The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-02-28
CHAPTER xxIx-continued.

Inc pain room ana the fOrepeak
came next, and I 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 q copper wire,
I crawied out at last, dripping with
2ersplration, and as black as though
had been for half a day in the coal
hole. To Leayord's inquiries could
only shake my head.
swell, sir" he said obstinately, "Im
Q sailOrman, but never did believe in
ghosts, an amt a-goin' fer ter believe
In 'em now. 1t warn't no spooks what
did thus Job. This yere Bascom was u
sure enough human the last time put
eyes ON him, an I don't reckon he's
changed much since, 'cept maybe In his
Zine O. brains; do you, sir?"
"He's flesh and blood, all right, II
that Is what you mean; only insanity
makes them cunning"
'Thats what I sed to Red here while
you was crawling round In the fore
peak, lappin' up bilge-water. He reck-
cned II might O. bin a ghost doin'
these things; but claimed thet ghosts
don't shove knives into sailormen;
ieastways / never heard O. none that
did. So It naturally stands to reason,
sir. that this blOomin' lunatic is still
aboard somewhere"
He leaned forward, striking one hand
on the other to better express his argu-
ment was thinking, paying little at
tention to his words, my eyes I'M
consciously viewing the ship aft. The
deck was SO wrapped In gloom that
outside the radius of our lantern I
could perceive no movement. not even
determine the presence of the two men
left on guard. The two masts, with
their heavy spars. cast all below into
dense shadow, but beyond, on the poop,
the faint rays of the pinnacle lamp re-
hected softly on the face Of the girl at
the wheel. making her appear almost
as vision. The sight for an instant
Fascinated me.
saint thet so, sir2"
"Why, yes, Leayord; am unable to
see It any other way-but where7"
"Well, there amt but one place
aboard unexplored, sir. Hanged II I
know how he ever got there, but he's
either there, overheard, 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 takin' of the
matches, and letting man or two creep
down there; we've got to find out
where thai devil Is"
There was no answering his logic,
and determination to complete the
Job was already In my own mind.
"Get the tarpaulin out Of the way,
Liverpool" said sharply, throwing
the lantern where the light was need
ed. "Cut It loose, man; don't waste
time with the lashings; there's plenty
of snare canvas in the sailroom. WHAT'S
slowed first below, Mr.. Leayord"
that's the devil Of II, sir" he re-
oiled soberly. II never told you. for
didn't see no cnuse. There was lot
O. boxes come on board, sir, maybe n
thousand of 'em, the ends clamped with
aron, an they was almighty heavy. We
had to load 'em with the donkey en-
CINE, an most of 'em were dumped In
fist below the main hatch"
"Do you know what they containedr'
"Mr. Bascom told me they was army
stoves. sir, and maybe he thought they
was, fer he seemed sure about 1t; but
along at the last the hook slipped OIL
one Of them, an the box dropped about
thirty feet, smashin' the whole end w
1T was plumb full o. loaded Shells"
'Loaded shellsf"
"That's what; there was powder
enough scattered about there ter blow
the whole ship to Hades an back"
"No doubt other explosives are
aboard. The greater reason for us Il
aay hands on Bascom. Take holt
there with Red and help rip up tha
tarpaulln; now get the point OF this
capstan bar under the hatch clos
angs; here's your lever-it'll take th'
weight of the three of us to move tn
tron-now, heave no"
We bent to 1t, exerting every ounce
of strength, encouraged by the fac
that the heavy hatch yielded to ou
combined effort, and began to move. T.
lift over the grooves. and shove bacl
slightly. With no other thought but t
gain opening enough for another inser
tion Of the lever, we bent to the task
Something caught, rendering the grea
tron lid immovable.
"White," called. "come over here
and give us hand"
heard him patter across the dec
In his bare feet, but before he reache
the bar, the fellow stopped, staring q
the narrow opening, and smiling like
pointer dog.
Lay holdw I called out angril,
~The weight is breaking our backs"
"But there's fire below, sir" b
roared excitedly. "That's smoke
risin' out the hatch-the cargO's afire
saw 1t now, and SO did Red. and tn
mate-a thin. circling vapor barely pei