The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-25
THE LOST CARGO
BY Wade Warren Thayer n Magazine.

got one more card to play. luckily.
come aft, Sullivan he called. "a When
that tug shows her bow around that
last point astern, you and Gillette
yank off the tarpaulins and tumble the
bales overheard as fast as you can.
Bob and the mate jumped TO obey
When the little black tug poked her
nose around the point, few moments
later, they hustled the opium over
board, bale after bale. The yacht
Jared and shook for moment, and
lost her Roadway SO that it seemed as
though she had gone aground.
Seems TO me that S a queer move,
Bob said as he came aft again. eff
you were going to sling the stuff into
the sea, why didn t you do ii before
they were in sight?''
Carlton smiled at his rueful eounte-
nance "Bobb.v. my boy he said,
Sin another minute we'll have hor-
net S nest about our ears, and the less
you know the better
The tug was whistling frantically by
this time, and, as though just reallz-
ing its presence, Carlton threw the
yacht up into the wind. She lay with
sails Tapping as the tug drew near.
Gillette deserted group of men IN
uniform on her forward deck and a
small brass howitzer looking grimly
over the bulwarks in the bow.
eff it ism t Charlie Chansworth, -
called Carlton, as they came along
side. "HalIo, Charliel Out early,
aren't youa Where you bound fors
Shaking expedition?'
sWe're coming aboard, Jack" re-
turned the tall deputy marshal sober
~. "Sorry to see you mixed up in
such a shady deal as this. m afraid
you re up against it. -
cup against what?' queried Carl
tom "What do you mean by shady
dealq''
"You needn t run such bluff, Carl
TOM spoke up Stockton, the customs
collector, in his most pompous official
manner. He was stocky man with a
pasty complexion and eyes that shifted
when you looked into them. eve we
got you dead to rights. Saw you tum-
BILE the stuff overheard, and we II have
it on this boat, and you in Jail before
night
ssWell. you fellows certainly do beat
the Dutch,n Carlton answered "Come
aboard and have drink and tell US
what it s all about.
| He edged the yacht nearer, and
Chansworth and Stockton dropped
aboard.
'Let me do the talking, Bob Carl
ton said under his breath, as he turned
to let off the main sheet a bit.
With Sullivan at the wheel, the rest
went below, and Gillette busted him
self with glasses and bottles.
| "You might as well own up, Jack, y
Chansworth began. as he slipped a
| Scotch and soda. 6 You We been try
ing to run in some dope, and we We
caught you in the act. We can dredge
it up here easily in day or SO. Then
wen have to send you over to the
reef for a while.
Carlton S laugh rang out SO heartily
and spontaneously, that Gillette would
+; have been deceived had he not been
behind the scenes.
"They think that rock ballast we
just got rid of was opium, Bob,'' be
cried merrily. ''That we've come
down from the Coast with opium
aboard to try to smuggle it IN
/ Wouldn t that jar you2 You know
+, Bob he went on before his friends
! could say a word, "down in this lit
tie republic they got a paternal gov
eminent that says just what mar
shall eat, drink, smoke, and wear. They
think that opium is bad for the Chinks
and so they forbid its importation. Bui
the heather must have their dream
smoke, so smuggling thriyes. That :;
what these chaps think we re up to. ,
CIT IS evident that we are only vast
j ing time, Chansworth, - cut in Stock
ton bruskly. tTeIl Captain Olson t.
buoy the place where the bales were
iettisoned and send a man ashore tt
watch the spot. Then let him drop II
line and tow us back to Honolulu
You can come down with grapplin{
irons this afternoon and fish the stuff
up.
~ may as well tell you, Carlton. ,
he went on, as Chansworth started 70
deck. "that we had direct information
from San Francisco, by the Australia
this week that you were coming down
here with load of opium aboard. ST
we can not be blamed if we take You
back to Honolulu to investigate thu
matter.
] every well, if you must, said Carl
ton shortly. ''But | warn you, tina
you are making a great mistake. -
In Honolulu harbor, the Sylph wa
anchored i'll the stream and all hand
were hailed before the marshal. Al
hours cross examination by the attor
general of the republic, hastil,
summoned from the capitol with tw'
assistants, elected nothing. They wer
allowed to 60, pending report from
Chansworth, who had gone back t
Pearl Harbor to search for the opium
But guard was stationed aboard tn
Sy1ph, and Carlton was notified that h
and his men would be under surveil
lance until further notice.
! The week that followed was tryin
| one for Gillette No word came fror
the missing opium and Carlton refuse
to enIighten him as to its whereabouts
Then one day they were summone
, again to the marshal 5 Office, and afte
! homily on the sins of smuggling
were ungraciously hidden TO depart i
peace.
After dredging over half the bottol
/ Of Pearl Harbor. the officers had bee
unable to locate the discriminating ev
: dence, hence they had No choice but t
release the supposed smugglers.