Part 38 (2/2)
”And the murder of the captain. How about that?”
”And the mutiny of the men,” added the surgeon.
”And the killing of the doctor. Your patient seems to be a romantic genius.”
”And the escape of Darrow. Hold hard,” quoth Trendon. ”Darrow's no romance. Nothing fictional about the flag and ledger.”
”True enough,” said the captain, and fell to consideration.
”Anyway,” said Trendon vigorously, ”I'd like to have a look at those bird- roosts. Mighty like signposts, to my mind.”
”Very well,” said the captain. ”It'll cost us only a wetting. Run her in, Congdon.”
With all the c.o.xswain's skill, and the oarsmen's technique, the pa.s.sage of the surf was a lively one, and little driblets of water marked the trail of the officers as they shuffled up the beach.
The two slabs stood less than fifty yards beyond high water tide. Nearing them, the visitors saw that each marked a mound, but not until they were close up could they read the neat carving on the first. It ran as follows:
_Here lies_ SOLOMON ANDERSON _alias_ HANDY SOLOMON _who murdered his employer, his captain, and his s.h.i.+pmates, and was found, dead of his deserts, on these sh.o.r.es, June 5, 1904.
This slab is erected as a memento of admiring esteem by the last of his victims.
”And you can kiss the Book on that.”_
”Percy Darrow _fecit_,” said the surgeon. ”You can kiss the Book on _that_, too.”
”Then Slade was telling the truth!”
”Apparently. Seems good corroboration.”
The captain turned to the other mound. Its slab was carved by the same hand.
_Sacred to the memory of an Ensign of the U. S. Navy, whose body, washed upon this coast, is here buried with all reverence, by strange hands; whose soul may G.o.d rest.
”The seas shall sing his requiem.” June the Sixth, MXMIV._
”Billy Edwards,” said the captain, very low.
He uncovered. The surgeon did likewise. So, for a s.p.a.ce, they stood with bared heads between the twin graves.
V
THE PINWHEEL VOLCANO
The surgeon spoke first.
”Another point,” said he. ”Darrow was alive within a few days.”
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