, 1915-02-11

showed the brooding and overcast
faces of the men.
isn't it there?'' | asked. "Our agree
ment was for me to carry the key to
singleton's cabin and Burns the cap
~tain's."
Miss Lee. by the rail. came forward
slowly and looked up at me.
isn't 1t possible she said, that.
knowing where the key was, some one
wished to get it, and so"- She indi-
Gated the tent and Burns.
l knew then. How duh l had been
and stupid! The men caught her mean
ing, too, and we tramped heavily for
ward. the girl and | leading.
The door into the captains room was
open, and the AK was gone from the
bunk. The key, with the cord that
Burns had worn around his neck, was
In the door, the string torn and pulled
as If 1t had been ierked away from the
unconscious man. Later on we veri-
fed this by finding on the back of
Burns neck an abraded line two inch
es or so in length.
l ordered a rigid search of the deck.
but the AK was one. Nor was 1t ever
found. 1t had taken It's bloody story
many fathoms deep into the old Allan
tic and hidden 1t. where many crimes
have been hidden, in the ooze INT
slime of the sea bottom.
That day was memorable for more
than the attack on Burns. It marked
n complete revolution in my idea of the
earlier crimes and of the criminal.
Two things influenced my change of
mental attitude. The attack on Burns
ner had strength enough to fell so
vigorous a man. even with the capstan
bar which we found lying near by.
nor could he have jerked and broken
the amberline. Mrs. Johns / eliminat-
ed for the same reason. of course. /
-uuIu nnag1ne ner gerung rne Key by
subtlety, wheedling the Impressions
BILE young sailor into compliance. But
force!
The second reason was the stronger.
Singleton, the mate, had become a
tractable and almost amiable prisoner.
Like Turner, he was ugly only when
he was drinking, and there was no
liquor on the Ella He spent his days
devising with bits of wire n ring puz-
zle hat he intended should make his
fortune, inc | believe he contrived
finally a clever enough bit of foolery.
The morning of Burns injury | Wis
tied Singleton.
The new outrage, coming at a time
when they were slowly recovering con
Rl,xna bod t,-,n1 A.. p,,, n,rI,
They went doggedly about their work.
and whenever they gathered there
was muttered talk of the white figure.
Their was grumbling, too, over their
lack of weapons for defense.
The cook was II ~ringleader OF the
malcontents. Certain utensils were al
lowed him, but he was compelled at
night to lock them in the galley after
either Burns inspection or mine and
to turn over the key to IL of us.
On the morning after the attack.
therefore, Tom, carrying singleton's
breakfast to him, told him at length
what had occurred in the night and
dilated on his lack of self defense
should an attack be directed toward
him.
Singleton promptly offered to make
him out of wire n key to the galley
door, 80 that he could get what he
wanted from 1t. The cool was to take
an impression of the lock. In ex-
change Tom was to fetch him from a
hiding place which Singleton designat-
ed in the forward house a bottle of
whisky.
The cook was n shrewd mulatto, and
he let Singleton make the key. 1t was
after 10 that morning when he brought
1t to me. l vas trying TO get the de
tails of his injury from Burns ut the
time in the tent.
81 didn't see or hear anything, Les
lie." Burns said feebly. 81 don't even
remember being hit l felt there was
some one behind me. That was ALL"
How long was Mrs. Johns on deckT'
mot long"
"Dld she ask you to do something for
herr"
Pale as he was he colored. but he
eyed me honestly.
Yes. Don't ask me any more, Les
lie. 1t had nothing to do with this"
"What did she ask you to do?" l per-
sisted remorselessly.
II don't want to talk. My head
aches"
Every well. Then III tell you what
happened after l off watch. No.
l wasn't spying. | know the woman,
that's all. She said you looked tired
and wouldn't 1t be all right If you sat
down for a moment and talked to her"
mo; she said she was nervous"
"The same thing, only better. Then
she persisted In talking of the crime.
and finally she said she would like to
see the ak. 1t wouldn't do any harm.
She wouldn't touch it."
He watched me uneasily.
"She didn't either" he said. I'll
swear to that, Leslie. She didn't go
near the bunk. She covered her face