Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-04-04

as though swallowed by the sea, leav-
Ing not so much as q clue behind.
Beyond the hole leading to the en-
gineroom below, our advances were
blocked by a steel bulkhead, water
tight, pierced by a single door, to be
sure, but this was closed and locked
securely. els there any %communica-
ton between the ~fOrecastle and the
hold, White?" I asked, staring helpless
ly at the steel barrier.
"No, sir; the fo'castle is all above
deck"
SLOW was this door manipulated? Do
either Of you know?"
swell I had charge O. loadin' the
after-hold, sir" and Olson scratched
his head trying to remember. ""That
door never was opened but once, when
Captain Hadley tested it before we left
Baltimore, or maybe after we got out
in the Chesapeake. I think it wus
opened an shut frum the bridge, Mr..
| Hollis."
"That is the usual arrangement, but
there is a slot here for a key; still the
door is steel, and it looks too heavy for
any n man to operate"
I leaned over, and looked down into
the lighted e%ngineroom at the bottom
of the shaft. All l could see was q
great wheel steadily turning.
Masters
The engineer stepped into view, and
peered up into the darkness; he ap-
peared burly and shapeless.
"That you, captain?"
Eyes. Bascom, the owner, has gone
crazy, and has hidden himself some
where on board"
"Well, I'll be swamped! Can't you
find him?"
mot yet we've searched every place
aft. He hasn't visited you?'
Not to my knowledge. Tony is back
in the fireroom; I'll ask him."
The three of us chung to the ladder
gazing down, the light from the lantern
revealing our faces. Masters was not
gone a moment, but his voice had
changed.
"Tony's killed, Sir" he called up ex-
citedly. "He's lying on the coal in
number one bunker, cut in the back
with a knife"
The words were not out of his
mouth before we were scramibling
down. But our haste gained US moth
ing. The only trail Bascom had left
was the dead italian, stretched out in
the half emptied coal bunker, his lips
closed forever. 1t was a knife thrust
which had killed him-just such a
thrust as had done for his two mates
in the cabin above; but the mailman
had disappeared. However, here was
proof positive that the fellow was still
on board; still hiding between decks.
He had not reached the open, or flung
himself into the sea. Masters could
tell us nothing; he had heard no
sound, seen no shadow. He had been
oiling the machinery, and a man could
have slipped down the ladder unob-
served, and escaped again in the same
way. There was no other entrance to
the engineroom; the forward bulkhead
was solid; there were two ventilatOr
shafts, but neither was large enough
for the passage Of a mans body. and
the coal chute was kept closed and
locked at sea. Nevertheless I had these
examined, determined to take no
chances, and III lantern penetrated
every inch of the engineroom and coal
bunkers. AT the end, utterly bafiled,
White gave vent to an oath.
"It beats me, sir" he confessed
hoarsely, unless it's a spook we're
a-huntin' for"
81 wish it was; the trouble is it is
a man. and a mighty dangerous one,
Well, he's not down here, and he must
have gone back by way of the ladder.
The fellow has either found some
means of getting into the hold, or else
he's managed to slip on deck and per-
haps is hidden in the forecastle-no
n messes there now?
"No. sir"
"Ihen let's have a look up above:
come on. men,"
"Yer amt goin' ter leave me down
here all alone, are yer. captain7" ques-
toned Masters a%nxiously, with Tcay
lying dead in there, an a murderer
prowlin' about?"
Hell not be down here again, but /
suppose you must have a tireman-
White, YOU better stay"
"'Tain't no job I like, sir; I SHOW
eled coal here already for eight hours"
"I1l tackle it., sir" interrupted Oh
son quietly. 'That big boob would
throw a fit down here every time he
saw a shadow. After you get those
matches off send him in on top O. the
cargo. There'd be no danger O. his
gettin' hurt if Bascom was a hidin'
there"
Yer a dirty liar! I amt no more
afraid than you are!"
why don't you stay here?"
I'm plumb tired out shovelin'."
THAT will do, men," / broke In
sternly. "There will be work enough,
n maybe fighting enough for both of
Won dS Innp &C, WA, I,,,,~ ,,,1