The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-30

thirty-five-feet water line. a perfect
beauty. trim and stanch. one might.
with a fair break of weather. sail her
out into the gurf. around the keys.
right on up the coast and smack into
New York harbor
Clarke was pacing restlessly to and
fro on the landing putting at a cigar
cite and keeping his weather eye upon
the opening between the wharf houses.
Il thought you were never coming.
Here, into the launch, quick" and he
designated the beauty which l had ad-
mired.
/ jumped aboard, Clarke threw bill
To the boy, threw off the line, followed
me and started the engine.
Gee, / wisht / was goin' along. the
boy shouted as we swung into the
broad Mississippi and headed down the
l07 miles that separated New Orleans
from the delta.
Clarke was busy with the engine and
wheel and l took advantage of the OPP
portunity to look about me. We We're
provisioned for cruise. Within the
cabin i'm a little cooks galley aft was
the most complete miniature cuisine /
had even seen: A tiny oil stove, cup
board stocked with all manner of pro-
visions Had it been a pleasure trip Z
could have asked nothing better.
Now we were dancing along merrily
over the ripping surface of the
mighty river. lodging in and out of the
craft of all nations which, owing to the
genius of American engineering. are
able to make this inland port. Clarke
steered by the side wheel and grim
smile of satisfaction stole over his face.
AT last he said, now l can tell
you whittier we are bound and what
we probably have before US, but this
work of steering is getting tiresome.
Come and take the wheel and l will
get my pilot to work.
took the wheel and watched
Clarke curiously while he lifted the
cushions and removed the seat upon
which I had been sitting. Almost with
horror I saw extended in the locker the
rigid form of a man.
You may get up now said Clarke.
and the body rose to sitting posture.
climbed painfully out OF its narrow
quarters and stretched its ceamped
limbs. The fixed expression and the
CLASSY eyes told me the secret-a per-
feet state of hypnosis. 1t was the man
of the cab. the watcher at the hotel.
And then the full import of Clarke's
devilish cunning. his mastery of the
minds of men by the use of forces
which bordered on the supernatural.
dawned upon me- Here was the pilot
which would guide us to the lair of the
wolf and to Thaida. the spy turned to
account against his own employer. The
path lay by water, this evidently Clarke
had discovered.
Yes. it was absurdly simple" re-
marked Clarke. quietly. divining as he
so often seemed to do my train of
thought.
LAS soon as l found we were watched
I knew / had the master key TO the
situation. 1t was easy to turn from
the Swallowed to the shadow. I slipped
out of the hotel through the kitchens,
prepared the way for you, and While
our pilot here was watching the front
entrance of the hotel 1 was within a
step of him and watching him. You
know my method, and it was not long
before I had him in my power and
knew all that he knows. 1t is not
much except that de Loup has some
sort of rendezvous on an obscure island
about thirty miles up the coast from
the delta. 1t is called the lie des Ser
penis, and we are going to find out
what goes on there. God send We do
not get there too late," Clarke's eyes
took a PARKWAY look and 1 knew he
was thinking of Thaida.
Meanwhile the stoical figure held the
wheel and guided us in and out among
the thinning craft. Clarke's eyes ever
upon him, Clarkes brain ever directing
the hand at the tiller.
1t was far from a pleasure trip, that
107-mile ride to the delta, which we
reached about 3 in the afternoon. The
presence of that silent, stoical figure
at the wheel LAY like a load on the
weary eye 1t tried my nerves, and ]
believe that even the iron nerve of
Clarke was. not immune to the infiu-
ence, for in an hour or two he arose,
and motioning me to take the wheel,
with a few passes and swapping of
the fingers he brought our unwilling
guest back to a normal state. At first
he sat dazed and awed. but as his
senses returned his ire rose and he
poured forth in mingled French and