Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-18

for His Infinite mercy in guiding US to
them !"
III they've been drifting for any consid-
erable number OF weeks without food or
water" hazarded Billy Mallory, about the
only things they'll need'll be what we didn't
have the foresight to bring along-an un-
dertaker and a preacher"
Don't be horrId. Billy" returned Miss
Harding. You know perfectly well that l
didn't mean weeks-t meant days and any
way they'll be grateful to us for what we
can do for them / can scarcely wait to
hear their story"
Billy Mallory was inspecting the stranger
through Mr.. Hardngs glass. Suddenly he
gave an exclamation OF dismay.
by George !" he cried. 1T Is serious
after all. That ships aflre. Look, Mr..
Harding" and he passed the glass over to
his host
And sure enough as the owner Of the
Lotus found the brlgantlne again In the
centre Of his lens he saw thin column OF
black smoke rising amldships, but what ne
did not see was Mr.. Ward upon the opposite
side Of the Halfmoon's cabin superintending
the burning by the black cook Of bundle
OF oily rags In an iron boiler.
by Jove :" exclaimed Mr.. Harding
This is terrible. The poor devils are panic
stricken. Look at 'em making for the
boats |" and with tina. he dashed back to the
bridge TO confer with his captain.
Yes" said that officer, II noticed the
smoke about the same time you did-funny
1t wasn't apparent before. I've already sig
nailed full-speed ahe:.d, and I've instructed
Mr.. Foster TO have the boats In readiness
to lower away II we find that they're short
of boats on the brigantine.
What I can't understand" he added
after moments silence. rs why they
didn't show any signs of excitement about
that fire until we came within easy sight
of them-it looks queer"
g.. .tV.V.NA
returned Mr.. Harding. The chances are
that the fire is just a recent addition TO
their predlcament, whatever II may be, and
that they have only just discovered 1t
themselves"
Then II can't have gained enough head
way" insisted the captain, ito cause them
any such immediate terror as would be In
dicated by the haste with which the whole
ships crew Is tumbling into those boats
but as you say sir, we'll have their story
out OF them In a few minutes now, SOS It's
idle speculatng beforehand"
The officers and men OF the Halfmoon,
so far as those on board the Lotus could
guess, had all entered the boats at last
and were pulling frantlcally away from
their own ship toward the rapidly nearing
yacht: but what they did not guess and
could not know was that Mr. Divine paced
nervously to and fro in his cabin while
Second officer Theriere tended the smok-
ing rags which Ward and Blanco had re-
signed to him so that they might take
their places in the boats
Theriere had been greatly disgusted with
the turn events had taken. for he had de-
termlned upon line of action that he felt
sure would prove highly remunerative to
himself 1t had been nothing less than
bold resolve to call Blanco Byrne. Bony
and Red to his side the moment Simms
and Ward revealed the true purpose of
their ruse to those on board the Lotus. and
with his henchmen take sides with the men
of the yacht against his former companions.
As he had explained 1t to Billy Byrne.
the idea was to permit Mr. Harding to
believe that Theriere and his companions
had been duped by Skipper Slmms-that
they had had no idea OF the work they
were to be called upon to perform until
the last moment, and that then they had
done the only thing they could.
And then" Therere had concluded.
when they think that are heroes and
the best friends that they have, we shall
be ready to seize all of them and get ran
SONS for 10 or Is, instead OF but one"
Bully" exclaimed the mucker you
sure got some beam mate !"
AS matter of fac. fherlere had had