Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-09-23
CHApTER XVI

Our change of base was to be made
after sunset. between those hours when
the darkness should FIRST steal across the
beach. and those when our enemy might
expect that We would venture forth under
the shade OF night. We decided to leave
Duponceau's chest where II was for the
present In the belief that the enemy
would instantly turn their attention to
my cottage. and that the box would be
safest in some such place as that desert
ed cabin.
With nieht-fall we prepared. glad to
be about something after eight hours OF
patient watching. We were to go In
single file. | first. Rodney next, his
wounded arm in a sling, then Duponceau,
and finally Charles. with some little space
between us. We cleaned and loaded our
revolvers. and about s O'Clock. when we
out against us. I bade good-by to the
Ship. slid over the side into the water.
crossed through il, and crept over the
rocks. turned tnd signalled TO Rodney
that the coast was clear, and saw him
lower himself by one arm and find foot
ing. Then. with a silent prayer that no
stray bullet might lodge In one OF us be-
fore We reached cover. | stepped gingerly
on to the beach. You have seen pictures
of African warriors stealing tip-toe
through the jungle, their whole bodies
alert for any noise. So went, my sense
Of hearing abnormally acute, my eyes
straining into the twilight for peril.
could neither run nor stop. but stepped on
with the precision of an automaton, hop
ing that in time the stretch Of sand
would have slipped past beneath my feet
and come to the refuge of the dunes. l
did not look back. but knew that three
other men were tip-toeing as silently be-
hind me, keen as was to break into
dash. So on and on | went, for endless
time it seemed then-hearing only the
sob Of the ebb and aow OF the tide and
the soft, slurring rattle Of the water as
It slipped back over a stretch of stones.
l neared the cottage. had gone one-half,
two-thirds, three-fourths. of the way. and
then Of a sudden a screaming gull whir-
red above my head. and. without thought
save that must break this tension, shot
forth full running for the house. | raced
over the hard sand. over the soft sand,
and when l came to my cottage fell pant
ing In the wide arms Of the dunes, quiv-
ering, breathless. A moment later the
three Others had fallen near me, and we
all lay there like so many bags of meal.
THAT'S panic! !" said Rodney. II know
now how II comes without any cause"
After time Charles rose and stole to
the ktchen-window. He looked in and
shook his head. Then he disappeared
around the other side. Nobody there"
he presently reported.
/ looked at my pistol and led the way.
The front door was ajar, and without any
more ado I entered my house on tip-toe,
keen-eyed as a cat. The others followed,
and Charles closed the door and boted 1t.
I went into the kitchen, found 1t also
empty, and secured that entrance; then,
with the same care. we four filed up the
stairs and into my study. A man sat In
my Morris-chair, smoking my meerschaum
pipe. covered him with the revolver as
he looked up.
Hello. said he. "Never mind the
gun. I'm alone In the house, and my
guns not In shooting order"
Suppose | see, SIR said Charles, and
moment later he found revolver in
the mans hip-pocket and appropriated it.
"Well," demanded, what have you to
say to breaking into mans house In his
absencer
The other-you could see he had a
sense OF humor from the wry smile he
made-leaned back and cooked his eye at
me. 81 heard you'd gone to sea-" he an
swered, "and wouldn't be coming back
soon."
"Ah, that's where have the advantage
Of you, and a very considerable advan-
tage. What | want is the Frenchman
over there" He looked past me at Du-
ponceau ~ come In for gold when cap
ture him."
signaled to Charles. and In trice
he had bent the mans arms tight around
the back of the chair. found a rope and
tied him there fast We bound his mouth
securely, so that even his wry smile dis
appeared, and then left him.
(To be continued.)