Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-10-15
CHAPTER XII.-(ContinuedD

regular breathing of sleeping man, then
distir guished that of another, and finally
heard some one turn and grunt. In some
inexplicable way, these men had happened
to camp just above the spot chosen by
Duponceau to hide his chest.
| scarce dared turn and crawl away
from fear of waking the sleepers, and so
lay still. wondering if by any chance they
could have already found the treasure, or
If there might yet be an opportunity for
Us to remove it. Suddenly l felt Rodney
grip my arm. Listen he breathed.
OF in the distance, clear and long, rose
the osprey call. Duponceau was in some
danger.
We wriggled away from the hemlock,
crawled back through the woods, and
stood erect only when we reached the
edge. There we swept the beach and
what we could see of the Ship for signs
of men, but the shore was still empty
as the desert.
"Shall we run for it?" I asked.
No. said Rodney; ''if there are any
men there, they're between us and the
boat, or on the boat; we'd best keep close
The advice was good like Indians we
made the fringe Of the woods, keeping in
shadow. When we were forced to leave
this shelter we skirted the cliff, ready to
crouch back at a call or to rush forward
As we neared the shadow of the head
land we saw figures climb over the rocks
of the little inland sea and head up the
beach-four men, silhoutted black against
the white sand. and not one Of them as
tall as Duponceau.
"They haven't got him." whispered ;
"at least, he is not with them"
That's queer" said Rodney. 81 haven't
heard a shot fired. They must have
boarded the Ship"
We crossed the causeway, running light
ly, and climbed on board. The deck was
as empty as the beach had been when
we first crossed it. | rushed below and
poked in all the hunks, but not trace of
Duponceau was to be found. Rodney and
] stood in the bow and peered across the
rocks We could see nothing save the
woods AID the sky.
well" said lslip at last, that takes
the cake. He's vamosed, vanished, cleared
out, and dare say We'll never see hide
or hair of him again. This things get
ting positively spooky, Selden. Are you
sure that the man was flesh and blood?'
81 certainly thought so," | answered.
"But he came in the middle of the night,
and he's gone at the same time. Strange
Where on earth could he go?"
"Search me-" said Rodney. II thought
the adventure was almost too real to be
true. Such things don't happen, you
know-that is, not consecutively-withn
a days ride of New York" He consider
ed the matter gravely. "But what will
Barbara say if she finds we haven't kept
by him.
81 was thinking of that myself" an
swered looking blankly at him.
Islip broke into a laugh-such an in
fectious laugh that couldn't help joining
him. 81 dare say we're different In most
ways, Selden," he said, "but we're alike
in one. Well, here's how ~ and he held
out his hand to me.
We shook hands, half seriously, half in
Jest, and | took back all the unkind
things | had ever thought about him.
We turned and went down the deck on
the outer side of the mast. l heard Rod
ney exclaim and saw him stop and look
at the rail where his hand rested. A
small gold chain was fastened to the edge.
He peered over the sde and then, to my
utter amazement, began to throw off his
clothes.
"What on earth-" began, but Rod
ney only chuckled, and finished undress-
ing. Then from somewhere out in the sea
came the osprey's cry, clear, quavering to
a minor cadence. Islip slipped over the
side, crossed the rocks, and dived into
the waves.
l pulled on the chain and up came a
bundle of clothes wrapped in Duponceau' s
cloak. Then | understood, and followed
Rodney's example.
Never have | known such swim as
that, in the mystery Of starlight, through
a sea that seemed made of silver. We
found Duponceau by his cry and followed
him, resting now and then to float on the
silver surface, and again racing hand over
hand out through the mystery. We were
no longer men, but free sea creatures, in
our own element undismayed
We swan in great circle, and at last
Duponceau led us back to the Ship. Day
was breaking far out, beyond the Shifting
Shoa. 81 saw them coming" he said,
''and SO / hung my clothes from the side
and took to the waves. They found moth
Ing; perchance now they think me a
ghost"
We told him our experience in search
ing for the chest, and he showed great
deal of perturbation, but finally came to
the wise conclusion that we could do moth
ing in regard to 1t then.
1t was my turn below, and fell asleep
In a glorious glow from the swim, just as
the sky was shading pink.
CHAPTER XIII.
When | awoke found Rodney seated