Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-07-18
P XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
OR once the humorous express
sion had vanished from Cap
tain Kempts face, and that
- good natured man sat in the
dainty drawing room Of the fat a pic
ture Of perplexity. Dorothy had told
him the story Of the nihilist saying
she intended to purchase the yacht and
outlining what she proposed to do with
1t when it was her own. Now she sat
silent opposite the genial captain, while
Katherine stood by the window and
talked enough for two, sometimes wax
ing indignant and occasionally giving
IN terse language an opinion Of her
father, as is the blessed privilege Of
every girl born in the land Of the free,
while the father took the censure with
the unprotesting mildness Of his ma
ture.
my dear girls, you really must listen
to reason. What you propose to do is so
absurd that it doesn't even admit Of
argument. Why, it's a flibustering
expedition, that's what it is. You
girls are as crazy as Walker Of Mica
fagua. Do you imagine that a retired
captain of the United States navy is
going to take command Of q pirate
craft of far less legal standing than
the Alabama, for then we were at war,
but now we are at peace. Do you ac-
tually propose to attack the domain Of
a friendly country? Ohw cried the
captain, with a mighty explosion Of
breath, for at this point his supply Of
language entirely gave out.
mo M would know anything about
It," persisted katherine.
mot know about it? With a crew
Of men picked up here in New York
and coming back to New York? Not
know about it? Bless my soul, the
papers would be full Of 1t before your
men were an hour on shore. In the
first place, you'd never find the rock"
"Then what's the harm Of going in
search of it," demanded his daughter.
Besides that, johnson knows exactly
where it u.s."
johnson, Johnson! You're surely
not silly enough to believe Johnson's
cock and bull story?"
II believe every syllable he uttered.
The mans face showed that he was
speaking the truth"
"But, my dear Kate, you didn't see
him at all, as I understand the yarn.
He was here alone with you, was he
not, Dorothy?"
Dorothv cpilod ood1v
Il told Kate all about it and gave
my own impression Of the mans ap-
pearance."
"You are too sensible a girl to place
any credit in what he said surely?"
II did believe him nevertheless" re-
piled Dorothy.
"Why, look you here. False in one
thing, false in all. I'll just take a sin.
gle point. He speaks Of a spring send
ing water through the cells up there
in the rock. Now, that is an impossi.
bility. Wherever a spring exists, it
comes from a source higher than it.
SELF"
"There are lots of springs up in the
mountains" interrupted Katherine. 81
know n on Mount Washington that
is ten times as high as the Rock in the
Baltic"
"Quite so, Katherine, quite so, but
nevertheless there is q lake, subter-
raneous or above ground, which feeds
your White Mountain spring, and such
a lake must be situated higher than
the spring is. Why, girl, you ought to
study MISUNDERSTANDING as we'll as
chemistry. Here is a rock jutting up
in midocean"-
cts in the Baltic, near the Russian
coast" snapped Kate, "and I've nc
doubt there are mountains in Finland
that contain the lake which feeds the
spring."
"How far is that rock from the Fin
nish coast, them?
"Two miles and a half" said Kate
quick as an arrow speeding from a
bow.
Captain, we don't know how far II
is from the coast" amended Dorothy.
"Ill never believe the thing exists
at ALL"
WY SCS - oOCoS AdlACA. A4OW SoA
you speak like that? Don't you know
Lieutenant Drummond fired at it,"
How do you know it was the SAM
rockw
Because the rock fred back at him
There can't be two like that in tho
Baltic"
mo, o one either said the cap
tain, nearing the end of his patience.
Captain Kempt," said Dorothy yer,
s%oothingly. as If she desired to quel
the rising storm, you take the allega
ton about the spring of water to prove
that Johnson was telling untruths.
expect him here within an hour, and
will arrange that you have an oppor
tunity, privately, Of cross examining
him. think when you see the mar
and listen to him you will believe
What makes me so sure that he is tell
ing the truth is the fact that he men
toned the foreign vessel firing at thii
rock. which I knew to be true, ant
which he could not possibly have learn
ed anything about"
Gle might very well have learned al
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