Evening star., 1924-12-20
The Ark of the Covenant
Story of Mystery and Adventure
BY VICTOR HacCTTRE
BY VICTOR Mcclure.
Copyright. 1924. by H.rp.r 4 Brothers.

| thunder, I've never come across any
thing like it! It's bewildering-ex-
asperating-God, It's heart-breaking!
On my ship-Lord Almeric-ou my
| ship! The disgrace Of it."
! peter Weatherly." his lordship
| said. with something that was good
to hear in his voice, this piracy con-
J Germs me, as a. governor of the Bank
| Of England, very nearly-and l can
tell you that for my own part not
one atom Of blame attaches to you"
But l stopped the ship, my lord.
and gave the blighters their chance"
For Heavens sake, Peter" Lord
Almeric said in an altered tone
equally good TO hear-"get the ridicu-
lous notion out of your head that
anybody Is going to pick a bone with
you over anything you've done"
He went over and put hand on
the sailors shoulder to shake him.
BE assured, old friend" he said
ut will take more than this to shake
the clean record Of 80 years."
But It's such an enasperating
thing! 1t leaves q fellow SO help
! less! I'm going through the ship
with fine sieve presently, but I feel
1t in my bones that whoever has
swiped the kopecks has got clean
away. Still. 1t has to be done. We
can't leave anything to chance"
And now, 1 suppose I'd better be
getting a start made. l shall put
what you say to Miss Torrance. Mr..
Boon-but IL 1 know anything of her,
It won't deter her from joining US.
But you must have some break
fast
There's plenty to eat on the Mer-
lin, Lord Almeric." saida I, "and II
the lady is coming, and won't mind
Oaf
| away as soon as Sir Peter will per-
NIT U.s."
II shall have to go over your boat
for FORMS sake" said Sir Peter.
Come along. I'll do 1t now, and then
well see what we can do to get you
off without mishap."
1t was difficult to imagine, when we
were on deck again, that only half an
hour gone the ship had been peopled
| by folk apparently dead. The seamen
! were washing the decks and going
about their ordinary work pretty
much as II nothing had happened.
| II there was a tendency TO get to
! work IN pairs, IT was nothing to no
| tice. and the demeanor of the men
spoke we'll for the discipline Sir Pc
ter kept off his ship.
by thunder, young fellow" said
| the captain, when he saw how the
! seaplane lay, you're not lacking in
nerve! 1t must have been q ticklish
business" And he added vulgarly:
| She's as snug as bug in rug!"
| 'Itll be job to get her off, said L.
II hope you won't mind putting on a
| few Of your hands to turn her, sir?"
! AS many as you want he said,
"or as many as the awning will hold
and bear the weight off. I'll take
a look ;nside-so that can give you
| clearance papers"
He went up into the body of the
machine, while had a look at what
Milliken was doing. Stout fellow that
he is. he had rousted out the ships
| smith, and together they had patched
up the float where the aluminium had
parted from the framework. If lit
tie cockled, the float was as sea-
worthy as ever.
Sir Peter came down from the cab
in, and opened the floats.
II have to do it," he apologized
| for your sake as well as my own
That's all right, sir-if when you
get to New York you need any help
in giving evidence to the police
you'll find me at the National Metal
lurgical Bank-Mr. Lamont and my
mechanic too"
Thanks, young man." said the sal
lor. Now about these hands you
want. Here you Clark" he said TO q
seaman who was standing by. NIP
along TO the officer on duty. My com.
pliments, and will he kindly mustel
as many hands aft as he can spare?'
AYE, aye, sir!"
| I will say for the British seaman
that he is handy fellow. The Mer-
lin was no small weight, but Milliken
and a quartermaster, with the aid
of a score of men and a few rollers
soon had the seaplane round with
her engine pointing TO sea on the
port quarter. It was now a question
whether we should risk taking of
with our passengers aboard or get
safely afoet-which was not at al