VAGABOND VOYAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 June 1938, Page 12

VAGABOND VOYAGE

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT COPYRIGHT

BY

ALROY WEST

(Author of “Stratosphere Express”)

CHAPTER XX—Continued. “I’d be interested to know how you j. propose to protect her,” he said. “May- j be you're thinking of taking on the destroyer and her entire crew single- j handed.” c “We’ve succeeded in giving the des- g troyer the slip.” Peter reminded him. v “For the moment. You’ll find tha' - she’ll be back by morning, overhauling c us at a grand pace. I’ve already said that I want time to look after my engines. They won’t last much longer e without something going wrong. They s were never intended for this sort of work.” I “Neither was the trawler,” Peter declared. “Her seams are opening }■ with the heat. You’ll find that next a time it rains you’ll be getting the raindrops in the engine-room. Another v bad storm and we’ll be using the t pumps. It isn’t, a pleasing prospect.” j. “Shut up!” Gallop cried. “Go and 0 cheer up somebody else —I’ve had enough. There’s sufficient for me to j. worry my head over without having g extra troubles. I’m sorry I ever met s Wicks. I should have realized that he v would come to a thoroughly bad end.” u “I begin to' think that I was happier when I was tramping the wet pave- ; ments looking for work,” Peter told t , him. Then he thought of Alla, and was not so certain. a “I want some sleep,” Gallop said. “They’ve started the engines again. q Something will go wrong. I can feel g it. But don’t wake me up —whatever -j--it is. I want to get some sleep.” His gloomy predictions were not cor- “ rect. Morning found the trawler proceeding on her way under ideal condi- Q tions. The clouds had drifted past, and the sea was like a sheet of glass. There ? was no sign of the destroyer. j Wicks rested for about two hours * and then dune on deck again. t “It seems that we gave her the slip,” h he said to Doyle, after looking all c round the horizon. r, “Perhaps she put on too much speed and burst her boilers,” he suggested, j. “Maybe. I didn’t get too good a look at her. but it struck me that she was r pretty ancient. Might fall to bits at -any time if she came up against bad „ weather. It’s a pity that we couldn’t t identify her. So far as I could tell she was not carrying a flag. You’re certain that she was not the least bit g familiar to you?” f “Absolutely certain. She gave me the impression that she was a destroyer and an old one at that. But her lines were not familiar. I should think somebody has just taken her off the scrap heap.” Doyle chuckled at his jest. t “Very probably. I’ll go on the bridge j. now. You might as well come with g me.” “Very good captain.” Peter did not return to his cabin, but r went along to talk to Alla. He found her looking decidedly distressed. g “What’s wrong?” he demanded quickly. i“I’m very worried. Somebody has g stolen that revolver you left with me. £ I had it last night. I slept very heav- t ily.’ I begin to wonder if . . .” then she shook her head. r “What did you wonder?” Peter press- Q ed. “I had some coffee on the table in j. the galley. Somebody might have been £ able to have dropped something into it. But I don’t know where he could { have got anything from.” “There could well have been some- p thing in the medicine chest. It looks like Wicks. But I doubt it He was t too concerned with looking after the ship. You say the revolver was miss- ; ing this morning?” ' c The girl nodded her head and col- j oured slightly. j “I sleep v/ith it close beside me,” j she explained. “That’s troublesome,” Peter mutter- t ed. “I don’t quite know how we are going to find out who did it. Have you ■ any suspicions? Do you know who was on deck about the time when your ( coffee was here?” s Alla frowned slightly. ( “I’ve been trying to work that out,” , she said slowly. “I feel practically cer- ( tain that- it was not Gordon. Also, I [ agree with you that Wicks was far too busy. It’s one of two people. I 1 feel positive of that.” , • There are only three left: Sinclair and Foster were fastened up in the j hold by that time.” “I meant Gallop and Doyle—but I’m < rather afraid that it’s Doyle. I did j catch him near the galley once before.” CHAPTER XXI. j Peter kept to himself the knowledge I that the revolver had been taken from < Alla, but he seized the earliest opportunity of searching Gallop’s belongings in case it should have been put among 1 them. He was not surprised when he < drew a blank. If Gallop had the re- 1 volver it was either in the engine-room or on his person. Doyle was a more difficult proposi- ■ tion. He remained as close to the captain as possible, and kept away from ! the bridge when Peter was standing his watch. Wicks had his own weapon very much in evidence, especially when Sinclair and Foster were released in order that they might have some exercise. This was' done while Peter was at the wheel. The captain stood on deck with his revolver ready for use, and Crockett hovered near in order to help him. Doyle was there as well. ' grinning imperturbably at the glances ■ of hatred given him by his old com- • panions. ' Foster was very subdued, but Sin--1 clair was in a more dangerous mood. 1 He greeted Wicks with a mocking smile, and gazed about him with an assumed nonchalance. His movements were leisurely, and he seemed perfectly amiable —except when he came face r to face with Doyle. Then the mask slipped with a vengeance, but was

quickly replaced. Doyle shrugged his shoulders and moved away, smiling broadly. “Do I have to be shut up again?” Foster asked the captain. “I won’t cause any more harm if you’ll forget about what took plane yesterday. I! wasn’t my fault. I didn’t understand what took place. Won’t you give me a chance?” Wicks shook his head. “I can’t afford to run risks,” he grated between his teeth. “As soon as we sight land I’m going to put you ashore.” Foster’s eyes darted about quickly. He seemed to be scanning the horizon.

“You wouldn't leave us on an uninhabited island, would you?” he asked, anxiously. “I shall leave you on the first island we come to,” Wicks said curtly, and turned away as though to indicate that he had no further comment to make on the subject. Foster seemed about to follow him. but changed his mind as Crockett stepped forward. He hesitated for a second or so, and then joined Sinclair, who gave him a smile which expressed utter contempt.

“There was no harm in trying it,” the aggrieved Foster said in little more than a whisper.

Sinclair did not reply. He paced up and down the deck until it was time for him to go below again. He went quietly, but Foster tried to struggle, and was handled roughly for his pains. Doyle leaned against the bulwarks and grinned. He seemed to find it all very amusing.

The morning passed without any other incident, and shortly after four bells in the afternoon Peter noticed a long, grey shadow on the horizon. He hailed Crockett, who at once went to inform the captain. Wicks was on the scene almost immediately. He hurried to the bridge and gave an inquiring glance in Peter’s direction. Then he reached for the glasses.

“On the port bow,” Peter informed him.

Wicks raised the glasses and then nodded his head. “Alter the course,” he instructed. “Nows our chance of getting rid of those two pearl fishers.” "What about Doyle?” Peter asked. Wicks turned to him and seemed about to make an impatient comment; then thought better of it. ' “He’s staying aboard for a time,” he said quietly. Peter thought it. wiser to remain silent.

“It will not be long before we make the land,” Wicks said suddenly. “I’ll take the wheel and you can see about having the dinghy launched. Crockett and Doyle will take them ashore.” “Very good,” Peter said quickly.

But before they came within two miles of the land there was a fresh development, which caused considerable trouble. Crockett called out that he had sighted smoke on the starboard beam. Wicks was instantly apprehensive. He ordered full speed from the engine-room and paced up and down the bridge. “You can keep the wheel for the moment,” he said. “This may be the destroyer back again.” Ten minutes later he ordered Peter to alter course. Then he took the glasses and watched the distant smoke. When he turned back his face was grim. . “It seems we’re being chased again,” he said quietly. “I think I’ll take the wheel. We'll change course again—just to make certain.” They came nearer to the land, so that it developed rapidly from a grey shadow to a line of sand with trees in the background. A line of surf gave warning of a reef. Doyle hurried to the bridge and stood beside Captain Wicks. “It’s a yacht that’s after chasing us,” he observed. “I know that,” Wicks said quickly. “I should think she’s pretty fast, too.” The yacht had no sails, and was evidently entirely dependent upon steam. She was overhauling them in fine style, but owing to the way in which Wicks had been altering the ’course was about two points abaft the beam on the starboard side.

Doyle stared at her for a time, and then turned to the captain with a very worried expression on his face. “Would you lend me the glasses a minute?” he asked quietly. Wicks passed them to him. Doyle studied the yacht, and then returned the glasses to the captain. “This is bad,” he announced. “I know that," Wicks told him impatiently. “I don't think we can slip away from her like we did from the destroyer.” Doyle made an impatient gesture. “It isn’t that,” he said. “It seems to me that it won’t help you much if you do get away. Do you know who owns that yacht?"

“No!” “Raul Nunez. You’d better release Sinclair right away!” “Why should I do that?” Wicks snapped. “Haven’t I trouble enough on my hands letting him create more?” Doyle shook his head. “You're getting me wrong. Captain,” he complained. “We’re likely to land ourselves into a whole pack of trouble with Nunez after us. He’s pretty rich, has a Government position, and will use every ounce of his authority. He’s got wind of the gold you're carrying—you can bet your life on that.” Wicks’s eyes narrowed. “What about Sinclair?" he wanted to know. “He and Nunez are sworn enemies. Sinclair’s life isn't going to be worth a broken button if Nunez gets hold of him here.” Wicks considered things for a second or so. Then he nodded his head. “All right.” he decided. “You can release him. I’ll take your word for if that it will be all right.”

lie may be able to get us out of this,” Doyle declared, as he hastened from the bridge. It was typical of Sinclair that he should come up to the captain right away. “You’d prefer to have the wheel, no doubt,” he said quickly. “I’ll stand by and give you the directions. We may be able to fool him. If not well, we can all say ‘farewell.” He’s evidently after that' cargo you're so blamed mysterious about.” Wicks made another quick decision. "It’s gold.” he said. “Not a great deal —but it’s in coin.” Sinclair’s lips tightened. “That would be a tempting bait for Nunez.” he said slowly. “I'm glad you’ve told me that. Captain. It helps. You see. he'll hardly run the risk of sinking the trawler until he’s obtained what he wanted. That makes our chances a trifle better. All the same, I should send everybody below if it can be managed. He might try shooting a 1 the deck. That’s his yacht right enough, and when I last heard of her she had a small gun mounted in the bows. “You see to it,” Wicks said to Peter, who dashed away to warn Alla. He sent her down to his cabin, and advised Foster to go below as well. Crockett remained near the bridge, ready to carry out any orders. ■ Under Sinclair’s direction the trawler made for the reef and passed through a channel which was not marked on the chart. “Will Nunez know of it,” Wicks demanded anxiously. Sinclair shook his head. “I very much doubt it,” he said. “They may risk trying to make the passage, but I doubt if they could ascertain our course. He’ll have to go round the reef, which will give us a better start. Unless you want to put me on this island, we can slip away to another group. I can diddle him properly there.” (To be Continued.)