The St. Charles herald., 1922-03-25

date him. He didn't take it up, an
they'll kid him about it. He'll pack
grudge. l amt afraid Of their knifin'
me, not while the shippers sick. They
need me to navigate"
"This might be a good chance for me
to handle sextant," suggested Rainey
casually.
Lund shook his head, smiling, but
his eyes hard.
"Not yet, matey," he said. mot
that l don't trust you, but for me to
be the only one, jest now, is sort OF
life insurance that suits me to carry.
They might figger, if you was able to
navigate, that they c'ud put the screws
On you to carry 'em through. with me
out Of the way. / don't say they could,
but they might make it hard for you,
an you amt got quite the same stake
in this l have"
Here was cold logic, but Rainey saw
the force Of it. Hansen came up early
to split the watch and put their sched-
ule right again, and Lund went below
with Rainey. Lund ordered Tamada
to bring q bottle and glasses. and they
sat down at the table. Rainey needed
the kick of a drink, and took one.
As Lund was raising his glass with
a toast of Here's to luck" the skip
per's door opened and the girl ap-
peared- She looked like a ghost. Her
hair was disheveled and her eyes
stared Mt them without seeming recog-
milton. But she spoke, In . Tat, tone
less voice.
"My father is deadt r" she fal-
tered, sxayed and seemed to swOon as
she sank toward the floor. Rainey
darted forward, but LInd was quicker
and swoOped her up in his arms as If
she had been feather, took her to
the table, set her In a chair, dabbled
a napkin In some water and applied 1t
to her brows.
.Cnafe her wrists" he ordered
Rainey. undo that top button Of her
blouse. That's enough; she amt got
on eorsets. She'll come through.
Plumb worn out. That's all"
He handled her. deftly rs q nurse
| would a child. Rainey chafed the slen-
der wrists and beat her palms, and
soon she opened her eyes and sighed.
Then she pulled away from Lund.
bending over her. and got to her feet.
II must go to my father" she said.
HE is dead"
They followed her into the cabin and
Lurd bent over the bunk.
"Looks like It," he whispered to
Rainey. Then he tore open the skip
| per's vest and shirt and laid his head
on his chest. The girl made a faint
motion as IL to stop him. but did not
hinder him. She was at the end OF her
own strength from WEAKNESS and wor
ry. Lund suddenly raised his head.
4There's flutter," he announcer
HE amt gone yit. Get Tamada an
some brandy"
| With the dose there came signs Of
revival. a low moan from the skipper
The girl flew to his side. Iamada
standing by with the bottle, steppet
forward, handed the brandy to Rainey
and rolled up the lid Of an eye, LOOK
ing closely at the pupil.
Il study medicine at Tokyo N
said.
"Why didn't We say so beforeT' de
manded Lund. 1t did not occur to an
OF them to doubt Tamada's word. Ther
was an air Of professional assuranc
and an efficiency about him that cal
ried weight. "What can you 90 10
him? There's a medicine cnest
Carlsen's ROOM"
"I was hired to cook" said Tamad
quietly. II should not have been pei
nit to Interfere. It is not my busines
if a white man makes fool OF hin
self. Now we want morphine ana a!
\ podermic syringe"
4 Tamada rolled up the captain
sleeve. The flesh, shrunken, pall'
was closely spotted with dot-iis
scars that showed livid. as If the cal
tain had been suffering from SON
strange rash.
Lund whistled softly. Rainey, to
knew what it meant. The skipper ha
been q veritable slave to the dru
Carlson had administered 1t. pr
scribed 1t, used 1t as a means to Drir
Slmms under his subsection.
.How much dye suppose he took
once?s Lund asked the japanese In
low voice.
.Fifteen grains, think. May'
more. Too much! Always too mu'
drug in his veins. Much worse ths
= opium for man."
= "Carlsen's work." growled Lun
"Increased the stuff on him till
4 couldn't do without 1t. Made him
i l slave to dope an Carlson his boss.
!. deserved KILN Jest for that, t
r, skunk" III
= Rainey frantically searched throu
the medicine chest and. finding on
n Ave tablets marked Morphine gr..
is bottle. sought elsewhere In va
And he could find no needle. But
a rar across some automatic cartrida
= and put them in his pockets before
hurried back.
]" seThis Is not enough" said Tamat
~ .And we should have needle. But
4. dissolve these in galley" And ne HI
= ried out. The girl had slipped down
,.nco. hocfdo the he'd holding