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NEAL?/ the NAVY Qy William Hamilton Osborne, AUTHOR OF "RCD MOOSC' WOWNiNC FIGHT "CAT5PAW;"6L0C 0UCKl?,"?TC. NOVELIZED FROM THE PHOTO PLAY OF THE NANE PRODUCED BY PATHE EXCHANGE. INC COPYK/GH7; /s>/s, A '/JLL/A/V //A/W.ro# Ckj?OA>A'f [ 8YN0P8I8. On (he day of t li*? eruption of Mount V'elee Capt. John Hardin of the steamer j Prince** r?*0UvM live- year-old Annette IllcKton from an Open boat, but 1m f Arced to leave behind her father and hl? com- I panlorm, IlliiKton In tjjtuaulted by I l?T riaiultfz and J 'on to trt a, vain attempt to got paper* which IHngton, ban managed i >J aboard tin- With Me daughter, paper* provltiK hl? tltlo to and telling the whereabout* of the lost Inland of Cinnabar, Illngton'M Injury causey hlw ndnd to become a blank. Thirteen yarn ilnpHO, I lemandess, now an opium smug gler, with J'onto, Inez, a fomttlo accom plice, and the rnlmlhHH bruit) that oiiru Wtt8 Illngton, coine to Heliport, where tho widow of Captain Hardin f? living with Iter t?on Ntml and Ahnetic IIIukIoii, and plot to steal the paper* left to Annette f >y her father. Neaf tries for adml*Mlon to the Naval academy, but through the treachery of Joey VVefcher In defeated by Joey and diagramed. Ncal ' nll*?* In the navy. lnez.*ei* a trap for Joey and the coriMplratorH get him In their power. He ngieciH, to Mti'al the. papers for them bjyt accidentally *ct* fire to the Hardin homo and tho brute-man re*cuoH Anhette with tho pa pern from the llarneH. Annette dla coy era that heat applied to the map re? veals tho location of the lost Inland. Sub sequently In a struggle for it* poHsesslon tho map In torn In three parts, Hernan dez, Annette and Neal each ut; curing ? portion. FIFTH INSTALLMENT A MESSAGE FROM THE PAST CHAPTER XXI. Grape Juice. ' Of course tho unexpected naval-se cret-sorvlco raid on the Crooked Crag hotel croated aoine sensation ? as well as did the rescue of two beautiful young; women, Miss Irene Courtier and her friend MIsh Illngton. Dut Newport Is a place of many happen ings?sensational and otherwise ? and aftor all the Crooked Crag had been raided many ttines before. In Its balmy d^ys It had been clev erly constructed and maintained us a secluded gambling place for New York millionaires, a place full of cub by holoB and uncanny get-aways. For the thirteenth tlmo In its history It ?was closed up and Its proprietor Jailed, Rut tho throe weird characters ,who ' had boon tho cause of all the vio lence still remained in hiding ? Her nandez, the Portuguese adventurer; Ponto, hlH Mexican side partner, and their Btrango and unusual companion, tho brute. Annetto, for her pa t, gavo full de scriptions of thoso throe to the au thorities and accompanied secret-serv Ico won on many fruitless trips. "At any rate," sho said to her friend, Irono Courtier, "I know now ?whore 1 stand. I was yarned to look out for a man with a sabor cut across his face." Her face grow wistful. "I thought ? feared," she went on, "at first, that that man might be my fa ther; but my father would novor treat a girl as this Bcar-face treated mo." Annette touched hor neck. A tiny little gold chain fell into the bosom of hor waist. "Ho has laid bare his tooth,- this scar-face," said Annette. "Ho knows something of my father ? I'm sure of that ? and I'm sure of something else. He Is seeking my lost Isle of Clnna * Doing Unusually Queer Things With Hie Face. bar ? ho wants It for his own Well. 1. too, can bare my toeth. Let him come > on." "You aro bo strong," murmured Irene Courtior, "so strong." A Japanese servant stole into the room ? the living room at MIbh Cour tier's summer villa at Newport. She bad rented thiH villa for tho season and had paid one month's rent ? no more. Sho had paid the Japanese hut ono month's wages ? no more. The Japanese presented a note upon a, salver. Inez Castro glanced at It and waved her hand. Mrs. Hardin was just entering from the veranda. "It is for you, Grandam,'* said Inez. .. "and from somo old sweetheart, eh?" L. ?h ?" Mrs. Hardin opened^tho missive ? her eyes brightened. "It's tram our congressman at Sea port," she exclaimed. '? "My dear Mrs. Hardin," he wrote In r--; ? hiH note, "hoping that you and your charges can add on<* more evening to your round of gayMy In Newport ho doty, I hog to inclose an Invitation which may give you a few hours of pleasure. Wish I could go myself. Anything on a oattlonhip suitH me." Inclosed In the missive was a heavy white card engraved In script : The officers of the U. 8. 8. Alabama request the honor of your presenos with friends at the dsnce on ship board Tuesday evening, June ? . The words "with friends" were In terllnod in Ink. Annette read the In vitation and then handed It to Inez. "Good," exclaimed Inez. "These are worth whllo these shipboard dances." Five minutes later she called up a private ? number on the wire In her boudoir, waiting Impatiently until sho heard a voice she Know. Then she talked rapidly, almost In a whisper. "It's worth taking a Chance, 1b It not?" she queried. "Ah." returned the voice at tho oth er end of the wire, "we do nothing without chances. We shall take a chance. Farewell." It must bo understood that an ablo seaman like Neal Hardin, while his good behavior, his natural aptitude and his general llkability gave him many privileges ? yot he was still the victim of caste ? naval caste. As a civilian he might travel with ladies of dignity, such as his mother, and young women of style and beauty, such as Annette Illngton and her friend, Irene Courtier; but as a chief petty officer remarked to Neal ? "A ball on board the Alabama Is not for ablo seamen, not so you could notice It, my boy. Still," he added, clapping I Neal upon tho shouldor, "I'll try and got you a place on the back stairs where you can look on and see the swells." Flguratlvoly speaking, he got him a place on tho back stairs without much difficulty, and after Neal had , spent a day In assisting his fellow ablo Boamen In polishing up every thing aboard tho Alabama that could bo polished, and In swabbing every thing aboard her that could be i swabbed, and In setting to rights everything that could be set to rights, Neal, clad In an Immaculate white duck suit, found himself stationed, st 1 ff as a ramrod, and for tho flrBt time Beared to death, by tho side of a largo punch bowl under the canvas I covering of the dancing deck. CHAPTER XXII. Incognito. In a dingy little hotel room In Prov idence, Ithode Island, there sat a man at a dressing table gazing into a mir ror and doing unusually quoor things i with his face. Hernandez was past ! master at a certain art ? disguise. Ton minutes lator a stranger stood I erect within that room ? a full-bearded strangor, clad In an evening coat of foreign cut, with well padded paunch and shoulders, eyeing himself still critically in the looking glass. He raised his high hat and bowed pomp ously to Ponto. "In reality, friend Poton," he re marked, "I am M. Romanoff ? a Rus sian nobleman." "My friends and I are Invited to the dance on board the Alabama," he said. "My friends and I shall go. Call In that beast. Now for the final test." Ponto disappeared and a moment "later the brute crept Into the room. He glanced fearfully toward tho chair where Hernandez had been sitting; thon ho gltinced about the room. A puzzled expression overspread his countenance and then with a deep gut tural cry ho sprang for the appari tion's throat. . Hernaiuloz twitched himself to ono side Just In time and then tapped the brute smartly on the arm. "I am satisfied." he said, in tones that the bruto Immediately recog nized. "Even ho did not know mo he. with all tho instincts of a savage but faithful dog. I/Ot us be off." An hour later ho was standing ex pectantly In front of tho huge punch bowl on tho dancing deck of the Ala bama. Clustered around this punch bowl wore a group of officers and pretty women ? and among them Inez Castro and her friend Annetto Iling tort. Romanoff stayed boldly at them both, then ho turned to Noal Hardin. "A glass of punch, if you please," ho said In foreign accents. Neal Hardin did not answer. Ho was otherwise engaged. Annette Ilington was standing at the table with a young ensign at hor side. They wore both drinking from the punch bowl. Tho ensign drank with his right hand; so did Annetto, but Annette s loft hand was firmly cluU-hed in the hand of Neal Hardin of tho punch bowl. It was tho only chance the evening could afford them. "A glass of punch," reiterated the unknown Russian nobleman. Neal Jumped as though shot. Has tily he ladled out a glass and pre sented Jt to the Russian. Tho Rus sian took one sip of it and sat down his glass. 'iirrr," he exclaimed, m be walked away In disgust. There wait a genteel titter from the picturesque lft tie group around the punch bowl, Inez touched Kouuauoff upon the arm. . * "It lfl perfect," she whispered, "no one could' ever t?U." t>"' put;u!iw ;;.<Mi?uiorr glanced at hor significantly, paced acroaa JLhe dancing defcU and passed out upon tho moonlit deck beyond. Inez, flirting with an officer, excused herself, befck* onod to Joo Welcher, who came i swiftly at her beck and call, and with her hand upon hit* arm she followed In the wakt) of Hoin^ioff. As they | 'readied tbo bow Kbmaiioff turned sud denly and confronted them He seized Welcbor hy the arm, "Friend Welcher," he said, his grip tightening, "on the canvas curtains aft, on the port sido, you will find one black cross mark up<yi the curtain and one black cross mark upon the dock. They are my marks. You will danco with Annette Illngton ? " Welcher hurried off and Komanoff with the beautiful Miss Irene Cour tier upon his arm, strode slowly to ward the lights. With her escort she stood glancing out between the curtains at the moon light upon the sea. Hor escort, how over, was not wat< hlng tho moonlight ? his oyes wore fixed upon a motor boat that sported itself like some huge shark in tho waters Just beyond. He drew forth a white handkorchlef He stepped Into the aperture between the canvus curtains, grasped the rail with one hand and shook the handker chief. Inez, noted that a small black cross had been placod upon the canvas cur tain. fiho looked at her feet; There ' was another cross upon the deck. Then she turned and faced the crowd watching with keen eyes. Joe Welcher from far across the deck caught the glint of those same eyes ? he had been watching for them He bent over Annette. "Look at tho freak," ho said, "that's tied up to Inez ? I mean Irene Courier. I always call her Inez somehow. Let's go and see tho freak." "Tho freak," said Annette, "has dis appeared." 8he -was not the only person on the deck who noticed that. Some half dozen naval officers in spick and Span uniforms noted it also and started double quick toward Inez Castrb. see that some terrific struggle wa? at band In another instant It was all over. Two figures clutching at each other frantically darted suddenly over the rail There was a splash below. "Mail overboard," yelled Neal. lie uprang to the if !! *r.d doyo lu5.u the moonlit , water taking good care I ot |<? foul the other two, Two minutes. latrr It was all over. Annette was on deck half fainting In Neat's arm but with a smile upon h?r face. "Don't worry," she Bald to the crowd about her, "I haven't swal lowed a drop of wutor, 1 assure you. I'm a regular little water rat? Neal knows that, don't you Neal.?" Half an hour later In the Courtier villa In Newport, Annette nestled In a huge arm chair In a kimono before a blazing fire., She laughed trium phantly. She seized a dripping little chamois bag and took from It a very damp old piece of paper parchment. "This is what he was after ? you '?an't tell me," she said. She spread it out and exhibited it to Ipez Castro. "Why, It is a blank piece of pa per," said Inez Castro. "Ix)ok at It closely," said Annette. "Oh, yes," said Irene, "it has one word upon lt^? longitude." "It has moro than that upon it," said Annette. "Watch and see." Sho spread It -out upon the hearlh to dry. "It is a piece of the map ? of my map, Irene." she went on, "the map of the lost Isle ?, of Cinnabar. Scar-face got a portion of it? don't you remembor, at Crooked Crag? but ii harmless portion. I got a part and so did Neal. Walt. Look, The piece is dry ? see what the heat has done,"' Inez Castro bont over her. "Where did the writing come from?" she de manded. < "The heat brought the writing gut," said Annette. "See, Look now at the longitude. What does it say?" Inez looked eagerly. "One hundred and twenty-three degrees," she ex claimed slowly, "and forty minutes west." "Thtt Isn't all," went on Annette. "There's a message ? a message from the past upon our pieces, Neal's and mine? a message that I've got by heart." "What," queried Inez, yawning, "is the message from the past?" Annette nodded proudly. "This is tho message," she returned. " 'Granted Annette Sent Out the "8. O. S." Half way they stopped, for her escorC M. Romanoff, had reappeared. He smiled as Joe came up with Annette and waved his hand. "I've been looking at the moon," he said. Annette, already bored ? chiefly by the close proximity of Joe Welcher ? glancod off toward Neal. "Let's go and get some grape juice," she said; < | Joe drew her out to the railing ( through the same aperture from which RomanofT had watched the cir cling motor boat. "I'll get the grape Juice," said Joe aloud. "Wait hero until I return." Annette started after him, but the aperture was closed now by the broad back of Romanoff, who talked viva ciously with Ireno Courtier. Annette was not aveose to looking at the moon, and she looked. Hut ? all she t saw was tho moon itself. She did not j soo and could not know that a motor j launch, silent as the night, had j fetched up alongside of the anchor j chain. She did not know and could not see a black shadow that Btole along the railing behind the canvas curtains that hid the dancing deck j Suddenly she gave a choking cry. ' The black shadow liko some black panther had sprung upon her from the night and clutched her in its : grasp. She cried out once more, or tried to. She found she could not. j A strong wiry hanfl closed across her j month and a wiry form forced her hack across tho rail. With a superhuman twist of her litho young body ? and sho was strong, was Annette Illngton ? for one in stant she wrenched herself away and gavo vont to a piercing scream. Noal Hardin at the punch bowl heard it. Forgetting all discipline ? and all grapo Juico ? he bounded across the dancing deck and with one sweep of his arm brushed the nonplussed Romanoff and his charming escort to one side. His eyes were blinded by tho deck lights and as ho rushed through the curtains he could only to Ilington, Spanish-American explor. er, for distinguished services, by Jo seph Bonaparte, king of Spain, in the . year eighteen hundred and nine, the original grant, being in the possession of the fathers ? " She stopped. "What was the rest of that?" she mused. "1 can't remember." "Think," persistod Inez, with curi ous insistence. Annette laughed. "It has escaped me. I will have to ask Neal about that the next time I see him." "Part of the message Is on his por tion, too?" said Inez. "And what about the latituda?" ? Annette shook her head. "That I can't remember either," she returned, "stupid that I am. Yes, the latitude is on his piece too." CHAPTER XXIII. Unbooked Passengers. "I think it's risky," said Neal Har din. "Lot. me see that ad again." Annette handed him the Providence, Rhode Island, morning paper. Under the head of ship notices appeared this Item: Fruit Steamer Coronado sails 15th this month. Bound for Bahamas, Colon* Panama, Lower California ports and 8arv Francisco. Open for limited booking of passengers. Pier 1010 Providence, R. I. ? _ PETER HANDY, Master. Neal read the advertisement over and shook his head again. "Risky, I tell you." he repeated. Annette's eyes flashed. "But what am I to do," she protested. "You don't-? you can't understand. ' Her lips quivered for a niomont. "I havo got to And my father, Neal, and for his sako, if not for my own, I havo got to And my fortune. I've got to go some tlmo. Why not now? The message was plain enough ? tho Fa thers of tho Santa Maria mission in Ix>wer California ? 1 must see them. This t> the easy way." Neal folded up the paper and thrust it in his pocket. "At any rate," ho said. Til look this captain up. If the Coronado la % Ilkoly Bhin and If you are bounji to go, God speed" He looked the Coronado up and foini'i her quite a likely ship. lie mhw her captain and found him satis factory. The next day Anne*** -?i uai mend*, Including W??lcher, booked for the cheap trip on the Coronado. "Yott're my only passobgers so fftc?' said ('uptHlii Handy, "and 1 don't t are If I don't have any more." Capt. Peter Handy aauntered down the wharf. A big. swaggering Individ ual wan looking the Coronado over. "Hill," aaid Capt. Peter flandy, "I'll tell you bow it is. I picked you out at* a cljeap bargain and took A chance on you, "not knowing you before. This la a cheap trip down, Dill; I'll leave It to you to pick your crew. Pick them cbeap. Hill; coming back I can make it up to you. Get the beat for the money, Dill, and get 'em cheap." "I got 'em already," returned Bill, "and 1 got 'em cheap. Leave that to me." On the evening of the fourteenth, the four booked passenger^ boarded the Coronado and were aa8lgned to staterooms. Hill left the captain snoring In his bunk and atole across the deck and down the gangplank to the ^rharf be yond. Once upon the river front he turned east and strode on rapidly for a quarter of a mile. He darted Into a narrow alleyway, reached a dimly lighted window in an old board bouse on the shore and rapped sbarply on the window pane. - A door was opened stealthily and he shambled in. Huddled at tables and flung care lessly in Corners' were the formB of sailors, supine, drunk, drugged. Bill took an electric flash light from bis pocket and examined carefully each of these slumbering objects of hu manity. "I'll take him," said Bill, "and him there with the broken face; and him ? and that chap over there." Ten minutes later he nodded In. a self-satisfied way and jerked bis thumb over his shoulder toward an other door. Is he inside?" he queried. "Oh," said the proprietor, "the three of 'em is there." / There were three men In that small room, a strangely assorted trio. One was a huge Individual, blggef and stronger than Bill himself; another was an uncanny, fat, little Mexican with dangerous eyes; the third was a Portuguese with a saber cut cross his face. _ ; Bill grinned. "Huh," he said, "we're all here, mates. Outside I picked up enough men to fill up the Coronado'B crew and here I run against three of her passengers." Hernandez smiled and showed bis teeth. "Three unbooked passengers," | he said. CHAPTER XXIV. The Trickle of White Powder. Hernandez motioned toward the door. Poiito, the Mexican, closed it hoiselessly and swiftly and shot the bolt. "You understand the terms," Hernandez said. "This stuff has Just come in to. us tonight. We have it load ed in our launch outside." "You understand then," said Her nandez, "that when this cargo of co caine is sold, your share will be many, hundred dollars ? a thousand ? over a thousand." Two mornings later, a sailor lying in his bunk against a bulkhead in the hold ? kept wakeful by his battered face a gift from^M. On this par ticular morning, however, the unusual thing that attracted his attention was a quantity of fine white powder that sifted through the knot hole. "Holy smoke," he exclaimed Joyful ly within himself, "this ain't no fat thing, ain't it? This here's cocaine." By noon the whole forecastle knew about the rat hole and what is more had sampled it ? or rather the strangou white powder that came trickling through. Next day something happened. Bill, the mate, gave Snooks an order that Snooks declined to fill. Bill was accustomed to being disobeyed, and for every ill he had a remedy. He seized a capstan bar and aimed it at Snooks' head; but there was a glitter in Snooks' eye that Bill did not un derstand. Snooks leaped for him and wrostled with him like a wildcat. He* forced Bill, panting, up against the rail, bellowing meanwhile like a mad bull. Bill felt for a belaying pin, found it, clutched it, raised it high in the air and brought it crashing down ttp&n Snooks' shoulder, tt broke a collarbone, but it might have been a feather for all Snooks *cared. "Mates," cried Snooks, "you ain't going to see me licked. Come one and all." They came. Some sprang down from t,he shrouds; some appeared from companionways; some came hurrying along the decks. They were men bat tered and broken ? but all had one un canny characteristic ? their eyes glit tered, glittered fearfully and fear lessly. ?' "'v. Bill sprang away froift the clutch ing grasp of Snooks and draw hit gun. ?' * : : ? v:*"i ? "Captain Peter Handy," he roared. "Mutiny." * . And mutiny there waa? a mutiny based not so much upon the ill treat ment of Bill the mate as upon the ef fect of the trickling white powder. Tho captain responded to the call; so did one or two others of the un druggod crew. 1 The four booked passengers heard the riot ? it could hare been heard half a mile away. They rushed on deck and watched. Annette, who had inherited quickness of mind, saw what .... u-jpxqi'r. " 7 j wee happen* ng and tuqu^IZ3 Hardlii * You and Irene." she sift, ?wJ the wireless room. iJt t u ^ JJ even Joe." . ? JuMt as slm said it : amuy rusned past her, stopped. lo?rM fc her ttml ir??ped her by ty J! With ajiuddfiu wrench he tloi^i door ??f tho wlrHh-hH, shutting i three people liiHtrte Wokher tu* I two other womon and then glare into Annette's eyes, he dr%w 1 toward htm a"d cruuhed her ?r gllng torm agalnat hie brewt. there woro other ptM*?| who watched the tight? Hsrsti and hie two companions. The br watched Btupldly- l?onto and \ "This Is What He Wa* Afterl" yj nandes with polite Interest But and. denly the brute looked up toward the deck. He growled deep In hit throat "Hold him," said Hernandes to P?*jO. But it was too late. With one bound the brute dashed up the coo panlonway and reached the deck. With another bound he was iipon the sailor who had caught Annette. In * an Instant Annette found herself leased, hardly knowing . how It had happened. -? She wrenched open the wireless door, sprang" in, slammed it shut and shot the bolt. "Where is the operatorT^ iEe la quired. There was no answer. The operator . was not there. Annette seized the wireless appa ratus, donned the headgear and sent out the S. O. 8. ? that long wall of terror that is heard far out acroaa the sea. On the deck .of the destroyer Jack son, a naval vessel which had left Newport a day or two before on I practice cruise, the wireless operator " reported to his lieutenant. 'He sa- ] luted. "Sir," ho said, "I have an 8. 0. 8. from a steamer Coronado, fire miles south. Mutiny on board." 0 A seaman standing near started for ward. "Godfrey," he exclaimed under his breath, "the ^Coronado? Annette'! ship." : The lieutenant gave an order. "Put her about," he said. Forced draft ahead." . 0-'; When the destroyer reached the Coronado, the Coronado was In dire straits. ' The mutineers, maddened and emboldened, and strengthened with renewed doses of the white pow der, were in possession of the ship. The mate and Capt. Peter Handy lay unconscious on the deck. Every sail or had a bottle in his hand? a bottle full of strong drink. In lest than a quarter of an hoar the Jackson was upon them ? she had launched a boat and her boat had reached the Coronado's side, pfftt the agility of perfect training the Jack Bon's men swarmed over the rail, boarded the Coronado and without an Instant's hesitation attacked the mutineers, their * lieutenant st their head. Meal drew a deep breath-sai^ nudged tho man next to him. "This Is war." he said, "it is what we're looking for. Come on." There wap. a light ? no arms'-length fight at that* It 'was man to man. It was a melee? it wfcs a rlot-^t was pandemonium. In the midst of it there was a resoudlng crack. Neal'i lieutenant, off his guard for once, re ceived a well-aimed blow upon head? a blow from a capstan bar. He fell like a log and three brutes leaped for his hbad? seeking to batter him Into a shapeless mass. Neal saw hla peril and sprang ,n*? the midst. Never In his life had he fought as then he fought. . The blood* rushed Into his brain; unwonted strength flowed into mo* cles! his eyes were everywhere? voice strong and fearless. *All together now," he shouted. One -^two? three." ? w> There was a mighty superhuman rush, a ringing shout? then it wM All over. The mutiny was quelled. Neal leaped upon a bridge and waved a cutless. He said die first thing that occurred to him ? the thing he felt he had to say. 1 am in command," he ?bouted "The first man who disobeys me will be shot." There was a clutch upon his arm He looked down. He found that hi? right arm was bleeding from a cut but he found something else. A small hand was grasping it quite tenderly. He turned. Annette laughed hyst*** ,ca,ly' "What about any woman who dis obeys r* she said. Egg (- (TO BK COimNUKDJ