The Huttig news., 1917-11-03


 dazed yet, an have had no time to talk it over among themselves"
 Well hear from them later, you think?'
 Tomorrow, sir, or perhaps to- night, as soon as they learn for sure the course we're steering. They are dead set against Hamburg
 Why Hamburg. Mir. Leayord?'
 "Well sir, don't just know myself. for l was the bosun and the lads never talked to me very fr8ly. From all I've heTd, however, it's largely caused by what that fat bloke yer brought aboard with yer had to say about this dirty war breaIin' out. I don't know the duffer's name, sir; but 1 hear he claims to be q millionaire an is wiilin' ter spend a lot Q coin, just to be took back ter New York. Cookie told me that he and the guy that goes by the name of Liverpool had quite q talk
 Liverpool Red-yes. I've heard of him; he's the mems leader forward.h
 Likely SO; but there's others of the same kidney. If 1 was you, sir. I'd have a talk with Olson when he come or deck again. He'll tell you more'n l can.'
 I stood silent moment, staring out into the black void.
 T presume, MT. Leayord, I can con- fidently rely on your loyalty in case trouble develops?'
 .'You sure can, sir"
 "AEd Olsonf'
 Hell face it like q man; and al though Masters is q bit of q fool. I'm guessing he can be counted on in pinch"
 Are there any ethers?'
 'That'S hard to say. sir. offhand. 1 haven't been shipmates with them. or with any 0 this crew long enough yet to size 'em up; but there are few men forward who don't ehum none with Liyerpool's crowd. Olson would know 'em better than l."
 Well, the sooner We learn exactly how We stand in this matter the better I'll relieve you as soon as I have bite to eat"
 In spite of it's general dinginess of paint and furnishings, the main cabin had a look of coziness and comfort as entered from the black gloom of the decks. Bascom and Miss Vera occu- pied seats on one side, while Olson, washed and brushed into state of rare discomfort. sat alone opposite. A slim, narrow-chested man. his weak mouth partially concealed by q strag- gling mustachc. and who answered to the name of pade, acted as steward, but the boy, Moon, was doing most of the work I drew out the single va cant chair and sat down.
 "WeH,' I said pleasantly, breaking the rather awkward silence, q do not exactly know wh"re we are going but we are on our way |. "The sea is rising, l judge" re- marked Bascom.
 "There is every promise of rough night, but nothing to worry over. Dade, why did you set the table only for four? There is another passenger aboard"
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 "Oh, he has! Well. possibly, I may have something to say as to that. Did he give any reason?"
 Dade endeavored to hide grin. "Not exactly. a reason sir he answered softly, "but took it from what he said that he was not overly proud O the way he wus marked up, sir"
 I devoted few minutes to the meal, but when Dade departed Gn an errand forward, decided I might just as well discuss the situation frankly.
 T am beginning to fear" I said qui- etly. that Mir. Fergus McCann intends to make us all the trouble possible, and is even now behind most of the dis satisfaction on board. Do you know anything definite. Mr. Olson|
 The mate paused in his eating, with knife and fork uplifted
 q had not heard, sir. May ask if he is rich?"
 Quite SO: he was guest on the yacht Esmeralda. Now that 1 have answered these questions, Mir. Olson" and I stared into his rather emotion less face intently, perhaps you will be kind enough to answer mine."
 T would know what l talk" he re- turned stubbornly. "He, this Mir. Me Cam he offers ten thousand dollars to be put back in New York"
 "So that's his game Who brought the word forward?"
 "Cookie, I think sir. I overheard Jim White say that Mir. McCann had a belt on him with more money in it than they'd ever seen before in all their lives. The d. fool-I beg your pardon, miss-didn't know no more than to show it to em. Why, the sight of it fairly drove them two wharf rats crazy.
 "There's half dozen men forward" I" he went on slowly, "who would murder their grandfathers, sir, to get hold O all that coin. The rest O the crew are decent enough fellows as sailormen go, but there's liquor aboard yet, and all this ere war talk has scared 'em against continuing the voyage"