Licking Valley courier., 1922-07-13


even my own man, the only one left
on the tug with us-belleved it! And
there was murder in it now, with Stat
ford dying there upon the deck and
with the certainty that all those on
the Miwaka could not be saved.
felt the moose as If it had been al
ready tied about my neck And
had done no wrong, Father! I had
only thought wrong!
$50 long as one lived among those
on the Miwaka who had seen what
was done, | knew l would be hanged
yet would have saved them If could.
But. in my comprehension of what
this meant, / only stared at Stafford
where he lay and then at Spearman.
and | let him get control of the tug.
The tug, whose wheel / had lashed,
heading her into the waves, had been
moving slowly. Spearman pushed me
aside and went to the wheelhOuse; he
sent Luke to the engines, and from
that moment Luke was his. He turned
the tug about to where we still saw
the lights of the Miwaka. The steam
er had struck upon the reef; she hung
there for time; and Spearman-he
had the wheel and Luke, at his or
ders, was at the engine-held the tug
off and we beat slowly to and fro I'M
til the Mlwaka slipped off and sank.
Some had gone down with her, no
doubt; but two boats had got eff, car
rying lights. They saw the tug ap-
preaching and cried out and stretched
their hands to us; but Spearman
stopped the tug, They rowed toward
us then, hut when they got near, Spear
man moved the tug away from them
and then again stopped. They cried
out again and rOwed toward us; again
he moved the tug away, and then they
understood and stopped rowing and
cried curses at us. One boat soon
drlfted far away; we knew of its cap
sizing by the extinguishing Of its light.
The other capslzed near to where we
were. Those in 1t who had no life
belts and could not swim, sank first.
Some could swim and, for a while they
fought the waves"
Alan, as he listened, ceased con-
sciously to separate the priests voice
from the sensations running through
him. His father was Stafford, dying
at COrvet's feet while Corvet watched
the death Of the crew OF the Mlwalia I;
Alan himself, a child, was floating with
llfebelt among those struggling in
the water whom Spearman and COrvet
were watching die. Memory; was II
that which now had come to him? No;
rather 1t was realization of all the
truths which the priests words were
bringing together and arranging right.
ly for him.
Alan's father died In the morning
All day they stayed out in the storm,
avoiding vessels. They dared not
throw Staford's body overheard or
that of the engineer, because, II found
the bullet holes would have aroused
inquiry. When night came again, they
had taken the two ashore at some wild
, spot and buried them; to make identi-
fication harder, they had taken the
things that they had with them and
buried them somewhere else. The
chlld-Alan-Co had smuggled
ashore and sent away; he had told
/ Spearman later that the cl,ild had
died.
"Peace-rest !" Father perron sult
In n deep voice. "Peace to the deadH
But for the living there had beer
no peace. Spearman had forced Cor
! vet to make him his partner; Corve
had tried to take up his life again
but had not been able. His wife
aware that something was wrong will
him, had learned enough so that sh'
had left him. Luke had come Ont
come and come again for blackmall
and Corvet had paid him. Corvet grew
rich; those connected with him pros
pered; but with COrvet lived alway
the ghosts Of those he had watches
die with the MIwaka--of those VIII,
would have prospered with Stafford eN
cept for what had been done. Coz
vet had secretly sought and followe
the fate Of the kin Of those peopl
who had been murdered to benef
him; he found some Of their famllle
destroyed; he found almost all poo
and struggling. And though Corvc
paid Luke to keep the crime from dis
closure, yet Corvet swore to hlmstl
TO confess Il all and make such rest
tuition us he could. But each time thu
the day he had appointed with hin
self arrived, he put II of and of an
paid Luke again and again. Spear
man knew Of his intention and som,
times kept him from IL. But Corye
had made one close friend; and whe
that friends daughter for whom Coz
vet cared now most of all in the wort
had been about to marry Spearmai
Corvet dciled the cost to himself, an
he gained strength to oppose Spom
man. So he had written to Stafford
son to come; he had prepared for col
fcsslOn and restitution; but, after h
had done this and while he wultet
something had seemed to break /
his brain; too long preyed upon h
terrible memories, and the ghosts Il
those who had gone, and by the ech
of their voices crying to him from III
water CoryCt had wandered away
he had come back, under the nam
of one uf those whom he had wrongrt
to the lake life from which he hu
sprung, Only now aud then, for
few hours he had intervals when h
remembered all; In one of these h
: hud dug up the watch and the rim
rrd n'ror trlnrs which he had take
! lr,a Ioihmu smliurd's pockets am
written to himself directions Of whu
to do with them, when his mind agal
failed.