Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-30
CHAPTER NNNNI
fVha NNnrk of "a flend

TN SPITE Of what | knew, of the horror
and TRAGEDY I had just left behind; the
uuspcallahle terror Of feeling thdt some
where aboard hidden In some black corner
lurked an irresponsible being win murder
I'm his crazed brain; being devoid OF all
impulse save the frenzy of hate, the desire
for destruction. yet the sight Of that cool,
silent deck already darl(ened by the gather
ing shadows Of night, instantly Gained me
and brought back my powers Or reasoning.
The man was not aft; then he must be tor-
ward 1t IL impossible TO hide long on snip
hoard in the face Of an Intelligent search.
Already we had peered into every corner
abaft the engine ladder below decks; all
that remained unvisited was the hold, chocll
to the deck beams with cargo, both matches
battened down the forecastle the paint
room and the dingy, ill-smellng recesseS or
the forepeak of one thing | was decided
II the fellow had indeed succeeded in Slip
ming forward unobserved. he was never TO
be permitted TO return aft again unseen. |
would first Of all. see to IL that the decks
were guarded and then the rest of us would
hunt him In his hole.
white. you remain here in front Of the
cabin and keep your eyes open. Don't let
a shadow get past you aft; you under
stand?"
AYE, sir"
give me the lantern. There is no know
ing what that fellow may do; he might fire
the ship, or wreck the engines, unless we
get him in time"
"You think he's forward. sIr?'
where else can he be? III put another
man at the mainmast and then run him
down"
Leayord attracted by the gleam of the
lantern. leaned out over the poop rail.
That you Captain? Have you got Bas-
com yet?"
NO; he has managed TO escape and get
forward but not without leaving another
victim behind. Tony Rapello is dead in the
stoke hole"
"The bloody villain! How did he ever get
out Of there2"
(which Is more than I can figure out 4;
stole on deck, probably. and then slipped
along in the rail shadow, Where is Nc
Cann?"
Just gone forward to AK the ridin
lamps"
eyes on the deck There doesn't seem to
be a great deal of wind or sea, Mr.. Lea
yord do you imagine Miss Darlington
could hold the wheel for half an hour?"
Il don't see no reason why she shouldn't
sir I've seen her do it In worse weather"
Then ask her. please I'm likely to need
both of you If we round up that fellow
He's crazy and armed and sure to fight
hard. Pick up any weapon you can find
and come down here"
They were beside me almost instantly.
eagerly questioning az to what had occurred
below, their faces expressive OF the deep
horror both felt at the situation in which
we found ourselves Under other condi-
tions | should have felt sincere sympathy
for the suddenly stricken Bascom. His
former friendship for Vera, what | knew Of
his misfOrtunes, the very conception of the
mans character which | had formed my
self during our brief acquaintance on
board, all tended TO make the man an object
of pity. The murders he had committed
were but the result Of "A diseased brain,
the sudden swapping Of responsibility Nor
did the dead men make any special appeal
they had been when alive the scum OF the
sea, treacherous and brutal enemies to be
watched and guarded against. All we had
lost through their deaths had been the use
of their hands in navigating the vessel
Even now I held Philip Bascom, II restored
to his normal condition, worth all Of them.
l could not hate the man, or seek him evil
but | could dread him. That was the
whole Of it-dread Here was a man Graz
ed murderousy insane, who had safely
tasted blood whose insanity had been
caused by fear and brooding over a great
wrong In his disordered brain a mad
desperate desire for revenge had overshad-
owed all else. To obtain this no deed was
impossible, no crime too hideous. And this
creature was hldden somewhere between
decks, and, unless discovered and made
captive, held in his hands the fate Of every
soul on board. The thought OF what he
might do during the black darkness OF the
night terrorized me. There was no guess
ing what crazed scheme his insanity might
concoct-fre, a wrecked engine. an open
water cock a dozen different possibilities
flashed through my mind, each frightful in
it's suggestion OF potent evil. At any cost
we must have him within our control we
dare not even wait in hope that the man
might reveal himself-we must go after
him, crawling In the dark. feeling within
crevice and cavity, until we uncovered his
hiding place
l explained this quickly TO the two men,
hiding none OF my own fear. but making
them comprehend the desperate need OF
thorough and ceaseless search. The look
on their faces evidenced that my words
had gone home.
Hes forward. sir that's clear enough"
insisted Leayord wen nab the fellow In
the focastle yonder aecordin 70 my notion.
What do yer say, Red2"
.rhatA-hax / lAx H. out :, coinaidea the