The Huttig news., 1918-02-02

i engneroom. Have you had anything to eat?"
 'Yes, sir, in a way; there was food In the boat"
 Then you have fared in that respect better than We have. White, you go below and hustle coal; you climb down also Tony and relieve Masters. Tell him to lie down and get some rest. Move along now; I'll be down there myself presently"
 l turned to McCann. "Get up from there; you are hand on board this ship the rest of the voyage. Do you understand? Answer me-do you?"
 "Yes."
 Do better than that"
 "YeS. sir"
 Very well; now you and Liverpool pick up Dubois, and put him in num- her seven Stateroom. Make him as com fortable as possible, but don't he long about il. Then report on deck to Mir. Olson; he'll keep you busy, and out Of mischief. A word with you. Olson
 l he second mate crossed the deck with me to the rail; the drifting boat had disappeared, having either sunk. ol being hidden in the hollow of the great surgos. The screw was begin hing to reVolve once more with power. the blanks trembling under foot and n hit of sunshine WAS streaming through the clouds overhead I stood silent a moment. endeavoring to think out the situation, and Olson waited patiently. his eyes sweeping the sky and then the sea.
 What do you think of our guestS?' l asked finally. "Can We trust them at all?"
 Not so far as you could swing q bull ny the tail, sir" he answered Soberly. "They ain't forgot the night in the boat yet, but there's just as much devil in 'em as there ever was"
 "Your opinion is, they will never help sail this ship into St. Johns, if any villainy will save them?"
 That's it. sir; they're SD black now, they won't mind little more'
 "That's my judgment; we must keep them apart as much as we can. and have an eye on them all the time. How about DuganY'
 He talks straight enough, and to my notion means to play square"
 That was my impression; he's Irish. and hot headed, but no criminal. We ought to be able to keep the fel- lows separated. Besides I'll be about most of the time'
 "IIow long do you suppose 1t will he, sir?"
 To-day and another night likely; I can tell better when I get an obSer- vation at noon. It will not give them much time for plotting"
 I sent the two forward with Olson when they returned to the deck from the cabin, and he busied them gather ing up the rifle about the forecaStIe caused by the nights storm. McCann moved as though scarcely able to exert | himself, but Red took hold as if glad to be occupied. Vera came down the iadder, and we spoke together briefly. about what had occurred. She finally volunteered to get some food ready. and l went below with her, rousng up Dade, and putting him at work under her orders. An hour later all aboard enjoyed q warm meal, eating alike in the after cabin.
 After the meal I yielded to my own need of rest, certain I should be on deck all night, and returned to the cabin. left my stateroom door oeen, but in ten minutes I was sound asleep.
 What awakened me l do not know. I had a confused sense of some heavy body falling, but no other sound. Yet this impression was so strong, so in- sistent that l sat up in the berth. and stared out through the open door into the cabin beyond. I neither saw. nor heard anything, yet did not withdraw my eyes when 1 got to my feet: then I knew that the dark shapeiess object, haif under the table, was the motion less body of man. My throat seemed to contract, and choke me, but I forced qUirk breath and stepped forward through the door. The dingv cabin was deserted, not another Stateroom door open. The table had been cleared VI 1'is'AAN.'s tt 'A'' ttllitl LII DIdHlN StdHu- ing alone on the swinging shelf. Un- derneath, with face concealed in the crook of one arm, lay man, an ugly gaSh in the back of his eolored shirt. through which fresh blood was oozing. and dripping to the deck. sprang for ward, and turned him over-Dubois.
 l could hardly accept the evidence of my own eyes. How had this thing hap- pened? How did the crippled sailor ever get into the cabin? Whose hand could have struck the blow? and for what purpose was it struck? It was murder. cowardly slash from behind: no wound which could be self-inficted, but blow of deliberate purpose. Who aboard would have reason to seek the life of Dubois? I could think of no one: no cause for such crime. An instant l stared, dazed, into the dead. uptnrned face, not even knowing where to turn, in which direction to seek the murderer. l felt as though every fac. ulty of both brain and body was paralyzed by the shock. Yet this was but for an instant I trfod tho doorc of