The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-09

caEnot tell you what. do not knDw,
except that Lund is to face Carlson. 1t
may change matters"
'sLund,'' she said scornfuAy. what
can he do7 And he accused my father
of deserving him. +"
A knock came at the door, and it
started to open Carlson entered.
"Ah," he said. 81 trust Il have not
disturbed you. had no idea 1 should
interrupt a tete-a-tete. Are you salts
fed as TO the captains condition, Mr..
Rainey?"
Rainey went on deck, raging but inn
potent. He told Lund briefly of the
talk between him and Peggy Simms,
and described the general symptoms Of
the shippers strange maladT. 1t was
nine o'clock, an hour TO the meeting.
He went down TO his own room and
sat on the bunk. smoking, trying TO
piece up the puzzle. If Carlson was a
potential murderer, If he intended TO
let Simms die, why should he want to
marry the girl? He thought he solved
that issue.
As his wife Carlson would retain her
share. II he gave her up, it would go
into the common purse But, If he ex-
pected to trick the men out Of it all,
that would be unnecessary. Did he
really love the girl? Or was his lust
for gold mingled with a passion for
possession of her? He might know
|! that the girl would kill herself before
she would submit TO dishonor. Per-
haps he knew she had the means
One thing became paramount-tO
save Peggy Simms. Lund might fight
for the gold; Rainey would battle for
the girls sanctity. And, armed with
that resolve, Rainey went out into the
main cabin.
Carlson took the head of the table.
Lund faced him at the other end. All
six of the hunters, as privileged char
acters, were present, but only three
of the seamen, awkward and diffident
at being aft. The nine, with Rainey,
ranged themselves on either side of
the table, five and five, with Rainey
on Lund's right. The girl was not
present. Yet her share was an impor-
tant factor.
Lund sat with folded arms, his
great body relaxed Now that the
table was set, the cards all dealt, and
the first play about to be made, the
giant shed his tenseness. Even his
grim face softened trifie. He seemed
TO regard the affair with a certain
amount of humor, coupled with the
zest of a gambler who loves the game
/ whether the stakes are for death or
dollars.
|, Carlson had a paper under his hand,
but deferred it's reading until he had
addressed the meeting.
"a ship" he said, sis a little COM
munity, world in itself. To it's safe
/ ty every member is a necessity, the
lookout as much as the man at the
wheel, the common seaman, the navi-
gator. And, when a ship is engaged
in a certain calling, those who are
hired as experts in that line are equal
-ly essential with the rest. Each mans
responsibility being equal, his reward
should be also equal
Payment for all services comes on
this voyage from an uncertain amount
of gold that Nature, mother of us all,
| and therefore intending that all her
children shall share her heritage, has
washed up on a beach from some
deep-sea vein and thus deposited upon
an uncharted, unclaimed island. 1t is
discovered by an Indian, the discov-
cry is handed on to another"
'Meanin' me-" Lund seemed to be
enjoying himself Despite the fact
that Carlson was presiding and most
evidently assumed the attributes of
leader, despite the fact that ten of
the twelve at the table were arrayed
against him, with the rest of the sea-
men behind them. Lund was decided
~ enjoying himself
Share and share alike he said.
~Pve got yore drift, Carlson. Let's
get down to brass tacks. The idea is
to divvy the gold into equal parts,
amt it? How does she split? There's
twenty-five souls aboard. Does that
mean you split the heap into a hun
dred parts an each one gifts fourT
NO" 1t was Deming who an
swered. 1T don't. The Jap don't
come in, for one"
"a cook amt a brotherr'
Not when he's got yellow skin, T"
answered Deming. wen take up a
collection for Sandy. Rainey amt in
on the deal. We split it just twenty
two ways. What have you got to say
about it%'
His tone was truculent, and Carlson
did not appear disposed to check him.
He appeared not quite certain Of the
temper of the hunters.
you figger we're all equal aboard"
said Lund slowly, "leavfn' out Mr..
Rainey, Tamada an Sandy You an
me, an Carlson an Harris there"-he
nodded toward one of the seaman
delegates who listened with his slack
mouth agape, scratching himself un-
der the armpit-'are all equal?'
Deming cast a glance at Harris and,
for just a moment. hesitated.
Harris, squirming under the look Of
Deming, which was aped by the sud-
den scrutiny of all the hunters, found
speech: "How in h-ll did you know
/ was here?" he demanded of Lund.
ST amt opened my mouth yit
THAT amt the truth, Harris" re-
piled Lund composedly. "It's alius
open. But If you want to know, l