The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-03-27
u though waiting. He Was between
Us ana the strait that connected the


us and the strait that connected the
upper and lower lakes. Though not
alarmed l was irritated by my care
lessness In venturing through the
strait and anxious to return to the less
wild part of the lake. l did not dare
look over my shoulder but kept talk
ing to my passengers, while lima,
with the rare intuition of his race, I'M
derstood the situation and indicated
by gestures the course.
There's a boat sailing through the
green, green wood" exclaimed Helen;
and true enough, as We crept in close
to the shore, we could still see, across
wooded point of the island, the sails
Of the Stiletto, as of a boat of dreams,
drifting through the trees. And as /
looked 1 saw something more. A tiny
signal flag was run quickly to the top
mast head, withdrawn once and
flashed back; and as I faced the bow
again the boatman dropped his oars
into the water.
''What a strengthening man." re-
marked Miss Pat.
He doesn't look like native" re-
piled, carelessly.
The launch swung slowly around,
cutting half-circle, of which the Ital-
ian's boat was the center. He dallied
idly with his oars and seemed to pay
no heed to US, though he glanced sew
eral times toward the yacht, which
had now crept into full view, and I'M
der a freshening breeze was bearing
southwark
Full speed, lima"
The engine responded instantly, and
we cut through the water smartly.
There was a space of about rs yards
between the boatman and the nearer
shore. did not believe that he would
do more than try to annoy US by for
cling US on the swampy shore; for it
was still broad daylight, and we were
likely at any moment to meet other
craft. 1 was confident that with any
sort of luck could slip past him
and gain the strait, or dodge and run
round him before he could change the
course of his heavy skiff.
I kicked the end of an oar which
the launch carried for emergencies
and lima, on this hint, drew it toward
him.
you can see some of the roofs of
Port Annandale across the neck here"
remarked, seeing that the women
had begun to watch the approaching
boat uneasily.
l kept up a rapid fire of talk, but
listened only to the engines regular
beat. The launch was now close to
the Italians boat, and having nearly
completed the semicircle 1 was obliged
to turn little TO watch him. Sud
denly he sat up straight and lay to
with the oars, pulling hard toward
point we must pass in order to clear
the strait and reach the upper lake
again. The fellows hostile intentions
were clear to all of us now and we all
silently awaited the outcome His
skiff rose high in air under the i'm
pulsion of his strong arms, and if he
struck our lighter craft amidships, as
seemed inevitable, he would undoubt-
eddy swamp US.
lima half rose, glanced toward the
yacht, which was heading for the
strait, and then at me, but l shook my
head
Mind the engine, lima l said
with as much GOODNESS as I could mus,
ter.
The margin between us and the
skiff rapidly diminished, and the Ital
ian turned to take his bearings with
every lift of his oars He had thrown
of his cap and as he looked over his
shoulder | saw his evil face sharply
outlined. | counted slowly to myself
the number of strokes that would be
necessary to bring him in collision if
he persisted, charging against his
progress our own swift. arrow-like
fight over the water. The shore was
close, and l had counted on a full
depth of water, but lima now called
out warningly In his shrill pipe and
our bottom scraped as | veered Off
This maneuver cost me the equivalent
of ten of the Italians deep strokes.
and the shallow water added a new
element of danger.
Stand by the oar, lima" called in
a low tone; and saw in fash Miss
Pats face, quite calm, but with her
lips set tight
Ten yards remained, l judged, be-
tween the skiff and the strait, and
there was nothing for us now but to
let speed and space work out their
problem.
lima stood up and seized the oar.
threw the wheel hard aport in last
hope of lodging, and the launch listed
badly as it swung round Then the
bow of the skiff rose high, and Helen
shrank away with little cry; there
was a scratching and grinding for an
instant, as lima, bending forward,
dug the oar into the skiff's bow and
checked it with the full weight of his
body. As we Tended of the oar
snapped and splintered and he tum-
bled into the water with a great
splash, while we swerved and rocked
for a moment and then sped on
through the little strait.
Looking back. l saw lima swim
60 Tho IL III q