The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-01
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CHAPTER ].

Cyrus Ryder. the president CT the Soutf
Pacific Exploitation Company. had at las
got hold OF "proposition'-all Ryder's
schemes were, IN his ycrnacular, PROPOSE
tions"-that was not only profitable beyond
precedent or belief, but thai also was
wonderful TO say. more or less legitimate
He had got an island"
He had not discovered II.
Ryder had not felt a deck under his
Shoes for twenty years other than the prom
onade deck OF the ferryboat. San Rafael
shat takes him home to Berkeley every
evening after business hours. He had
not discovered 1t. but "Old Rosemary
captain OF the barkentine Scottish Chief, OF
B!yth. had done that very thing. and. dying
before he was able 10 perfect the title. had
made over his interest in IT to his best
friend and old comrade. Cyrus Ryder.
"oid Rosemary" / am told first landed
on the island-it Is called PAIN the later
sixties He established its location and
took its latitude and longitude. but as
minutes and degrees mean nothing 10 the
lay reader. let it be said that the island
OF Paa lies just below the equator. some
200 miles west OF the Gilberts and Loo
miles due east from Brisbane, in Australia
1t is six miles long. three wide. and be-
cause OF the prevailing winds and pre-
cipitous character of the coast can only be
approached from the west during Deem
Der and January.
0OlQ Rosemafy sanded on the 1slanc,
raised the American flag. had the crew wit
ness the document. By virtue Of which he
made himself the possessor. and then. re-
turning 10 San Francisco. forwarded TO the
Secretary OF State. at Washington. appli-
cation for title.
This was withheld till II could be shown
that no other nation hal prior claim.
While odd Rosemary was working out
the proof he died. and the whole matter
was left in allegiance till Cyrus Ryder took
II up.
BY then there was a new Secretary in
Washington. and times were changed. so
that the Government of Ryder's native
land was not so averse toward acquiring
Eastern possessions. The Secretary OF
States wrote to Ryder to say that the ap-
plication would be granted upon furnlsi1-
ing a bond for 10000 and you may believe
that the bond was forthcos,inE
For in his first report upon Paa "Old
Rosemary" had used the magic word
'guano." lie averred. and his crew at
tested over their sworn statements, that
Paa coveted TO an average depth OF
six feet with the STUFF. so that this last and
biggest of "Cy" Ryder's propositions was
q vast slab of an extremely marketable
product six feet thick, three miles wide and
six miles long.
But no sooner had the title been granted
than there came a dissolution in the pro-
cecdings that until then had been going
forward smoothly. Ryder called the
Three Black Crows to him at this juncture,
one certain afternoon in the month Of
april. They were his very best agents.
The plurIs that the company" had at
its disposal generally west to tine trio. and
IL any man could put through" a danger
Gus and desperate piece OF work Strakher.
HardeHberg and Ally Bazan were those
men.
OF late they had beep unlucky. and the
Ia IL a
ended in failure CT cataclysmic proportions.
yet ranked In Ryder's memory. but he had
no one else TO whom he could intrust the
present proposition, and he still believed
Hardenherg 20 be the best boss his
list.
/: Paa was to be fought. for Hardenberg.
backed by Strakher and Ally Bazan. was
the man of all men for the job. for 1t
looked as though Ryder would not get the
island of Paa without q fight after all,
and nitrate beds were worth fighting for.
you see. boys. It's this way Ryder ex-
planned TO the three as they sat around the
spawned table In the grimy back room Of
Kyder's office"
Its this way. There's a scovy after
Paa I'm told; he says he was there before
Rosemary which Is a lie. and that his
Government has given him title. He's got
a Kind OF dough dish up Portland way and
starts for Paa soon as ever he kin mt
gus there afore we do and takes possession
it'll take fifty years o. having an intunc-
tioning 10 git him orr So hustle Is the
word Tor you from tie word co.
I'VE got a good start O the scovy. He
can't put to sea within a week. while over
yonder in Oakland Basin there's the Idaho
Lass. as good schooner, boys, as ever
wore paint. all ready, but to fit her new
sails on her. Ye kin do 1t in less than no
time. The stores will be goin' into her
while yere workin. and within the week
i expect to see the Idaho Lass showing her
heels to the Preside.
you see the point now. boys II We beat
the scovy--his name is Petersen. and his
boat is called the Elftruda-we're to the
wind'a ard OF pretty pot o. money. II he
gets away before you do-well there's no
telin'. We probly lose the island.
CHAPTER II.
About ten days before the morning set
for their departure went over to the Oak
land Basin to see how the Three Black
Crows were getting on.
Hardenberg welcomed me as my boat
bumped along side and, extending great
tarry paw, hauled me over the rail.
The schooner was q wilderness OF con-
fusion. with the sails covering. apparently,
nine-tenths of the decks. the remaining
tenth encountered by spars, cordage.
tangled rigging. chains. cables and the
like. all helter-skeltered together IN such
a haze of entanglements that my heart
misgave me as looked on it