Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-03-16

Night came about s o'clock, dark
and starless. 1t was best to get to
work right away and we were to start
about Q. But a little before that we
heard shots and the noise of a rum
pus, faint. but distinct. in the distant.
something was up, certain sure, and in
the direction OF the bay, for the sounds
came from the yacht.
Better lot poke our noses into any
row, hot till were driven to IT," the
major said Quietly, The nights young
yet. We've got II all before u.s."
So we waited half an hour, and
were on the point OF starting out on
an expedition when we heard a sound
OF oars approaching.
What could 1t -mean7
Then came a low "Hellol Jacob
Silverton ahoy!" In Joe's voice, and he
was soon alongside, in a boat that be-
longed to the Fleur de Lis. He said
so anyway. and we were bound to be-
l!eve him, although 1t was a eonfound-
edly queer story.
While he waited among the rocks he
still kept his lookout on the yacht. ALI
though II had fallen dark, he Could
make out her hull on the water plaifls
~: there were lights, too, aboard. With
streakB and reflections strong enough
to show up parts OF her.
Suddenly he saw a figure dropping
out OF the stern into the yachts dim
sey, which seemed to have been put
| there on purpose, and which, anyway,
as quickly cast adrift, for II foated
slowly and silently away The Tide
was making for the bay, and she
must have been caught on the current,
which carried her inshore. Half way
to the land the figure, which had no
doubt been crouching In the bottom.
out of sight, got up on to the thwarts
and began pulling like mad.
must know more about this boat and
the man in It; so he got up on to the
top OF the rocks, where there was q
better surface, and ran all he knew to
the head of the bay. following the
sound of the oars and getting a squint
now and again Of the black smudge or
the dingey. He came upon II as last,
high and dry on the shore.
But the man was gone.
Joe was a smart skipper; he knew
what he had to do, and that was to
pass on his news to US. The quickest
way would be to row out in the din
gey; SO he ran her back into the water
and pulled out to the sea, coasting the
far side and giving the yacht a VIC
berth.
When almost off It, q fierce row
broke out aboard. Six shooters were
let off, several shots, pretty quickly
followed by yells and curses. Joe saw
that the disturbance was heard on
shore: lights began to dance about In
the village, and the alarm was given.
They'll soon have the gendarmes on
their backs. Now's our time. Well
take the dingey back; 1t will be an ex-
cuse for getting on board" said the
major. "Sharp's the word. skipper.
Man the boat, every soul you can
spare, cas- loose n give way"
A shore boat was already alongside
when we got to the yacht; II had
brought the authorities, for when we
hailed the answer came In French to
keep off, that the police were In charge,
and If we had anything TO say 1t must
be by daylight.
Anyway, we'd better bring the tug
into the bay and lie close handy
against the morning" l suggested, and
the advice was considered good, al
though the skipper did not much like
the job Of entering a strange place In
the dead OF night.
There were more difficulties made
mex day, and 1t was quite late before
the major and set foot on the Fleur
de Lis. Some more big French toads
had come off from shore-a magistrate,
one or two doctors, and an officer OF
gendarmes-and they had begun a
verbal process" as 1t Is called; for
there had been wounding and attempt
ed murder, so they said, on board the
yacht.
The long and the short of 1t was
that the rogues had fallen out among
themselves; with good reason, too,
from the point Of view Of some of
them. McQuahe, the colonel from
Klondike, had fallen out with Lawford
for assisting our captain to scape
from the yacht, and loosed off at him
directly Wood was missed. He was n
quick shooter and had pretty we'll
filed Lawford up with lead, so full
that 1t might go hard with him.
But, at his own request, they let
Major Thornhill have some talk with
him, in which a little light vas thrown
on recent proceedings. William Wood
has been brought thus far in the
Fleur-de-Lis, a close prisoner, but by
Lawford's help had broken out and
got to shore in the dingey. He, Of
was the man Joe had seen.
Questioned as to the confidential pa
pers, and whether they were or board,
Lawford shook his head.
THE duke has stuck to them.
There's money in them. a big pile, and
he's crossing the pond by tomorrow's
mail to sell them 20 Uncle Sam. Guess
you won't overtake him. and If you
try to stop him or landing he'll lhave
the American government on his side.
They're hungering for those papers,
you bet"
You are positive they are not here?'
Thornhill.
Don't / tell you? I'm likely to get
nothing more from this crowd except
my death, and it's to my advantage to
serve the other side. If you want those
you must look for them on the
Chattahoochee, and she leaves South
ampton tomorrow Sunday morning"
1t was now only the afternoon Of
Saturday, and we might have lone 1t
well starting back full steam ahead at
once. But French police and French
are a sight slower and more
interfering than the British, and they
all of us to sign a new verbal
process" all about ourselves. The for
were not completed by Sun
day morning, and by the time we were
ready to start for England the Chatta-
hoochee must have already left the So
We made, therefore, for Weymouth.
nearest point, and landed late that
night. Thence the major and / took
he cars for London, neither Of us re-
markably happy, for the whole bloom
ing business was more or less Of
fzzle.
CHAPTER X.
CAPTAIN WOOD RESUMES.
After an interminable drive, still
o,,nl o nd onuUn1 4 N q Last fA.n $3.50,