Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-09-09
NIX,

la1u IL all at the door OF MS lucky
L 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 avcrnuS of crime.
Unhitching the painter. he set one
oar against the gunwale of he boat
and with a powerful thrust sent his
own Oct us so call it for convenience
stern first out upon the river, then sat
him composedly down. fitted the oars
to their locks II began to pull straight
across stream. trusting to the current
to carry him down to the -Alethea. He
had already marked down that vessels
riding light and that not without Il
glow of gratitude to see it still aloft
and in proper juNtaposition to the river
bank, proof that it had not moved.
He pulled a good oar. recl1oned his
distance prettily and. shipping the
blades at just the right moment,
brought the little BOAT in under the
brigantine's counter with scarce a jar.
An element of surprise he held essen
tial to the success of his plan. what
ever that might turn out to be.
Standing up, he caught the brigan-
tines after rail with both hands. n
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 deck gave him further
assurance. The anchor watch was not
in sight. lie may have been keeping
we'll forward by STRIKERS instructions,
or he may have crept off for forty
winks. 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 noiselessly over toward
the lighted oblong of the companion
way. a murInur of voices from below
comforted him with the knowledge
that he had not mis%calculated this
time. At last he stood within striking
distance of his quarry.
The syllablcs of his surname ringing
clearly in his ears and followed by
Stryker's f1eering laugh brought him
to q pause. He flushed hotly in the
darkness. The captain was retailing
with relish some of his most success.
full witticisms at Kirkwood's expense.
Mulready laughed with him, If a lit
tie uncertainty. Calendars chuckle
was not audible, but he broke the
pause that followed.
81 don't know" he said with doubt.
ing emphasis. you say you landed
49,, -,;4Lo-% W., ~, b;o rn,I-otT
I don't call that a good plan at all. OF
course he amt a factor, but-well
it might We beer as we'll to give him
his fare home. He might make trouble
for us somehow. | don't mine telling
you, cap'n, that you're an ass. Per
sonally Pm kind of sorry for the boy
He wasn't a bad sort. as his kind runs
and he was no fool, from what little
saw of him. I wonder what he want
ed"
POSSIBLY" Mulready chimed II
suavely. you car explain what you
wanted of him in the first place. How
did YOU come to drag him into this
business"
ooh, that" Calendar laughed short
1y. "That was partly accident. partly
inspiration. | happened to see his
name on the rlcss register. He'd pu1
himself down as from Frisco. / fig
ured it out that he would be * dool
to broke and getting desperate. ready
TO do anything to get nome. anc
thought we might utilize him to SNUG
gle some of the stuff into the States
Once before. if you'll remembrance
that was before we got together. Mul
ready-I picked UP Il fellow country
man on the Strand. He was dow
and out. jumped ut the job. and W.
made a neat little wad on it,"
"The more fool you to take outsid
ers into your confidence" grumblet
Mulready.
GOVT" interrogated Calendar, MIN
licking STRIKERS accent inimitably
swell. you've got IL heap to learn abou
this game. Null. About the first thing j
that YOU must trust old man Know-it
all. which is me. I've run more dia
monds into the States in one way O
another in my time than you eve
pinched out of the shirt front of a tot
on the Empire Prom. before the.
maze Cue graft lOO lot 1oI Jou dA'
you came to take lessons from me /
the gentle art of living easy"
ooh, cut that. cawn't you"
"Delighted. deal boy. One of tn
first principles. next to proiting by tn
admirable example 1 set you, is t
make the fellows in our w lin
trust you. Now, if this boy had take
on with me l could have got a bunc
Of the sparllers on my mere says
from old Morganthau. up on Finsbur
pavement. He does a steady bushes
hoodwinking the customs for the bel
eft Of his American clients-and hin
self. And I'd we made Il neat littl
profit besides, something to fall bac
on If this fell through. l don min
having two strings to my bow"
EYES," argued Mulready, but SUI
pose this Kirkwood had taken on wit
oud than paopha6