Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-23

Won't We, Captain" 1t Was Mr.
Blake Speaking
much exercise. Scrubbing the deck
under the angry eyes of Captain Brent
seemed preferable to remaining in the
narrow compartment.
The main cabin was deserted. and
Dick struck a match to light cigu
rette. 1t was his one consolation. and
now that he was Indifferent about his
future he lost his usual caution. Only
one electric light was burning in the
! cabin, and the stiffness of the place
got on his nerves.
'Ill get out tonight and take good
rest on one of those cushions" he
mused. Captain Brent will get a Jolt
when he finds me there" He grinned
at the thought.
Suddenly he became conscious of
the presence of some one in the cabin
The soft fall of a foot on the thick
carpet near his hiding place was fol-
lowed a moment later by the opening
and closing of a door Another foot
step, heavier and clumsier than the
first, reached his ears. The two me;
not far from the open register, so that
their whispered words could be dis
tfnctly heard.
We'll be there by tomorrow night,
won't we, captain?" 1t was Mr.. Blake
speaking.
Yes, if nothing happens. The
barometers falling little, but / guess
we'll get ahead of any storm. 1t seems
to be breaking behind us instead of
ahead"
There was a second or two of 81
lence Then Blake added:
"You understand just what to do?
! When l give the signal you must sail
away. Don't stop to ask questions,
and don't mind what others say. Get
off at once, and hang around Marsh
inlet until you get wireless from me-"
Suppose your wireless ashore don't
work?"
1T will work. I'll see 20 that I'm
something of an expert. If anytn1ng's
wrong with it, I'll soon repair it. Don't
worry about that"
n 'YOu think you can keep the old man
quiet?
'He won't bother me any," was the
quiet reply, accompanied, Dick
imagined, by a smile of confidence.
well, good night We don't want
to be seen together alone. l shan't
speak to you again unless the others
are around"
! Dick heard them move across the
cabin in opposite directions Captain
Brent went outside on the deck and
Mr.. Blake crept back to his state
ROOM
Dick forgot his cigarette and per
mitted the light to- go out. He was
| pOndering the words of the two men.
| They puzzled him, and awakened in
his nnnd the old suspicion that there
was something in the cruise not put
down in the itinerary of Steve Cutler.
II guess I'll sleep over It," he de-
cided, smiling. Maybe l won't show
myself quite yet. Blake's a slick chap,
and Brent looks like prize fighter"
He slept fitfully until morning, and
| with the dawn OF a new day came a
new resolution. He would see the ad-
venture through as planned, and not
expose his hand until they landed. In
the hope that he would overhear more
conversation to enlighten him he kept
his ears open every time anyone en-
tered the cabin but as 1t was a beau
tiful day most of the passengers re-
manned on the deck, and nothing of
consequence happened.
1t was late in the afternoon when a
| cOmmotiOn on deck aroused him. From
the tramp of many feet he concluded
that something unusual had happened;
| but he was little disappointed when
Alice Cutler passed through the cabin
and said to her maid:
"Get my things ready, Marie. Well
land before dark"
Once again the desire to step out Of
his hiding place surged up in Dick, but
he suppressed it. Now that relief from
his intolerable position was in sight he
didn't want to make a bad break. If
the family landed before dark the
yacht would be partly deserted and
the opportunity of stealing forth I'M
| observed would come to him.
Half an hour later the screw Of the
yacht slowed its revolutions Dick
Judged they were approaching land or