Evening star., 1923-11-29
CHAPTER KIN.
Cabin H-14.

For time Crang lay passive. Fear
was dominant. He could move his head
little and he kept screwing it around
to cast furtive glances at the cabif
door. He was sure that Bruce'was still
outside there, or somewhere near
Bruce wouldn't leave the ship until tho
last moment, and
The craven soul Of the man shriveled
within him. Bruce's eyes. Damn
Bruce's eyes and that hideous touch OF
Rruce's pocketed revolver! The foo
would even have killed him back there
In the cellar IL it hadn't been for Lar
mon. He could still feel those stran-
Cling fingers at his throat.
Mechanically he made TO lift his hand
to touch the bruised and swollen flesh
but he could not move his hands be-
cause they were bound behind his back
and beneath him. The fool The fool
had wanted To shoot. Perhaps with
Larmon out of the road. and just at
the last minute. that was what he
still meant to do--to open the door
there, and-and kill. Terror swept
upon him. He tried to scream-but
gag was in his mouth.
What was that? He felt slight
jar. another. and another. He lis
tened intently. He heard steady
throbbing sound. The ship was NOV
ing--moving! That meant that Bruce
Was ashore-that he need not fear that
door there.
He snarled to himself. suddenly ar
rogant with courage. To the devil s
pit with John Bruce.
He began to work at his bonds now
at first with measure of contained
persistence: and then. as he made no
progress, angry impatience came. and
he began to struggle. He tossed now
and twisted himself about on the bunk
and strained with all his might. The
gag choked him. The bonds but grew
the tighter and cut into his wrists. He
became madman in his frenzy. Pas
sion and fury lashed him on and on. He
fiogged himself into effort beyond physi-
cal endurance-and finally collapsed
through utter exhaustion, limp thing
Then he began the struggle again.
and after THAT again. The periods
came in cycles the insen-
safe fury : exhaustion - re-
cuperation
After a time he no longer heard the
throbbing of the engines or the move
ment of the ship during those mo-
ments when he lay passive in weak
ness. nor did the desire for freedom.
for merely freedoms sake, any long
er actuate him; instead, beneath him.
in his pocket. he had felt the little
case that had held his hypodermic
syringe. and it had brought the cray-
ing for the drug. And the craving
grew. 1t grew until 1t became the
one incentive that possessed him. 1t
tormented, 1t mocked him. He could
feel 1t there in his pocket, always there
in his pocket. He'll could not keep
him from II. He blasphemed at the
ropes that kept 1t from his fingers
reach, and he wrenched and tore at
them, an sobbed and snarled-and
after long minutes of maniacal struR-
gle would again lie trembling. drained
of the power either to move or think.
1t grew dark in the cabin.
And now, in one OF his series of
struggles. something snapped be-
meath him-a cord! One of the cords
around his wrists had given away
He tore one hand free. Yes, yes-he
could reach his pocket! Ha. ha-his
pocket. And now his other hand was
free. He snatched at the hypodermic
syringe with feverish greed--and the
rlunger went home as the needle
pricked it's way beneath the skin Of
his forearm.
He reached up then, unIoosened the
knots at the back of his head, and
spat the gag from his mouth. His
penknife freed his legs. He stood up
sat down on the edge
of his bunk. He remained motionless
for few minutes. The drug steadied
him.
He looked around him. II was