Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-06-18
The Captain of
the Kansas.
BY LOUIS TRACY,
Author Of The Wings OF the Morning. /"
The Pillar Of Light Etc.
Copyright. 1906. BY Edward ]. clode.
YWYvVVVVVYVVVVVVVY'


no interference" she cried.
Il promise to obey orders"
IF / wanted you, Mr.. Gray, I should
have sought your help
1T is one thing or the other, a wrig
gle down a rope or high diving act"
You have no right to impose sucl
an alternative on me-"
4 hate it myself, and can't dive
worth a cent You viii hear beastly
flop when l strike the damp"
Mr.. Boyle, / call on you to hole
him.
Boyle explained luridly that the
American was doing balancing aci
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 squatted or Sis knees in the bows,
Gray placed himself amidships, and
Elsie sat aft, holding the revolver in
her right hand and the dogs collar in
her left The American CROPPED for and
found paddle, which he piled vigor-
ously.
Guess you'd better DISCOURSE said
he over his shoulder when the light
craft was we'll clear of the ship.
you understand Spanish, / think p
yes
4Please 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. / am taking
your word for it his name is Suarez,
but he looks and smells more like an
Indian
II forced him to dress in his dis
carded clothes. He may be able now
to scare any of the savages we come
across. But why should l give you
my weapon, Mr.. Gray?"
Because I can hit most things
aim at, whereas you are more likely
to bore hole through me as a pre-
liminary. Moreover, you have the dog
with you, and even the wisest dog may
bark at the wrong moment You must
have both hands at liberty to choke his
enthusiasm"
800 you pledge your word to go on
with my scheme?"
"That is what am here for
sTake the revolver, them
tssure it's Ioaded?r
'sQuite sure. / have fifteen extra
cartridges; but as have practiced re-
filing it in the dark, give it to me Il
you have occasion to empty it,"
You seem to have thought this thing
out pretty fully
II intend to succeed. Now, please, l
mist explain what want snarez to
do
Speaking In Spanish, slow and clear,
while the canoe drifted steadily up the.
bay with the rising tide, Elsie unfold
ed her project. Behind the guardian
cliff Of Otter creek a ridge of rocks
created a small natural harbor. 1T
was the custom of the Alaculofs when
the weather was calm and they meant
to use their craft at daybreak to an
Choir most of their vessels in this shell
tered breakwater. At other times the
canoes were drawn ashore, but she rea-
soned that such a precaution would
not be taken during the present excite
ment.
That was the first part of her pro-
gramme-to capture the entire feet in
Guiding the Iifeboat. In any event, she
intended to go next to the hidden cleft
st the foot of Guanaco hill, trusting to
the dogs sagacity to reveal the re-
treat where she believed that her lover
and many of his men were hidden. Ii
a squad of Indians mounted guard
there, the temperance Of Suarez in
his war paint, backed by the alarm Of a
night attack from the sea, might mys-
tify the enemy sufficiently to permit of
d landing while the frequent reports
of the revolver would certainly lead to
counter demonstration by CouRtenay.
Gray listened to the girls cool state
ment with growing admiration. The
plan began to look feasible. 1t came
within the bounds Of reason. The
odds were against it, Of course, but the
law of probability is seldom in favor
of a forIorn hope Suarez too, making
the best of situation which gave him
no option, agreed that they had a fair
chance If once they got hold of the
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