Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-28
CON TR A B AND
A Romance of the North Atlantic
BY RANDALL PARRISH

Got forward, an hands. and clear away
that llHlo lively now"
They wpir e bit slow about il. grumhItuE
WupuE Themselves Olson spoke uucr or
twice. aIthpugh / could not hear exactly
what was said, aud the power of sca dis.
cpliu" finally conquered. They began shuC-
Hing forward hut In no good humor. Lea
\ord fingered "a moment to ask mo gucs-
ton; then joined IN" others ON the main
deck roaring out orders in fun voice.
which seemed to nur some life into the men.
! remained at tho vail Watching. rather
pleased with tho way my newly appointed
mato* took hold. aud confident the men
would be kept at it
They Wcr' indeed a hard lot, yet possibly
no WORSE than the average and once they
N"r" s"hrr"d up and settled tu the voyage
would not probably give me amy very
serious trouble. within ten minutes they
were working rhccrfully enough. and Lea
y"rd had ceased his Erun ordering. and
stood silent beside the lee rail 1t pleased
me- iu observe that Olson took hold along
With the others and did his fun share of the
work. ! leaned further over 10 gain view
uf the cabin entrance, but Bascom had
disappeared The girl however. held her
plar" and glanced up, her eyes meeting
mine
could come up there, Mr.. Hollis?" she
questioned
certainly. AS a passenger this deck is
der"
gave her my hand and helped her to
grasp the rail TIL" sea was not heavy, hut
thor" was nasty roll nevertheless. making
II safer to cling To some stable object She
glanced about into the mist.
How gray and sombcr it is" she said
soberly. "'rhc fog is almost like hand
S1utchng at YOU
THE glass is falling rapidly" answered.
and ! suspect a storm is brooding behind
that curtain; that is why I am SO anxious
! to make all clear What do you think of
| the crew."
She glanced aside toward the motionless
negro at the wheel and then at the men
| Shuilling about their work
II hardly know: they--thcy look aw-
| fully rough. aud-and dsreputabe. Weren't
some Of them drunk"
mo doubt, yes. But that is nothing un-
| usual at this stage of II voyage. The ship
| is not long out of port you know and some
| liquor was undoubtedly smuEElCd aboard
| Wen have a search for il presently"
You do not think them a bad crew.
| About the average. | should Judge; all
| sorts and conditions of men, of the kind
who go down to sea in ships. The trouble
! is that you are accustomed only to the
! passenger servcc--uniforms and scrubbed
| faces. We do not often pick that sort of
| scamcn for the rough work"
She didn't speak for a moment, watching
| "rhcy were very much dissatisfied with
| your decision to 60 on. They did not see
| us in the companion, and spoke rather
! freely about it,"
"Nou mean the continuing of the voy-
age?"
yes. they believed the vessel would Ger
| tanly put back to the nearest American
port"
You heard no inkling of their plans
| presume"
| "Only profano threats"
| | laughed. We'll. don't worry Miss Vera.
| Those things are frequent enough on ship
| board We will have the lads thoroughly
| tanned within another twenty-four hours.
| There is never mutny without some
| leader and "A better cause. Those fellows
! shipped for Hamburg, and to Hamburg they
| go. unless some cruiser stops us. | am
| working under your orders, you know.
She glanced IN quickly into my face,
Under my orders? No. not that. Mr..
| Hollis. You told me it would be your
! choice I merely granted permission"
| Your permission was equivalent to an
order. | 50 accepted it,"
but that is hardly fair Not that I re-
| gret the choice. for could never have for
| given myself if my sclhshncss had ruined
! philip Bascom. Tie is really an old friend"
so | supposed; a very interesting man
IN spite of his misfortune"
! wrecked him. II 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 sobcrly For Mccain is the
| kind to breed more trouble if he can find
an excuse | doubt if he suspects as vet
| who owns this ship, hut the two are bound
| to meet His tongue has waggcd already
about the war
THE news has reached the crew."
YES that accounts largely for their
| objections to continue the voyage, although
| probably they were ripe enough for revolt
before | shall have to caution Mccain.
| and he does not take such things kindly"
| you do not consider the man dam
gerous?"
"Not i'm the sense you mean lie will
| never attack openly or permit himself To
| be known in any conspiracy. But he will
| have to be watched nevertheless. He Is the
| sort to harbor revenge and as he feels
hatred and dstrust toward both Bascom
| and myself. we cannot be too careful |
shall have to tell Leayord the whole story"
| "Leayord?'
| THE man | named for first officer; he is
standing abaft the foremast yonder"
THE second officer is a Swede?"
| "Yes rather young, but like his face
| and he seems to have the respect of the
! men" | turned, and gazed into the face
| of the compass already lighted
| What is your name?" | asked of the
| black at the wheel.
! Watson. sab Charles Watson"
| We'll Watson, let her head fall off a
| couple of points-thats ii. my man Is this
| the signal cord to the engneroom
| He nodded the whites of his eyes show
| ing oddly, and / rang for an increase of
| speed Watson, bracing the wheel with one
| knee. wiped his lips on his sleeve.
| Am yo' shorey amin fer ter sail dis
| we're ship long ter Hamburg, sah?" he asked
| cautiously,
"You heard what said to the men?"
| "Yas, sab, | done heerd dat But I
thought maybe | best tell yer, sab, that
| thars sure "A bad lot forward an they's
| plum set against goin' no further"
"A bad lot. hey? And who seems to be
| the leader. watsonf'
He scratched his head.
lcoNTlNuEp MONDAY X