Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-06

and we could have joined hum
there" a th;s
re was cadet Marcus Even who voiced TINS
oninion. He and Lofty Rankin were slsl,ng
on stump outside the old lumber shan'y'
discussing their great plot.
The time was the afternoon OF the day sue
cseding the one on which Mcpherson mad de-
parted from the hide-out, to give hlmseh up
at the village To be even more precise, 1t was
very nearly the hoir that Mcpherson, in his
room in the barracks at Westbrook, had dis
covered the sign ON his. mirror that had an.
nouneed to him the filing of the ranks OF
the mutineefs.
Lofty wanted to know in what he had
erred, in ordering the boat to STOP. ;,
the answer. mot much, TO be sure; but I've
an idea well find time very precious, before
we gain possession of the Venture.
"We may; but if Thad begins to. move at
the earliest possible moment, we shall have
time to spare. 1t is about an hours row
from the academy to the mouth of the creek,
here. From the creek to the wharves In Pc
toskey, is pull of half an hour. Supposlng
they effect the escape by midnight-they may
do it even earier-it will not be two O'Clock
when We reach the Venture"
"N they do escape" interpolated Even.
SOh. well, if you're going to assume such
things as that, don't see the use OF my taking
the trouble to explain!" declared Lofty, testify.
EVEN made ndSte TO apologize.
1T won't take us long to get the better OF
the three or four marines on board of the
school boat" he added, to further appease his
leader.
"It won't; not above ten minutes, accord
ing to my way of thinking. By daylight, to-
vessel and we'll on our way towards
Lofty stopped abruptly, and both boys
sprang to their feet and faced about.
1t was noise behind them that had start
led them. They discovered the man, Gamble,
STOPPING over little distance from them,
busily engaged in gathering up an armful of
chips and debris from the ground In moving
about, he had stepped upon dry stick, which
cracked beneath his weight.
Gamble was the only one of Ricketts, gang
cluding Ricketts, himself, had departed early
that morning and had not yet returned The
runaways from the academy had been at a
loss to conjecture their errand.
Lofty looked at Gamble moment, half
angrily, half suspiciously. Then he looked at
his fellow-conspirator. Even pursed up his
lips and shook his head, to signify that he
didn't believe that the man had heard any
thing.
nor sneak again. till Gamble had gathered up
full armful of chips and returned to the
shanty. ),
he then said.
81 don't Ike the way tneSe IeflOWS haVe
gather up kindhngs, as he has to do every
time he builds Ere He's getting ready 70
cook supper"
II don't hike the way these fellows have
been acting since Thad left" he said. 'It
seems to me as though they were watching
ms all the time-iust as though they were
waiting for us to make some move"
SWeil, we don't care what they're waiting
for, We've only to slip away tonight, as soon
as they're asleep, and wait for the boat. We'll
have plenty of time to make what prepara
tions we're goinG to make while the boat is
coming up. Before Ricketts, and his mates
wake up in the morning and discover our alb
sence, wen be in possession of the Venture
and miles away"
Before Lofty could have replied to this
had he desired to do so, they saw Ricketts,
and the others coming They came from the
direction of the village. whence the boys de
duced the belief that their errand had beer
one somehow connected with the map and
the reconnoitering Of the Detwfler brothers:
Ricketts, and his followers were obhginQ