Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-06-11
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Captain Of
the Kansas.
BY LOUIS TRACY,
Author of The Wings Of The Morning."
THE Pillar of Light" Etc.
Copyright. 1906, BY Edward j. clode.
Copyright, 1906, by Edward J. clode.


Something of it, not all. But why
why has Captain Courtenay gone of
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 dash
for it, an he hopes to get them of
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 placer
Huh. Maybe an hour, an another
hour for the home trip. He'll be
aboard for tea"
Boyle uttered that concluding state
ment a 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 met" she demanded.
"Huh-message, Why, he will be
away only a couple of hoursf''
Surely you will tell me, MI. BoyleY'
she pleaded wistfully.
We'll, / 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 goodness!''
/ Elsie clung to the after rail and
watched the boat, now tiny dot hard
to discern amid the ripples caused by
the infowing 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 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 a breathless desire
to know why Courtenay was so sure
that the men to whose help he had
| gone We're really members of the crew
| win 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 it was good to see
the hot indignation which REDEEMED
| her brow. With all woman's single
| mindedness she regarded the Argen-
tine miner as being directly response
bic for Courtenay's hazard, nor would
she listen to ChristobaIs mild protest
that nothing could have been done
earlier, no matter how outspolSen Sua-
rez chose to be.
The Spaniard encouraged her to de-
bate this point-anything 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 its wild boom across the silent
waters. Elsie needed no explanation Of
| this tumult Otter creek was not so
| far distant that canoes quitting its
| shelter could not be seen with the maxi
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 awoze 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 SaYages may seek to oppose their
passage to the boat. The only doubt
full question is, Win he be able to beat
off the rascals who are now cutting
his line of retreat?"
'I1uh,. growled Boyle. 1.-THE skip
per's out of sight now. Gone into a
small creek or somethin' of the sort
Hope he heard the horn. Let her rip!'
he added in a loud shout over his
sBhoulder, and again the siren flung a
warning to the foot of the mountain
| range.
| 1t was evident that the wonderful
eyesight of the Indians practically
equaled the range of the telescope
The men in the canoes were aware Of
the lifeboat's disappearance, and their
wet paddles flashed in the sun as they
tore across the three miles Of open
water which separated the southern
promontory from the inner shore of
the island. Creeping nearer Boyle, Ell
sic whispered:
"For heavens sake, say the lifeboat
is visible again.
/ He held up a hand to enforce silence.