The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-11-09
CHAPTER xI-(contlnued.)


'The glass is falling rapidly" an
swered, "and ! suspect a storm is
brooding behind that curtain; that is
why am so anxious to make all clear.
What do you think of the crew."
She glanced aside toward the mo-
tionless negro at the wheel, and then
at the men shutting about their work.
I'll hardly know; they-they look
awfully rough and-and disreputable.
Weren't some of them drunk?"
mo doubt, yes. Don't worry, Miss
Vera. Those things are frequent
enough on shipboard. We will have
these lads thoroughly tanned within an
other twenty-four hours. There is never
. mutiny without some leader and a
better cause. I am working under
your orders, you know"
She glanced up quickly into my face.
"Under my orders? No, not that,
Mr.. Hollis. You told me 1t would be
your choice; merely granted permits
sion."
"Your permission was equivalent to
an order. so accepted It,"
"But that is hardly fair. Not that I
regret the choice, for I could never
have forgiven myself If my selflshness
had ruined Philip Bascom. He is really
an old friend"
$50 I supposed; very interesting
man in spite of his misfortune"
"He was, indeed, before that bullet
wrecked him. 1t is sad; and to think
that the one who shot him is actually
on board-his guest"
"Not altogether a pleasant thought
to me-" said soberly. "For Mccain is
the kind to breed more trouble If he
can find an excuse"
"You do not consider the man dan
gerous?"
"Not in the sense you mean. He will
never attack openly, or permit himself
to be known In any conspiracy. But
he will have to be watched, neverthe-
and as he feels hatred and distrust
toward both Bascom and myself, we
cannot be too careful. / shall have to
tell Leayord the whole story"
"Leayord?"
1.-THE man I named for first officer !;
he Is standing abaft the foremost yon-
der"
"The second officer Is a Swede?"
Eyes; rather young, but 1 like his
face, and he seems to have the re-
spect of the men," ! turned and gazed
into the face Of the compass, already
lighted.
''What is your manner" I asked of the
black at the wheel.
"Watson, sab; Charles Watson"
'Well, Watson, let her head fall off
q couple Of points-that's 1t, my man.
Il this the signal cord to the engine
roomT
He nodded, the whites of his eyes
showing oddly, and rang for an in
crease Of speed. Watson, bracing the
wheel with one knee, wiped his lips on
his sleeve.
Sam yo' shorely amin fer ter sail
dis yere ship long ter Hamburg, sah?"
he asked cautiously.
"You heard what said to the men?"
"Yas, sab, I done heerd dat. But 1
thought maybe best tell yer, sab, that
thar's sure a bad lot forward, an
they's plum set against goin' no far
rther."
"A bad lot, hey? And who seems to
De the leader, Watson?"
He scratched his head.
"Wal sab, there's two or three who
has lot ter say, but / sorter reckon as
how de real boss is a white pussOn
cali Liverpool Red-he dun started ter
knife me night afore last, and If
hadn't done got outer thar right lively,
I reckon I'd bin dead niger sure"
"What objection does this fellow and
the others with him have to finishing
this voyageT
"Wal, mostly at first 1t wus just
ordinary cussidness, sab; but now they
got the war ter harp about, dat Liver
pool is a-playin' it up ter beat all, sab.
he says this ship is loaded with war
stuff, and bound ter be sunk or cap
tured am dat so, sah?"
1--WE have a miscellaneous cargo"
answered, "and some Of 1t might be
cOntraband. But 1t was shipped ben-e
war was declared, and we have ample
time to reach port before the establish
ment Of blockade. There will be no
trouble, Watson, IL the men only do
their duty. You let them know that
! said so when you 60 forward