Evening star., 1928-03-12
CHAPTER NJ.

he ldQ come 10 an dUTupt lldlt III Tic
center of the cabin. Some one was
knocking at the stateroom door.
CHAPTER NJ.
The Secretary.
ETER looked inquiringly at Capt.
- Josephus Mumm. The knock
was repeated.
Now don't you make no
breaks. anyhow" cautioned the
little red-haired skipper. And treat
EN- nice. whoever it is" He raised his
voice: Come in!"
The door opened and young man
with small black eyes, whose hair was
almost too carefully parted. and who
was attired in dinner clothes, stepped
| forward-and then hcsitated and the
| threshold, as his eyes. sweeping the
room. rested on the pajama-clad figure
on the bed
Il am afraid / am intruding," he said
apologetically. You are just retiring"
Don't worry none about that" said
| Capt. Josephus Mumm with unusual
| civility: and then with a grin, as the
sound of a tenor voice, low, but re-
markably clear and true, floated in
through the open doorway: Whats
going on-a concert? That's some voice
! that chap has got out there!"
Its that internal steward. lahat
Khan!" said the young man, with a
sudden frown. "The one that was IN
here. We call him the singing steward
He sings all over the place. Everybodys
up on deck and he's making hay IN the
lounge. I'll stop 1t at once! He turned
as though to put his threat into execu-
ton.
Don't you do 1t, or I'll be sorry ]
mentioned It," expostulated the little
red haired skipper promptly. We
didn't have no singing on the Break
/ O'Dawn, and ii does me good. Let the
beggar alone, and come in. Mi ne
paused interrogatively.
"Jaffray's my name" supplied the
Young man. He hesitated an instant as
though still undecided whether to repri-
mand the offending Lahat Khan or
not: then he stepped forward into tne
stateroom and closed the door behlnd
him. y. George Jaffray," he added.
I'm Mr.. Garth's secretary"
Glad to know you'll" said Capt.
Josephus Mumm heartily.
Peter pushed a chair forward.
"Sit down, won't you?" he invited.
well, II you're sure I'm not keeping
YOU up"-Jaffray glanced at Capt.
| Mumm-"and IL you feel fit enough for
a few minutes chat. I'd be glad TO do
so. Mr.. Garth thought the fun and
detailed report OF what has happened
should be sent out as promptly as pos
sible. The bare announcement ol tne
sinking OF your schooner has already
been made by wireless: but we've also
a broadcasting set aboard, and the story
in detail can be sent out much more
readily that way. In fact, was even
going 10 suggest that II you'd step lnto
the lounge~we've a neat little station
partitioned off there-you might ike
to tell the story yourself.
"Whatr' calculated Capt. Josephus
Mumm humorousiy And cut in on
that chap broadcasting his song, as ]
dare saw he's doing II he and the set.
as you call It, are both In the lounge!
No fear!"
Again Jaffray frowned. :.
"To answer you literally" he said Il
can only say that he'd hardly have the
temeritv to do that. But seriously
captain. would you care TO act on my
"Nov' said the little rcd-haired skip
per bluntly. seriously. ] wouldn't
amt no hand at spinning yarns into
those kinds Of things. never ga"
one of 'em In my life. And, besides.
1t TO you, Mr.. Jaffray. III tell you any
thing YOU want To know--and you can
20 as far as you like"
Very good!" said Jaffray pleasantly
He pulled note book from his pocket
I'm jot 1t down as you go along
Capt. Josephus Mumm nodded assent
glanced with a bland eye at Peter
fingered his tawny beard. and cropped
his shoulders comfortably against
pillow.
"Wherell begin?" he asked.
well, If you don't mind" said Jan
ray, from the beginning Of the voyage
Right, you arel" agreed Capt
Josephus Mumm readily Though II
amt 80 easy to say where any voyage
of mine begins or ends. trading the way
/ do from island to island mostly. yeai
in and year out III begin from tie
time We left FIJI We ran into crue
bad weather almost from tho start
and IL lasted so long and got so bad
what with losing two overheard ana one
with a smashed head from ialilni
. block, that the native crew vent blot (
with fright and started To run amuek
Dunn, here, and me managed IN peal
'em of. there being only four OF then
left and then"
Peter vas no longer listening liz
uTfW up u fI1biT laCiIIk DhlliaY. W''' WIZ
writing briskly In his notebook no"
and sat down. One might assume IRON
the skippers version, II II ever occurred
10 any one 10 assume anything In con
nectinn herewith that he. Peter, hhf
been a member of Capt Mnmma crep
from the beginning oi time. Well? I'LL
mind Was back on his own problem
Hadn't he decided YETI Then, WHY
& hadn't he? Capt Joaephus Mumm had
already compromised himself beyond re-
palr-~no, hardly thal' Capt, Mumn
need not necessarily have known his
Peters real identity al any time,
What Was The isslie anyhow? That ]
went against The grain To hide, Ia hk,ilt
under AN assumed name? Yes, III
nutshell that was IT, Eut would II b'
sknikingp IL depended on the motive
II he allowed this 10 go Oh, passed him
self on H. one Alec Dunn. would II bs
through coWaTdce, through fear to face
8 The issue as Peter Blake because hlm0s
certain conviction awaited him II HI
did? lie smiled quietly apparently du'
10 interested attention IN The litiir skip
4 per'A story, Ia reality. ~ his own lurh
1 ton His conscience WAS clear an tha
point Fear had nothing whatever Il