Evening star., 1927-05-16

Of the gangsters who had been hastily
summoned at the first sign OF dis
order.
With evening cold wind sprang
mp that made the deck a most unde-'
sirable spot. Those who had to run
the gantlet to the crowded smoke
room came shivering to the big fires
which burned at either end and told
stories OF Icy alieyways and cabins
where bed was the only warm place.
At 8 o'clock, when the passengers
went to dinner that night, they dis
covered that the menu had been cut
in half.
There was yet another development
favorable to Holbrook's plan. He was
tidying the Stones cabin when he felt
the speed Of the EscoriaI slacken and,
going up on deck. found the ship
enveloped in a clinging white mist.
Now was his opportunity, and, as
luck would have it. he saw the deck
steward carrying a tray toward the.
i. "I'n take that" he said. "who
! A. 1t for?''
j "It ID for the bridge, said the man,
apparently relieved that Bill had vol
unteered for the duty. 1.-THE officers
are to have hot food every hour"
Bill went UP the companion and
put the tray on the deck. The fog
was 80 thick that from where he
stood he could not see the bridge or
the wireless house. There was no
time to be lost. His numbed fingers
detached two cups from the dozen
with which the tray was laden, he
splashed in the hot coffee, sugared and
milked the decoction, and then, taking
/ the bottle from his pocket, he dropped
Hn~ f,,%h anh Toly
] one in each hand, he groped his way
TO the wireless house. The men on
duty saw him coming and challenged
him.
"The captain sent you drink"
said Bill.
TITS about time he didw growled
The man. whats the other cup
for-the OPERATOR"
He opened the door Of the room.
Here's a drink for you, Arthur" :"
he said, and the muffied figure Of the
operator appeared in the doorway and
took the cup from Bills hand.
Not waiting to see the effect OF
the drug, Holbrook hurried back to
where he had left the tray and car
fied 1t on to the bridge and into
the charthouse. The bridge was now
alive with men; he heard Harvey
Hale cursing loudly the change in
the weather, and then:
It Is only belt, and any.
way, we're more than 80 miles from
where we arranged to pick up the
Inland -"
They were making for rendezvous.
This possibility had not occurred to
Bill. Even as he thought he heard
another of the men speak
WEN have TO wait for her, won t
we, captain? She couldn't keep up
with us: none Of these tankers do
more than 10 knots"
"She does 25." said. Hale. ''The
Thomas Inland is one of the new
fast ." The voice rumbled
down unintelligibIy. until
told them to rig up dummy funnel
and paint her white. ."
The Thomas Inland!
Where had he heard that name?
And then in a flash he remembered
the wireless news bulletin that had
been posted. The Escorial was to be
met by the stolen tanker! So that
was why the gang We're so inactive.
THE tanker would not carry enough
ssail to supply the needs of the Escorial
unless-
Bill almost stopped as the horrible
possibility occurred to him. She would
| have enough oil to carry the gang
and their loot to safety! The Escorial
was to be abandoned--driven into the
ice fields, and the 5000 souls she
carried left to starvation and death
while the Thomas Inland made her
einnocent way to a port with her
Hhooty.
He flew down the ladder, stumbled
lssEssss aas {SS sSEsss .Sss;sS 3 .sss wireless %