Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-25

kff@ u intelligent enough TO
lMR attach great weight to his intui-
tNE1T\~SA tiors; and the vague suspicion he
ky0@A-NAaSN had felt when Smith first Sugges-
MHE#MMl ted a visit to Horse Island, though
IHa4l1AAlZkDSI it had not prevented him from
lU4AI~S-A accepting the invitation had by no
kV8F1Il2s&N means been altogether dismissed
from his mind. He had been quick
to recognize that since the Orpheus presented the
only way of getting over to Horse Island. it also
would prove the sole means of getting back.
All the trip over, while Christabel and Smith had
been absorbed by their fast ripenng friendship for
each other while they had sat in the bows discussing
the wonderful blue of the sea, the faint white and
green and orange of the tiny islands they passed and
filling up intervening spaces with tales and specula-
tons concerning Calico Jack and his treasure,all
this while Christopher Beaumont had been assidu-
ously cultivatng the friendship of the sailing
master He had given him incredible number
of expensive cigars; had let fall hint that when he
again put his big yacht into commission he should
need man to fill the vacant post of Captain
He had taken the trouble to do all this merely
general precaution. Tonight he had occasion
to congratulate himself on his foresight.
TT was about half an hour after midnight when
Smith strapped his bag and surveyed his COM
pleted preparations for departure He had spent
busy hour. good part of it over his desk getting
things in readiness to leave behind him.
He had interrupted himself to make two or three
excursions to O'Brien's shack next door, and
good deal puzzled that he had failed to find him.
OBrien would have to the island in his absence,
and while he could have done this well enough under
ordinary circumstances without any special in
StructOnS, the presence OF Beaumont and his daugh
ter unwilling and probably highly rebellious
guests would create a situation requiring delicate
handling and good understanding in advance.
Where the engineer had gone, Smith had no idea.
His shack, like all the others in officers row,
quite dark and apparently deserted.
Smith had one more job to do however, before
he sailed 1t was job very little to his liking; for
in the eyes of the law it would probably constitute
felony. The Orpheus was only of the two
possible avenues of communication between Horse
Island and Georgetown. The other immensely
quicker. and, if left open behind him, would render
his fight in the Orpheus totally futile
The job that Smith looked forward to with
little relish secretly to break into the wireless
station and inflct sufficient damage the sending
least week
Smith dressed himself for this job in an incon-
spicuous suit of khaki to make it easier to avoid
the eye of his local police. Then, taking
bag Of tools that he had already collected for the
purpose, he set out.
As has already been said the wireless station
was perched on the top of Fort Hill, at
great distance from Gregg's old residence. The
road he took was the same road up which he had
driven the day before with Christabel and her
father The point where his own path diverged
arriving here. he paused for moment and set down
his bag This was partly for the purpose of recov-
erng his breath for the way steep and he had
hurried: but 1t was partly for less easily
assignable. AT any rate, while he stood there in
the shade of big sapodilla, his bag at his feet his
lawn before the veranda where he had parted little
than hour before from Christabel
Suddenly his rather distracted gaze focused
itself sharply he started little and restrained an
impulse to rub his eyes woman's figure, clearly
outlined in the brilliant moonlight, had come out