Charlevoix county herald., 1918-04-05
THE ST. DUNSTAN|
MYSTERY
BY PERRY NEWBERRY.
Copyright.
The Frank A. Munsey Co.
BY PERRY NEWBERRY.


Belgrag was expecting us, but not
% impetuously. There were three
men in the cabin with him besides the
Npaate. knocked one sailor down with
a harsh blow of the marline-spike be-
fore l got my hands on the captain.
and / heard Blake fire twice.
When l had guessed Belgrag for
putty-soft, was judging from looks.
not feel. That great envelope OF
seeming fat was museled hard as
nails, and he took the marline-spike
Qpt of my hands as though had oner'
I "a him a cigar. / was baby in his
giant arms, and he gave me one
squeeze that cracked ribs, tossing me
aside to attend to other matters.
Bruised, crushed, in an agony from
the piercing of broken bones, l crawl
ed from under feet to the side OF tho
cabin and watched the fight go on.
Blake, his weaponed arm held aloft
In the clutch of his adversary, was
struggling with the mate, and at the
moment had the better of 1t. Clifton,
like me, was down on the floor. he
with the added trouble of a man on
his chest. Only Reedley was unat-
tached. He stood against the door.
which he had closed. and he was fir
ing his revolver, slowly and deliber-
ately. If he was humming rag-time.
I could not hear II.
Belgrag gave the map-table, which
stood in his way, lift with his knee
that turned 1t completely over and
made a rush for the purser that was
like an elephant charge, Reedley stop.
ping him with a bullet which would
have downed any ordinary man. The
Igerian gripped at his chest, then
cursed unsteady in his mother
tongue, and continued the rush. / saw
Reedley's gun-hand come up again,
cooley, heard the snap of the hammer
on dead shell, and the purser was
In Belgrag's hands.
Holding against the wall, got to
my feet, and l had the clinch.bar
which Clifton began with, in my hand.
and that arm was still good. could
not cross the room to aid Reedley, but
the bar did. Withzo)H my remaining
ssN69gth hurled it at Belgrag's head.
Tnere was a crash of splintering
glass, and the room went dark. The
whirling iron had caught the light
bulbs, shivering them into a million
pieces, but whether it had reached it's
mark / could not tell. The door was
flung open, and in the lighter square
were the figures of hurrying men,
biotted out in a second by the huge
frame of the Sakuntala's captain max
ing exit. He was still up, still fight
ing!
"Reedley! Gilmore!" l heard Blake
cry, and / managed to answer him as
the purser shouted cheerfully, "All
right, captain!"
"Can you follow me?" asked Blake.
Here's one who can," came a new
voice, and Burns rushed through the
door. I'm with you, captain"
Good" from Blake, and Reedley
gave cheer. where's Clifton?"
Some place on the floor" said.
Strike light and see what we have
here" l had found a corner where l
could stand with my back supported
two ways.
A match famed w, and l saw a
shambles. There wasn't an article of
movable furniture left standing in the
room, and bodies were piled three
deep in its center. The Italian mate
was sprawled at his whole attenuated
length, face down, and there was no
doubt he was dead. The entire top of
his head was blown off. Two of the
three sailors were in the center mess
and so was Clifton.
whats your trouble?" asked Blake
OF me as the light went out.
~Bear-hug; RIBS" / answered. I'm
ppcking them into place, though, cap
tafro Ready when you are. although
pretty well knocked out"
Come on then. It's them or us
now, lads. Drive 'em below or over
the sides!" And he started through
the door.
could stagger on behind, clinching
my lower lip between my teeth, but
was empty-handed of anything like
a weapon and as useless In a scrap as
a piece of French pastry. Blake led
us aft, and as we came around the end
of the deck-house was surprised to
hear the noise of fighting.
They're at it," shouted Blake.
Thank God, there are others!" and he
beloved defiance as he ran down the
deck. / limped In the rear, splitting
. blood that was oozing up from my
perforated lung, and we shouldered
into the melee. II was the Scot, Hugh
Wallace. In opposition to the captain
now, and he was fighting alone
against four of the men.
Belgrag, leaning his hulk against
the rail, looked on, fluting sugges-
tons or warnings In several lang
uages, as the engineer waved q
great steel wrench, like claymore,
about his head. Belgrag had revolt
YER In his hand, but he wasn't wasting
cartridges on the Scot. He wanted
them for us.
We were inside the outer circle be-