The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-10-16
YE224lNX LILLE pOkLOkX

away pucker ABOUT the eyes,, said
the other. And anybody could
pick you out for an American
among all these Britishers. We're
the only Yankees on board.
reckon. | don't mind calling my
self a Yankee here, but | wouldn't
at home. I'm from Alabama. sir
81 thought you were from the
south. I'm Marylander myself"
replied Elliott.
us that so?. Pm mighty glad to
hear it. Well have to moisten
| that-two southerners so far frdm
home. My name is SEWER"
Elliott gave his name in return
and permitted himself to be led ait.
Sewer was boyish-looking fellow
of perhaps &c. short, slight and
dark. with a small dark mustache,
and a manner that was inexpressi-
bly, candid and ingratiating. In
time it might come to seem Smooth
| to the point of nausea; at present
lit appeared offhand enough and vet
courteous-a manner of which the
south alone has preserved the
secret-and Elliott in his growing
loneliness was delighted to find so
agreeable a fellow traveller.
Sewer explained that he had
been a newspaper correspondent in
Central America for New Or
leans daily, and announced that he
was going to India to obtain ma
terial for a series of magazine ar
OF 20
number of newspaper letters
which he proposed tot syndicate"
to half dozen dailies as special
| correspondence.
Elliott found 1t pleasant TO talk
again on American matters. and
| to hear southern opinions. couched
in the familiar southern drawl. Sc
vier possessed a fund of reminis-
cence and anecdote of an expe-
rience that seemed, in spite of his
youth, to have been almost univer-
sal. He appeared to have played
| many parts. Above all, he seemed
to have an eye for opportunities of
easy money which was more like
down-easter than a man from the
gulf coast, though he confessed
frankly that he was just then in
hard luck.
I've made fortunes" he said
'If | had half the money that I've
blown in like a fool | wouldn't be
a penny-a-liner now"
This remark forcibly appealed to
Elliott; he had said the same thing
many times to himself.
On the third day after leaving
the Red sea, Elliott happened to
pass down the main stairway as the
third officer was putting up the
daily chart of the ships progress.
He paused to look at it. The steam
er was then, it occurred to him,
close to the point where the Italian
ship had picked up the mate of the
Clara McCay.
He took from his pocket map
which he had made, and consulted
it. This map showed the hypothe-
teal course of the wrecked gbld
ship in a red line, with dotted lines
indicating the probable course sof
the drftings of both the mates
boat and Benefits raft. AS near
ly as he could judge, the liner
must indeed be at that moment al
most upon the spot where the Sc
cret of the position of the wreck
ed treasure was saved in the per-
son the Irisnman.
He was still looking at the map
when Sewer came quietly down the
stairs, paused on the step above
him and glanced over his shoulder
Elliott dropped the map to his side,
| and then, ashamed of this childish
attempt at concealment, raised 1t
again boldly.
'Loyin' off chart of your voy-
ages?' inquired Seviicr Ever been
down there?" putting his finger on
the Mozambique channel
mo, l never was" answered FL
lott, somewhat startled at the
question.
Neither was l. I've been told
that there's no more dangerous
| water in the world. The coasts
| covered with wreckage. | thought
you might have sailed along that
red line you've marked"
mo, don't know anything abCnt
! the place. Elliott denied again.