VAGABOND VOYAGE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 June 1938, Page 12

VAGABOND VOYAGE

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

COPYRIGHT

BY

ALROY WEST

(Author of “Stratosphere Express”)

CHAPTER XXIV, —Continued. “Splendid! You’ve done some good work. We’ll be able to get on fine for the rest of the voyage.” Wicks and Sinclair were put away in the hold. Gallop examined the ropes which fastened them, and made a few slight adjustments. “That will take care of them,” he said. “Now what about Crockett?” Crockett backed away from him. “There’s no need to fasten me up!” he cried. “Besides, if they got loose they’d strangle me for what I’ve done! I’ll work for you! I’ll do just what you tell me. There won’t be any trouble from me, I assure you.” “I’m inclined to give him a chance,” said Peter. ' Gallop shook his head. “Nothing doing,” he grunted. “We’ll have him with the others.” He quickly overpowered the protesting Crockett and placed him in the hold, securely trussed up with ropes. Gallop rubbed his enormous hands together. “Now I’ll get hold of Doyle and put him with the rest,” he announced with a grin. Once their prisoners were in the hold, and the hatch was secured, Gallop turned to Peter. “How many weapons have we?” he demanded. Peter knew that it was useless to attempt to deceive Gallop. “Two,” he said shortly. “I’d better have one,” Gallop told him. “As you please. But they would be far more useful to us. After all, we are the ones who will be attacked if they get free.” He nodded his head in the direction of the hatch. . “They won’t get free,” Gallop announced. Peter did some quick thinking. Without Gallop it was next to impossible for them to reach the land. It would be a very bad start to. show the man that he did not trust him. So, with a smile, he passed his weapon over. “Have it by all means,” he remarked amiably. Gallop chuckled, and handed the revolver back to him. “It wouldn’t be any good to me in the engine-room,” he declared. “I only wanted to know whether you were going to treat me as a partner or not.” “Are you satisfied?” Peter asked, and instantly felt ashamed of himself. Gallop, of course, was after a share of the gold. Peter’s intention was to get to British territory as quickly as possible and turn both trawler and gold over. “I’m satisfied,” Gallop said quickly. “Now I’ll be getting back to the engines.” Peter went on the bridge and explained to Alla what had happened. She listened in silence. “What do you think of things?” he asked her when he had told her everything. “I see your point so far as Gallop is concerned. But he makes me uneasy. He must know that you would turn the gold over to the authorities at the earliest opportunity. I am afraid that he has some plan made out.” “I’ve thought of that,” Peter admitted. “But you can’t get away from the fact that we are armed and he is not.” “There are other ways of winning without fighting,” said Alla wisely. “We’ll have to watch him carefully. That’s all we can do at the moment.” “Exactly,” Alla agreed.. “You might as well get some rest for a little time. I can carry on quite easily, because I have had an exceedingly easy time.” “Very well,” Peter said. “It will not be long before I relieve you, however.” As he went to the cabin, he realized that Gallop was increasing the speed. He wondered how the man would stand the strain of being in the engineroom all the time.

Morning found Peter on the bridge while the girl rested. He had studied a chart and made up his mind to try to make one of the Windward Islands. He altered course accordingly and made up his mind to say nothing about the destination to Gallop. The sky was overcast and it was not long before there was every indication of a storm coming. Alla relieved him at the wheel in order that he could examine the dinghy and make sure that she had the necessary provisions in case she had to be used in an emergency. Then he went to the en-gine-room and spoke to Gallop, who was heavy through loss of sleep. “I’ll get some more food down here for you,” Peter told him. “That’s all right,” said Gallop. “Ive been looked after so far as that is concerned. What course are you setting? That’s what’s troubling me. It’s not going to be so easy if we run into bad weather.” “I’m trying to make the mainland as quickly as possible,” Peter informed him, feeling ashamed of himself for this deception. “That’s good,” Gallop approved. “I think I might leave the engines for a while, so that we can give some food to our prisoners.” “I think they’ll have to wait,” Peter told him. “I want to get back on the bridge as quickly as possible. It seems to me that we are likely to have some dirty weather pretty soon. That’s why I want to be sure of getting some speed if it’s really needed.” Gallop nodded his head. “You can have it,” he declared. “Splendid," Peter approved, crossing to the companion-ladder. He hurried back on the bridge and exchanged glances with Alla, who was looking decidedly worried. “I think we must run for the nearest shelter,” se said quietly. “If we alter course we should get to some islands by noon.” “Very well. We’re too short-handed to be able to do anything in the event of there being an accident. It’s safety

first all the time.” They sighted a grey speck on the horizon shortly after seven bells, and by noon were near enough to be able to distinguish the palm trees which lined the beach. “If we can get on the lee side of the land we shall have some protection,” Peter muttered, altering course once more. They rounded the island, and Peter signalled for speed to be reduced to half. After examining the chart carefully, he proceeded to work nearer to the land, reducing speed still further. Although the sky was overcast and the wind was rapidly increasing in force the sea on this side of the island was comparatively placid. The long waves rolled gently up the beach and everything seemed perfectly peaceful. “We should have used the lead, instead of trusting to the chart,” Peter said suddenly. “Would you mind attending to it.” Just, as the girl reached the deck there was a sudden lurch, accompanied by a sickening, crunching sound. The trawler heeled over considerably. “We’re on a sandbank!” Peter gasped in dismay. CHAPTER XXV After a futile attempt to refloat the trawler by reversing the engines, Peter signalled for them to be stopped. Within a few seconds Gallop was on the deck. Peter left the bridge to speak to him. Already the trawler was listing badly. From the hold came Idud cries for assistance from the prisoners. “Probably making ' some water,” Gallop said quickly. “I think we might as well get them out.” They did this while Alla hurried along to the dinghy to put more supplies in her. Captain Wicks was furious when he was brought from the hold and dumped on the deck. “You’ve thrown my ship away!” he shouted. “It was sheer incompetence on your part, Drew. I’ll teach you a lesson when I’m free. Release me at once! There may be a chance of saving her! Come on! Don’t stand there gaping! Release me!” Peter moved over to him. “The sandbank is not marked on the chart,” he explained. “It is not possible to get her off at the moment. We can try when the tide is at its highest.” Wicks glared at him. “I could kill you for this—you mutineer!” he snapped. < Peter shrugged his shoulders and moved away. “No good getting hotted up, skipper,” Sinclair said calmly. “You can reserve that for later on. I should think that the ship is practically doomed, judging by the way she’s listing.” I a Wicks went pale with anger. “I could get her off yet!” he snapped. Then he evidently realized the futility of shouting at Peter, and lapsed into a sullen silence. “We might as well launch the dinghy now,” Peter said to Gallop. “If we leave it much longer it will be rather difficult.” “Yes. We’ll see to it right away.” When the small boat was launched, Alla being in it, Gallop turned to Peter. “We’d better get the gold as well,” he said “If we take it on shore we can bury it somewhere, before returning for these others. It will be quite safe. She won’t sink for a time yet.” Peter considered this and then nodded in agreement. “That would be a sound plan.” he approved. They managed to get to the captain’s cabin and to obtain the two boxes. They carried these near to the dinghy and lowered them to Alla. Wicks saw what they were doing and struggled fiercely with the ropes which secured him. At last, however, completely exhausted, he lay back and closed his eyes.

“It’s no good upsetting yourself, skipper,” Sinclair said soothingly. Crockett looked badly frightened. He was wondering what would happen to himself if Wicks managed to get free. He felt certain that he would be blamed for not putting up more of a fight. And Captain Wicks was in an ugly temper. Peter went across to the prisoners. “We are taking some supplies ashore,” he said curtly. “We shall come back for you. There is no immediate danger of the ship sinking.” Doyle smiled at him. “We have every confidence in you,” he- remarked with his broadest grin. “We know you would not be after letting us 'drown.” “Of course I wouldn’t,” Peter said, as he hurried away. They made the trip to the beach in very good time, and Gallop jumped over the prow in order to pull the dinghy ashore. All three of them set to work to unload some of the supplies as well as the gold. They stacked these up and then hurried towards the trees after Gallop, who tried to carry both boxes, but was glad when Peter took one from him.

“These things are a weight!” he gasped. They found a suitable place and buried the boxes, smoothing the sand over them so that it would be harded to discover. Then they returned to the beach. Gallop looked towards the trawler and scratched his neck. “Do we have to land them?” he asked. “It seems to me that we are going to give ourselves a deal of trouble. Why not leave them as long as we can?” Peter shook his head.

“We can’t leave them iu suspense like that," he said in a decided tone. “I know they are all rascals—but we must treat them as well as possible.” Gallop seemed about to argue and then changed his mind. “Suit yourself,” he said suddenly. “But there’s no need for us all to go

back. I think we've landed as much stuff as we shall need. I'll go back for them.” “Can you manage the boat by yourself?" Peter asked. “Of course I can. You might be setting to work moving the supplies farther away. When the tide comes in it will swamp them. You might just as well have the keg of water from the boat.” Peter took this, and set to dork to move the supplies to a safer spot. Glancing towards the trawler he realized that Gallop was on deck and bending over one of the men in order to free his legs. (To be Continued.) 1