The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-08-14

er or not he returned her signals.
At last she turned to Mr.. Boyle, who
was nearest to her.
"Who Is sitting next to Captain Cour-
tenay" she asked, and she had a fleet.
ing impression that he was anxious for
her to speak. so quickly did he answer
'"Tellemache. lie Skinned down the
| ladder as the first volunteer. The
| skipper ordered him to get out, but he
said he was deaf. Anyhow, I'm glad
he is there. Courtenay ought to have
one sure enough white man by his
| side"
"And what are they attempting"
Huh. It's bold plan, an I'm not
goin' to condemn it on that account.
Have you heard this mornins news
how Suarez found out from the In
dams that eleven of our crew are hid.
ing in cave on Guanaco hill?"
Something of it, not all. But why
why has Captain Courtenay gone off
in such hurry?"
"Well, Miss Elsie, he figures that an
open effort by daylight is the only way
to rescue them. They will have seen
our signals. an they can hardly fail
to sight the boat. When he is close
| inshore they are sure to make q dash
for it. an he hopes to get them off
before the Indians wake up to the
game he is playin'. There are eight
men in the boat, and with eleven 9TH
ers to help there shouldn't be much
difficulty in keepin' the savages at a
proper distance"
"How soon-will he-reach the land
ing place"
: Huh. Maybe an hour, an another
hour for the home trip. He'll be
aboard for tea"
Boyle uttered that concluding state
ment trifle too airily. Elsie for the
| first time in her life knew what it
meant to want to scream aloud
did Captain Courtenay leave any
message for me?" she demanded.
"Huh-message! Why, he will be
| away only a couple of hoursv'
Surely you will tell me, Mr. Boyle?"
she pleaded wistfully.
"Well, 1 happen to know there's a
letter in the doctors hands, but that is
to be given you in case of accident
alone. And there's no sign of any ac-
| cident yet, thank goodnessw
Elsie chung to the after rail and
watched the boat, now q tiny dot hard
to discern amid the ripples caused by
the infiowing tide. Her intimate ac-
| quaintance with the daily happenings
of life aboard told her that Courtenay
had chosen the last hour of flood for
his effort, thus gaining the advantage
Of the ebb in the event of the lifeboat
being pursued by canoes on the return
journey. By degrees a tender little
sprig of hope peeped up in her dulled
consciousness. The boat was very
near the distant rocks, and there was
neither sight nor sound Of the Indians.
Could it be that they were afraid-al-
together broken and demoralized by
the slaughter Of the preceding night?
Suddenly she had breathless desire
to know why Courtenay was so sure
that the men to whose help he had
gone were really members of the crew.
"Will you tell me now what it was
that Suarez found out?" she MUIR
INJURED to Christobal.
The doctor quickly appreciated her
need of material for further thought.
He suppressed no detail except his
own willingness to take Courtenay's
place in the boat.
| When Elsie heard of the duplicity
practiced by Suarez 1t was good to see
i hnt nd xx-h;
her brow. With all womans singh
mindedness she regarded the Argen-
tine miner rs being directly RESPONSE
BILE for Courtenay's hazard, nor would
she listen to .Christobals mild protest
that nothing could have been done
earlier. no matter how outspoken Sua-
rez chose to be.
| The Spaniard encouraged her to de-
bate this point-angthing was better
than the dumb pain of thought-but
their talk ceased abruptly when NUT
tered exclamation from Gray sent
Walker flying to the chart house. Forth
with the trumpet shrek of the siren
sent it's wild boom across the silent
waters. Elsie needed no explanation Of
/
far distant that canoes quitting its
shelter could not be seen with the max
ed eye. She counted sixteen putting
forth in cluster, and they all made
for the adventurous lifeboat
"That is exactly what our captain
expected" Christobal was ready to as
sure her. "He was certain he would
reach the head of the bay before the
Indians awoke to the meaning Of his
scheme. BY this time, unless his plan
fails, the men on shore should have
Joined him, no matter what number
Of savages may seek to oppose their
passage to the boat The only doubt.
full question Is, Will he be able to beat
off the rascals who are now cutting
his line of fetreatT
Huh" growled Boyle. 'The skip.
per's out of sight now. Gone into q
small creek or somethin' of the sort
Hope he heard the horn. Let her ripv'
he added in a loud shout over his
shoulder, and again the siren flung a
warning to the foot of the mountain
range.