The Indian Drum

The narrative opens on a lakeshore where a mysterious drum is said to boom for each life lost at sea; when a new steel freighter vanishes without trace, the drum's roll intensifies local fear and curiosity. A newcomer named Alan arrives and, through Constance Sherrill and the household of Mr. Corvet, becomes entangled in questions of identity, a missing ship, and strange belongings found on the beach. The plot alternates investigation and uncanny episodes—a ghost-ship sighting, clues hidden in a watch and pockets, and mounting accusations—that propel characters to unearth long-buried secrets and weigh rational inquiry against supernatural suggestion.