Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-08-06


self, guess" he ventured.
Wallen stared at the paper, at first
with curious bewilderment-and then,
with the sudden flash of comprehen-
sion, he was on his feet. 1t was list
of the ports of call scheduled for the
Inflated Upolo on her last voyage
ports of call that she had never made
"What does this mean?" he de-
manded in low voice. "How did you
come by this?"
"YOur father gave it to me-" the
captain answered. "And now, if you'll
just listen for minute, TIL give
you the whole story, and you'll see
for yourself. First / might as well
tell you, though, that I own this ship.
Well, I was in Honolulu-light you
understand-when your father came
aboard one evening and offered to
charter me for a three months cruise
down here. He made the price right,
paid the money down in advance, and
I closed with him.
"He gave me the list of ports, and
said his son was on trading bark
called the Upolo, and that he wanted
to get track of him as soon as pos
sible, and offered an extra bonus for
all hands if we made quick job of
it. That's all ] know about the rea-
son for the cruise. Well, to cut long
story short, we started away, and
were down just south of the line when
the accident happened.
Your father was alone down in his
cabin. We heard a shot, rushed be-
low, and, thinking it strange that he
didn't show up in the excitement,
called to him-but got no answer.
Well, we burst in his cabin door and
found him dead across the bunk"
"You mean," said Wallen through
tight lips, "that he committed sui
cide?'
mo. Waitr' Captain Laynton
shook his head. "It wasn't that. God
knows how it happened! The thing
went Off-that's all. He was cleaning
| one of those patent automatic pistols
'There was bottle of oil, a clean
ing rag, and wire swabbing brush
| on the floor And"-Laynton poured
| himself another glass from the bottle
| gulped it down, and wiped his lips
with the back of his hand-''well, I'm
trying to give it to you in a few
words-we buried him at sea OF
| course"
Wallen turned his back and stared
out of one of the forward portfolios
down onto the dirty foredeck, Was
| the man lying? Was he telling the
| truth? That his father had chartered
the Monleigh and sailed with her.
| yes.
But that his death was accidental
| the background of his fathers life
| the recent attempt upon his own life
His brain was working in flashes. This
man LayntOn repealed him.
An accident-never! There was nc
room for doubt-"never go TO the
East"-it was not an accident-his IA
| cher had been murdered on this ship
And then suddenly he swallowed
hard.
1t was to save him that his father
had chartered the Monleigh and come
East; for, according to that list of
ports, his father somehow had been
in touch with his movements, some
how had known the danger he was in
and, trying to avert it, had been mur-
dered himself.
4 cold, merciless passion swept upon
him. Someone on this ship was the
murderer. Was it this man here?
What was at the bottom of it all?
1t was long arm of vengeance that
reached to that gray stone house In
California, that reached to Singapore,
TO this ship, to that sweltering, plague
stricken bark where, strangely
enough, he alone had lived!
And now the score was a very heavy
enc to pay-his fathers life! Well
his eyes narrowed-he would pay it!
''Did my father bring native serv-
ant with him-a man named GungaW
he asked dispassionately.
"No," the other replied. 'He was
alone"
Wallen nodded. "What else is there
to tell me?'
"Not much-but what you can
guess" Laynton said. 81 ran down
through the Makassar strait and made
for the nearest port on that list-PObi
here. Your father had paid me for
the three months, and if l say it my
self, when / make bargain | stick
to it. If l could find yop inside the
three months | was going to do It,
81 don't know what your father was
so anxious about, though / under
stood, of course, that he chartered me
because out here, with you touching
at those trading stations, he couldn't
reach you by mail or cable; but |
made sure it was something mighty
important and I thought you'd know
what it was"
It was almost an interrogation, put
naturally, nonchalantly enough-save
for trace Of eagerness in the mans
tones that was not entirely disguised.
81 haven't the slightest idca," said
Wallen smoothly.