Evening star., 1928-03-09
It'll IN e09 MMn1 Mystery Story
IDGA UVGWUU IS UWU6HOWNG1 By I.PA
ouwKh.1 o mFrMk. .
ropyrlsht, 1897. by Frank l.. Packard.

mand:
Easy ALL There they arel Stop
her wayl You. there, Smithsonian
the starboard bow-get hold of them!"
Peter felt hand grasp the collar
of his shirt-above him boats side,
the faces of men. took form. The next
instant he and the red-haired skipper
were hauled aboard, and passed aft into
the stern.
Here" said voice, get some of this
inside you-both of you! It1l put life
in 10 YOU"
Peter took generous pull at the
flask. He saw Capt. Mumm do like
wise.
The stimulant seemed to revive the
little red-haired skipper completely. for
he spoke now with sudden irascibility
to the man who had supplied the flask,
and who, Peter noted now. was In the
uniform of ships officer.
You cut me down, curse youl"
snapped Capt. Mumm.
Yes" the officer answered. Rot
ten luck! It's a bad business, I'm
afraid. How many more were there
of you?"
-Four" grunted Capt. Mumm lacon-
ically. Natives"
We thought we heard some other
cries besides yours" said the officer;
but We couldn't locate thenl-or your
vessel either"
Seeing as how she's sunk you prob
ably wouldnt!' Capt. Mumm gave vent
to fluent profanity-and lapsed into
silence.
I suppose we ought to get you two
back on board, but it's that much less
chance for the others If we take the
tlme." said the boats commander dubi-
ously.
Don't. then" said Peter quietly.
We're we'll enough off where we are"
Right said the officer Wen carry
on, then. Give way again. men! Pull
easy. and keep hailing!"
AS Peter reckoned time. perhaps half
an hour passed. There was something
weird. unearthly. about the whole
scene-the men in the boat. like dark
shadows, pulling at the oars, calling
out hcarsely in turn as the boat circled
around and around; the figure Of Capt.
Mumm sitting opposite to him, sullen,
silent. his hand to his jaw as though
nursing 1t; the ships bell somewhere,
unseen. striking. striking. striking-but
no answering hail from the rolling
swells and the water around them
I'm afraid it's no earthly use, so
far as We are concerned" said the off,
Ger at last gravely. Il fancy the Old
Man Will stand by until morning, or
untl we get lift in the fog. on the
chance Of any of them having got hold
OF something to cling to-though they'd
have drifted good distance in that
case OF course. But once We could see
We could steer around a bit. I think
Wen go aboard now, anyhow, and re-
port"
Capt. Mumm. still nursing his jaw,
said nothing.
Peter nodded his head.
Il think you're right" he said.
Another few minutes passed. The
sound Of the ships bell grew clearer
and clearer. Peter suddenly ran his
hand through his dripping hair. Some
thing OF strange diSquiet had been
gradually creeping over him: it seemed
to surge upon him now In full force.
A bit OF rnockery, this rescued From
what? To what? The answers to
those questions were identical, weren't
they? He wondered II he wouldn't
have been better off II. like Var Lal,
or Selim Dey. or Mir Dass. or Putab
Singh, the boat hadn't found him?
He'd have to face some of his own
kind now as man with a price on
his head. And now suddenly he shrank
from that contact with an intense and
oaeVct afcI cIsiou-AiIilliteiy more. IL SEEM
ed. than he had shrunk from 1t on the
Break O. Dawn. It had seemed far
of then---with only Capt. Mumm. II
WIS imminent now. His own kindl
This officer, apparently a decent chap,
sitting here beside hinl-he wouldn't
sit so close. perhaps. II he knewl And
In another few minutes now. less than
that
A yellowish glow loomed up out Of the
fog. Voices. that knocked in a Queerly
extraneous way at the door of Peters
fevered mind. began to call out to the
boat. A giant white shape lowered
above him. The boat bumped. High
up at the head Of the gangway there
was a big fare light.