Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-21

II am well armed and shall admit OF
no interference" she cried.
81 promise to obey orders"
eff 1 wanted you, Mr.. Gray. should
have sought your help"
at is one thing or the other, a wrig-
gle down a rope or high diving act"
'You have no right to impose such
an alternative on me-"
81 hate it myself, and l can't dive
worth a cent. You will hear beastly
flop when strike the damp"
.'NIr. Boyle. 1 call on you to hold
him."
. Boyle explained luridly that the
American was doing balancing act
on the rail eight feet above his head.
Elsie, taking her eyes off Suarez for an
instant, discerned Gray's figure sill
houetted against the sky. She yielded.
"There is a rope ladder fastened to
the lowest rail near where the canoe
was moored," she said.
SIS there to be any catch-as-catch-can
business, Boyle?" demanded Gray.
"No. All this is mighty unfair to
me-"
you have my sympathy, friend, but
you can't leave the ship. Now. Miss
Maxwell, come alongside. Boyle is
going to be good. He doesn't mean
half he says anyhow"
AS the canoe slipped out of the dense
gloom of the ships shadow the Argen-
tine squattcd on his knees in the bows,
Gray placed himself anidships. and
Elsie sat aft, holding the revolver in
her right hand and the dogs collar In
her left. The American CROPPED for and
found d paddle, which he piled vigor-
ously5
Guess you'd better DISCOURSE" said
he over his shoulder when the light
craft was well clear of the ship.
You understand Spanish, I think?"
YES"
please tell Suarez to cease pad
ding and listen. Don't move. / can
| trust you. but l may have to shoot
him.
BEST hand me that popgun, Miss
Maxwell. The gentleman in front
seems to have wholesome respect for
, you already. Anything you say goes
where he is concerned l am taking
your word for it his name is SuareZ
but he looks and smells more like an
I Indian"
Il forced him to dress in his dis
earded clothes. He may be able now
to scare any of the savages we come
| across. But why should 1 give you
my weapon, Mr.. Gray?'
Because / can hit most things ]
aim at, whereas you are more likely
| to bore hole through me as pre-
liminary. Moreover, you have the dos
with you, and even the wisest dog may
| bark at the wrong moment You mus
have both hands at liberty to choke his
| enthusiasm"
"Do you pledge your word to go or
with my scheme?"
| "That is what 1 am here for"
''Tai1e the revolver. then"
| "Sure it's loadedY
| "Quite sure, l have fifteen extrs
cartridges; but, as I have practiced re
| filling it in the dark, give it to me
| you have occasion to empty it."
"You seem to have thought this thin,
out pretty fully"
II intend to succeed. Now, please,
must explain what I want Suarez t
do"
/ Speaking in Spanish, slow and clear
while the canoe drifted steadily up tn
= bay with the rising tide, Elsie unfold
ed her project Behind the guardia
cliff of Otter creek ridge of rock
created "a small natural harbor.
was the custom of the A1aculofs whe
! the weather was calm and they mean
to use their craft at daybreak to al
Choir most of their vessels in this she
tered breakwater. At other times th
canoes were drawn ashore, but she res
soned that such precaution woul
not be taken during the present excite
ment.
That was the first part of her pr
gramme.-to capture the entire feet, II
Guiding the lifeboat. In any event, sh
intended to go next to the hidden clel
at the foot of Guanaco hill, trusting
the dogs sagacity to reveal the r.
treat where she believed that her love
and many of his men were hidden.
a squad of Indians mounted guar
there, the temperance Of Suarez
his war paint, backed by the alarm Of
: night attack from the sea, might my
tify the enemy sufficiently to permit (
a landing, while the frequent repor
of the revolver would certainly lead
a counter demonstration by Courtena
Gray listened to the girls cool stat
ment with growing admiration. II
plan began to look feasible. 1t can
within the bounds of reason. II
odds We're against 1t, of course, but tt
. law of probability is seldom in fav,
Of forlorn hope. Suarez, too, maxim
the best of a situation which gave hi
no option. agreed that they had a ia
chance If once they got hold Of Il
canoes. Nevertheless he warned the
that he knew nothing of the surroun
ings of Guanaco hill. He believe
there were no reefs on that side Of IL
inlet, but he had never visited
Their greatest peril lay amid the q
most impenetrable trees which gre