Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-01-19

certainly existed At scme timc or otn-
er. As for the other captains wEo run
out here, doubt if they would bother
about it, either"
But would not you much honra
gain, and una gran recompcusa from
Ia sociedad geografica, if the correct
report of su posicion you did send
them?"
"Oh, the Royal society is always
glad to get anything of the kind, and
they like to have every captain send
in what information he can, still, a
merchant skipper wouldn't be expect
ed TO go out of his course for such
search. The warships are supposed
to &c most of the surveying. You
know, padre"
"Ah, 81, that | Go know. of course.
But, as you say, they come not often
TO the Ladrones. Well perhaps while
I Ia gran narracion de las Islas am
writing, l may be able 10 make un eN-
animation with those native proas you
did speak of. If so, the true posicion
of every roca V isla in the archipelago
will send to you. Then los capitanos
the name of el Padre Sebastiano will
bless; is It not 500"
why, padre, if you're really going
to write a book on the group, I've no
objection to helping you out all / can.
Bound as we are for Guajan, ii
wouldn't take us more than a few
hours out of our way to pass the po-
sition of that reef and take sound
ing or two, if you think ii would be
worth while. But you'd have to make
it right with my primero, Mr.. Diaz.
He feels pretty sore about having to
overhaul his cargo on account of our
shifting about; you see, Guajan has
always been our last stop, and all the
Agana stuff is in the lower hold. But
if you can persuade him that there is
a chance of glory and thanks in it, he
may feel in better humor. You go talk
to Diaz and Moreno; say that it'll give
them five or six hours more to get their
stuff up, and work 1t in as a favor TO
the church. Then !. they come to me
and say they'd like TO take a whack
at Santa Rosa, I'll head her a quarter
further east in the morning"
"Ah, captain, have the fear you are
un hereie; you do make the joke upon
the padres. But you are un benevolo,
so you forgive II primero / will see
and him absolve. Buenas noches."
When Padre Sebastiano was out of
hearing Halstead and ! looked at each
other. His expression must have been
a reflection of my own, for it said, as
plainly as words:
"Well, what do you think of that
1 shook my head. 1t was little too
much for me. We smoked in silence
for several minutes. Then the captain
sauntered out on deck to be sure there
was no one near, and carefully closed
the door when he returned.
"What l am trying to figure out"
he said, SIS whether that oily old duck
is convinced that we are interested in
the reef, or whether his suspicious
have been so completely lulled by the
accident that he thinks it safe to med
die with it on his own account"
"Your impression is, then, that his
book on the islands is nothing but a
fake?"
"M'-blessed If | know what my i'm
preston is. II he were really plan
ming such a work, nothing would be
more natural than the questions he
asked, or his anxiety to obtain all pos
sible information These islands have
never been written up; there isn't
even n cyclopedia that devotes more
than a thousand words to them, most
ly relating to their discovery and moth
ing else; and it would be n natural ex-
planation of such a trip undertaken
by man of his position and learning. |
On the other hand, every word and ac-
ton might easily be construed as in
dications of a secret purpose connect
ed with that reef. l guess the only |
safe thing is to accept the last suppo- |
sition and keep him from making any |
thing out of it. We fooled him on the |
accident, anyhow"
"H'm-fooled ourselves little, toe,
didn't we? You didn't count upon an
actual crack in that shaft, did you?"
''What! Do you mean to say that,
knowing all about it, you Well,
I'm! That's a compliment to Mac. |
Why. man alive, he made that scratch
with n Cape chisel while she was max
ing 90 turns, then filed it with lamp |
black and oil He took the screws out |
Of the tank brackets and fixed them |
with wooden plugs, SOS 1T would fall |
straight when she rolled to leeward, |
and the hammer he used-that made il
sound so hollow-had "A wooden head
with plumbago. The shaft
is rs sound as a new dollar, but We'll /
nave to put few of those clamps on
It to carry out the deception"
"Well. you fooled me completely.
For an impromptu accident, it was n
bowling success. Old Palacios won't
move six feet from a life-prcserver for
;he rest or the voyage. But how about
those soundings2 Are you really go
'ug to take them?'
We'll. | Eathr- guess am. as par
ticular favor to my friend ell Padre Sc
oastiano. And, being quite interested
in his Forthcoming book, | shall use
every endeavor, within the time that L
,an spare, to make a thorough search
for It. But I'm very much afraid-very
that he'll be no wiser than he was be-
lol why, hdlIS, IL nave Stccleu
straight for the place myself, If
I'd dared But further irregularities
so soon after the accident wouldn' t do.
Now I'm obliging the padre; and, by
thunder. I've got him just where I
want him"
CHAPTER VII.
Next morning the result of Padre
Sebastiano's discussion with the two
mates was apparent, for Diaz came to
tba oant min md broa ched thp sIrbipct |