The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-04-04
5 s2y l. Sc By Mary Roberts Rinehart
1ke i oSo

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seen anything. I did not believe II
was the Waterman. But there should
be a Waterman on board--in the for
ward house. probably. ! gave Mac
my revolver and put tho light In my
pocket. l might want both hands
that night. l saw better without the
hash. and. guided partly by the bow
light. partly by my knowledge Of the
yacht, l led the way across the deck.
The forward house was closed and
locked. and no knocking produced
any indication Of life. The after
house We found not only locked. but
barred across with strips OF wood
nailed into place. The forecastie was
likewise closed. It was a dead ship
No ngure reappearing to alarm
him. Mac took the drawing out Of
his pocket and focused the f,ashligh,
on II.
Thin cross by tho mainmast" hs
said--"that would be where7"
fright behind you. there"
lie walked to the mast. and ex-
emined carefully around its base
There was nothing there. and even
now do not know TO what that croaa
alluded. unless poor Schwartz'---
Then this other one--forward, you
call i. don't your Suppose We To-
cate that"
All expectation Of the Waterman
having now died, We went forward on
the port side 70 the Approximate
location of tho CROSS. This being In
the neiTh borhood where Mac had
thought he saw something move, We
approached with extreme caution.
But nothing more ominous was dis
covered than the port lifeboat, moth
Ing moro ghostly heard than the &C.
casional creak with which Il rocked
IN It's davits.
Tho lifeboat seemed to be Indicated
by the Cross. II swung almost
shoulder high on McWhirtcr. We
looked under and around II, with Z
growing feeling that We had misread
tho Significance Of the crosses. or that
the sinister record extended TO a time
before the ''she devir' OF the Turner
limo was dressed In white and turned
into a lady.
was feeling underneath the boat
with q sense OF absurdity that NO
Whirter put into words. II only
hope" no said, shat tho watchmaI
does not wake up now and see us
He'd be justified In flllinE us with
lead. or putting VI In straitjackets."
But 1 had discovered something.
Mac" said. some one has bear
at this boat within the last few min
uteS."
"whyr
Take your revolver and watch chi
deck. One Of the barecas" -
whats thatr'
"One Of the water barrels has beea
upset. and the plug In out II u leak
Ing into the boat. It N leaking fast
and there's only . gallon or no In tn
bottom! Give mo the light"
Tho contents OF tho boat revealed
the truth OF what I had said. Thu
boat was IN confusion. Its cover hal
been thrown back, and tins OF biscuit
bailers. boat-hooks and extra row
locks were jumbled together In con
fusion. Tho barccas lay on its sid'
and its plug had been either knockc
or drawn out
McWhirtcr was for turning to IN
spect tho boat: but ] ordered hir
stcrnly TO watch the deck. He wa
inclined TO laugh at my caution. whtc
ne claimed was 4 quality In me h
had not suspected. He lounged aGainf
the rail near me. and. In spite Of hi
chaff. kept . keen enough lookout
Tho borecas Of water were laAhe
Amidships. In the bow and stor
wore small Albright compartment
and In the stern was also . ana
locker from which the biscuit tin
had beam taken. was about
abandon my search, whom I -
oomething cleaning IN tho locker an
reached In and drow II out. 1. ~
|, peared to DO an ordinary white shoe
but Its presence there was curious.
turned the Light on II. II was CO,
ered with dark brown stains.
Even now tho memory OF thu
sheet turns mo III. shook II on
, and Mac, at my exclamation, came
|, me. 1t was not . sheet at all. that
not q whole one. 1t was q circula
picce Of white cloth. on which.
black, were curious marks--a ri,
, pointed star prodomlnating. Thel
were others--a crescent. n crude a
> tempt to draw what might DO eith'
. dog or lamb. and a cross. Fro
edRe TO edge II was smsarod vii
blood.
OF what followed Just after. DO,
. McWhirter and I ara vague. The
seemed to be, simultaneously. a "
OF fury from tho rigging overhea
: and tho crash OF q failing body {
. the deck near us. Then We wei
= clOSinK Win klcktn9 NUN
screaming thing, that boro mo
r tho dock. sxting,iishing tho little ole
: trio nash ana that. rising sudden
, from under me, had McWhirter
I. tho air ana almost overheard bofo
] caught him.
. So daxod were we by the onslausl
0 that tho thing-whatovsr II was
could have escaped and left us MOI
2 tho wiser. But, although 1t elud'
J. us In the darkness, II did not leav
: IT was there. whimpering 10 itse
: searching for something bhes
o A | stoadied Mao. II passed mo.
a caught at II. Immediately the stru
Gle began oil over again.
!, Hut this time We had the adval
!, tags and kept II. After bait
! that seemed TO last all night and tn
!, was actually fought all over that pa
y OF tho deck we hold tho creature su
dued and Mac, getting u FREQ han
struck u match,
II was Charlie Jones.
i, Tint, after all. II tina story. Jon
!. was a mndman, IA homicidal mani
= Of tho worst type. Always u MAJ
man, the homicidal element OF b
= disease was rocurrent and OF cur
y our nature, lie thought himself
priest Of heaven. appointed to MAJ
, vhastly sacrifices ut certain sigma
], from on high. Tho signals l am n
sure Of: he turned taciturn after b
noptura and wonlh mt talk 1 N