The Augusta herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1914-current, May 24, 1914, Image 14

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LUCILLE LOVE. The Girl of Muslere 'Ey the “MA.STETR. TEW” Copyright, 1914. All moving picture right « reserved by the Univereal Film Manufacturing Company, who are now exhibiting this production in leading theaters. Infringements will be vigorously prosq c uted. S YNOPSIS OF THE FOREGOING CHAPTERS. While students together at West Point, and in love with the same girl, Sumpter Love proves Hugo Loubeque a thief, and Loubeque is dishorn orably discharged. Love wins the girt. The en mity thus begun finds outlet in later years at Manila, when a butler thief in the employ of Loubeque, now ah international spy, steals valu able papers from the Government safe of Gen eral Love. Loubeque sails with them on the steamship Empress and General Love accuses Lieut. Gibson, his aide and the sweetheart of his daughter Lucille, of the crime. Loubeque sends a wireless message clevqrly insinuating that Gen eral Love had sold tlte papers to a foreign power. To save the honor of the man she loved and to erase the stigma from her father's name, Lucille prevails upon Harley, c Government aviator, to ’.ahe her out to the ship, in his aeroplane. To foil Lucille, Loubeque destroys the wireless apparatus pn the Empress and is hurt in the resulting ex plosion. In her search for the papers, Lucille be comes his nurse, anc when the. ship tahes fire, se cures them. The vessel is burned to the water s edge and Lucille drifts to a strange island on the par of a crushed lifeboat. Lucille is rescued by friendly savages. She is given an amulet for turing the Chief's daughter, and it proved potent tgainst the machination of Hugo Loubeque, who likewise cast on the is.Ond, plans to get the papers. He burns Lucil'e's hut, but she escapes vith the precious papers. He sends a decoy mes lage asking her to come t\s the home of a neigh boring chief, whose wife is ill and in need of tursing. On the way there she falls into a covered \it, dug by Loubeque acme her path. Her guide, ;n old crone, tahes the papers from Lucille, and ,ives them to Loubeque, who goes with them to •ie jungle. His guide ana servant steals them, >ut is hilled by a lion, a,.d Lucille, who had ailed them three days, recovers them from the tody. Lucille meets a strange cave dwelling peo ple, is attacked by monkeys, escapes in a canoe, i nd is cairied into an undergr \nd “vhirlpool. CHAPTER XX. The Uvitcrtous Other Passn.gcf, - AKTF.It, faster, In ever shortening fx -r** circles the creamy foam of savage < Vjlhl T waters drew the frail catamaran ifaln I 'ho ugly. block rock that ■ 8 row front oat it* center, leering l (■I f upon the helplessneau of the Hcll cate morsel being hrought him. 11l And Lui#*le, the useless, lrroken 111 paddle in her hands, fought des \fflalf perately against her fate, though knowing the bit. of wood could do milling in calm water much less against this rtthing whirlpool. Instead of dulling her brain, the very use rssness of her efforts quickened every faculty, anted up her natural instinct, for life. Quito il r *.|l\ a l ten culm visited her, a calm that ■e.-fr<| upon her spirit like a soothing halm, pucting and ending ,*Wiout being soporific. She ; sled from h*»- efforts, drawing the paddle 01, mile from tin water with an effort, ller eyes were alert, burning in their intensity as she Umled before her, staring at the rock that teemed so inevitably for her gravestone without J;c slightest is'rturbation. Homal and round in the circles of waters o' frail craft sped. The now of the catamaran ] irncd the grasping whirlpool aside, seeming to leap joyously at this opportunity for a mag nificent annihilation against, the rock Instead of I i lag slowly rent to bits by the water it had 111 tv ays conquered. For a brief fraction of u sec ond tlie circular progress was halted, the canoe being held steady, quivering as another force seized it and tried to fight, against the whirl pool. Lucille held her breath, measuring the length of time a new hope arrived In hours in stnid of the. seconds It really «m Then the craft shot out of the current and continued upon its wild chase toward tlte nek. It. was now n matter of but two revolution* at best liefore the end. Lucille saw this with eves that flinched not, yet that refused to hold any dread. Half way round the circle some in stinct from within caused her to lift the jrnddle end, thrusting it out even as she closed her eyes tgainst the contact with the rock that seemed Inevitable. The stout wood splintered in her luitids as it crushed against the monster rock, tearing it from lier grasp with such force that tn involuntary cry issuod aiiuultaneously from her lips. She crouched back a-shudder, her eyes closed against teeing the end, her lift« opening and clos ing without the blessed relief of word*. Once more the current that hod withheld the craft reached out and fought against the whirlpool. Lucille knew It was useless but even this brief respite seemed worth while. Something sloshed against her cheek and her hands Instinctively reached up, clutching, grasping, dinging to the thick tangle of creejs-rs let down from the en circling jungle. The canoe whirled out from under her while She clung there, the savage water leaping, snap ping at fier feet Came a crunching to her ears, v sound tost made her hold tighter upon the She looked up, reaching at a higher jiolnt Hi tike vine-tangle, u place where the auction of 4he wafer might be avoided. "r-qiervion loaned her strength. Times it gsenied she eould not draw herself another inch, o*.t one took at the white whirlpool beneath gave fresh energy to her arms. Uesaun came to her aid as she saw mcr progrem waa taking her to ward laud as well as in the air For ju«t a (sec ond she rested, then bravely reached out and clambered along the thick vine until ahe now the earth I>ene«kh. then dropp'd and lay (muting upon the ground, shaking with a nervous chill as the reaction seized her. loud voices wakened her from the state of (self pitV which followed tbe civil 1. Klie looked up swiftly, now that, tine dense fastnesses encir cling her were roullv ]*regnable, fearing a new enemy A moment liefore she in her loneliness and misery would have sacrificed almost any* tiling for the night of a human Iveitig. Now that ■lie knew men. and men who spoke lier own gnr, were within hearing distance she shrank back, afraid. Fate hod been an kind to tier and man so unkind that she realized her chief danger tint* nltaneously with the recollection of what she had to guard. She clutched si the little sack, thrilling lit the rustle of the papers she had fought so hard to gain, at thought of what they meant to her sweetheart In Manila. The diary told her that Hugo lembeque hod thousands of men working to do hia will, Bhe must be very wary of whom she trusted. Better the jungle than I xpubaq'-ir airttin. The thrill protattinjr creek of oar locks drove away her soar, supplant insr it with one of wild alarm. The meu were poinj? away, were leaving her alone here. She had ohoaen thU junflf where ahe knew Hup" Louheque to be in preference to a fairly certain chance of eeoajm. Of the million* of inhabitant* of the globe why •Imsw atM . .. . that imdnew ha/1 induced her to hang 1 back be fore tbits opportunity which waa slipping with every faint creaking sound that reached her ears. Bhe filing herself wildly through the tangle of thick vegetation that barred her way from the sound, crying aloud at the. top of her voice for anaistance even though she knew no sound could carry to tin* men. She found herself stand ing upon a pebbly little- beach that snatched a serene crescent of water from the ocean. Strain ing her eyes she could. dimly see a large rrrw boat at the tip of the crescent, its objective point being obviously a beautifully slender yacht anchored well out to sea. bneille waved her arm* in the air wildly, running up and down the beach in desperation as ahe saw her opportunity for escape from the terrible jungle receding. Her throat was racked from the dry sob* which <-scaped her, sobs of rage and chagrin at her own cowardice and folly. The papen- were in her the papers for which she fought ho hard and which were so useless here. And, at the first opportunity to get away, get where they might do some good, her courage had failed her. Suddenly she stopped dead in her trades, her fist* tightly clenched as the pressed them aitaliiHt, her breast, frightened for fear what she had. seen might turn out nothing more than an optical. illusion. Then, with a gasp of delight she made out that thu boat luid stopp'd, that the man standing in the Ik»w was no chimera of her brain, and that it was Istiig turned- arul wo* coming toward her. Was coming toward her. Over and over again she recreated it. She horl been even at the last moment and was going to bo taken away. Hire lifter! her eyes in an un ftpoken prayer, a prayer that included a promise never again tsi allow liardship tr> no weaken and blind her as It iuul done this time. And the prayer wnt not even finished before the lioat /rounded lightly at, her feet and she found her self Hjmaking to a heavy-featured, youngish man who waa evidently in command of the yacht,. There was something sinister about the man, something sho could not define and which she set down to lev a freakish feminine mood, that mads lu-r distrust him even while sh(- told her story. Shi- noticed that lie wris paying but slight ntteri- I ion to her words but that, his eyes were fastr enerl upon her face in such bold admiration that she instinctively drew away from him. Suddenly he turned to his men, roughly or-- den them lo prtqsire for the row out, then unstated Lucille P> a sent. alongside himself. 'Try though she would she could not feel the joy that seemed natural as the boat slipped through the water, propelled by the sturdy oarsmen. She studied them keeniy. Hough, jwiwerful men they were, but she was woman enough to know them ' to bo the sort easily handled by a beautiful woman, the weaker the easier. Something told her before she was done with the captain of the yacht there won Id citnt the necessity for ap pealing to them. And she saw that this man was heartily disliked, that his arrogant, manner, his gruff commands were not pleasant to hi* crew. Khe noticed also that two of the Oarsmen hod face that showed signs of recent battering. Tbs Intuition that had served her so well before told lier Captain Wetherell, for such was the name he used In Introducing himself, hod been a party to this. It waa the sixth day out that, for the first time, (the «nw the man upon the deck in day time. Captain \Y ether ell was scanning the sky, his brow clouded ojid his heavy jaw thrust for ward like un angry bull-dog Lucille was stand ing beside the old bontmvt!*!, questioning him and whiling away the long sultry dny by listen ing to the stories he loved to tell her. She waa suddenly aware of the keen, lowering scrutiny of her host and, ns wins her custom, Immediately started toward lier eahin. She heard a swift atop across the deck and hurried the faster, only pausing to look tuck wiiej* she reached her door. A little cry of pity and rage came from her lips when, with on ugly oath, VVetherell lifted Ids great fist and floored the old seaman, grin ning maliciously down at the man, then, with a shrug of the shoulders starting to turn away. Every womanly impulse nose up within her- at the outrageous, uncalled-for attack. Forgetful of lier own precarious position, forgetful of every thing save the pain of the old man upon the deck, she started to his assistance, when the door of the Chinaman’s state-room slapped open and the occupant strode across the deck toward Weth enell. And then Lucille halted stone-still, her eyee widening with amazement and terror. Bhe could not analyze her sensation, did not attempt to do ■o, but there was something a I.nit the move ments of tlie man, a commanding mastery, a control of self-evident rage us he srpoke with IVet.hrreU In low tones of suppressed passion that struck a chill to her heart. The captain eyed the man angrily for a mo ment, then turned and slipped away, his very back dropping like that of a whipped cur. Lucille i urned to enter her cabin but something caused the door to stick open a scant Inch or so. Bhe felt an inclination to scream for aid blit amaze ment at recognition of the man who stepped Into tlie eahin behind her, softly closing the door, held her dumb. For, under the yellow coloring, the made-up slanting eyre, the Mon ogollau mask he had mo cunningly assumed, fear loaning clarity to her vision, she recognised Hugo Loubeque and Instinctively both hands clos|>ed at the little bag alvout her neck which lveld the precious papers. The spy smiled at the impulsive gesture. “You nave guessed the reason for this In trusion. Miss love,” he murmured gravely, his rich voice holding a note of deference and apol ogy whioh she recalled as so much a part of him, which waa continually checking her hatred for the man. “1 am sorry but you surely must see by now that there la no escape from me; you must understand that this pursuit Is most un pleasant but that you have no chance to thwart me. The )m(iers, If you please. 9 The terror-widened eyes of the girl nar rowed slowly as her gone traveled from the in domitable face to the outstretched hand. No chance, he said! Hut. there was a chance, always had beenta chance; always would be, so long as sho retained the courage to fight him! The game "ns In her hands, had been equal up to now. Her li|« port,'d in a smile as alia moved toward the door and held It open for him to leave. He frowned im|Mtiently, shaking hia head as though at the stubbornness of a child. “Mist Lucille,” he continued, his tones sharp er, “you must- njipreciate my forbearance toward yoai so far. It canuot continue forever. Un doubtedly you know my power. Hoes it not startle you to And me iu a position of authority upon this yacht. It Is always so, Everrwhere I find my assistants. Forty years of my" life has been spent In ordering events so that such ob stacles as you have encountered would be at my command. Till now, 1 have refrained frean se curing the documents you hold by violence. You know the reason for my forbearance. But, un derstand now, that it ran continue no longer. The iSi|HTK. if you please." * She quaUvtl befvic tlij HgU'.jiiug that parted s from his sombre eyes. Common sense, the in stinct for self-preservation, everything urged her to obey. Yet when her hands sought her bosom the feel of the precious little bag renewed her courage, gave lier strength to meet his eyes with a courage greater even than his own assurance. Her eyes held to his with an effect of fright ened fascination. It was the change in his tone, tin- difference iri his wording of the demand that told Hugo Loubeque’s patience had been finally frayed to the breaking point, that craft and diplomacy would be things of the past did she not relinquish the papers to him now. Yet Duty, Love—twin shadows, wraith-like, yet of iron strength held her back from obedienee. The spy recognized the. spirit in the girl and stepped to ward the port-hole, motioning with his hand to ward the dancing waves without, his voice low pitched yet surcharged with ominousness. “Think, Miss Love, think of our positions. Match my strength, brut* strength, against, your own; measure the strength of any one of the thousands who implicitly obey me. Those waters tell no tales, give up no ghastly secret*. See how thle waves reach up toward us; think how the liody of each wave is but a mouth, large enough and Hjieedy enough to gulp any object thrown toward it. Think of that. Miss Love, I beg of you, then give me the little bag you wear about your neck. His voice was full of pleading yet his eyes held* a death message which made her shudder as she realized the sincerity of his threat. “You seek to save the ones dear to yon, child, from the one I hate. You think me wicked, cruel, relentless, and I am all of these things. You fight me on the impulse of love and I fight hack with the poison of a hate that is my '-erv life, my heart and soul and my body. Forty yearn ago I might have done as yon do now, but all the imimises of that time aro dead, killed by your father; all the love I ever had, the only love, has been deadj for forty years, killed by your father; all the ambition of that time of TOiith, the haiipinem of hope, the pride of father land, is dead, has been dead for forty years, killed by your father, General Sumpter Love. And you- von think that I would stop at. vio lence to prevent your thwarting me; yon think 1 would trade those forty years of hate for the faint splash of a girl's body on the waters of this gTeat waste. TYue, the sound would din in my ears of nights but the forty years have been filled with just such sounds; true, there would be regret for one who recalls memories I thought quite dead —but the forty years have supplanted those memories with aetlv* dreams of hat* —hate—hate." The while his tones grew lower, they carried a vibrant thrill that struck at her very heart. His face was flinty, ns, with passionate pleading she lifted her eyes to hia Instinctively she re coiled os a shadow fell lietiveen them. loubeque frowned as Captain Wetherell joined them, his eyes flashing a questioning glance at the pallid face of the girl. Lucille watched the two men breathlessly, realizing a* she looked at them, that they hated each other, realizing also that she was the ranee of this hatred. Like a battle of dogs It w-ns, the two, silent, motionless men. Then the spy limved gravely' and stepped on the deck, followed closely by the eaptnin of ths yacht. Cold the waves were to the eye where, be fore, they had been warm and Inviting; heart less the splash against the yacht’s frail side* where before it had soothed her weary brain to (dumber and to pleasant dreams. And after nil, wn» she not foolish In attempting to coinbat this giant of a man? Was she not absolutely in his (lower? How- had he come aboard the boat, dared apeak to Captain Wetherell as he had, were he not speaking the truth regarding his position here? Her question was partially answered by the whispers of the men growing louder and louder until she could distinguish the angry voice of Wetherell. lifted now in surly rebellion. Lucille shrank back against the wall visualizing from the man’s tone* the expression on bis face. A greater horror than the waves came leaping to her mind. Hugo Loubeque wn* her protection from this brute. She knew it was true. And the man’s voice showed now that be was out from control, that be was in rebellion against the Iron hand of the spy. There flashed across her mental vision every lineament of the man a* he struck down the old bosun, and. as though the picture subconscious! v developed there called up the actual Individual Captain MVetherell steppeo Inside her cabin, with out the formality of knocking, closing the door cautiously behind him. hts every movement fur tive hia face wearing a sheepishly leering ex preasion aa he stood there, regarding the gM who faced him, her eve* dilated with a horror she tried vainly to conceal and cover under th# fuiee ~f Indignation at the intrusion. “""hat—what do you want?” __ tk f pasted her lip* she realized she had made a mistake, that her tones showed fright. She tried to correct the error by drawing herself haughtily erect but knew the man had recognized her mind. The captain laughed aloud, eyeing her keenly the while. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said softly. “I have settled with Mr. Loubeque. You need have no further fear of him, my dear.” Fear! Lucille felt a great yearning for the spy, a need of his protection even a* a moment before she ha/1 thought it impossible to be in auch mortal terror of anyone as she had been of Hugo Loubeque and his crafty manner. “No fear; I don’t understand!” Her voice quavered. “I mean he understands who is master of this boat now. ne attempts to give me orders, to bribe me to force you to give up some papers, to threaten me —” Wetherell broke off with a laugh, ’ing a bit closer to her even as she retreat 9 "'fore him. “As though anyone could force me to harm you,” he 'cered. “What do you waus#** as she spoke a thrill of conscious triumph surcharged her as she realized the tremble had left her voice and with its departure had come again that strange feeling of self-assurance. Wetherell halted uncertainly, held back by her change. Then Tim helplessness of the small tense figure crouching in the shadows, her eyes dark pools of defiance set in a face of pallid determination gave him courage and again he moved closer. His voice was hoarse now, his great hands clasping and unclasping. “Want?” he repeated, then with a short, barking laugh, “I want the papers and I want you.” ‘t» #**i’t understand —” though her voice was steady, her expression showed his meaning to be clearer to her than anything else in the world. He leaped forward, clasping her about the waist with his great arms, the right hand mov ing toward her mouth, closing over the delicate lips and smothering her cry of wild alarm. “Want you," he cried. “I w’ant you and I want the jiaprrs. Loubeque knows it, but lie’s out of the way now. Give me the papers and I will keep them away from him. Give me the papers ” He sprang back with a low-toned oath of surprised incredulity even as her brittle laugh echoed through the cabin. Slowly, a step at a time, inch by inch, Lucille forced the man to ward the door. In smothering her screams he had freed her right arm and her tiny fist, fight ing against his. beating at. his body had encoun tered his revolver which she deftly abstracted and had pressed against his chest. “The papers are quite safe where they are,” she murmured sweetly, the glint in her eyes belling the tones. “Come, captain, don’t try to take this gun awav from me. That would be foolish. Hemember t am accustomed to firearms and that you have placed me in a position where I should not hesitate to use a bullet. Come, cap tain, Jets see hoiv the men you have bullied like the sight of you now.” Wetherell opened hts lips to curse but there was an expression of icy determination on the girl’s face, iu the tense lines of her figure, in the tremorle*s feel of the gun against him that made him do her bidding. He told himself that it was all a joke, a preposterous thing, but the feel of the weapon continually brought, him back to the stern reality of the predicament his carelessness had brought him into. Only w-hen he felt the cabin threshold lieneath his feet and knew an other step would bring him in sight of the crew did lie halt, the maxillary muscles swelling defi antly. Lucille laughed again, the same mirthless, brittle laugh, emphasizing It with a sharp nudge of the gun sight. It was a scant fifteen reconds the man and girl stood there, their eyes challenging. But the eyes of Lucille were steady, determined; those of the captain were truculent, defiant. Then Weth erell flinched and dropped his murderous expres sion. Quickly he looked up once more and for an instant Lucille feared she had gone too far. Then, with a surly shrug. Captain Wetherell marched across the threshold and upon the deck, liefore his men. while Lucille felt the joy of such a triumph a* she had never known before. Her plans were formulated for the next move, had been prepared from the instant she drew the man’s own gun upon him. Risky it was and with slight chance for success, but—there was a chance. It iva» sufficient. Wetherell sullenly moved before her. CHAPTF.R XVIII. Triumph Precedes Catastrophe. \{pi FN" one look* upon the unbelievable It takes some time for the brain to become accus tomed to a picture presented to the vision. As the sailors looked up ami saw Captain Wetherell sullenly marching under impetus of the revolver is Lucille's baudr th”.' •tn< i K ) <t:sed And stared, open mouthed, unable to believe the evidence of their own eyes. Gradually it dawned upon them that the tyrant, the brutalizer, the man they all hated and feared had been subjugated, cowed by this slip of a girl. Whispers grew louder, louder and she caught the approval in the eyes that constantly drew closer to her own until she waa surrounded by a cordon of sailors. A thrill of conscious triumph set her all as tTemhle but she fought down the inclination to be overmastering in her victory. Only through winning the crew to her side could she maintain her position. Backing aw-ay but still holding the revolver level upon the captain she cast an ap pealing glance about upon the men. Her voice trembled with excitement, with the wear and tear upon her nerves, with the struggle from which she had just emerged. I rier.ds, she whispered, then, surprised at finding how low her voice was; swallowed the lump in her throat and continued bravely. Friends, I am just a weak girl and I need your help. I have two enemies upon this ship. One of them I was more afraid of than anything or anybody in the, world until a short half hour ago. He will do anything to steal from me some pap ers I have rescued from him after he stole them from my father. My sweetheart, the man to whom I am engaged, was accused of the theft and arrested. And I have fought so hard to keep them!” Her voice broke a trifle but she straight ened bravely, tears still glistening on her lashes. I m so tired—so tired of fighting.” The murmur of sympathy from the men died down liefore a still more menacing silence, a sil ence that l>ent itself upon the sullen captain and fastened him threateningly. Lucille felt the change and immediately started to take full ad vantage of it when, from one on the outskirts rose a shout. All eyes were turned in the direc tion of his pointing finger and from out two great smoke spirals that seemed to come from the other • side of the ocean, rose slowly, ma jestically, the thin outlines of a huge boat. Lucille raised her voice and those nearest im mediately turned toward her once more, their attention seeming to unconsciously draw that of the men on the outskirts from the big vessel. But the girl, scenting disaster from that sight, read it on the sneering face of her victim. “But I am more afraid of your captain, men,” she cried, her voice thrillingly vibrant. “He came to me in my cabin and demanded the papers. He threatened me, seized me in his arms and tried to make love to me. He did this to a weak girl, men. He would treat me as he has treated you. I have seen the way he treats you, have seen him knock you down and.kick you and curse you for doing exactly what he ordered, l have seen him do these things and I know that you will be justified in mutinying. I ask you all to protect me and yourselves from this man’s brutality. You see what a coward he is. You see how he does not dare ” Her voice was drowned in the chorus of shouts that rose at the welcome announcement. Wetherell’s shoulders sloped still more while his eyes darted from face to face, triumphant, cun ning, ferocious. His body tensed as though for a spring. On every side of him were lowering faces, the faces of men he had battered and bruised to suit his hellish humor. The shout died away into that ominous mob-murmur which pre cedes violence, when a faint booming sound reached out to them across the waters, distract ing their attention. Something dark and round described a parabola from the speck of a ship and leaped through the air toward them. Came a splash of water not one hundred yards away, a splash followed by a cry of alarm. “They’re firing on ns.” Wetherell, heedless of the pointing revolver in the hands of the girl, sprang Forward, facing the puzzled, frightened men. “Mutiny!” his great voice rose in derision. “Mutiny, now when you hear a girl lying to yout Mutiny now against the only man who knows where we are, what we are doing! Mutiny now when wfe have a cargo of arms and ammunition in the hold for the Chinese rebels and a govern ment warship is pursuing us! Mutiny now and put the man and woman in command who hired me to carry this cargo!” “It’s a lie!” Lucille’s voice was shrill now. Again Wetherell’s laugh arose and the pua zled faces of the men were turned toward one another indecisively. “Lie, is it? Very well. Where did I pick you and Loubeque up? On the same bit of land, as the men know. If he is your enemy, how did you two happen to be at the place where I picked up the cargo? Tell the men that. Tell the man what is in the hold. Tell them that the punishment for mutiny is death. Tell them what the Chinese government does to a sailor on a boat carrying arms and ammunition which can not be accounted for.” Once more he laughed aloud, as he turned upon his heel, flinging back over his shoulder. “Very well, mutiny! My brave men, do your damndest and mutiny! Let thia girl get you out of the noose you are run ning your heads into but don’t bother me any more ” Again the fatal booming sound from the warships whose outlines were growing more and more distinct each moment. Again, that splash, followed quickly by a ripping hiss of air as a great cannon Imll sped across their bows. The proximity of their danger threw the men into a panic. All thoughts of injustice, of chivalry dis appeared instantly liefore tlie omnipresence of the menace that threatened their lives. They rushed upon Wetherell in a body, pleading, fair ly on their knees, for him to take command and avert the disaster that was upon them. Of them all, he alone knew the position of the yacht, the fine point* of navigation, the crooks and turns of the ocean in this vicinity. And they recognized only too well now that they were between the Devil and the deep, blue sea. Mutiny—capture by the pursuing warship. Both meant death. Wetherell appeared to be considering, to hesitate about resuming command. Suddenly he straightened as another cannon ball hurled across the path of the yacht. His voice rose, stentorian, as he whirled, pointing a finger toward the girl. “Take that passenger’s revolver from her. Bring the Chinese passenger on deck. They must not- be found aboard if we are captured. Lower a life boat from the davits and set them adrift with prolusions for three days and a cask of water." c He clasped Ills hands smartly together tm emphasize the urgency for haste. Lucille felt arms about her, the pistol whirling from her grasp and rieochetting toward Captain Wetherell who, with a malicious smile, picked it up and thrust it in his pocket. She did not protest—there seemed no use for protest, for anything. In a haze she found her self in the tiny boat that was being lowered. A« through a thicker haze she glimpsed the face of Hugo Loubeque, facing her. The creaking of the davits ceased and the tiny craft bobbed about on the bosom of the waters. She did not move. It seemed a dream, a nightmare. A great hole ap peared suddenly in the wave not ten feet from them and the spray splashed against her cheeks. Hugo Loubeque silently, grimly, seized an oar, motioning her toward the second. “We must get out of the firing zone,” he said quietly, reassuringly, almost gently. Singularly enough, as she tugged at the great oar, thg tie most felt kindly toward the spy. (Continued Next r