The times., 1901-06-16

7
| but for a foreign twaug more pronounced
/ at times than at others. and after which
/ he shut up like knife and spoke mostly
, ir gruntS. He brought with him IN the
/ boat. together with much galley furni-
/ ture. four heavy coils of stuff marked: !:
/ Special rubber-tiring for pump and
! bearing the ticket of first-class sydney
! firm of ironmOugers. l. was carefully
/ sewn up in stout canvas; and. Rafael
! saying that the gentlemen wished it to
/ be put In their berth. we lugged ii inside
] and slowed it away in one of the spare
! hunks.
Where's the pump?" ! asked.
Don't know replied Rafael, ErinninS;
I Il heard say it was for diving ma
/ chine. Perhaps it's at the other end
/ None of my business, anyhow.
! Then he took possession of the galley as
/ if he knew his work, and / bothered my
head about him no further.
/ odd watermeu now began TO arrive with
| articles of personal ugEaSe-portmah-
! teaus. = pair of fiat trunks. etc. ANA at
/ last one dark, muggy night round the
! Dartheas boat waiting at the head rI
! Middle Harbor near an unfrequented
! track leading down the hills toward me
! Spit from the Ben Boyd Road A couple
! of hands and myself were in her: and
presently We heard voices. and then
! whistle, as two forms showed upon
! large fiat rock to which we had hooked on
''Darthea2" asked one.
Aye. aye. sir" I replied. recognizing
/ Renton's voice.
| Take these bags first, captain" said
| he handing in couple of light Glad
stones which, very wisely, was all they
had kept to carry through the hot night
along the rough road from the electric
tram-over a mile distant.
oh" said Benton, putting little, as l
slowed them away, and he and his COM
panion stepped in and we showed off, lit
will be relief to meet the ocean breeZeS
after such weather! Can we start at
once, captain?"
Certainly" ] replied: the wind is fair
for the Heads. although light. But We
4 /, 49, sl-0ier
II was too dark TO distinguish faces
and the other man as yet had not spoken
All that l could make out was that he
was slight and short, appearing quite
smothered by the big bulk Of Benton as
they sat together in the stern-shCetS. In
few minutes we were alongside and on
board: and calling Rafael to show the
pair into the cuddy | hustled around with
Phil and the rest getting under way.
As under mainsail and foresail we
swung round and began to make out into
the HarbOr. Rafael came up and said
was wanted in the cabin.
At the head of the table sat n man who
at first glance ] took to be stranger
Still, the protruding forehead and bald
head and curved beak seemed familiar.
lie nodded and laughed at my stare Of
beWilderment. and then ! knew 1t must
he Benton. But his face was now smooth
as an egg; his glasses We're gone, reveal
! ing a pair of sharp, greenish eyes; whilst
! the absence Of the mustache showed
| long. thin-linped mouth drawn tight above
the great chin. His companion was
| slight. brown, and undersized, also ctean-
| shayen; and, to judge by the blue mark
! on each cheek vivid as to be almost n
stain. quite recently so.
He was gri ming through q set OF splcn-
did teeth at my puzzlement; and his eyes.
of the color of agate ana as opaque,
showing only narrow circle OF Whltish
yellow were fixed unwiukingly on mine.
His hair was thick and coarse and curly
and at minute intervals he put up long,
slim finger and strOked bare upper lip
where ran a mark as blue and fresh as
those on his cheeks. Somehow he remind
ed me vaguely of another person seen
lately; but ! was unable to fix the rcsem-
blance just then.
MY partner. Mr.. Cornelius Sinclair" ="
said Benton, with a flourish Of his hand
toward the other. who acknowledged the
introduction By a curt nod and st!ll kept
his ugly eyes fast on my face. Take a
seat, captain" continued Benton, and
glass of wine"
There were a couple of open champagne
bottles on the table, and ] helped myself
whilst the other went on in oily, suaVe,
rounded tones that sounded like the plop-
plopping OF a shOal of Dream on quiet
night: Il sent fer you to say, captain,
that my partner and myself are, so Tar.
very pleased and satisfied with what you
have done in aiding us to escape The doom
prepared for rs by the cDWardly Wretches
" no seek our lives. And now, captain, /
may as well tell you that our destination
the harbor of refuge We have choSen-lS
-er-not far from Valparaiso on the west
coast of South America But We VIII not
require You to 90 quite so far. Friends of
my partners are. it has been arranged, TO
meet US some considerable distance OF
the coast and there, the better to hide all
trace of our flight we shall transship.
| Then. captain, as we shall have no fur
thcT use for your invaluable services, you
Will be at liberty TO return with the Oar
thea-as a parting gift. / think, Corne-
lius. l have expressed cur intentions
cledrly?'
Very much 50 indeed." replied his part
nor. twiddling away at that blue upper
lip and speaking in cordial enough tone.
contrasting SO strongly, however, with
the HOClling. S0ccring expression Of his
face as sensibly to modify the thrill OF
pleasure that ran through me as Benton
finished his speech.
Just then Phil called me, and, rising, ]
thanked the pair in few words and
went on deck, hearing. as I closed the
door. BcutOns voice raised in TcmOu-
STRANGE about something or other.
/ found the cutter just breasting the
ocean swell that comes in through the
mile-widc gap between the heads of Port
Jackson. Everything forard was in dark
ness
What's the course to be outsider"
asked Phil, as the cutter gave tumble
20 the sound Of breaking glass below.
East half south, ! replied. whilst Phil
whistled and sent hand aloft TO loosen
the gan topsai!. SO l stood there closely
watching the Darthea with the pride Of
ownership already strong in me.
pleasure were as great as my own To
realize that We, who only a few weeks
ago were about last resource. TO go
a-colliering in some grimy. crazy OLD brig
or schooner, were now owners Of Il ship
small though She might be.
III
For time after leaving the coast a
spell Of fine weather. during which Benton
and Sinclair read, smoked. played at
chess, and drank. but never to excess.
That afternoon we sighted our first ves-
sci. a huge. lead-coloTed tramp, an island
Of steel and iron topped by tail mass Of
bridges. boats and ventiiators grouped
around vast smOkcstack. half red. half
black. She was flying light, and probably
from some South American port where
she had discharged coal, and was now on
10 the Colonies for wool and frozen stun.
Don't go any closer than you can help,
captaiu,' remarked Benton. who. with
Sinclair at his side. was watching the
steamer. Perhaps they'll be inquisitiye.
An the same, we mustn't seem 10 wish
pointedly 10 avoid her
Accordingly ! kept the Darthod away
as much as l could, we being then on a
wind. But the big boats people were evi-
IDENTIFY Cl-ciuus to discover what such
tiny craft as the Darthca was doing SO
far along the Both parallel. for first she
made her number ''P. *. Z r. and then.
as we gave no reply. she asked for uTs:
also # we wanted any help. and slowed
her great bulk TO half-specd abreast of us.
whilst all the time we edged on-Ake "hy-
ing colt.
Presently, with Benton's permission.
replied that we were all right, requiring
nothing Then hosting the Australian en-
sign white. with blue cross in which
were FIVE stars. and the Union in the cor
nerve dipped II in token of farewell,
whilst the big grey mass, her puzzled
people surveying MS through many glass