Evening star., 1927-05-19

stuffed away in one of the pillow
slips.
And I can tell you this" he said,
addressing Bill, that there is another
half a million that we got out of the
post, and, what's more, only three
quarters of the treasury money sent
on board the Inland. There's enough
left to make this worth while when we
scupper you and leave you for these
navy men to pick up"
There came at this second a dra-
matte interruption. An oil-covered
| streaked blackly.
What is it, Snell?" asked Hale
sharply.
Captain, the juice has GONE"
Hale clapped his hand over the en-
! gineer's mouth and thrust him out
side, pulling the door close behind
| him.
They're running short of OIL" said
| Stone in an exultant whisper. THAT
means that he'll be forced to stop
! Bill shook his head.
They have 1 don't know how many
| hundred tons in the cargo" he said.
The purser told me yesterday. He
wondered who was shipping heavy oil
was a lunatic. 1t is only a question
Of hours before they'll tap enough to
carry them clear of pursuit.
But where can they go now?"
asked the girl. Didn't you tell me
| that the little ship was intended as a
| sort of lifeboat for them?"
Bill was silent. This fact had not
occurred to him. The capture of the
Thomas Inland changed the situation
and Hale's plans must undergo a rad
| ical Transformation. He could no long
er abandon the ship in the Arctic
| Sea. He must make some port and
make it under the escort Of warships
His alternative was to reach some in
habited coastline and take to the boats
in the night, trusting to land with his
| loot. Thinking the matter over, Bill
| decided this was the course that Hale
would take and that the signal for
| his leaving the ship would also be the
signal for the destruction of the su-
perfiuous members of his party.
The fog was thinning, but the YES
| sci still went dead slow. An hour
later they emerged into a sea which,
| to Harvey Hale's mind, was beauti-
| fully free from Warships. The Es-
| corel was now moving northwest.
Hale believed it was possible that, by
| cirCumnavigating the fog bank, he
could shake off his pursuers and lead
| them long enough to make the Ca
| madam coast. His main plan was 10
fall in with some small trading vessel
and on the excuse that he needed as
sistance TO board the smaller ship, take
! possession, and, leaving the Escorel to
it's fate, make his getaway. That he
| contemplated without qualm the de.
struction Of 5000 lives was an incred-
1
that would hang him. He had no
illusions as to the outcome of
the adventure if he faced an Old
Bailey jury. No excuse he could
offer, no proof that he acted under
the instructions of others, would
rescue him from that quick trap in
PentonVille Prison where pirates are
hanged. since execution dock is no
longer a fashionable place for the dis
patch Of seafaring miscreants.
For the time being he grasped at
the straw Of deliyerance which his
luck offered to him. With Stone and
the reporter as hostages, he might yet
avoid a conflict which could not fail
TO end unhappily for himself. Whole
sale death bulSed very small by the
side of his own imminent peril.
| When Hale returned to his prison
erS he was in high spirits, inclined
even to take a good-humored view of
Bills bad shooting, and, as usual, his
elation was expressed in very favor
able view of his own extraordinary
qualities.
There. isn't another man in the
world" he boasted, who could have
slipped that crowd of sleuths. Did
you see what I did, Holbrook? Turned
80 degrees across their path. And.
mind you, even il that skipper hadn't
had the sense to pull up, I'd have got
away with it. Yes, sir, you could
search the world for Harvey Hale s
opposite number and you'd have TO
admit that. he doesn't live"
He pinched Bits neck suggestively,
That's a good throat for cutting,
young fellow. BY God, it's going to
be cut. unless you're lucky"
Suddenly he broke into a fit Of
laughter.
IAN you boys and girls ought to be
together" he said mockingly, and un-
locking the door Of the captains suite
he invited them into the room where
Give Lowbridge lay, inert and help
less.
"Good-loolling fellow. amt he? III
tell the world he is. Member of the
aristocracy, too" he gibed. You car
sit here and keep him company. but
! Ill cut the throat OF ANYBODY VINO al
tempts 10 unlash him! Maybe l won't
be so rough with you''-he was ogling
| Betty-"because you're going TO be
my sweetie."
lie went out through the chart
house, laughing as at a good joke
Harvey Hale had found a new inter.
est in life. Betty crossed TO the bed
and laid her cool hand on the prison
er's forehead.
Are you very badly hurt, CIive?"
she asked anxiously.
He shook his head.
NO. I'm uncomfortable and ]
doubt If it would be wise to loosen
lne--yet. Have you knife, Hol
| brook"
Bill shook his head and exposed his
! ,o1at,oclod tp,dc