Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-01

the way across tie deck. The forward
hohSe was closed and locked, and no
knocking produced any indication OF
life. The after house we found mot
only locked, but barred across with
strips Of wood nailed into place. The
forecastle was likewise closed. 1t was
q dead ship.
No figure reappearing to alarm him.
Mac took the drawing out Of his
pocket and focused the fiashlight on 1t.
"This cross by the mainmast," he
said-"that would be where7'
Fright behind you, there" III
He walked to the mast. and examined
carefully around Its base. There was
nothing there, and even now do not
know to what that cross alluded, un-
less poor Schwartz
Then this other one-forward. you
call it, don't your Suppose We locate
that"
AL expectation of the waterman
having now died, we went forward on
the port side to the approximate loca-
ton Of the cross. This being In the
neighborhood where Mac had thought
he saw something move, we approach
ed with extreme caution. But nothing
more ominous was discovered than the
port .Mfeboat, nothing more ghostly
heard than the occasional creak with
which 1t rocked in Its davits.
I The lifeboat seemed to be indicated
10y the cross. 1t swung almost shout
der high on McWhirter. We looked
under and around 1t, with a growing
Feeling that we had misread the sig
jnldcance Of the crosses, or that the
sinister record extended to time be-
lforo the "she devil" Of the Turner line
wns dressed in white and turned into
IA lady.
| Z WINS feeling underneath the boat,
|; with q sense Of absurdity that Nc
Whittier put into words. Il only hope, +"
he said, that the Waterman does not
wake up now and see US. He'd be
Justified In filing us with lead or put
ting us In straitjackets."
But 1 had discovered something.
MAC" I said, "some one has been at
this boat within the last few minutes"
"Why?"
"Take your revolver. and watch the
deck. Zone Of the barecas"-
Whats that?"
Zone of the water barrels has been
upset, and the plug is out 1t is leak
ing into the boat 1t is leaking fast,
and there's only a gallon or so In the
bottom. Give me the light"
The contents Of the boat revealed tho
truth Of what 1 had said. The boat
was in confusion. Its cover had been
thrown back, and tins Of biscuit, ball
ers. boathooks md extra rowlocks were
Jumbled together in confusion. Tho
barecas lay on its side. and it, plug
had been either knocked or drawn out
McWhirter was for turning to In
spect the boat, but ordered him stern
~ to watch the deck. He was inclined
to laugh at my caution, which, he
claimed, was quality in mo he had
not suspected. He lounged against the
rail near me and In spite OF his chan
kept keen enough lookout.
The barecas Of water were dashed
amidships. In the bow and stern were
small air tight compartments, and In
the stern was also small locker from
which the biscuit tins had been taken.
I was about to abandon my search
when saw something cleaning " the
locker and reached in and drew tGout
It appeared to be an ordinary white
sheet, but its presence there was curl
GUS. 1 turned the Hight on. It was
covered with dark brown stains.
Even now the memory Of that sheet
turns me Ill. shook 1t out, and Mac
at my exclamation came to me. 1t
was not a sheet at all-that is, not a
whole one. It was q circular piece of
white cloth, on which In black were
curious marks. six pointed star pre-
dominating. There were others-a
crescent. a crude attempt to draw
what might be either dog or lamb
and Cross. From edge to edge It
was smeared with blood.
OF what followed just after both
Mcwhirter and are vague. There
seemed to be simultaneously yell Of
fury from the rigging overhead and
the crash Of falling body on the deck
near us. Then we were closing with
a kicking, biting, screaming thing that
bore me to the ground, extinguishing
the little electric fash, and that, rising
suddenly from under me. had Nc
Whirter in the air and almost over
board before caught him. So dazed
were we by the onslaught that the
thing-whatever 1t was-could have es-
capped and left us none the wiser. But,
although 1t eluded us In the darkness,
It did not leave. It was there, whim-
pering to itself, searching for some
thing-the sheet. As l steadied Mac 1t
passed me. caught at it. Immedi-
ately the struggle began all over again.
But this time we had the advantage
and kept 1t. After a battle that SEEM
ed to last all night, and that was ac-
tually fought all over that part of the
deck, we held the creature subdued,
and Mac, getting hand free, struck a.
match.
It was Charlie Jones.
That, after all, is the story. Jones
was a mailman, a homicidal maniac
OF the worst type. Always mad
man, the homicidal element Of his dis
ease was recurrent and Of curious
na<p,ro Hn Thought himoo1P a prioof