CHAPTER XVIII.—Continued.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13487, 30 July 1907, Page 6

CHAPTER XVlll.— Continued.

The next day was a weary one ior liaih. He longed to get awaj from the stuffy, ill-smelling little house, and to find himself on the blue water again. It was getting towards night when J( rdan, in an uproarious mood, returnc.l, accompanied by a little, smiling, sniootnmannered man, whom Bath regarded with uneasy suspicion. It wat» perhaps fortunate for the small man that he way not recognised. "Friend of my friend Mostyn," Jordan remarked unsteadily. " Sent down to see that we behave ourselves. Coin' with us, he is."

Bath forced a smile. So Mostyn was not trusting him. If he had only guessed who the stranger wasj Jordan produced Mostyn's letter of introduction, and winked with meaning as he handed it to Bath.

The latter read the letter carefully. Perhaps Mostyn did not mistrust him after all. It looked as if this shiftyeyed, smiling stranger had somehow got on the inside track of things, and had ben sent down ior the purpose oi being out of the way. "Well, Mostyn should not be disappointed. It was no time to stick at trifles.

Powell smiled and writhed uneasily. He knew perfectly well what was in that letter, and with that key in his possession he read Bath's thoughts. But he was going to be loyal to his new employers ; he was filled with a certain desperate courage. If lie stuck to Henton and Cat heart his future might be assured. Any Avay, he was in a position now to afford them valuable information.

It was long past midnight before .Tordan's boat' put out of port, and ssiiled away in the direction of Stoiv* Point. Tho first grey streaks of dawn were shining in the east as the " Puily and Paul ' loomed out of the mists. A little later and the pilot was aboard. Bath drew a long sigh of relief. P'^yell had crept down to see the captain's icabin, where he lay torpid with all the horrors of sea-sicknesfc. There was a sense of security in that heaving sea.

" Now let us hear your plan," Bath asked.

"Come down in the cabin," said Jordan. " I begin to see a way. Seems to me that it isn't an English port we want at all."

He lumbered heavily down into the cabin, followed by Bath. Powell lay there in the bunk with the curtains drawn. Ho was in the torpid state that follows extrenio sickness. Just at that moment he did not caro whether he lived or died. Stilf, he lay and listened. There are some men who will listen to anything-, and Powell was one of them.

" We'll try one of the Norway or Sweden ports," said Jordan. *' I could pilot you across there, and see you all snug, with my eyes blindfolded. No questions would be asked there. You could unload your cargo and dispose of it, and be back here again at the end of a fortnight. And if you wanted t-j dispose of this tricky old kettle, why. you could manage that as well." "Capital!" Bath cried. "I never thought of that before. It shall be done."

They went eagerly into ways and means. Powell lay there listening with cold thrills of apprehension playing up and down his spino. So long as ho was near shore lie felt comparatively saie. But out at sea, with those two desperate men, both of whom had been advised in so many words to murder him !

The voices ceased. Bath and his companion left the cabin. Powell crept out with all his sickness gone. He was waiting about for some way of escape, the ship was throbbing under his unsteady feet.

Ah, the machinery! It was like the works of a watch; and if somebody dropped a piece of iron or a bolt, or something of that kind on to the bed of cue of tho engines, why, nobody could answer for the consequences.

"I must find out," the little man whispered huskily. '' I really must find out the engine-room." Powell was still shaking from head to foot. To a certain extent he was taking his life in his hands, and he knew it. It had never occurred to the little man that he would be more or less kidnapped like this. He had been between 'the devil and the deep sea. Mostyn would not hesitate a moment to have him murdered if it suited his purpose to do so. And once the boat was in a foreign port anything was possible.

The thought of his danger had a bracing effect on Powell. He forgot his weakness for a moment. He would go on deck and ask a few questions. Most cl the erew — indeed, all of thorn — were j Lascars, but there were two men who called themselves officers who were white. Powell sidled up to one of them now. and his teeth chattered. "Is it possible to get a drink?" he

whispered. "I have money to pay ior it, you know."

The grimy rascal in the tattered peajacket winked in a friendly fashion. He looked round him cautiously.

"I can manage it," he said. "The engineer's a Scotchman, and knows his way about. Show me half a sovereign, or something of that sort, and I'll show you the way. No drink is supposed to be aboard, mind you ; at least, not for the present. Seems to me we're on a job that requires a cool head, or why should we be dodging every suspiciouslooking .craft that comes along? I'll get the liquor." Powell fumbled in his pocket, ;-n- 7 produced half a sovereign. The nHier man spat on it and disappeared. Presently he came back grinning with a gla.'-b and a bottle.

"Not here," Powell said hastily. "'lt's too cold. I'm starving. Your iriend, the engineer "

'* Oh, he'll be glad enough to see you so long as you pay through the nose lor your toddy. And if you want to get warm, why. down below is the place. Come along."

Powell's heart throbbed more quickly. It was all fulling out very nicely. There wore the furnaces, ami 1 here were the fj« i }jin3ii«!; engines. The warmth crept into Powell's bones, ami he glowed.

1 jajraa-S , "Fine engines tho.e," he said, as n< took a pull" at his glass. "Easy t< damage, 1 suppose?" Th'> engineer nodded sourly as he polished s'Hue gleaming bras' vork. "Easy oJHmgh," he said, "if you know how; but dangerous, my iriend— very dangrrous." Powell t.iid no more, but bis eyes. were gleamii.g lilie live coals-