Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1909-07-30
Ghe
BLACK !.
BAG
BY Louis Joseph Vance
Copyright t9oe. By ne Bsbts.iferril C.
:.ey,isM. isss. BY n. . sbs..rierill C.
(Continued)
CHAPTER XX.
BY Louis Joseph .vancs

upon the discovery, he would have
l laid It all ut the door Of his lucky
1 star and would have been wrong
We who have never stopped to petty
larceny know that the oars had been
placed there at the direction Of his
evil genius bent upon facilitating his
descent into the nvernus Of crime.
Unhitchjng the painter. he set one
oar against the gunwaie Of the boat
and with n powerful thrust sent his
own (ct us so call II for convenience,
stern first out upon the river. then sat
him composcdly down. fitted the oars
TO their locks and begni, to pull straight
across stream. trusting to The current
to carry him down to the Alrthrn. lie
had already marked down that vessels
riding light and that not without 4
glow OF gratitude to see It still nloft
and In proper juxtaposition to the river
bank. proof that It had not moved.
He pulled good oar. reckoned his
distance prettily and. shipping the
blades Mt just the right moment,
brought the little boat In under the
brigantine's counter with scarce jar.
An element Of surprise he held essen
tiai to the success Of his plan, what.
ever that might turn out to he.
Standing up. he caught the brigan.
tines after rail with both hands. one
Of which held the painter Of the pur.
Joined boat. and lifted his head above
| the deck line. A short survey OF the
deserted after dcck gave him further
assurance. The anchor watch was not
In sight He may have been keeping
well forward by Stryker's instructions.
or he may have crept on for forty
wlnks. whatever the reason for his
absence from the post Of duty. Kirk.
wood was relieved not to have him to
deal with and. drawing himself gently
In over the rail. made the painter fast
and stepped noisclcssly over toward
the lighted oblong Of the companion
way. A murmur Of voices from below
comfortcd him with the knowledge
that he had not miscnlculatcd this
time. At Inst hc stood within striking
distance Of his quarry.
The syilnblcs of his snrnrmr ringing
clearly nv his cnrs md. followed by
STRIKERS Gecr'ng laugh brought h!r
TO n pnusc. lie flushed hotly In the
darkness The captain was retailing
with relish some Of his most success
full witiiclsms nj Kirkwood's expense.
Mulready laughed with him. n a III
tie unccr.a.niy Calendars chucki'
Sns not audible. but he broke thu
tause that followed.
81 don't know" he said with doubt
Ing emphasis. You say you landed
him without penny In his pocket
don't cali that n good plan at all. o
course he amt factor, but--well
II might We been rs well to give hin
his fare home. lie might make trouble
for us somehow. ! don't mind tellinl
you. cap'n. that you're an ass. Per
sonally I'm kind Of sorry for the boy
He wasn't bad sort. as his kind runs
and he was no fool. from what little
saw OF him. wonder what he want
ed"
| Possibly" Mulready chimed .
suavely. "you can explain what yo'
wanted Of him in the first place. Hoy
did you come to drag him into TIL
business?"
."Oh. thatr' Calendar laughed short
~. THAT was partly accident. pnril
inspiration. I happened to see III
name on the Plcss register. He'd pr
himself down ms from Frisco. o.
urcd II out that he would bc next doe
to broke and getting desperate. read
to do anything TO get home, an
thought we might utilize him to SINUS
Gle some Of the stun lnto tho Ss''"'
Once before. II you'll remember ~
that was before we got together Nv
ready picked up n fellow countr,
man on the Strand. lie was dow
and out. jumped at the Job. and "
made n neat little wad on IT,"
THE more fool you to take cufs''
ers Into your confidence" grunblc
Mulrendy.
low" intcrrogated Calendar. min
licking Strykcr's accent 'inlml'ab'
} swell. you've got heap to learn iho'
this game. Mul. About the first thing
that yon must trust old man Know-i
all, which IL me. I've run more oil
monds Into the States In ono way I
; another In my time than You cv'
} pinchcd out OF the shirt front ~ IN
on the Empire Prom before TIN
made the graft too hot for you AZ
you came to take lessons from me
the gentle art Of living easy"
Q "Oh. cut that. cawn't youT
O "Dellghtcd. dear boy. One OF q
frst principles. next to profiting by q
> admirable example ! set you. Is
make the fellows In your own III
trust you. Now. II this boy had taxi
on with me I could have got bum
Of the sparklers on my mere say
from old Morganthau. Mp on Finsbu
pavement lie does n steady busine
hoodwinking the customs for the be
eft OF, his American cllents-nnd hi
= self. And I'd We made neat III
profit besides. something to fall ba
on II this fell through. don't mi