Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-07-19

SIlIll.
He would neither talk to me nor
would he let me 20.
stop where YOU are. Bunny. I've
things to tell YOU. Can YOU swim:"
"A bit"
"Tcn miles,"
"Ten:" burst out laughing. Not
one. Why do YOU ask"
I'VE shall be within Il ten miles
swim of the shore most OF the day"
What on earth are YOU driving at.
Raflles:"
Nothing. Only l shall swim for it
if the worst comes to the worst. l
suppose you can't swim under water
at all:"
I did not answer his question. l
scarcely heard it. Cold beads were
bursting through my skin.
why should the worst come to the
worst:" l whispered. We aren't found
out, are we?"
No"
Then why speak as though we
were:"
I'VE may be. An old enemy of ours
is on board"
AN old enemy?"
"Mackenzie."
Never"
Tho mar with the beard who came
aboard last
Are You Sure:"
"Sure.. l vas only sorry to see YOU
didn't recognize him too"
l took my handkerchief to my face.
Now that l thought of it there had
been something familiar in the old
mans gait as we'll rs something rather
youthful for his apparent years. His
very beard seemed u~nconvincing now
that l recalled it in the light of this
horrible revelation. l looked up and
down the deck, but the old man was
nowhere to be seen.
That's the worst of it," said Ratfles.
Il saw him go into the captains cabin
twenty minutes ago.
But what can have brought him:"
l cried miserably. Can it be a coinci-
dence. Is it somebody else he's after::'
Ratiies shook his head.
Hardly this time"
"Then YOU think hes after you?"
GIVE besn afraid of it for some
weeks"
Yet there you stand"
What am l to do? 1 don't want to
swim for it before must. l begin to
wish I'd taken your advice, Bunny. and
left the ship at Genoa. But I've not
the smallest doubt that Mac Was
watching both ship and station til! t,c
last moment. That's Why he ran it 50
fine"
he took a cigarette and handed re
the case, but l shook my head impa-
tiently.
Il still don't understand said /.
Why should he be after YOU? He
couldn't come all this way about a
jewel which was perfectly safe 70" all
he knew. What's your own theory:"
simply that he's been on my track
for some time, probably wei since
friend Crawshay slipped clean through
his fingers last November. There haze
been other indications. | am really
not unprepared for this. Put il can
only be pure suspicion. I'll defy him
to bring anything home. and I'll defy
him to find the pearl. Theory, my dear
Bunny! | know how he's got here as
we'll as though I'd been inside that
Scotchman's skin, and | know what
he'll do next. He found out I'd zone
abroad and looked for a motive. He
found out about Won Houmann and
his mission, and there was his motive
cut and dried. Great ~chance-to nab
me on a new job altogether. But he
won't do it, Bunny. Mark my words.
he'll search the ship and search rs ali
when the loss is known, but He'll
search in vain. And there's the skipper
reckoning the whippersnappor to his
cabin. The fat will be in the fire in
five minutes",
Yet there was no conflagration. no
fuss, no searching Of the passengers
no whisper Of what had happoncd in
the air. Instead Of a stir there was
portentous peace, and it was clear t,
me that Rafles was not a little dis.
turbed at the Justification Of M hl-
predictions. There was something sin
lister in silence under Suc!! - lJs2. All /
the silence was sustained fo! hours.
during which Mackenzie .r"cy rr!.,.
pearcd. But he Was abroad du".I. Az,
luncheon hOar-hc was IN oar ca IL,
1 had left ny book III Ri..:.n&' Icrtl.
and III taking it after lunch touch, |
the quilt. 1t was warm from lii. r.
cent pressure Of flesh ana blood. ana
on an instinct | sprang to the voi.tE
lator. As | opened it the ynntilator
opposite closed with q snap.
l waylail Ralilcs. "All right. Let
him find the pearl"
"IIavc you dumped it ~Ovcrboard?'
That's a question l sllan't comic.
sccnd to answer"
He turned on his heel, ANA AT Subsr.
qucnt intervals | saw him making the
most Of his last afternoon with the III.
cyitablc Miss Werner. g"n"un"r
tina she looked both cOol ana s'..art
In quite 4 simple affair Of brown hol.