CHAPTER XXIX.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13499, 14 August 1907, Page 6

CHAPTER XXIX.

ON THE YEKGE.

Completely forgetful of the fact that he was soaking from head to foot, Cathcart stood there watching Mostyn' s movements with the deepest interest. There could be no doubt what was happening. Mostyn was undoubtedly cutting away the cable with the intention of parting company with tho ' Queen of the Mist,' and thereby to a dead certainty casting the ' Psyche ' on the Flat Sands.

Nor could Mostyn possibly have been in ignorance of the peril ; on the other hand he was deliberately courting it. His knowledge of the North Sea was fairly good, he had been yachting hero for too many years not to know where trouble lay. *

What was his object, then, seeing that his danger must be as great as anybody else's? To bring about this thing he had not stopped at violence, as Cathcart recollected as he thought of the< flarelight from the ' Queen of the Mist,' and what it disclosed. It was not possible that Mostyn had suddenly lost his reason and was bent on wholesale destruction of human life.

Cathcart pulled himself up suddenly. He saw it all in a flash. His first impulse was to rhsh forward and fell Mostyn to the deck. But he had no need to disclose his presence just yet. Mostyn was not a powerful man from a muscular point of , view; he was not accustomed to this kind of work, and the thick cable would provide him with a good three hours' toil yet. Favoured by the darkness and the storm, Cathcart crept all around tho deck till he came to the life-boat. He would have given much for a light at that moment, but a light was out of the question.

Ho had to feel for all that he wanted to find out. He satisfied himself, and he smiled as he crept back to his original places He would know how to act presently. The tempest lulled just for a moment, and as the turmoil ceased the sweet, clear tones of a woman's voice struck on Cathcart' s oar. He stood still, astonished and shocked. Astonished that any woman should be on the yacht, and shocked to know that her presence was no deterrent to Mostyn in his diabolical task. Cathcart shut his teeth more tightly together, and made a resolution that there should be no mercy for Mostyn when the time came. If that woman

Cathcart thrilled again. It had come upon him with a staggering force that tho woman might be Riisset ; indeed, the more ho thought of it the more likely it seemed.' Without further hesitation Cathcart crept to the companionladder, pulled the tarpaulin aside, and descended into the body of the yacht. The voices were quite plain now — two women were talking in the dining-room — their voices hardl3 r stronger than a whisper. Cathcart crept forward and looked in.

Russet, surely enough, and Grace Ives; They were bending over the body of a man who seemed to be e^acr dead or absolutely insensible to all that was taking place around him.

" We must wait till the effects of the drug have passed," Russet sighed. " Goodness knows in what cunning fashion that man managed to trick us. Oh. for a good strong man to "

Russet paused as she looked round. There stood Cathcart, dark and smiling, the drippings from his wet clothing soaking into the carpet. Russet would have screamed aloud, but Cathcart jumped across to her and laid a hand upon her lips.

" You must not betray yourself, darIling," he said. ' You seem to be in sore need here." 4 Russet was recovering herself. A wild -gladness thrilled her from head tc foot, there were tears of joy and thankfulness in her beautiful eyes. It seemed as if Heaven had heard her prayers and sent the one man she longed for to her assistance.

"Oh, my dearest!" she murmured. " How glad, glad I am to see you. Shall I wake up presently and find that it is all a dream? No, you are real enough — real, and so very wet. I must get you some dry clothing at once. Ii Mr. Mostyn chances to see j'ou "

"He "is, not likely to. He has a pretty 'occupation on deck likely to last liim some time."

Russet slipped away. Now that she no longer depended upon herself, six was trembling from head to foot. A short time before she had been regretting her temerity in coming on this voyage; now she felt that George Cathcart's sudden appearance was an omer that the danger was merely a passing one. A little later, and Cathcart had changed into some dry clothing and was ready to hear Russet's story. j

His face grew grave as he listened. These girls and Stennard knew ' too much, it had become more or less necessary to get them out of the way. Weil, such things had been done beiorc, and they would bo donq again. It was not -the first time that a scoundrel had planned wholesale murder to* hide his crimes.

"I never guessed that it was going to be as bad as this," Russet concluded. v I knew there would be danger, but I risked that to find out things. But Mr. Mostyn is not going to perish with us, George. What can be his cunning j scheme to get away?"

" I have fathomed that," George saiu with a ; smile. "At the present moment he is taking a deal of violent exercise and running the risk of an attack of congestion of tho lungs, and all to no purpose. I am going to clip his wings presently, my brave little girl. Alter I have said two words to him — though I don't intend him to know who says those words — there will* be no further attempt to get away from the tug. Meanwhile, you can make yourself quite easy in your mind."

'"' And do you think Mr. Brown will be any the wovse for "

"For his drugging? No, except a violent headache. Mostyn will owe Stcnnard one for betraying him. And see how easily he rose to the occasion. We .have not done with that man yet, but yon can make your mind easy as to tho ' Psyche.' "When the gale blows out in the morning she will not be on

the Flat Sanctr-. Russet, we are getting very near to the eiul." J Russet smiled lovingly into the speaker's face.

"I hope so, with ail my heart," she whispered. "If you can only manage to convince people that you had nothing to do with the ea' tir.g pv/ay oi' the ' Lone Strr.' "

"My darling, I hope to prove that before" Ihe wr?k is over. I could not have do;io that thing, for the simple reason that tlso ' i.ono Slav' Avns not cast away at all." " Do yon moan to say tho vessel s»till oxif.ts?" Russet oriod. "V.yen so, doareul. It sounds impossible, but that is .so. Th<-re were two 'Lone Stars,' and I was drnggcj'l, like Brown here, ?nd taken away on the wrong one. The wronji; one was cast away, and people naturally thought it was the boat I was engaged to command. The real ' Lone Star,' with a fine cargo, sails away under another name, lienton knovs all this, and ho told me."

" Poor Doußlas Renton, v/hom wo shall never see again."

"I am not quite co sure about that. When we sighted the real Lone Star,' the boat; wo had conic en purple to discover. l?onton set rue for her. It is possible that when his din^hey upset, ho may have reached her docks. Bath is aboard the 'Tone Siar.' anrl s.t> i& Powell ; hence, there is more danger, YOU fiOC."

Russet no'icWl thou«;litiV«!ly. She poulcl see wiry piithily indeed. Here was the real 'Lone Star/ with the ofVchance or the real owner being aboard, here was tho ' Queen of the Alist ' in pursuit, and Jioro w::s tlio ' Psyche.' Tt was a strange tangle altogether, and one that it was impossible to see the end oi".

(To be continued.)