Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-06

be compelled to march up the street
ieading back from the water front for the dis
taEce Of a block. and then turn.
The barge was abandoned, the last mutineer
to mount the landing steps permitting It to
go adrift- turn of the painter around a
eieat Would have saved it from probable de-
strrctlon by being dashed against some distant
pier by the waves, but the mutineers were too
excited to give any heed
Ihat they were excited became evident from
the scramble they made each to secure one
OF the pixies which had been tossed up on the
wharf. 1p ~ ~
Lofty realized that he must reduce them to
order and get them under some sort of control
before proceeding step further
Fall in, double file!" he ordered and they
oDeyed, bringing their pixies to the ''carryO
NOW, remain IN ranks. Remember that by
escaping from the academy you don't escape
from discipline. Ii this job is made a success,
man Will have to obey ORDERS as implicitly as
though he were under command of his com
pany officers.
They appreciated the justice of this. and
the effect was Immediately observed When
ne gave the word, they marched off up the
street IN perfect line. and at quick time.
1t was the march along the block I'M the
princlpaI street that Lofty dreaded the most.
Ii was by this time after midnight. and the
Town was - sleepy one, but the fact did not
reassgre the, chief cohspirator He dreaded
interference by the townspeople.
A first look at the column which marched
beside the leader would have apprised any
beholder familiar with the customary appear
anee OF the cadets of Westbrook that some
thing remarkable was occurring.
1t was their accoutrements which, as Bro
pny said, IN awhlsper to Mackey, give the
whole thing dead away ANYBODY seeing
squad OF Westbrook boys armed with mixes.
and marching up the street in battle array.
would have become suspicious
But they gained the cover of the side street
without meeting. anyone, or hearing anything
to arouse apprehension. Rounding the cor
ner Lofty let fall a smothered exclamation of
Alarm which was echoed by the other bows
as soon as they saw what lay ahead of them.
Along the whole side of the street. down
te the very wharf, stretched a line Of h;oh
board renee. The street, moreover, was peril
ously aight from the rays of the moon, which
they, now had directly back of them. Extend
ing halfway across the foot of the street full
in the light, appeared the stern of the Ven
ture. Anybody on the vessels quarterback
must inevitably detect their approach.
They knew that there was at least one per-
son awake ON board the Venture-the deck
watch Hearing their footsteps. the watch
man had only to run 10 the stern look up the
street and discover them while they were vet
a full half block distant.
Mcpherson saw the danger and bethoupht
him of way to mitigate it. But Lofty had
enjoined strict silence the moment they turns
ed the corner. and he hesitated to speak.
Lofty saw the point for himself before ther.
had advanced many PAGES, but brief as was
the interval, they had lost valuable tine.
They saw figure emerge from the shadow
OF the coal chutes on the other side of the
high board fence and run along the dock to
the stern Of the Venture.
1t was the watehman. He had heard their
measured tread on the board sidewalk. and
CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE