Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-02-22

| leave you and your officers to do what
| you please with the Ship"
"Are all the crew with you in this
mutinous deal?''
The eyes of the two men met, and
Liverpool blurted out:
| they'll all do what we say; there's
none ov EN- yer kin count on fer ter
| fight on your side; but maybe there's
couple we won't hav' no use for when
we take to the boats"
| "Who are they?"
"Thar's no need o. my tellin' yer
| that"
well, even with those two this will
| only give us six able-bodied men; that
is not enough with which to bring the
| Indian Chief into port"
1T will be all you'll have, anyhow"
said Mccain grimly. "And you are
mighty lucky at that. The drift will
be southwark, and will take you direct
| ly into the steamer lane. All you
need do is keep steerage way, and wait
| until you are picked up. You don't
| imagine we want you sailing into the
harbor at st. Johns the same time
we get there, do you? Come on now;
stop this talk, and give us an answer"
For long moment | stood motion
less, staring out through the open port
at the sunlit waters. 1t seemed to me
my best course was to at least pretend
| to yield to their wishes. To acQuiesce
would insure me measure of free
dom on board, an opportunity to learn
the exact conditions, and might enable
me to save the ship from destruction.
AS to Mccain, he had some object ir
all this far more important than aps
peared on the surface. He was never
assuming this risk, or investing all
this money in an Illegal cause. without
u more serious purpose than an idle
desire to return to New York. He
! was saking a tremendous chance, driv-
en- by some impulse I could not COM
prehend. What was the Secret--hate,
revenge, greed, love? I would find
| out sometime; but now could only
grope in the dark guessing at his mo-
tives. Yet I knew this-his promises
were lies. He would make use of me;
he would induce me to pilot the ship
to the spot he desired to attain on the
broad bosom of the ocean, and then
what? The man would never be fool
enough to permit the Indian Chief to
sail into any harbor to accuse him of
such a crime. Back of all his words,
his explanations, his apparent fair
ness, lurked treachery. I feit it, and
knew it, and the very suspicion led me
to reach swift decision. My eyes met
his with q smile.
ST cannot conceive that have much
choice" I said quietly. "It is to either
do this in freedom, or under compul-
sion. Naturally prefer the former"
"You mean you accept our offer?"
"Yes; I will figure out the proper
course, and report to you when the ves-
sci is at the place you designate. That
is all that is asked of me. In return
have your pledge that the ship will
be left in good condition, with all who
are loyal safe on board?'
"Yes.'
'There is one more condition, Nc
! Cam" /,
"What?
'That Miss Darlington be left abso-
lutely unmolested by either you or your
men, until the time comes for you to
take to the boats"
"Hah! So that Is really where the
shoe pinches!''
"We will not quarrel about it-either
say yes or no.
"What do you mean by unmolested?
Am I prohibited from speaking to the
lady?"
sThat is to be left to her choice,
not yours. She is to retain the key to
her stateroom; to eat alone II she
prefers, and to see such associates
aboard as she DESIRES"
Liverpool laughed drunkenly.
"That amt the argument" he said
easily. $50 far as I see, that don't
change things none. She's locked her
self in anyhow, an won't answer no.
body"
Mccain growled something which I
took to be assent, and I was myself
so anxious to ascertain our exact posi-
ton as to have no desire for further
argument. I could be of no possible
value locked prisoner in that state
room; no protection to her. Indeed, If
I refused to navigate the vessel, leav-
ing the ship to drift blindly through
these unknown waters, exposed con-
stantly to peril, I would be guilty Of
a failure to do my duty almost as
great as the crime of these others. On
deck, knowing where we were and the
direction in which we were going, the
opportunity might arise for the accom-
plishment Of much. grasped the nec-
essary instruments from the swinging
shelf, and, with these in my hands,
turned toward the door.
"Come on, them" said, ignoring the
fact that was any longer prisoner.
''Bring the chart, one of you, and I'll
point out where we are to you on
deck"
GV,,c+ hold ~, =, 70 orl iro,..