Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-04-16

the ocean you desire to sail. All I
need is your orders. This, take it, is
all you require of me?"
Eyes; plan, you execute"
Every good; now about myself" and
/ arose to my feet, determined to
close the interview. ''You sag I may
choose any stateroom on the port
side?"
".They are all unoccupied, except
one, used by the steward as store
room"
opened the door and stepped out
into the main cabin, the roll of charts
under my arm. Estada didn't wait for
me to question him.
Captain Sanchez stateroom is aft"
he said, with wave of the hand.
There are two rooms. Jose is with
nina negro with a knack at nurs-
ing"
1 "Who else is quartered aft here?"
lie ignored the one thing I most de-
sired to learn, but I did not press it,
believing | knew the answer already.
"LeVere has this middle stateroom,
and Mendez the one forward. Mendez
is third officer and carpenter. Just
at present with LeVere required on
deck he has charge of the men below.
Not the working crew; they are quar-
tered in the forecastle and are largely
English and Swede. But we have to
carry extra men, who bunk amidships
-hellhounds to fght-lmongrelS of
amidships when we are at sea, but
are not encouraged to mfngle with the
sailors. We're over a powder maya
zine all the time, Gates-any spark
might set it off,"
1 opened one of the doors opposite
and glanced within. The interior diff
fered but little from that of the state
room occupied by Estada, except it
was minus the table. No doubt they
were all practically alike.
'"This will do very WELL" / said Qui-
city. "Now how about clothes? These
/ wear look rather rough for the new
job"
''Tll send you the steward; he'll fix
you out from the slop chest"
l was glad to see him go and closed
the door on him with a sigh of relief
1t had all occurred so quickly, almost
without effort on my part, 1 could dc
little but wonder what strange occur.
renee would be next. What, indeed,
was there for me to do except to await
developments? Only one thing oc.
CURED to me-I must discover some
means Immediately of communicating
with Dorothy Fairfax.
The Importance of this could not be
Overestimated. With myself quartereC
aft and eating in the cabin we were
bound to meet sooner or later, and the
girl must previously be warned of my
! presence aboard, or in her first sur
prise at the recognition / should bt
| instantly betrayed. If I was to serv,
the girl there must be, first of all. in
telligent cooperation between us. Sh,
must not only know of my presenc'
on the Namur but also the purpose &C
tuating me-. had reached this con
| clusion when light, hesitating knocl
! sounded at the door.
Gunsaules entered, garments owe
his arm, and laid out the pieces care
fully one by one, evidently proud o.
his selection.
'The clothes seem to be all right
| steward" / said, "and / Judge viii
/ fit. Now hunt me up first of all some
thing to shave with, then some to
bacco and pipe, and-yes, wait {
second writing materials. And. b.
the way, there are two stateroom!
astern. Who occupies the one to star
board-SenOr Estada?"
mo, senior; it is the young lady"
"Oh, the one brought aboard las
night. Have you seen herr"
Isl, senior; she is English and gooC
to look at, but she sit and stare out
the stern port. She will not speak OF
eat. take in her breakfast, but sht
4 touch not mOrsel. So I tell Senol
Estada, and he say, then bring hel
out to dinner with me; I'll make thu
hussy eat if have to choke it dowr
her dainty throat"
"Good; I'll have look at her my
self then. Now hurry up those things
steward, and remember what / sen
you after"
He brought the shaving set anC
writing materials first, explaining tha
he would have to go down einto tn,
lazaret. and break open some pack
ages for the tobacco and pipe. The
moment the fellow disappeared
grasped the opportunity. / dashed of
a note hurriedly-a brief line merely
stating my presence on board and beg
ging her not to exhibit surprise al
meeting me. / had no time in which
! to explain or make clear the situa.
ton. With this folded and concealed
in my hand silently pushed open the
| door.
/ crept swiftly forward, following
| the circle Of the staterooms, until ]
came to the closed door of the one ]
sought aft. / bent here an instant
listening for some sound from within
but heard none. Beyond doubt the
girl was within and alone, and I must
trust her quick intelligence to respond
to my written message. / thrust il