Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-30
CON TR ABB AND
Romance of the North Atlantic
BY RANDALL PARRISH

big sailor, clinching and unclinching his
hands. He sure amt aft. thar ain't no
way ! know how he could git into the hold
with the matches down, so thar amt nothu'
ieft except the fo'castlc an the forepeak
Wen find the cuss thar all right, sir"
Their confidence had it's effect on me
Good; white and Mccain will guard
every inch Of the deck while we take the
forecast!e first Bring the lantern. Lea
yord."
The door was two-thirds shut. and we
slid it wide open to gain entrance. feeling
our way cautiously down the steps The
place had never been q sea a-parlor. hut now.
deserted 10y the crew. IL presented as dismal
scene, in the dim light Of the lantern,
az ever | put my foot into The air. was
toul with hllge water. while rottug gar
ments hung to the beams above or were
strcwn along the deck. The shadows were
RrutesQue and hidcOus and much Of the
space was Cuttered up by discarded sea
boots, battered chests and miscellaneous
riffraf which the men had left behind in
their flight, stopped at the foot Of the
stairs. but IeaYurd aud Red advanced to
the tier Of hunks the former lifting the
lantern. while the latter took survey within
each. They made the circuit without evi-
denCe of any discovery, Liverpool Cursng as
he stumbled over various impediments i'm
the uncertain light Except for their heavy
rats and the sturdy poundinH of the seas
without there was no other sound. Alto
gether the surroundings were too Oppressive
for description the scene was squalid, TN
wholesome suggestive of wreck. We found
no trace OF Bascom, but at that / was glad
enough to be back again on the open deck.
breathing in the fresh air. It was like a
tonic
The paint room and the forcpeak came
next. and | explored the latter myself, as
there was scarcely room In the narrow
space for even one to creep about. Pushing
the lantern before me, every nerve singing
like copper wire, ! Crawled out at last
dripping with perspratlon and as black as
though / had been for half day in the
coal hole. TO Leayords Inquiries | could
only shake my head.
We'll sir" he said obstinately I'm a
sailorman, but | never did believe in ghosts
an | Amt a-goin' fer ter believe in EN-
now. II warn't no Spooks what did this
job This we're Bascom was sure enough
human the last time | put eyes on him an
I don't reckon he's changed much since
'cept maybe in mis- line O brains; do YOU
sir?'
Hes flesh and blood, all right, II that is
what you mean; only insanity makes them
cunning"
That's what | sed TO Red here while
you was crawling round in the forepeak.
lappin up bilge water He reckoned 1t
might o. bin a ghost a-doin' these things (;
but claimed thet ghosts don't shove knives
into sailormen; leastways | never heard q
none that did. So II naturally stands to
reason sir that this bloomin' lunatic Is
still aboard somewhere. He never got out
them cabin-ports, for cat couldn't git
through em. He never went over the rail
or some o. US on deck would a-heard the
splash alongside so there's nOthin' left but
thet he's still on the ship
He leaned forward. striking one hand on
the other to better express his argument
/ was thinking, paying little attention to
his words my eyes unconsciously viewing
the ship aft. The deck was SO wrapped In
gloom that outside the radius OF our Ian
terms / could perceive no movement, not
even determine the presence Of the two men
left on guard.
The two masts with their heavy spans.
cast all below into dense shadow, but be-
yond on the poop, the faint rays of the
pinnacle lamp reflected softly on the face
Of the girl at the wheel, making her appear
almost a vision, The sight for an instant
fascinated me.
"Ain't thet so, sir?"
why, yes, LeayoTd l am unable to see
II any other way-but where?"
We'll, there amt but one place aboard
unexplored, sir. Damned II know how he
ever got there, but he's either there, over.
board or aloft; or else I've got to take off
my hat to Red here, an acknowledge it's
real ghost we've got aboard the old
hooker"
THE cargo hold?"
AYE, aye I'm fer takln' of the matches
and letting a man or two creep around
down there. We've got to find out where
that devil is."
There was no answering his logic, and
a determination to complete the Job was
already in my own mind.
Get the tsrpauln out Of the way, Liver
pool" said sharply, throwing the lantern
where the light was needed "Cut II loose,
man; don't waste time with the lashings /;
there's plenty Of spare canvas in the sail
room. what's slowed first below, Mr.
Leayord?'
That's the hell Of IT, sir" he replied
soberly 81 never told you. for | didn't
see no cause. There was a lot o. boxes
come on board. sir, maybe a thousand
of 'em, with ends clamped with iron, an
they was almighty heavy, We had TO load
'em with the donkey engine an most of
'em were dumped in jist below the main
hatch"
"Do you know what they contained?"
"Mr. Bascom told me they was army
stoves, sir, and maybe he thought they
was, fer he seemed sure about II but along
at the last the hook slipped Off one OF
them. an the box dropped about thirty
feet, smashin' the whole end init was
plumb full o. loaded shells"
LOADED shells?'
That's what therS was powder enough
scattered about there ter blow the whole
ship 10 hell an back"
what did Bascom say?"
lcoNTINUED roMORRoHla