Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine — page 82: what you’re looking at

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424 ARGOSY AND RAILROAD MAN’S MAGAZINE. Dorothy had turned a trifle pale; she leaned slightly toward Mankus, her lips parted, her eyes containing a look of dread, not pleasant to see. “What did you learn, Mr. Mankus?” demanded Falkens suddenly. “Tm almost ascairt to tell ye,” he said solemnly, impressively. ‘“ If it was to come to a show-down whether Id lift-a hand to save Letcher, I’d vote no. He’s out there on the rocks a starvin’ to death. Is that righteous? Yea! says I. It’s a judgment on him. It’s the finger 0’ Gawd. My soul ’d go to hell if I was to lift-a finger to save him, or let any one lift a hand to save him while I’m boss of this here ship. Letcher’s got to die. For it was him that croaked the skipper, jest like I said at.the start—that’s the answer to that question—an’ I got the papers to prove it!” CHAPTER VIII. DOROTHY’S CONFESSION, ] HAD never seen Falkens so deeply affect- ed as he was by Mankus’s accusation of Letcher. The sudden fire in his eyes and the animation of his face showed that he meditated an immediate reply; but evi- dently he thought better of it, for he hesi- tated, toyed a moment with a teaspoon, then pushed his plate slowly from him. Dorothy had risen from her chair, face white and set, hands clenched at her sides, lips slightly parted with an expression which showed she was nerving herself to some resolution. Just as she was about to speak, Falkens, who had now mastered himself, cleared his throat and exclaimed abruptly: “That makes no difference, Mr. Mankus. There’s something much bigger in the lives of us all than the murder of Captain Jessup. There’s no sense quibbling about it, no use blinking the facts; we’re in a desperate plight here—prisoners, as you say, aboard this helpless hulk; provisions gradually dwindling. It seems to me we've got a man-sized problem to wrestle with. The more heads and hands we have to. work on it the better.” Mankus idly poked a thumb-nail into the empty loops of his cartridge belt anu picked at the metal stud of the revolver holster. Belt and gun, with its three car- tridges, really belonged to Falkens; but Mankus made no effort to return it, and I somehow gained an impression from his proprietary manner that he did not mean to do so. No doubt he considered that in his capacity of captain of the Irene he had justly requisitioned the gun for any emer- gency that might arise. “Humph!” he grunted. ‘‘ Letcher Il only eat his head off at the grub, an’ it’s precious little help we’d git from him. All he kin think of is bugs an’ spiders an’ wim- min. First thing he’d do if he was to git back aboard he’d croak me or you, or the doc jist like he croaked the skipper. I won’t help sitch a scoundrel, nor I won’t leave him come aboard. I ‘guess ye got better sense than to try it.” Falkens turned on him like a flash. “Do you think J fear you, Mr. Man- kus?” he demanded, and for a moment his eyes blazed with fire, which betrayed his estimate of the mate’s conduct.and charac- ter. But again he controlled himself. “No!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. “I beg your pardon. No use bringing it to an issue on those grounds when I can meet you on your own.” “T thought not,” rejoined Mankus, grin- ning at what he considered an easy victory. “T knowed ye was level headed enough to square with my views if I give ye time.” ‘fYou’ve just accused Mr. Letcher of murdering Captain Jessup,” continued Fal- kens evenly. ‘We ignored your words. But now they cease to be a jest. I advise you to weigh them very carefully before you repeat that accusation.” “Tl repeat it agin. I'll repeat it to you or any one. It was Letcher that croaked the skipper.” “Then—prove it.” [<9 Hey?” “Prove it.” “Prove it? Of course I kin prove it. Jedge fer yourself. There lays the skipper’s cabin right starb’d side for’ard, and there ain’t nine paces between it an’ Letcher’s door on t’other side—nex’ to Miss Dor’thy’s father’s stateroom. When Letcher come "eomicbooks.com a