Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-12

| thought l was gone that time, but
got to the cave 1t was low tide. Then
the earthquake, and / was walled in.
Mr.. Barnett's very accurate explosives
SHADES insistence-your risking your
lives as you did, mites on the crust of
redhot cheeSe--I hope you know how
feel about it all. One can't thank
man properly for the life
"Oh, the pirates. Necessarily it must
be matter of theory, but think we
have it right. Slade and l built it up.
For what it's worth here it is. Let me
see, you sighted the glow on the night
ed ship 1t must have puzzled you
outrageously."
1T did," said Captain Parkinson
dryly.
Not an easy problem even with all
the data at hand. You. of course, had
none. On SHADES showing, Handy Sol
ONION and his worthy associates thought
they had a chest full of riches when
they got the doctors treasure - be
lieved they owned the machinery for
| making diamonds or gold or what not
of ready to hand wealth. It's fair to
| assume a certain eagerness on their
part. Disturbed weather keeps them
| busy until they're well out from the
| island. Then to the chest. Opening
it isn't so easy. had the key, you
know" He brought a curious and
| delicately wrought skeleton from his
pocket. Tipped with platinum" he
| observed. Rather Il gem of key, |
| think. You see, there must have been
some action even through the keyhole
or he wouldn't have used a metal of
| this kind. But the crew was rich in
certain qualities. it seems. which |
J failed stupidity to recognize in my ac-
quaintance with them. Both Pull and
| PerdOsa appear to have been handy
men where locks were concerned. First
Pulz sneaks down and has his turn at
| the chest. He gets it open. Small
| profit for him in that. The next we
know of him he is scandalizing Handy
Solomon by having fit on the deck"
THAT is what | couldn't figure out
to save my life" said Slade eagerly.
IF you recollect, told you of the
in n sort of paroXysm one day." said
| barrow. That was the physiological
| action of the celestium At other
times | have seen him come out and
! deliberately roll in the creek, head un.
| der. Once he explained that the me-
| dunn he worked in caused kind of
uncomfortable longing for water, some
4 Of hn of
| burning or thirst. but an Irresistible
| temporary mania. 1t worried him a
! good deal. He didn't understand it.
| That. then, was what allied Pull
When he opened the chest there was
as | surmise, a tritling quantity of
: this stuff lying in the inner lid. II
wasn't the celestium itself. as l i'm
agine, but sort of byproduct with the
! physiological and radiant effects of the
real thing, and it had been set there
on guard, discouragem to the
spirit of investigation, as it were. Sc
when the top was lifted our little
guardian gets in its work, producing
| the light phenomenon that so puzzled
Slade and inspiring Pull with a pas
sion for the rolling wave, which is only
interrupted by Handy Solomon's tao
king him AS he fed he must have
pulled down the cover"
He did" said Slade. 81 heard tht
cIang. But saw the radiance on the
clouds, and the whole thickness of &
solid oak deck was in between the sky
and the chest"
"Oh, little thing like an oak decl
wouldn't interrupt the kind of rays tn,
doctor used. He had his own method
of screening, you understand. How
i ever. this inconsiderable guardian af
, fair must have used itself up, which
true celeStium wouldn't have done
: So when Perdosa sets his genius 70
lock picking to the task the inner box
} full of the genuine article. has NJ
warning signpost. so to speak. Every
> things peaceful until they raise tn,
compound filed hollow layer of the In
3 ner cover, which serves to Interrupt
the action. Then comes the genera
exit and the superior fireworks
A That's when the rays ran through
the Ship said Slade. ut seemed t,
{ follow the deck lines"
THE stuff had a strange affinity TO
/ tar" said Darrow. 81 told you of tn
circle of fire about Professor Schermer
' horns waist the day be gave me sucl
' scare. That was the celestium work
ing on the tarred rope he wore for
belt. 1t made a livid circle on hi
skin. Did 1 tell you of his expert
) ments with pitch? 1t doesn't matter
= Where was II"
"At the place where we all jumped
: said Siade.
"Oh. yes. And you dove into tn
J small boat, trying to reach the wa
ter"
wait Bit" said Barnett. "If tina
was the exhibition of radiance Wi
, saw. 1t died out in a few minutes
|, How was that1 Did they close tn,
chest before they -an?
! Probably not replied barrow
"Slade spoke Of Pu,z taking to tn,