The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-01-28


on the 4th, SO told DE Garma that
I'D take all lie could get together next
trip. ltll come dribblipg along, two
or three bags at u time, according to
how the islanders happen to feel about
working; and there isn't man in the
western Pacific who would steal the
stuff, or handle any more of it than he
was actually obliged to-that is.
among the native population. Where
those bags are dumped, under that
shed, there they stay until the steam
er comes to ship them. don't believe
Sebastiano himself could induce ma
tive to disturb them; and the whites
out here don't believe in manual labor
at all.'
ooh! begin to catch the idea. Pack
the treasure inside of them at night
and let 1t lie in those innccent-looking
copra bags until you come back, Ell?
BY Jove, old chap, that beats my
ghost-haunted assure all hollow.
We'll call that settled. guess we've
covered everything likely to come up
before you get back. Now, what day
shall look for you?"
"This is Sunday, the 10th. I'll get
away from here by Tuesday morning
at the latcst-the 2lst. Two weeks
from that would he May Sand four
daysmore? You can look for the steam
err off Orote Saturday morning, May
0, about sunrise. And be mighty care
full you don't let anyone suspect she's
coming before the middle of July; not
even Scnorita Dorotea. by the way,
what are you going to do about that
young lady?"
"For instancc?"
ooh, shucks, Harry! don't beat about
the bush. If that girl continues to help
you us she has. and keeps her mouth
shut, she's trump. Are you going to
sail away and leave her at the end of
the world with merely conventional
promise to call if you ever happen to be
in Spain when she's living there?"
NO, I'm not, old one. When the
Countess of Devon change owners, tits
possible that Senorita Dorotea may
have an interest in her. My mind has
been pretty we'll occupied with this
speculation of ours for the past two
weeks, but-well- How's Gracia?"
"You'll see for yourself when ye>go
below for breakfast. She thinks good
deal of Senior Enriquito-tells me all
the time that don't half appreciate his
friendship for me; SO you're welcome
to be as brotherly or cousinly as you
please with her, especially as she's likely
to sail with US on the Hong Kong voy-
age" 81. e,.,,., -. -,
"Real1y? Good! The girls ought to
be very chummy together. But. say,
suppose anything should happen to ME,
or, through some unforeseen misfor-
tune, l should lose the stuff? If you'd
contracted to buy the ship, and support
wife in the bargain, you'd be in a good
deal Of a hole. After all, Dick, it's a
frightful big gamble. And don't know
that you're justified in taking chances"
ooh, bosh! Id like to know what
chances I've taken, or am likely TO
take, compared with yours. I've got
$4,000 in gold, right here on this table, i
to dc with as I see fit; could get mar
ried and skip with even that much,
couldn't L? And I'm likely to sit UP
nights worrying about a partner who
went under water for me IN mid ocean,
bottled up in a diving Suit, who tumbled
off submarine prccipice and man
aged to get OIL top again, who's been
proving about with ghosts and skele-'
tons, and who hit an island, 450 miles
away, with proa, as plumb as if he'd
had it fast to a cable; amt l? Why,
man, you've got more lives than a Kill
kenny cat! / reckon 1 can stand the
chances if you can"
'Well, We'll do our level best and hope
that everything'll come out all right.
I'm not particularly interested in zap,
so Ill start back in an hour or two
and get down to business .a-.,.e ~
"Not much you won't. 1t was pretty
good navigating TO make the island as
you did, running before the wind; but
going back is another. natter, You'd,
have to make n reach of 400 miles nor
nor'-wes' before yon' could put about
for Guajan, and you couldn't Ego 49,
hours without sleep. OF course, you
could get the sun and figure about
where You were: but it might take u
week, standing off and on; and we can't
afford either the risk or the time. AS it
happens. there are two Pouynipete
Spaniards aboard who want TO reach
Agana this voyage; but under the Cir,
cumstances Id run you up there re-
CARELESS of consequences. reckon-that
letters from Sebastlano andsDe Gar1na
will smooth over the irregularities of
this trip, and when VIC own the Count
ess can 10 as please with her," = y.
Here the conversation was drowned
by the whistle, as we signaled for
pilot off Toml bay; and by six bells
we were anchored opposite Rul. inside
the reefs. The cura Juan was almost
paralyzcd when l shook hands with
him. How my presence on the steamer
was possible, when he had last seen me
rowing ashore at Apra, he simply could
not understands; and when Diaz told
him of my being picked up at sea, he
crossed himself several times. That
the natives sailed from one island to
another, in the Cnrolincs, he knew, but
the trips were seldom long ones, and
very rarely beyond sight of land.
CHAPTER Mi.
The next three days passed very pleas