Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-07
MA
AND
COPYRIGHT By JAMES ELvHRsoNJ

AhaES ELFhhSOND
meet Mr.. Percival, and have final talk. He's
dead in earnest, and / like that. It's tind MS
nephew, John Morris just as it Is wltn I'M. me.
after his sickness did he tell me how Per-
cival had stood father to him, and only for
a villain"
"a what?' qrcried Cyrus Meserye, look
ing uncomfortable.
"a villain, a regular. bad one, ahu,
shark Only for that villain, and the trouDie
with his head, he'd found his family and had a
happy home in port"
"Oh he had an enemy, eh?" insinuated
Meserve, his glance sharp. but shifting
"He did," - ,y
..Did he ever tell you his enemy's manner i.
spoke of it. Mr.. Percival it was that ne
talked about--he hadn't treated Mr. Perciyai
right. But his wrongs had crazed nm ne
said. He saved my life off the coast OF BOW,
ia, and stuck to him, and nursed nun; anu
when l lost him. 1 vowed never to rest, day
or night, till l found my loyal old shpmate
again. I comes home, and l remembers Mr,
Percival. He knows my story, and ne agreess
to buy the craft to 90 in search OF heime'
Islands and missing John Morris;
"How do you know he is alive, and mas
the treasure he spoke off" asked Meserve;,
s'Oh, that's certain. He had the box, Win WIN
all the wealth he'd gained at Peru, IN tne
yawl from the wreck, and struck shore.
was in it, too. We landed. l went to recon PM
noitre, to see where we were. When l re.
turned to the yawl, John had gone on
search also. Just then the yawl drifted out
from Shore l ran after it to save it. A tre-
mendous wave took the boat and me out lnIo
the surf and knocked me senseless aganss
was adrift-I don't know where-and fol
two weeks foated around nearly starved ana
was finally picked up by a steamer, hundreds
of miles from where John and were wrecA'
cd"
"But how do you know the place where he
is?"
"By inquiry. They say it must be a lone
lv group of islands known as the Heimets,
and that lie out Of the course OF snips. JohI
Morris, is probably there now. anyway, wv su !
York, wrote to his uncle, and here we are.
You are friends Of Johns. Good! My pan
is to go straight to Savannah py ran, wheie
Mr. Percival now is. There-or crossing pc
i ' craft called the Petrol. / sighted it com,
ing north, and made bargain that, If l
wanted it, could buy it for eighteen thous-
sand dollars. and take .possesson at once.
Mr.. Percival provisions 1t, mans IT, ana nV
Won ask me il Pm ready to go now! Yes,
sir-this ninute I've no luggage except an
honest heart and willing hands"
: ssWe'd better get carriage, and leave for
the depot then said Meserye ,ook1gf sfv a. nlS
IN.
shDTSw "Thsvre going" thought Nat. "Cyrus Me
serve never intends to let that sailor, reach
Mr. Morris. He hopes to get PercivaIs mo
fathers treasure too. if they, find Mr.. Morris
Oh. must speak to this sailor. Carberryl 1
n,ust warn him. I must hinder Meserves
wicked plans Mercy! the door is locked"
IN d;smay. He had seen the sailor and Me.
serve leave the next apartment had heard
their retreating footsteps along the hail. and
had approached the door and found 1t Sc
cured on the outside.
He tugged at the knob; he tried to press
haclS the latch with a knife blade: he ran to
the windows; he attempted to loosen the tran
valuable time was passing; every moment
was vital. Once those two men left New
Carberry were very vague.
.Tve got to get out'
Nat had climbed. to chair at the room
door' He could not bulge the transom to
swing it; but pushing violently, hse; sent it
clear through the aperture, and followed it,
landing on the floor of the hall amid break
nis Here Eres there! What's this-a room thief"
cried stentorian voice, -,
And servant, attracted by the noise, made
Nat eyaded the servant. Now was no time
ridor. il ended at window, He gazed
down at the street. fifty feet below, in dire
CONSERVATION. The servant, shouting wild
ly, came running toward him. =,
Nat trembled, looked once more from the
window, swung to the sash. and then.
He never knew how quickly he descended
the iron fire escape, he never heard the shouts
from above, nor noticed the confusion in the
street below Dusk had Just fallen.
Dashing off, when he reached the ground,
he ran like the wind, pausing to make sin
Gle inouiry--the location of the railroad sta
ton Cyrds Meserve had alluded to The night
previous. His heart failed him as he APP
preached the ferry he would have to cross.