Evening star., 1928-03-21
tcontinued from Yesterdays Star9
conyessAt 1toss, Ss FraAR Z ParkAra.

s--S~----11 S@1.e.1ANS AAOAt 1SSteA0aS oGaA >
~You say" said Peter in a fat. mo,
notonpuS voice, that they've got Ma.
raon--NfisS Ciarth--on board that bris
pat there? Nothing else matters. doe:
The little skipper made a sudder
choking sound
GOO! Yes. I know!" he said thickly
II know what YOU mean, Peter. Yes
they've got her aboard there"
Then" said Peter I'm going aboard
there, too
There was an inStant'S silence.
The little red-haired mans hand
crept 10 Peters shoulder.
What good could you do Peter, my
lad. even If YOU managed 10 set aboard
Could you stand off a hundred of 'em9'
Peter thrust forward the revolver in
his hand
"Iftit came 10 the worst, I could give
her this" he said. Then his voice broke
cueerly. Damn it, don't You under
stand! she's a white woman!"
Again there WAS all inStant'S silence.
AYE" said Capt JoSephus Mumm
in an unsteady voice, you could give
her that-there's a chance in thou
saii6 that you could: or, if you had 10,
Peter, you--ycu could do ii for her
~
FOR that. too. And 50 we'll make try.
my lad
S'Ncs" said Peter sharply Not YOU!
There wouldn't be chance then.
These devils know nothing about me;
bat they've seen you and know you re
aboard. and the minute they miss YOU
they'll start scouting for you--they've
probably started now. And if they
didn't find you on board here, they d
Search their own VeSSel-and that would
be the end of il. Go back 70 the Others
and give me my chance. don t
think they'll scuttle the Isis, but If
that's their intention, then the end
would be the same whether or not you
and fought them for q few minutes
IN some corner while our cartridges
lasted. Go back 10 the others, and
don't use that gun Of yours. except as
8 hast reSort-for it would only mean
ueprtSais on their part. If, after all, when
they've got all they want in the shape
of loot. they intend 10 let the Isis go. .
Peter" said the little skipper, and
stumbled for his words, it's letting you
50 70 your death alone, but it's logic.
Peter, and you're right. and"
There's no other way" said Peter
simply, and there's no time 10 lose"
He caught the others hand. and wrlng
It haro-and the next instant. brush
Ing hy the little red-haired man, he
waS racing down the alleyway IL the
darkness.
Peter"
But Peter was merely Subconscious
avare that back somewhere there be-
Ind him the little man out of q full
nezrT had called his name. He ran on
swiffly. There should be q companion
way here somewhere. and door above
opening On the Isis 6uSh after deck.
Yes, here 3t was! He flung himself up
fhe stairway and reached the door,
which he found 20 be open
And now be halted to peer out eau
tioszSlE Nlong the deck. There did not
seem % be any one in the immediate
v.ctnsf fy-Shouts. seering Sells. p2nde-
moniaFr Of noise atITaeo at his ears, but
Il al came from the. deck above, and
from forward and an1idShips OF the
ISls-the cabins, the saloons and the
lounge were obviously the prime at
traction. since they held the promise Of
the richest rewards for the looters! For
3 second more Peter held there motion
less-to get his bearings now. 10 note
the spaTs and rigging Of the brig loom
ing I'D ever the Isis huh In Spidery and
grOsescue tracery against the night
and then he darted across the deck and
gained the rail-
he crUached there for moment No
one, 50 far, had seen h1m. He raised
himself W and looked over the rail As
he had thought, the briggs deck and the
flush after deck Of the Isis were almost
leyel-nothing separated them but the
b1Ixarks-ef the one and the ran OF the
o:ner.s The vessels were lying bow TO
stern, and q great black path on the
by1gS deck, almost opposite him and
g. vk-4 l7fe
puzzled him for an instant: then he
Understood It was an open hatch. He
could distinguish q few men here ami
there On the brig deck-but the near
est vas q single figure with back turned
and . good so or 90 feet away.
The chances were at least eTen that
he would not be seen IN the darkness
ard the chances were not likely 70 be
beTteys Without sound, his move
raents as quiet and agile as . cats.
Peter worked his way over the rail and
bulwarkx and landed on the bTig,s deck.
And then for an instant he held his
breath From somewhere toward the
brsg's stern an order was beloved out.
and esery man thai he had previously
noted On the deck, II seemed, began 70
move forward N his direction he had
not bken seen-he was sure Of that
bgt iaa another minute they would be
around him. The open hatch. then!
II he nouIo reach that! To drop on the
deck md crawl was 10 court observa-
ton; u move nonchalsntly was his one
chance Of being accepted, for Just the
second or two that he needed, as one Of
themselves.
Il tias only o few feet. but Peters
Lips wsre SET and hard as he covered
the Stkyt distance; and then. gaining
80 ~ R& sessa b y3A 2Ea
around 70 assure himself In 30 far as
he cQf6 that ne was stlil unobSerVed
he I0xereo himself silently over the
edge 1f the hatch. They were very
close nog-eYioently coming here TO
the k1ascn itself for some purpose. He
could bear them chzttering one 70 an
o.oer.s lie hung for an instant TO the
flstcl1 comolng-snd then, his feet
eangADg In All. he let himself drop. ..