The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-09-18

| Bascom YETI"
"No; he has managed to escape, and
| get forward, but not without leaving
another victim behind. Tony Rapello
Is dead in the stolzehole."
"The bloody villain! How did he
ever get out Of there?'
(Which is more than I can figure
out; stole on deck, probably, and then
slipped along in the rail shadow.
Where is McCann?"
"Just gone forward to fix the ridin'
lamps"
"All right; sing out to him to keep
his eyes on the deck. There doesn't
seem to be great deal of wind, or
sea, Mr.. Leayord; 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 We're beside me almost instant
ly, eagerly questioning as to what had
occurred below, their faces expressive
Of the deep horror both felt at the situ-
ation in which we found ourselves. I'm
der other conditions I know I should
have felt sincere sympathy for the sud-
! denly stricken Bascom. His former
friendship with Vera, what knew Of
his misfortunes, the very conception
Of the mans character which I had
formed myself during our brief ac-
quaintance on board, all tended to
make the man an object Of pity. The
murders he mad committed We're but
the result Of diseased brain, the sud.
den swapping OF responsibility. ]
could not hate the man, or seek him
evil-but I could dread him. That was
the whole Of it-dread! Here was a
man crazed, murderously insane, who
had safely tasted blood, whose insan.
ity had been caused by fear, and brood.
ing over a great, wrong. In his disor-
dered brain mad, desperate desire for
revenge had overshadOwed all else. TO
obtain this no deed was impossible, no
crime too hideOus. And this creature
was hidden somewhere between decks
and, unless discovered and made cap.
tive, 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. At any cost
we must have him within our control
we dare not even wait to hope that the
man might reveal himself-we must
90 after him, crawling lin the dark,
feeling within crevice and cavity, until
we uncovered his hiding place.
I explained this quickly to the two
men, hiding none of my own fear but
making them comprehend the des-
perate need of thorough and ceaseless
search. The look on their faces evil
denccd that my words had gone home.
"He's forward, sir; that's clear
! enough" insisted Leayora. EVEN nab
the fellow in the fo'castle yonder 40
cordin' to my notion. What doyer say
Red?" W., 'R%4t4 e
'"That's how l lay it out" conceded
the big sailor, clinching and unclinch'
ing his hands. "He sure amt aft; thar
amt no way I know how he could git
into the hold with the matches down;
SO thar amt nothin' left except the
fo'castle, an the forepeak. Well find
the cuss thar all right, sir"
Their confidence had its effect on
| me. =
"Good; White and Mccain will
guard every inch Of the deck, while we
take the forecastle first. Bring the Ian.
tern, Leayord."
The door was two-thirds shut, and
we slid 1t wide open to gain entrance,
feeling our way cautiously down the
steps. The place had never been a
sea-parl0r, but now, deserted by the
crew, it presented as dismal scene, in
the dim light of the lantern, as ever !
put my foot into. The air was foul
with bilge-water, while rotting gar.
ments hung to the beams above, or
were strewn along the deck. The shad-
ows were grotesquc and hideous, and
much of the space was cluttered up by
discarded sea boots, battered chests
and miscellaneous riffraff which the
men had left behind in their flight. I
stopped Mt the foot Of the steps, but
Lcayord and Red advanced to the tier
of hunks, the former lifting the Ian.
tern, while the latter took survey with.