Tip Top Library: Frank Merriwell in the South Seas — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FRANK MERRIWELL IN THE SOUTH SEAS. hastily and silently made his way aft, 15 He heard a sound of scuffing forward hugging the deck house as he went, in}mingled with hoarse cries and oaths. order that his coming might not be per- ceived by anybody. To be sure, there was nobody in sight, ‘There was a clash of metal as if swords were being struck against each other. Above all was the loud voice of Cap- but who might be concealed in any door-| ‘tain Dunbar giving commands. It was densely dark on the deck itself... way or in the deep shadow of the rail? Fie came to the open door from which the iron -stairway led almost straight down to the engine room. In a brief pause he could hear only .the pulsing of the machinery. ‘* That sneaking fellow must have come out of the door,’’ he said to himself; ‘‘it couldn’t have been either Davidson or the chief. Who wasit? A sailor on de- cent business? I don’t believe it.” Frank stepped within the doorway. He was then, as he knew he would be, ona small iron platform with but two paces between himself and the head of the stairway. His foot touched something that chilled his blood. . He stooped immediately and made cer- tain by feeling with his hands that it was the body of a.man. Choking with horror he struck a match. By its light he saw that the man was Davidson, the second officer. A fine but terribly strong cord was about his neck and blood was oozing from a rent in his jacket near the heart. - Before the match went out Frank looked farther, and on the narrow landing not more than seven feet below he Saw | 'jater—wheeled about at the sound of another motionless body. It needed no glance to tell him that this second unfortunate was the chief engineer. For one brief instant Frank’s heart seemed to stand still. He seemed powerless. Then his blood leaped again, and he} himself bounded from the doorway to the deck and sped toward the bridge. There was no trying to move quietly now. At first Frank did not see two figures gliding along in front of foes close to the rail. They came vagtiely into view just at. the bottom of the ladder that led to the bridge. Instantly they began to climb it. There was the stealthy, cat-like move- ments of the two supposed sailors whom he had noticed earlier moving about the deck. One of them heard him and, turning, | halted. Frank was close to the ladder. With one tremendous leap he came full against it and caught the man who. was climbing up by the legs and jerked him backward. The man lost his nalance and fell to the deck. Frank dodged his tumbling body and darted up the ladder after the other. The latter’s head was then level with the bridge. The captain and his companions, in- | tent upon what was going on forward and below, had not noticed a two com- ing up the ladder. One of them—Murray, as it proved. tumbling behind him and saw the head rising above the edge of the bridge. He kicked at it with all his might. At the same instant Frank sezed his second man by the legs, there was a pis- i tol shot, a flash near the bridge floor, and Frank and his man went tumbling down the 1 dder together. ECORnniclooe (CO