, 1926-05-12
CHAPTER XIII-Continued

world of ours, the utility of the differ
Ing qualities of goodness and evil.
But any serious consideration, friend
Peter, must convince as profound a
thinker as yourself that the very ex-
istence of men and women is of itself
prima-facie evidence that there can
be no Divine Author of %omnipotent or
sentient powers"
I'VE better 20 on deck" said Peter.
After you" protested my relative
as We rose. "'Tis Il pleasure to de
bate with you, Peter. Take care,
pray! Gum has not removed all Of
the evidence of Diomede's passing.
Strange, is il not, how a black fellow
like Diomede and a man who hath
been the confdant of princes, like
O'Donnell, should both be abolished by
a simple organic disruption? That
alone, Peter, should suffice to disprove
the humbug of an all-wise Providence,
An Hll-wise Providence, forsooth 4,
Here am l, arranging to reconstruct
for the better n most unhappy trio of
kingdoms, with consequences bound to
improve the well-belng Of the entire
world, and my plan is suffered to be
placed in jeopardy by an ignorant
sailors blind shot in the dark! What
could be more absurd2'
Peter did not answer him. and we
passed out upon the main deck, where
sailors We're busy removing the traces
of the Walrus' first broadslde which
had wrought a certain mount of
minor damage and caused the deaths
of several men. Twas now light
enough TO see about us, but the light
was Of a quality l had never known
before-a hard, coppery glare. with
the sun obscured from view. The sen
was quite fiat, and the wind contln.
ued intermittent, veerlng from one
quarter OF the south to the other.
Spy-glaSs Island lay TO larboard. Its
contour amazingly dlstinct-as II 1t
were bitten into the frame of steel.
blue sea and duly shlmmering sky
that encompassed 1t. The Wulrus.
Ike the James. had cleared Captain
Kids anchorage, and vas running
due north before the wind betwixt us
and the islet called Skeleton island.
Murray bent a shrewa eye aloft
and hailed Martin.
"How IS It you carry no sail on the
mlzzen? he demanded.
Account o. that there last -
" - shot, cap'n," answered the
mate, Juggling his forelock. IF We
look to # yen see as how a --
twelve-pounder bored Into her"
We all followed his pointing finger
10 a Dug beneath the mIzzcn yard.
The shot that had grazed Colonel
ODonnell's head had lone more than
Craze the mlzzen. The mast was
whitfield away to a depth OF several
inches as clennly as II a giants ax
had chopped Into It.
My g%reat-uncle took nun very
slowly.
what luckl What luck'" he NUT.
tered.
And then louder:
Twas an expensive shot for us,
%gndzooksl Well, Martin, we must fish
the mast at our earliest opportunity.
but we can make shift 10 corner Flint
without Il. The Walrus is foul and
heavy In the water. The James can
sail circles round her In this wind"
There was a worried look Ia Mar.
tins weather-beaten fuce.
"Askin your pardon. sir, I don't
like this - - wind. We're In
for a - OF n storm or I'm a -
- - lubber."
My great-uncle shrugged his shout
ders.
"storm or no storm. Mnrtln. tbc
Wnlrus carries nigh four hundred
thousand pounds
AYE. sir; and by your favor. best
sink her and be done WI Il and run
for shelter"
"sink herl Man. we'd lose the
treasure"
Better lose tho walrus' treasure
than 20 down ourselves" insisted
Martin doggedly. "Ilaye Il -FOUR "
way, SIR but I'm n - - - II
II amt hxin' to blow up one o. these
here tarrlble Carrlbbee storms ns pluck
the hairs outn your head"
Murray regarded the four quarters
Of the sky Tor several moments.
"Wlth your congratulations ind
no quarrel, Martin" he aid finally
but J believe we have ample time
20 hend the wnlrus. FLINT dnres moi
run south because he knows the hor
Lets nest We have stirred up In those
seas. My purpose In to hox him In
and force him TO beach. II this wind
continues we should bring him 10 book
on IN. north const Of the lsinnd. and
No ~o1n as the wnlrus has taken
rf,>ini we will wear and bent In for
Ire North inlet. Doth that satisfy
ZSouf'
The mate hesiinied.