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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Times, 1909-07-08, Page 71 THS MYSTERY By STEWART EDWARD WHITE And SAMUEL IiOPKINS ADAMS 1 COPYRIGHT. 1907• BY MCCLURE. PHILLIPS as CO. faire which I recognized as sclentitie apparatus. It was followed in quick succession by three others. Ignorant as I was of the requirements of a sci- entist, my common sense told me this could be no exploring outfit. I revised eay first intention of going to the Club and bought a sandwich or two at the eorner coffee bailee. 1 don't know why, but even then the affair seemed big with mystery, with the portent of tragedy. Perhaps the smell of tar was in soy nostrils and the sea called. It has always possessed for me an ex- traordinary allurement, A 'ittle after 2 o'clock a cab drove to alb' after gangplank and stopped. 4': i it alighted a young man of T shall later have occasion to ,teou more, followed by Dr. Scher - m. urn. The young man carried only a 1:, :it leather "serviette," such as stu- dents) use abroad, while the doctor *rise staggered under the weight of a . :. Dropped him limp and beaten to the pier. assquare brass bound chest s ritbout han- 'dies. The singularity of this unequal .division of labor struck me at once. It struck also one of the dock men, •who ran forward, eager for a tip. "lain I carry th' box for you, boss?" she seised, at the same time reaching sor it. The doctor's thin figure seemed fair- ly to shrink at the idea. "No, no!" he cried. "It is not for you to carry!" He hastened up the gangplank, clutching the chest close. At the top Captain Selover met him. "Hello, doctor," he squealed. "Here in good time. We're busy, you see. ILet me carry your chest for you." "No, no!" Dr. Schermerhorn fairly glared. "It's almighty heavy," insisted the .captain, "Let me give you a hand." "You must not touch!" emphatically, .ordered the scientist. "Where iss the cabin?" He disappeared down the compan- ionway clasping his precious load. •The young man remained on deck to •superintend the stowing of the scien- tific goods and the personal baggage. All this time I had been thinking 'busily. I remembered distinctly one ether instance when Dr. Schermerhorn had disappeared. He came back in- scrutably, but within a week his re- •sults on aerial pbotography were pub- lic property. I told myself that in the ,present Instance his lavish use of mon- ey, the elaborate nature of his prep- arations, the evident secrecy of the ex- pedition as evidenced by the fact that he had negotiated for the vessel only the day before setting sail, the impor- tanee of personal supervision as proved by the fact that he—notoriously im. practical in practical matters and no - Me Uses c' Bile Digeztlion Elle Is quite as important ea are the gastric juiees in the process of di- ger.tion. 'Without bile human life is short; for, Bile hastens the passage of the food along the alimentary canal. Bile prevents the fermentation of food in the intestines, which in turn causes gas, wind, flatulency. Bile, in short, iA Natilro's cathartic and maintains a regular and healthful process of digestioe and of elimination of waste !natter by way of the bowels. But to have a regular flow of bile the liver must be kept healthy and active and just here is where Dr. A. W. Chase's diidueyl.iver Pills come in, for they are aefalite, specific and direct in their ac- tion on the liver. It is only by betting the liver right that eonstipatinn can ever be cured. It is only by nia'!dng the liver healthy that bilionenese and bilious, sick headaches Nth Le thoroughly owereonhe, IL is only 1.y to:thine the liver active that the huost Seale .lt sees of in lig etion ands dyspep. sirs '' in aver venial). 1>,• '1,,,:e'r f,r;lnee Inver rills one liiit a "!n'.'. lei des. n box, at all deal - ens, se essi c,arr.,ons jiatee se Co. Toronto. toriously disliking anything to do with business— had conducted the affair himself instead of delegating it—why, gentlemen, don't you see that all this was more than enough to wake me up, body and soul? Suddenly I came to a definite resolution. Captain Selover had descended to the pier: I approach• ed him. "You need a mate," said L He looked me over. "Perhaps," he admitted. "Where's your man?" "Right here," said I. His eyes widened a little. Otherwise he showed no sign of surprise. I cursed my clothes. Fortunately I had my master's .dere tificate with me—I'd passed fresh wa- ter on the great lakes—I always carry that sort of document on the chance that it may come handy. It chanced to have a couple of naval indorse- ments, results of the late war. "Look here," I said before I gave it to him. "You don't believe In me. Ify clothes are too good. That's all right. They're all I have that are good. I'm broke. 'I came down Dere wondering whether I'd better throw myseif in the drink." "You look like a dude," he squeaked. "Where did you ever ship?" I banded him my certificate. The indorsements men is f rem Admiral Setty s and d Captain Arnold impressed him. He stared at me again, and a gleam of cunning crept into his eyes. "Nothing crooked about this?" he breathed softly. I had- the key to this side of his character. You remember I had over- heard the night before his statement of his moral scruples. I said nothing, but looked knowing. "What was it?" he murmurer. "Plain desertion or something worse?" I remained inscrutable. "Well," be conceded, "I do need a mate. and a naval man—even if be is wantin' to get out of sight"— "He won't spit on your decks anyr wnv." 1 broke in, bniSiJy, Captain Selover's hairy face bristiea about the mouth. This I subsequently discovered was symptom of a grin. "You saw that, eh?" he trebled. - "Aren't you afraid he'll bring down the police and delay your sailing?" I asked. He grinned again, with a cunning twinkle in his eye. "You needn't worry. There ain't go - in' to be any police. He had his ad- vance money, and he won't risk it by tryin' to come back," We came to an agreement I pro- fessed surprise at the wages. The cap- tain guardedly explained that the ex- pedition xpedition was secret. "What's our port?" I asked, to test him. "Our papers are made oat for Bono. lulu," he replied. We adjourned to riga. articles, "By the way," said I, "I wish you wouldn't make them out in my own name. 'l1agen' will do." "All right," he laughed, "I Babe. Eagen it is." "rll be aboard at 6," said I. "rye got to make some arrangements." "Wish you could help with the lad- ing," said he. "Still I can get along. Want any advance money'" • "No," I replied. Then I remembers ed that T was supposed to be broke. "Yes," I amended. He gave me $10. "I guess you'll show up," he said. "Wouldn't do this to everybody. But R naval man—even if he fie dolma' Uncle Same"-- "ril be here," I assured hint. At that time I wore a pointed beard. Phis I shaved; also I was aocustozried to use eyeglasses. The trouble was merely a siight aatigmat15ni which bothered me only In reading or dote inspection. X could get along perfect,' ly well without glasses, so I discarded them. 1 had my hair cut rather close. When I had put on sea boots, blue trousers and shirt, a pea jacket and a tap I telt quite safe from the recogni- lon of a man like Dr. Sehetnaerherri, En fact, as you shall tee, I hardly spoke to him during all the voyage out, Promptly at 6, then, I returned with R sea chest, bound I knew not 'whither, to be gone 1 knee" not fot how long lead pledged to aet as second officer tin a little 150 ton schooner. CITAPTE12 IX. HAD every reason to be satis- fied with my disguiser -if such it eould be called. Captain Selover at firet failed to recog- nize ecognize me. Then he buret into his shrill :fickle. "Didn't eknow you," he trebled: "But f 0 look shipshape. Come, I'll show ron your quarter." Immediately 1 diseovered what 1 sad suspected before—that on so small R i3ehooner the mate took rank With the men rather than the afterguard. Cabin AccOmmodation>s rete of tourtse fete -Rented. My own larked in the waist of the ship --a tiny little *Mete bole. "Itere'd where Tohnson stayed," prof- tered Selover, "You den bunk hete di you cask gb in the foc'sle with the men. Xher a re MOM the de %sit t and wry with the turn of the tide ]de left me. I examined the alis. TH4 WINGRAll1 TIMES, .1U14Y a 1909 It was just a trifle larger than its efii-. Brie berth, and ttie berth was just a :rifle larger than myself. • My chest would have to be left outside. I strongly suspected that euy lungs would have to be left outside also. For tbo life of me I could not see where :he air was to come from, With a men - :al reservation fu favor of investigat- ,ug the forecastle I went on deck. The Laughing Lass was one of the prettiest little schooners I ever saw. Were It not for the lines of her bilges znd the internal arrangement of her sold it might be imagined she had seen built originally as a pleasure yacht. Even the rake of her masts, a ittle forward of plumb, bore out this mpression, which a comparatively new snit of canvas, well Stopped down, crass stanchions forward and two lit - :ie guns under tarpaulins almost con - hued. Her complement of boats was ensile enough. eine had two surfboats, dingey and a dory slung to the davits. In addition another dairy—the sue you picked me up in—was lashed to the top of the deckhouse. "They'd mighty near have a boat hpiece," I thought and went forward. Just outside the forecastle hatch I caused. Some one below was singing .n a voice singularly rich in quality. ['be words and the quaintness of the ziinor air struck me immensely and cave clung to my memory like a bur aver since: "tire you a ran -o' -war or a privateer, s:rid ire. i:low high, blow low, what care wet 011, I am a jolly pirate, and I'm sailing for my fee; Down un the coast of the high Bar. bare -e -e." 1 stepped to the companion. The voice at once ceased. I descended. A glimmer of late afternoon strug- ;led through the deadlights. I found 1iyself in e really commodious space, extending far back of where the for- ward bulkheads aro usually placed, accommodating rows and rows of aunks—eighteen of them, in fact. The unlighted htel lamp cast its shadow ow on wood stained black by much use, but polished like ebony from the continued riction of men's garments. I wish I soukd convey to you the uncanny ef- fect this—of dropping from the decks if a miniature craft to the internal arrangements of a square rigged ship. Et was as though entering a cottage door you were to discover yourself on the floor of Madison Square Garden. A. fresh sweet breeze of evening suck- ed down the hatch. I immediately de- cided on the forecastle. Already it was being borne in on me that I was little more than a glorified bo's'n's mate. The situation suited me, how- ever. It enabled me to watch the :ourse of events more safely, less ex - Dosed to the danger of recosrnition. I stood for a moment at the foot of the companion accustoming my eyes to the gloom. After a moment, with a shock of surprise, I made out a shining pair of bead points gazing at me unblinkingly from the shadow un- der the bitts. Slowly the man defined himself, as a shape takes form in a fog. He was leaning forward In an attitude of attention, his elbows rest - !ng on his knees, his forearms depend- ing between them, bis head thrust out I could detect no faintest movement of eyelash, no faintest sound of breath- ing. The stillness was portentous. The creature was exactly like a wax figure, one of the sort you meet in corridors of cheap museums, and for a moment mistake for living beings. Almost I thought to make out the customary gray dust lying on the wax of his fea- tures. I am going to tell you more of this man because, as you shall see, he was destined to have much to do with my life, the fate of Dr. Karl Augustus Schermerhorn and the doom of the Laughing Lass. He wore on his head a red bandan- na handkerchief. I never saw him with other covering. From beneath it straggled oily and tangled locks of glossy black. Hie face was long, nar- row, book nosed and sinister. His Had Stomach Cramps Would Roll on the Floor in Agony. Mr. Wm. Kranth, contractor and builder, Owen Sound, Ont., writes:— 'Having read some of the testimonials of cures effected by Dr. Fowler's Extraet of Wikl Strawberry, I thought it advis- able to tray a word of praise for its merits. Some years ago I was much troubled with stomach trouble and cramps. I used to roll on the floor in agony, and on one occasion I went into a faint after suffering intensely for four hours. A short time after thia, in driving to town, I was attacked again and had to lie down in my rig, seeking relief. "When I reaehed the drugstore I asked the druggist fora quicremedy and he'd behind the counter until relief came, The remedy 1 received from the druggist was 1)r. I`owler's Extract of Wild Strawberry. Whenever, after that time, I felt cramps coming on, I found speedy relief in the above mentioned remedy,and I am now cured of this dreadfumalady.. The bottle is small, but its cofitents effect a marvelous cure. I tan reeommend it hik hly for the euro of cramps." Dr. Fowler's Extract of Wild Straws berry has been on the market for 64 years. XS is not a new and untried rernedy. Ask fat it and insist on getting what yell • ask for, Refuse substitutes. They're to dangerous. Ilh a 35 CC . e nts Manufactured Only by Ebb T. Milburn Co., Limited, Toronto" Ont. rain in the head --pain anywhere, bus its canna Pain is congestion, pain is blood pressure—nothing else usually. At least, so says Dr. hhoop, And 00 Prove at he has created a little pink tablet. That tablet—,called Dr. Shoop's headache Tablet— coaxes blood pressure away from pain centers, Its effect is charming. pleasingly delightful. Gently, though saiely, it surety equalizes the blood eirett• ration. If you have a headaehe, it's blood pressure. If it's painful periods with women, Brine cuts*. If you are sleepless legless, nervous,it's blow/ congcstfon—t,,lood pressure, Tbat surely 1s certainty, for Dr. Shoop's ifeadarhe Tablets stop it in 20 mhlutus, awl the tablets sirnply distribute the unnatural blood pre5-ure. Bruise your lira r, and donsn't it get rn d, and swell, and pain you? 01 course it do, Its ion. gestlon,bloodpee nra. You'll 11nditrlh.repain is—always. It s simply Common Sett»'. Was sell at 21 eeuts, and cheerfully recommend 8'. Shoop's eadiache • ''ablets WALLEY'S DRUG STARE. eyes, as I have described them, a steady and bendy black. I could at first glance ascribe great activity, but only moderate strength to his slender, wiry figure. In this I was mistaken. His sheer physical power was second only to that of Captain Selover. One of his forearms ended in a steel hook. At the moment I could not understand this; could not see how a man so maimed could be useful aboard a ship. Later I wished we had more as handy. Fie knew a jam hitch which he caught over and under his book quicker than most men can grasp a line with the naked hand. It would render one way, but held fast the other. Ile told me It was a cinch hook hitch employed by mule packers in the mountains t fns and that he had used it on swamp hooks in the lumber woods of Michigan. I shouldn't wonder. He was a Wander- ing Jew. His name was Anderson, but I never heard him called that. It was always "Haudy Solomon" with men and masters. We stared at each other, I fascinated by something, some spell of the ship, which I have never been able to ex- plain to myself nor even describe. It was a mystery, a portent, a premoni- tion such as overtakes a man some- times in the dark passageways of life. E cannot tell you of it nor make you believe—let it pass. Then by a slow process of successive perceptions I became aware that I was watched by other eyes, other wax fig - ores, other human beings with un- wavering gaze. They seemed to the >ense of mystic apprehension that for :he moment held possession of me to be everywhere --In the bunks, on the door; back in the shadows, watching, watcbing, 'Watching from the advan- ;age of another world. I don't know why I tell you this; why t lay so much stress on the first weird Impression I got of the forecastle, It means something to me now—in view if all that happened subsequently. elmost can I look back and see in that moment of occultism a warning, an en- dthtenment-- But the point is it neant something to me then. I stood :here fascinated, unable to move, un- able to speak. Then the grotesque figure in the Cor- her stirred. "Well, mates," said the man, "be - !eve or not believe, it's in the book, and it stands to reason too. We have ;old mines here in Californy and Ne- vada and all them states, and we hear if gold mines in Mexico and Australia, :oo, but did you ever hear tell of gold mines in Europe? Tell me that! And where did the gold come from, then, Before they discovered America? Tell ne that! Why, they made it, just as the man that wrote this here says, and Tau can kiss the book on that." "How about that place, Ophir, I read tbont?" asked a voice from the bunks. The man allot a keen glance thither !rem beneath his brows, "Know last year's output from the nines of Ophir, Thracktes4" he be- mired in silky tones. "Why, no," stammered the man ad - tressed as Thrackles, "Well, I do," pursued the man with he steel hook, "and it's just the whole ii nothing, and you can kiss the book that too. There ain't any gold out - est because there ain't any mines, and here never have been, They,made their rold," He tossed aside a book he bad been Bolding in his lett hand, Irecognizedthe !at little paper duodecimo with amuse- ment and sonde wonder. The only other :opy t had ever laid my eyes on is in the Astor library. It is somewhat of a rarity, called "The Seeret of Alcheray; sr, The Grand Doctrine of Transmute Ion k'ulty Explained," and was written iy a Dr. Edward Duvall, a most ex- traordinary volume to have fallen into :he hands of seamen. I stepped forward, greeting and be - ng greeted. 'Besides the man I have mentioned there were foot. The cook was a bullet headed squat negro with a broken nose. I believe he had a name, Robinson or something of that sort, Ile was to all of us simply the nigger. Mi. Ike meet of his race, he was .gloomy Ind taeiturn. Of the other two, a tittle white faced, thin chested youth pained yule and a villainous looking Mexican called Per. loss, I shall have more to sat later. My arrival broke the talk on a1- shemy. It resumed lis course In the Breedon of our voyage. Earls dis- lovered that the others knew nothing, znd each blundeted against the as - unsling feet of double wages. 'All I know is the pay's good, and ate; enou b'" conclude d Thrackl s fie c from a bunk. 'The pay's too good," grolvled 1Xandy 7 Solomon. "This alai no job to go look, at the 'clipse of the moon pr the devil's a Preacher!" "W'at you mails heern, den?" queried Perdosa. "It's treasure, of course," said Handy Solomon shortly. "Ile, he, he!" ]angled the negro without mirth. "What's the matter with you, doc- tor?" demanded Thrackles. "Treasure!" repeated tine nigger. "You see slat box be done carry so cradle? You see slat?" A pause ensued. Somebody scratch- ed a match and lit a pipe. "No, I don't see that!" broke out ruxraekies Emily, with some impa- tienee. "1 sabe how a man goes after treasure with a box, but why should he take treasure away in a box? What do you think, Bucke?" he sud. denly appealed to use. I looked up from my investigation of the empty berths. "I don't think much about it," I re- plied, "except that by the look of the stores we're due for more than Hono- lulu, and from the look of the light we'd better turn to on decd;.." An embarrassed pause fell. "Who are you, anyway?" bluntly de- manded the man with the steel hook, "My name is Eagen," I replied; "I've the berth of mate. Which of these bunks are empty?" They indicated what I desired with just a trace of sullenness, I under- stood well enough their resentment at having a ship's officer quartered on them—the foc'sle they considered as their only liberty when at sea and my presence as a curtailment to the freedom of speech. I subsequently did my best to overcome this feeling, but never quite succeeded. At my command the nigger went to his galley. I ascended to the deck. Dusk was falling in the swift Callfor- elan fashion. Already the outlines of the wharf houses were growing indis- tinct, and the lights of the city were beginning to twinkle Se o Ca fain P Selover came to my side and leaned over the rail, peering critie'a11y at the black wa- er against the piles. "She's at the flood," he squeaked. 'And here conies the Lucy Belie," The tug took us in charge and puffed with us down the harbor and through he Golden Gate. We had sweated the canvas on her, even to the flying jib nd a huge elub topsail she sometimes arried at the main, for the afternoon trades had lost their strength. About midnight we drew up on the Faral- ones. The schooner bandied well. Our rew was divided into three watches, n unusual arrangement, but comfor- table. Two men eould sail her handi- y in most sorts of weather,. Handy olomon bad the wheel. Otherwise the eck was empty. The man's fantastic eadgear, the fringe of his curling oily ocks, the bawk outline of his face mo- entarily silhouetted against the phos- phorescence astern as he glanced to ledward, all lent him an appearance f another day. I could almost im- gine I caught the gleam of silver but d horse pistols and cutlasses at his waist. I brooded in wonder at what I bad een and how little I had explained. he number of boats, sufficient for a aft of three times the tonnage; the pacify of the foc'sle with its ghteen bunks, enough for a passen- er ship—what did it mean? And this Id, unkempt, villainous crew with its aster and his almost ridiculous con- trast of neatness and filth --did Dr. chermerhoru realize to what he bad sted himself and his precious expe- tion, whatever it might be? The lights of shore had sunk. The aughing Lass staggered and Ieaped. yously with the glory of the open ea. She • seemed alone on the bosom the ocean, and for the life of me I aid not but feel that I was embark - on some desperate adventure. The tion was utterly illogical. That I ew well. In sober thought I, a re- rter, was shadowing a respectable d venerable scientist, who in turn was probably about to investigate at ngth some little known deep sea cen- times of phenomena of an unexplored and. But that did not goatee to my agination. The ship, its surround- gs, its equipment, its crew—all read ntastic. So much the better story, I ought, shrugging my shoulders at t. a 1 i ii w 3 to r r wi s fru 11 G o 3 Df ng po e CEtAPTEII X. 1t my watch below the next morning I met Percy Darrow, In many ways be i$ or was the most extraordinary of my many xcquaintiinces. During that first half hour's chat with him I changed my mind at least a dozen times. One mo- ment I thought him clever, the next an utter ass; now I foundhim frank, open, a good companion, eager to please, and then a droop of his blond eyelashes, a lazy, impertinent drawl of his voice, a hint of half bored coni descension in his manner, convinced me that he was shy and airectkd. In a breath I appraised him as intellect. ual, a fool, a shallow naiad, a deep schemer, an idler and an enthusfast, One result of his spasmodic coati - demos was to throw a doubt uport their accuracy. This (night be what be desired, or With equal probability it might be the chance reflection of a childish and aimless iemlabilttj. He was tell and slender and pale, languid of mox'ereent, length) off eye, languid of speech. }lis eyes drooped, half closed beneath blond brows. A long wiry heed lazily twisted a rather affected blond mustache. 1113 voice drawled his speech in a manner either insufferably condescending and haper- tineet or leeffabty* tired—who cotlld tell *tithe I found him leveling timeline the tet - rail, his ianguid graceful figure sup - potted byhis eIbaws, his chin parte[ against his hand. leaf 1: iepproaeleed the binnacle ho raised his eyeit and thil- NIIIIIIII ffPlulP111POCM 1l1I11'd9lg,Id IMMIIp,lll firer, h, JiVegetablePrepor'atjonror- s- silnilatiaatteFooddndI e uta- iiiig thz Stom tchs and Bowels. cf .c*rrn a+� ••ver..., Jl Promotes Digesfion,Cheerfu1- Hess and Rest.Contains neither Oplutn,Morpiline nor Literal. NOT NAZICr'QT"IC. par/"iacf aid7lrSittliZZI741=2 Pumpkin J'eed - illx.Ser za Roadie Sales - .dure Srad . Apparaint - ,fi2 artectv4.fa4p, Jfarm.reed - �lnirf<d fr7r� . iii &rep ecrz /Zvi `e Aperfect Remedy for Constipa- tion, Sour Stol[lach,Diar'rh:iea, Worms,Conv;Iisions,Feverish- tiess and Lases or vl.EEz Facsimile Signature of ave-ii/fraik 1,TEW YORK. w icy '('or Infants and Children. Tho NM You Have Always Bought Bears tho Signature of In Use For Over Thirty Years EXACT COPY OP WRAPPER. Yr THr CENTAOR COMP M NY. t" m!; :�Rt «nik:,y, .<..,.e -.t .19.x.. :`3,t:W Sr: •-�. ,t.F.{•. .t., _S �?. �X,'. , _ . 1 NEW YORK CITY. dolled me to him. The insolence or it was so superb that for a moment I was angry enough to ignore him. Then I reflected that I was here not to stand on my personal dignity, but to get In- formation. I joined him. "You are the mate?" be drawled, "Since I am on the quarter deck," I snapped back at him. He eyed me thoughtfully while he rolled with one band a corn husk Mexi- can cigarette. "Do you know where you are go- ing?" he inquired at length. "Depends on the moral character of my future actions," I rejoined tartly. He allowed a smile to break and fade, then lighted his cigarette, "The first mate seems to have it re- markable command of language," said he. I did not reply. "Well, to tell you the truth 1 don't know where we are going," he con- tinued. "Thought you might be able to inform me. Where did this ship and its precious gang of cutthroats come from anyway?" "Meaning mer "Oh, meaning you, too, for all I know," he shrugged weatrily. Sudden- ly ho turned to me and ]aid his hand "I'ou are the motet" he drawled'. on my shoulder with one of those sud- den bursts of confidence I came later to recognize and look for, but lu which I could never quite believe—nor disbe- lieve. "1 nm eaten with curiosity" be stat- ed in the least curious voice 1n the world. "1 suppose you know who hIs nibs is?" "Dr. Schermerhorn, do you mewl?" "'Yeti. Well, I've been with him ten years. 1 am his right hand men. All his bo*lreers 1 transact down to the last pewee. I even order his meals. Ht* diece eriml have taken shape in My bands. Suddenly he gets a freak. He will go oa a yoyage, Where? I Man lbeow In good time. II'or What purpose? Same answer. What at- esmanod attontf shall I teats? X **- potence the Worst shock of my Me— lee will engage them htamsetf. what arletttiiie apparatus? $hock lets. 2—he Will Attend to that. Is there anything 1 dirt de?' 'What do yolz auppose he scot' '"l low should I know?* X asked. "Zoo shoUld know 1* the muse of intelligent tosmatsation with ine," be stlriernited. '. Wall, he, ;fid old island diekerni to +wilt, the tertcbrated thought* iritilttlltla. i*etatENto or , *yea. � boat. phi, Perm, yea ere ail alone en e. fia'set't Waned pl,ecod Mad that you will .. tat tan. thole stoats, feed.whilla wIttsitit yourself all you would buy to bereoiiie fortable. Go out and buy me thou things --in abundance: Those wereanyi directions." He putted. What does he pay you?" be asked. "Enough," I replied. "More than enough by a good deal, I'll bet," he rejoined. "The old food He ought to have left It to me. What is this craft? Have you ever sailed on her before?" "Ifo." "Have any of the crew?" I replied that I believed alt of them. were Selover's men. He threw the cigarette butt into the sea and turned back, "Wen, I wish you joy of your double^ wages," he mocked. So he knew that, after all! How much more of his ignorance was pre- tended I bad no means of guessing.. His eye gleamed sarcastically as he sauntered toward the companionway: Handy Solomon was at the wheel, steering easily with one foot and ars elbow. His steel hook lay fully ex- posed, glittering in the sunlight. Dar- row glanced at it curiously and at the' man's,beadgear. - "Well, my genial pirate," he drawl- ed, "If you had a line to At that book you'd be equipped for fishing." The man's teeth bared like an animal's, but Darrow went on easily as though un- conscious of giving offense, "It 1 we><'e"' you, I'd have it arranged so the hook would turn backward as well as for- ward. It would be handier for some things—fighting, for instance." He passed on down the companion. Handy Solomon glared after hint, then down at his hook. Ile bent his erns this way and that, drawing the hook toward him softly, as a eat does her claws. His eyes cleared, and a look of admiration crept Into them. "By God, he's right!!!" he muttered, and after a moment: "I've wore that ten year and never thought of it. The little son of a gun!" He remained staring for a moment at the hook. Then he looked up and caught my eye. His own turned quiz - eked, He shifted his quid and begat to hum: (To be Continued.)' CO YEARS ' EXPERIENCE TRADE MARKS COPYRIGHTS &C. Anyone lending a sketch and deshrlption in$T Quickly tweertain Our opinion free whether an invention lei probably •pate tSnie.emmuntea. tionastrictly consdentrei. mustic001on Pstentf Genttree.oldesta etncyforcedarnRppatents. Patent$ taken tbronarh Munn * t:o,teoejOe special notice, without charge, in the Scientific JImerkea. A handsomely *illustrated Weekly. Largest clr. Canoed a,,, :i.7se years ppostiae prepaid, Terms Soldrby all bow ealer,. MUNN & Co. tl18r6161ay, New York . sxzezh Oldee, ta2b li' 8t„ Washington, D. tk IT PAYS TO .A DVEETIS1 IN THE TIMES