Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-07-30

eiai purpose. Clearly he iIaa Ia, lea
of attack. I could determine aln,nSi
his exact position as his advancing
foot felt cautiously along the deck.
He came forward inch by inch. !
measured the distance as indicated by
faint. shutting sounds.
could not see but knew. With all
my force / struck! Blindly as it bad
been delivered the blow hit fair; there
was thud. an inarticulate groan, and
the fall of body upon the fioor-be-
You'd that nothing. I waited breath
leSsly listening for the slightest move
ment ! felt Dorothy touch my shout
der and caught the sound of her voice
trembling at my ear.
''What is It? What did you dOT"
Il struck him with a chair; he lies
there on the deck. Wait where you
are"
| bent over and touched him. The
fellow lay in a heap with no percep-
tible heartbeat. no semblance Of
breathing. My fingers sought his face,
and / could scarcely suppress a cry Of
surprise-he was not Estada. Who,
then, was he? What could have been
his purpose in thus invading this
stateroom? All l could grasp was lae
fact that the fellow was not the Por-
tuguese-he possessed q smooth face.
man. dragged the body where the
light illumination from the after port
fell directly on the upturned face. The
features revealed were unfamiliar
those unqueStionably of u half-breed
Indian. Dorothy crossed TO my side.
her foot striking a knife, which came
gimmering into the narrow range Of
light. She stared in horror at the
ugly weapon. and then at the ghastly
countenance.
"He came to murder. See, his knife
lies there. Why should he have sought
to kill me?'
at is all mystery" l admitted.
What shall be done with the body7
1t cannot be left lying exposed here /;
no one would believe you killed him,
and my presence must not be suspect
ed"
Gould It," she suggested, ''be
dropped through the port?'
She shrank back from touching the
inanimate figure, yet it required the
combined efforts of both TO force the
stiffening body through the portfolio.
We could distinguish footsteps on the
deck above, but these were regular
and undisturbed-the slow promenade
from rail to rail of the officer on
watch. Clearly nothing had been
heard or seen to awaken suspicion.
IF you should be questioned romoIN
row you had best know nothing" /
said gravely. II do not think you viii
be, for surely an attack can be no plan
of Estada's. 1t could gain no adyan
tage. The fellow was pillaging on his
own account; if he is missed it viii.
be supposed he fell overheard. and no
one will care. You are not afraid to
remain here aloneT
"No; l am not greatly frightened,
but shall try aud bar the door with a
chair. / have no key"
"Then III leave you; half of MY
watch below must be gone by now. I'll
take the fellows knife along, as 1t
must not be found here"
We parted with clasp of hands. as
opened the stateroom door and
slipped out into the cabin. To my sur
prise the light over the table had
been extinguished. rendering the cabin
so black l had to actually feel my way
forward The lantern must have been
put out since then by some confed-
crate. After a moment of hesitation
l found my way across to my own
stateroom and pressed open the door.
CTO BE CONTINUED