoals and sand spits.
Nv 9 o'clock the islands were Just
palms low down on the sea, swimming
in an azure haze; they had vanished
completely before noon.
Not a word had been said by Sa-
gesse about Pedro, and Gasparl I'M
agined that the captain held on the
subject under the Impression that he
(Gaspard had forgotten the Porto
Ricans existence.
There was something almost I'M
caAny In this vanishing u man ana
the utter Indifference OF all on board.
Imagination embroidered upon the
situation and asked questions not the
less disturbing because they were UNI
answerable.
Had the wretched man died in his
hunk, deliriOus from brain fever fol-
lowing the injury. or had he been
hung overheard before death?
The imaginative mind Of Gaspard
found much TO play with In this idea
He pictured the business done In the
small hours of the morning, while he
was asleep. He dreamed OF 1t al
night.
He was brought back from his
thoughts by one bell striking and by
thu shadow of the cook bearing din
ner from the galley To the deckhouse
Canned beef stewed with carrots
formed the repast, with the eternal
bananas OF the tropics, Sagesse was
hungry, and therefore silent, Gaspard
was silent. but he was not hungry.
The sight OF this man. whom M
was beginning to loathe, at his food
would have taken his appetite away
had he possessed one. The meal wen
on in silence. and Sagesse was push
ins lis plate away and had reached
out his hand for the bottle 10 MI his
glass. when Gaspard leaned across
the table.
'I counted the crew when ! came
on bHard," said Gaspard, and I
seems To me that ! made mistake
sHow so'" asked Sagesse. helpinS
himself from the bottle.
"I counted eleven hands, which VIII
YOU and me would make thirteen
souls on board"
swell" said Sagesse, helping him
soaf from the glass, what of that"
"Thirteen was an unlucky number,
II ESQ you believe In that nonsense?'
N DO not you?"