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"That's odd Why would she ignore a ship in distress? Can you make her out?"

"She looks like a fancy yacht, a big one with sleek lines The design you see "

Kelsey moved to the threshold of the radio-room doorway and nodded to the operator "See if you can raise that boat in the distance"

After a minute or two, the radio operator shook his head "Not a peep They've either closed down, or they're ignoring us"

The Rio Grande slackened speed and glided slowly toward the freighter rolling slowly in the loells They were very close to the lifeless ship now, and fro container ship, Captain Kelsey could look straight down on her decks He sao inert figures and what he took to be a sain, but all was silent

The boat with Sher party was lowered into the water and hter

They bu hook over the railing and rigged it to pull up a boarding ladder Withinover the bodies on the deck Then he disappeared through a hatch below the bridge

Four of the men had followed him while two remained in the boat and nal to return and pick the on the deck were dead, he still half expected so for him

After entering the hatch, he clie and was overwhelmed with a sense of unreality All hands from the captain to the mess boy were dead, their corpses strewn about the deck where they fell The radio and his hands clasped around his set as if he were afraid of falling

Twenty minutes passed before Sherman eased Mentawai's radio operator to the floor and called over to the Rio Grande "Captain Kelsey?"

"Go ahead, Mr Sherman What have you found?"

"All dead, sir, every one of theineer's cabin and the ship's dog, a beagle with its teeth bared"

"Any clue as to the cause?"

"Food poisoning seems the most obvious They look like they threw up before they died"

"Be careful of toxic gas"