Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-03

time
The murders had been committed on
the early morning of Wednesday. the
18th. IL was on the following Tues
day that Mrs. Sloane and / had our
little conversation on deck.
II was on Friday that the incident
happened that completed the demon
alization OF the crew.
The cook tn king down the dinner on
Friday evening. reported Mr.. Turner
up and about and partly dressed. The
heat was frightful. All day we had
had a following breeze, and it had
been necessary TO lengthen the towing
rope, dropping the jolly boat well be
hind us. The men, saying little or
nothing. dozed under their canvas: the
helmsman dropped Mt the wheel. I'm
der our feet the boards sent up SIM
mering heat waves. and the brasses
were too hot to touch.
At 4 o'clock Elsa Lee came on deck
and spoke to me for the first time in
several days. She started when she
saw ME. and no wonder. In the fren-
zied caution of the day after the
crimes ] had flung every razor over
board, and the result was as villain
Gus n set OF men as / have ever seen.
Have you been i'll againr" she
asked.
/ put my hand to my chin. Not
ILL., said: merely unshaven."
But you are pale, and your eyes are
sunk in your head"
I'VE are very short handed and
no one has slept much"
The cabin is unbearable," she said.
I'VE are willing to take the risk of
opening the after companion door"
But I could not allow this, and 1
tried TO explain my reasons. The
crew were quartered there for one;
for the other. whether they were will
ing 10 take the risk or not, I would
not open it without placing a guard
there and we had no one to spare for
the duty. 1 suggested that they use
the part of the deck reserved for
them. where it was fairly cool under
the awning. and after Il dispute below
they agreed to this. Turner, very
weak. came up the few steps slowly,
but refused my proffered help. A lit
tie later he called me from the rail
and offered me cigar. The change in
him was startling.
We took advantage of their being on
QeCh 10 open tue W lHuONS anu lilt
after house. But all were securely
locked ard barred before they went
below again. 1t was the first time
they had all been on deck together
since the night of the 18th. 1t was a
different crowd of people that sat
there. looking over the rail and speak
ing in monosyllables-no bridge. no
glasses clinking with ice, no elaborate
toilets and carefully dressed hair. no
flash OF jewels. no light laughter fol-
lowing one Of poor Wallis sallies.
At 10 o'clock they went below, but
not until 1 had quietly located every
member of the crew. / had the watch
frcm 8 TO II that night, and at half
after 10 Mrs. Johns came on deck
again. She did not speak to me, but
dropped into a steamer chair and
yawned. stretching out her arms. BY
the light of the companion lantern !
saw that she had put on one OF the
loose negligees she affected for I'M
dress. and her arms were bare except
for fall of lace.
At eight bells (midnight Burns took
my place. Charlie Jones was at the
wheel and Mcnamara in the crows !
nest. Mrs. Johns was doing in her /
chair. The yacht was making perhaps /.
four knots. and far behind the small !
white light of the jolly boat showed |
where she rode.
i slept heavily. and at eight bells / 4
rolled or my blanket and prepared TO 1
relieve Burns. | was stlff, weary, un- 4
refreshed. The air was very still. and |
we were hardly moving. | took pail 1
Of water that stood near the rail and, !
leaning far out. poured it over my |,
head and shoulders. As turned. drip |
ping Jones, relieved of the wheel, !
touched me on the arm.
Go back TO sleep, boy" he said |
kindly. I'VE need you, and were
goin' to need you more when we get /
ashore. You've been talkin' in your
sleep till you plumb scared me-"
But ] was wide awake by that time,
and he had had as little sleep as 1 had.
I refused, and we went forward to-
gether, Jones TO get coffee, which
stood all night on the galley stove.
II was still dark. The dawn. even
in the less than four weeks we had
been out. came perceptbly later. At
the port forward corner of the after
house Jones stumbled over some
thing and gave sharp exclamation.
The next moment he was on his
knees. lighting n match.
Burns lay there on his face. uncon-
scious and bleeding profusely from
cut on the back of his head, but not
dead.
Ny first thought was of the after
house. Jones. who had been fond of
Burns. was working over him. mutter-
Ing 10 himself. felt his heart. which
was beating slowly. but regularly. and,
convinced that he was not dying. ran
Town into the after house. The cabin
vas empty. Evidently the guard
lround the pearl handled revolver had
been given up on the false promise of
Deace. All the lights were going,
however, and the heat was sufrocat-
ng.
l ran to Miss Lees door and tried