Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-06-29

close reefed.
 But when at last the boom was thrashing overhead and the halyards !, had been made fast to their cleats tho | fisherman again stood erect, peering dstrustfully at the distant wall of | cloud
 Then. in two breaths. Cant do it." | hc Gecided-"not at the price" 1 "Why?" KlrkwooI stared despair | ingiy after the brigantine. that was ai- ready drawn far ahead.
 Danger" growled the fellow wind"
 Ata loss completely, Kirkwood found uo words. He dropped his head. con sidering
 Not at the price," the sullen voice iterated. and he looked up to find the cunning giize upon him. How much. thenY"
 Five pun I'll have. no less. for riskin my life this day" Impossible 1 haven't got it." In silence the man unshipped he till i CT and moved toward the cleats. Hold on Il minute Kirkwood unbuttoned his coat and. | freeing the chain from his waistcoat buttonholes removed his watch. AS well abandon them altogether. He had designed to leave them as security for the f2 and had delayed stating the terms only for fear lest they be re- fused Now. too late, as ever. he rec ognized his error But surely. he thought. l. should be apparent even to that low intelligence that the time piece alone was wortI. nys ,:Rn the boat itself
 "Will you take these?" he offered. Take and keep them. Only set me aboard that ship"' Deliberately the fisherman weighed the watch and chain in his broad. bard palm. eyes narrowing to mere slits in his bronzed mask
 How muchT' he asked slowly
 Eighty pounds together The chain alone cost me twenty" The shifty. covetous e.2s ranged from the treasure in his hand to the threatening east. A puff cf wind caught the sail and sent the boom athwartships like mighty flail. Both men tucked instinctively to escape q braining.
 How do l know:" objected the skipper.
 I'm telling you If you've eyes you can sec" retorted Klrkwood savagelv t,n b., t,, tolt truth Tho amn,Irt ho hrd nnmod w,s ,no great to be grHsped at once by thts crudn crpilincUS brain.
 "ii0N do 1 know" the man repeal cd Nevertheless he dropped watch and chain into his pocket then. with T horny. greedy palm.
 'What''-
 Hand over th' two pun and well go
 "Ill see yon hanged frst,''
 Ashore ye 20" He uronounced his uItinntum. motionirg Nirkwocd to en. ter the boat
 The American turned, looking for the Alethea or for The vessel that be believed bore that name. She was nearing the lghtshp when he fcnud Ter. and as he looked q sQuall blurred the air between them, plotting the briCantne out with d smudge of rain The effect was as if she had vapiehCd ns If she were forever snatchcd from his grasp. and with Dorothy aboard her-heayen alone knew in what need of him,
 Mute and blind with despair and wrath. he turned upon the man and caught him by the collar. forcing him out over the lip of the ovrrhang. They were unevenly matched. Kirkwood far the slighter. but strength came to him 'n the crisis. physical strength and ad- dress such as he had not dreamed were at his command. And the surprise of his onslaught proved an ally of un- guessed potency. Before he himself knew it he was standing on the over hang and had shifted his hold to seize the fellow about the waist; then. lift Ing him clear of the deck and aided by the lurch of the catboat. he cast him bodily into the dory. The man. IHilll1G. SIrUPk HIS NpNu nSHlIiSI one or inc thwarts-a glancing blow that stunned him temporarily. Kirkwood himself dropped ns if shot. trailing reef point slapping his cheek until 1t stung as the boom thrashed overhead. It was as close call as he had known The knowledge sickened him little
 Without rising he worked the paint CT loose and cast the dory adrift. then crawled back into the cockpit. No pang of compassion disturbed him as he abandoned the fisherman to the mercy of the sea. Though the fellow lay still. uncouthly distorted. in the bottom of the dory. he was in no dan ger. The wind and waves together would carry the boat ashore. For that matter. the man was even then re- covering struggling to sit up.
 Crouching to avoid the boom, Kirk wood went forward to the bows and. graspiDg the mooring cable. drew it in. slipping back into the cockpit 10 get a stronger purchase with his feet. It was 6 struggle. The boat pulled slug gishly araiDSt the wind thp cal inch