Jackson County journal., 1919-12-05


shock to Wallen-and then grim,
cold smile. The city of lions! It
was only a joke with her, a little light
hearted hing-with him, God knew It
might prove CHASTITY reality!
At first, when he had found that
paper on his cabin floor, he had
thought, as he had told her, that he
would take her straight to Sumatra,
get her off the ship; and then second
thoughts had convinced him that the
danger which threatened him did not
threaten her. She was safe there on
board
But this thing-it was not only the
personal peril-it rose shuddering
mocking barrier between them Mock
ing? Yes!
He or they, the uevil or devils who
had murdered his father, were playing
| with him as a cat plays with a mouse!
| Why had nothing happened to him in
: those three days from Pobi, while he
had been living in a foal's paradise of
imagined security?
His lips thinned into a straight line.
Well, perhaps they would play TOO
| long! He would settle it tonight.
When he came back to the ship he
would know-or there would be one
less scoundrel in Singapore! That
was what he was guing for now-to
Drink-House Sam of Singapore.
Who was it aboard the Monleigh
who had put that paper under his
cabin door? She had called him
grumpy all that day-and all that day
he had been studying the crew, cata.
1t could not well be ala plot in
volving the whole ship and crew
seemed out of the question.
Not one of the officers had he any
| reason TO suspect above the others
though it was true, and little dis
turbing now, that Captain LayntOn,
in turning over his fathers effects,
had not included the fatal pistol that,
If the story were true, was obviously
his fathers prOperty-but that might
readily have been but an oversight.
There was Mott who had grown
more surly every day.
Wallen shook his head. Motifs at.
titude was easily accounted for-the
man, as witness the ride at Pobi, if it
had not been glaringly evident on
board since then. was attentive to Miss
Mackay, and resented his, Wallen's.
usurpation of what he evidently con.
Sidered his prerOgative.
What Of the crew then?
They were hard lot and poly
glot one.
The English and Americans AMONGST
them had every appearance of being
the sWeepings of the slums Of Lon
don, Liverpool, New York, and, for
men of their ilk. the more vicious sea.
ports of the far East The rest were
OF every nationality-tWO of the coal.
passers were Chinese coolies, the stew.
ard was from the West Indies the
cook was a Frenchman from Port
Said, and two Danes, a SWede, a
kanaka. from the Sandwich islands
and three japanese completed the ros
ter.
Wallen looked up, and fixed hts eyes
speculatively on his Chinese boatroan
They were almost at the landing.
: You sabe Drink-House SamY he
demanded abruptly.
The Chinaman smirked know ngly
! 'Me sabe," he replied.
! "All right" said Wallen. "You take
me there. But first, you take me 7ghere
T the stores are, [ wait to buy some
things, and | don't know my wa,
about"
ME sabe,' said the Chinaman :gain
! Cali same velly gIood guide"
He proved to be. Within ha's ar
! hour after landing, Wallen had com
pleted the purchase of an excellent lu
tomato pistol and ammunition, snt
was following the Chnaman bucl
along a dark street lear the water
front. Another few minutes of twist
ings and turnings, an6 the Chinamal
had halted before an uninviting-lc Ok
ing hostelry in an equally uninyitng
looking neighborhood.
'Dlink-House Sam's,' announced tn
guide. "Blim-bly you all same go bac
ship? Me waltz"
NO" said !VaIen, as he paid tn
+ other. THAT'S all. Goodnight, John |
The Chinaman disappeared
= Wallen surveyed the building be
fore which he stood. 1t was one O
n those observation-disclosures woode
q structures, two stories high, the from
d rooms on the second story opening d
d rectly onto the veranda. With the gel
q eral air of being disreputably out a
N elbows, it bore all the earmarks of
q sailors boarding house Of the loves
10 type.
a Wallen stepped forward, pushed til
bar-room door open, and entered.
IS A bar ran down one side; a scor
u OF small tables occupied the main Do
ton of the room, and around thes
" were clustered some twenty-five q
v thirty rOugh-lOoking hands, eyident]