The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-07-31
CHAPTER XIV.

N '
man toward one of the peep
coles in the canvas screen. Sure
enough, the canoes were making off
toward otter creek. In the marvel
pusly clear light it was easy to see
The threatening arms held out toward
the ship by few men who stood up
right. Even their raucous cries were
yet audible. Courtenay was glad he
had not missed this demonstration of
hatred. 1t argued the necessity of con-
tinued watchfulness.
The general attitude Of the crew was
pne of real annoyance that the fight
had not been carried on at close quar-
lers. The Kansas bore tokens In plen-
ty of the battle. Many bullets and ar
rows had struck the ship, the canvas
was torn in several places, a number
Of port lights were broken, and the
bpen decks, fore and aft as well as
the spar deck. were Uttered with
stones. He picked up some of these
missiles, mans earliest and latest pro-
)ectile. They were round and heavy.
A few bore the red streaks of oXidized
humps of ore, though the action of wa
her had made them smooth stone out
IF the brook" He showed one to Tolle-
nache, who seemed to possess a good
Zeal Of out of the way knowledge, and
he latter instantly pronounced the
specimen to be almost pure copper
veined with silver.
The captain saw to the reverent bur.
ial of poor Pietro Cana; entered full
details of the fight in the ships log
and helped Walker to search the sus.
pected coal for a further supply of
dynamite, as the utility of the surface
mines had been demonstrated beyond
n doubt. He thought it possible, given
the necessary time, to rig a device
which would be practically invisible.
A fresh set of dummy poles, which
the Indians would probably avoid in
the event of second attack, might
defect the canoes into the area of new
mines laid at sea level.
Their utmost diligence brought to
light no further supply of the explo.
sive. Evidently the prepared Jumps
of coal, each containing a stick of dy.
Mantle, which were placed in the
bunker at Valparaiso had been convey.
ed on board by one man., so it was
more than likely there was not anoth.
er ounce of the stuff on the ship except
the three specimens first discovered.
These, water soaked and useless, were
locked in drawer in the chart house.
While scrutinizing the bunker Courte-
nay found a grimy piece of paper,
crushed into ball and amalgamated
with coal dust by means of the glue or
other substance which had been used
for making the bombs intended for the
destruction of the furnaces. He ex-
amined it carefully, believing it had
B the appearance and texture of car
fridge paper. He placed it in his pocket
and, while changing his clothes before
Joining the others at supper, came on
it again-with certain surprise. He
plunged 1t into a basin of hot water,
and it yielded its secret. 1t was the
outer wrapper of stick Of dynamite
1t bore the circular stamp of the manu-
facturers, the Sociedad Anonyma de
las Costas del Pacifico. This in itself
meant nothing. The same company
probably supplied hundreds of mines
with the five pound boxes in which
dynamite is packed, and If the stamp
were the only clew none could possibly
say when or where it had been issued
for use.
But miners are apt to be careless.
Men accustomed to dynamite will han
die it with an astounding disregard for
danger, and here was case in point.
Some Spanish overseer, evidently at q
lossl for memorandum tablet, had
scrubbed hieroglyphics with an indeli-
BILE pencil on this particular wrapper,
1t was clear that the figures and alb
breviated words referred to the de-
velopment of cross heading and the
position of certain lodes, but Courte-
nay was quick to see that the official
who made those notes would recognize
them; hence the mine or store from
which the package had been stolen or
bought could be identified. Such evil
dence was of highly circumstantial
value. Courtenay put the wrapper in
the same drawer as the cartridges, en-
tered in the log the time and manner
of its discovery and forthwith dismiss
ed 1t from bis mind.
1t was almost dark when he went on
deck The wiAd was keen and chilly.
1t whistled through the broken win
dows of the wheelhouse and seemed to
have In it a promise of bad weather.
But a glance aloft and at the sky be-
You'd the southern headland - Point
Kansas, as 1t was called on board-re-
assured him. The far flung arc over
head was cloudless. The stars of the
southern hemisphere, vivid and bright,
though less familiar than those of the
north, were reflected In the black wa
ter. The ship was SO still, the sur
roundings so peaceful, save for the
plash Of tiny waves created by the
breeze, that he was almost startled
when a soft voice came from the low
er deck:
"Where In the world have you been,
Captain Courtenay? Joey Is fretting
for you, and ! have carried him all
over the ship in vain search"