Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-10-23


in the middle of the lake, had drawn
the light boat up on the sand and
had climbed the low bluff to smoke
the pipe of reflection in the shade
of the trees. 1t was here, with his
back to the bole of a great oak, that
sleep found him, shifting the pipe
from his teeth and blotting out the
hour in which the sun was sinking
behind the western hills and the
wind was rising. From this sleep
unawares he was awakened by the
whipping of the branches overhead
and the crash of tiny breakers on
the beach; and when he came alive
to the realities he sprang up quick
ly and ran down to the little cove
where he had left the boat; ran and
looked and congratulated himself
ironically; for the boat was gone.
"By Jove! | ought to have a leath-
er medal for this, and I'll get it if
they ever find out at headquarters, :"
he jeered. Hello, there! Boat
ahoy!"
4 small cat-boat with two women
and man in it was scudding down
the lake, and the involuntary Cru
soc yelled himself hoarsc. But the
wind was against him, and the cat
boat held its course toward Wa
haska, heeling smartly to the flaws.
Griffin climbed the bluff and meas
ured his chance of escape in a glance
that boxed the compass. Off to the
southwark a steam-launch was max
ing for the hotel pier, but there was
no other craft in sight save the cat
boat. Whereupon he refilled his pipe
and prepared to take the conse-
quences of his carelessness philo-
sophically, as he did most things.
81 guess I'm safe to make night
of it, but it won't be the first night
I've slept out of doors. All the
same, / hope this wind won't blow
up a rain. l wonder if | couldn't
rig up a shelter of some kind under
the lea of this kingdom of mine"
Coming down to the bluff edge to
see, his attention was once more
drawn to the yawing cat-boat. The
wind was coming - sharper flaws,
and the seamanship OF the man at
the tiller of the small craft was a
thing to be admired. He was evil
IDENTIFY making for one of the private
landings below the hotel, and as the
boat came under a hill-brollcn lea
of the shore the alternating gusts
and lulls called for quick eye and
steady nerves. Griffin was a bit of a
sailor himself, and he gave the un-
known skipper of the cat-boat his
due need of praise.
"By Jove! he's no fresh-water
sailor. Most of these countrymen
up here would have had that sail
double-reefed long ago. l wonder
who he is?"
The answer to the query was sug-
gested when the cat-boat came up
into the wind at the small pier on
the water front of the Farpham
grounds, and the suggestion wss as
the spark of fire to a train of pow
der. There was a swift succession
of minor explosions as the spark ran
along the train of conclusions in the
detectives mind, and then the crash
of a great one. Griffin sat down on
the edge of the bluff and held his
head in his hands.
Heavens and earth! What wood
en-headed tobacco signs we all are
when it comes to a showdown" he
calculated. Here I've been agoniz-
ing over this thing for a month
when the answer to all the answer
less questions has been parading in
plain sight every day. l said when
| should have found Miss Farnham's 5
lover | should have my man, but
had to be marooned out here in the
middle of the lake before | could
put two and two together. Mr..
Kenneth Griswold-alias anything
you please-it will be unlucky for
you if you can't prove up on your
record"
From apostrophising the man to
observing his movements at long
range was but step, and Griffin
whipped a field-glass from his pocket
and focused it upon the boat and
| the Farnham pier. He saw the big
sail shiver down, and a moment later
Griswold handed the two young
women up to the pier. There was a
little pause, apparently of eXpostu-
lance, on the part of the women,
and then the big sail went up again,
tapping and shiyering in the wind
like "A huge white flag. The cat-boat
edged away from the pier, fell off,
came about, and pointed its sharp
cutwater straight for the island.
Griffin shortened the glass and
dropped it into his pocket.
"Well, now; that's more than good
natured," he muttered. you may
be Il robber of banks, Mr.. Griswold,
but you've got kind heart in you"
| When the rescuer's purpose to
bring up under the lea of the island
| became evident the castaway scram-
/ bled down the low blum and made
| his way around the southern point,
| To be ready to climb aboard. The
! boat doubled the northern sand-spit
and it was waiting for him in the
! sheltered cove behind the island
when he came in sight of it. Girls
! LaE