Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-19

about on a level with where ours should
have been, only much farther inland-a big
nsht l saw 1t was, as my eyes got the sleep
out Of them, and burning steadily.
AS stared, puzzled beyond expression
l all at once heard the sound of muff1ed
snorting and churning faint IN the distance
"a noise as If shoal of grampus We're
coming down the straits.
Listening and staring, there suddenly
rose to mind fragments of the first talk I'd
heard between Peter and the Dutchman
about lights and bearings. Then, somehow.
came a connection between that and the
tail-block and the coil Of ratline stuff.
Then, l don't know how it happened, but
in second-perhaps you've experienced
something of the kind-my brain seemed
cleared of cobwebs, as if broom inside
had swept across it sharply, and the whole
plan lay before me plain mud in wine
glass. And 1 laughed; yes. sir. l assure
you. did. for l saw my time had come at
last. The puff, puff and wheezy painting
was sounding nearer; and, looking steadily
and hard into the distance / could see Il
long way up the straits a shower of sparks
like a swarm of firetlies, but which knew
marked the whereabouts Of the Badger,
burning Nagasaki coal.
She was approaching obliGuely, over
from the Celebes side, heading about west
Souwes to pick up Mat Arts light: then,
according to the sailing directions, she
would straighten up west-by-sou, keeping
the light four points on her starboard bow
to clear the reef. Now, with the light In
its present position, she would, if unsus-
picious-and it was the merest chance that
anybody on board observed the change
crash right on to the outermost edge of the
reef, and go down in deep water as others
had done before her 1t was a trap con-
ceived with perfectly diaboical cunning
and ingenuity, the site of the false light
having evidently been determined most
carefully and scientifically, not too far to
excite the lookouts distrust, and yet near
enough by half-a-point to prove effectual.
Puff-puff churn, churn, participant. An
other twenty minutes, and it would be all
up with II. M. S. Badger. But, knowing
exactly what to do-holding two honors
and the ace. SO to speak, wassas cool as
a cucumber, and except for that trembling
about the legs, my own man again. That
l had been drugged or poisoned by an in
sufficient dose / more than suspected. Just
then, however, l didn't bother my head
about that. l wanted to renew the light
on Mat Arts. Round the caboose in which
the lantern used to hang, as I've told you,
for all the world like a leg, of mutton in
meat safe, ran lockers filed with tins of
kerosene, waste. rope, oakum and such
matters. Knocking in the heads of ecu
pie Of the tins, ! poured the oil over all
literally. saturating everything. After this,
a match was ali that was needed. and be-
fore l was half way along the bridge the
flames were six feet high. Just looking
in her den to see that the bag wasn't
there. l went down the ladders like lamp
lighter, and ran along the bank toward
where l knew the false beacon must be-
swung high aloft in some tree.
over logs and stumps l stumbled look
ing back now and again at the big tall
glare till, rounding point, the dense for
est shut 1t from sight. Getting along some
how, l stopped at last and listened But /
could hear nothing of the Badger. Inland
however. high overhead, hung the light.
Pulling out my sheathknife i made for It
he'll for leather, through bush and briar
AS guessed, it was hung to tree and
feeling all around, l soon found the rope
Delayed to root, and before you could
say Jack Robinson I'd slashed 1t through
and was watching the lantern coming down
by the run when a fellow jumped out of the
dark and muzzied me round the throat.
Hello Peter, ! said, as l returned the
compliment, you see the coffee wasn't
strong enough. hadn't time to say much,
being very busy, for the brute, in spite of
the opium, was stronger than l thought
and l weaker. Down we went, rolling over
and over. while, to make things warmer
the lantern capsized, and, setting fire to
the coarse grass, 1t blazed up all about u.s.
Also the bag, with big club in her fist
was dancing around screeching blue nnur-
der. but afraid to hit. so closely entangled
were we. I still grasped my knife. 1 could
see Peters also CLEAN as we turned and
writhed. Presently 1 felt a sharp pain in
my shoulder, and knew ! was stabbed.
That made me real mad. and as we rolled
away a bit from the fire the bag made a
smack at me, but, missing. caught Peter
to drop the knife. He stretched out to re-
cover 1t. and 1 got home on him till felt
the wooden haft jar against his ribs.
He went limp all in a minute, exactly
like one Of those bladders the children
play with If you shove pin into it.
Well, we'd rolled down a bank into a bit
Of a swamp. and when the bag saw what
had happened she gave one yell and
jumped fairly on top OF me, and got her
stick to work in great style. AS YOU may