Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-01-18
/ cOPIR/CW
lac MHWG \ co.


she glanced up quickly into my race.
"Under my orders? No, not that,
Mr.. Hollis. You told me it would be
your choice; I merely granted permits
sion.'
"Your permission was equivalent to
an order. I so accepted it,
"But that is hardly fair. Not that
regret the choice, for could never
have forgiven myself if my selfishness
had ruined Philip Bascom. He is really
an old friend"
$50 / supposed; a very interesting
man in spite of his misfortune"
"He was, indeed, before that bullet
wrecked him. It is sad; and to think
that the one who shot him is actually
on board-his guest"
"Not altogether a pleasant thought
to me-" said soberly. "For Mccain is
the kind to breed more trouble if he
can find an excuse"
"You do not consider the man dan
gerous:"
mot in the sense you mean. He will
never attack openly, or permit himself
to be known in any conspiracy. But
he will have to be watched, neverthe-
less. He is the sort to harbor revenge,
and as he feels haired and distrust
toward both Bascom and myself, we
cannot be too careful. / shall have to
tell Leayord the whole story"
"Leayord?"
n n fFlp ffrSsf nfffa .
he is standing abaft the foremost yon-
der"
"The second officer is d Sweden
Eyes; rather young, but I like his
face, and he seems to have the re-
spect of the men, turned and gazed
into the face of the compass, already
lighted.
'What is your name?" asked of the
black at the wheel.
"Watson, sab; Charles Watson"
swell, Watson, let her head fall off
q couple of pointS-Ihat's it, my man.
Is this the signal cord to the engine
room?'
He nodded, the whites of his eyes
showing oddly, and / rang for an in
crease of speed. Watson, bracing the
wheel with one knee, wiped his lips on
his sleeve.
Gam yo' shorely amin fer ter sail
dis we're ship long ter Hamburg, sah?"
he asked cautiously.
sYou heard what I said to the men?"
sYas, sab, I done heerd dat. But !
thought maybe best tell yer, sab, that
thar's sure q bad lot forward, an
they's plum set against goin' no far
ther."
ga bad lot, hey? And who seems to
be the leader, WatSOn?
He scratched his head.
oval, sab, there's two, or three who
has lot ter say, but sOrter reckon as
how de real boss is a white pusson
call Liverpool Reds-he dun started ter
knife me night afore last, and if !
hadn't done got outer thar right lively,
I reckon I'd bin dead niger sure"
"What objection does this fellow and
the others with him have to finishing
this voyTse?'
"Wai, mostly at first it wus just
ordinary cussidness, sab; but now they
got the war ter harp about at Liver
pool is a-playin' it up ter beat all, sab.
He says this ship is loaded with war
stuff, and bound ter be sunk or cap
tured; am dat so, sah?"
1--WE have a miscellaneous cargo" ]
answered, and some of it might be
contraband. But it was shipped before
VAR was declared, and we have ample
time to reach port before the establish
ment of d blockade. There will be no
trouble, Watson, II the men only do
their duty. You let them know that
I said so when you go forward"
"Yas, sah."
| left him, and walked over to the
rail, realizing keenly the position of
peril into which I had drifted. With
q loyal crew my task would prove no
easy one, but with crippled ship, and
the men already on the verge of mu-
tiny, the situation was almost despe-
rate.
rLADrEp VII