The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-12-30
(Copyrlght 1908 BY Dobbs. Merrill ca
j, CHAPTER I.
The Two oath..

49,, - CHAPTER IT,
=; :, The Two oaths.
On an afternoon In the early sum-
mer of 1856 Capt. Nathaniel Plum,
master and owner of the sloop Ty-
phoon. was engaged in nothing more
important than the smoking of an
enormous pipe. Clouds of strongly
odored smoke. tinted with the lights
of the setting sun. had risen above his
head in unremitting volumes for the
last half hour. There was infinite con-
tentment in his face. Notwithstanding
the fact. that he had been meditating
on subject that was not altogether
pleasant. But Captain Plum was. in
way. a philosopher. though one
would not have guessed this fact from
his appearance. He was. in the first
place. a young man, not more than
eight or nine and twenty. and his
strong. rather thin face, tanned by ex-
posture to the sea. was just now lighted
up by eyes that shone with an un-
bounded good humor which any in
slant might take the form of laughter.
At the present time Captain Plum's
vision was confined to one direction,
which carried his gaze out over Lake
Michigan. Earlier in the day he had
been able to discern the hazy outline
of the Michigan wilderness 20 miles
to the eastward. Straight ahead,
shooting up rugged and sharp in the
red light of the days end, were two
islands. Between these. three miles
away. the sloop Typhoon was strongly
silhouetted in the fading glow. Be-
yond the islands and the sloop there
were no other objects for Captain
Plum's eyes to rest upon. So far as
he could see there was no other sail.
At his back he was shut in by dense
growth Of trees and creeping vines,
and unless small boat edged close in
around the end of Beaver island his
place of concealment must remain I'M
discovered. At least this seemed an
assured fact to Captain Plum.
In the security Of his position he be-
gan to whistle softly as he beat the
bowl of his pipe on his boot heel to
empty it of ashes. Then he drew q
long-barreled revolver from under a
coat that he had thrown aside and
examined it carefully to see that the
powder and ball were in solid and that
none of the caps was missing. From
the same place he brought forth
belt, buckled 1t round his waist,
showed the revolver into its holster,
and dragging the coat to him, fished
out letter from an inside pocket. It
was q dirty, much-worn letter. Per-
haps he had read It score of times.
He read it again now. and then, refill
Ing his pipe, settled back against the
rock that formed a rest for his shout
ders and turned his eyes in the direc-
ton Of the sloop.
The last rim of the sun had fallen
below the Michigan wilderness and in.
the rapidly increasing gloom the sloop
was becoming indistinguishable. Cap
tain Plum looked at his watch. He
must still wait a little longer before
setting out upon the adventure that
had brought him to this isolated spot.
He rested his head against the rock,
and thought. He had been thinking
for hours. Back In the thicket he
heard the prowling Of some small ami
NAL. There came the sleepy chirp of
a bird and the rustling of tired wings
settling for the night. A strange still
ness lowered about him, and with It.
there came over him q loneliness that
Was chilling, q loneliness that made
him homesick. It was new and un.
pleasant sensation to Captain Plum.
He could not remember Just when he
had experienced It before; that is, IL
he dated the present from two weeks
ago tonight. It was then that the let
ter had been handed to him in Chi
cago. and It had been a weight upon
his soul and q prick to his conscience
ever since. Once or twice he had
made up his mind to destroy It, but
each time he had repented at the last
moment In q sudden revulsion at his
weakness he pulled himself together.
crumpled the dirty missive into a ball
and flung II out upon the white rim,
Of beach.
At this action there came q quick
movement In the dense wall Of verdure
behind him Noiselessly the tangle OF
vines separated and head thrust.
itself cut In time 20 zee the bit Of
papsf fail short Of the waters edge.
Then the head shot back g swiftly
ana - silently - serpent's Per.
haps Captain Plum heard the gloat-
ing chuchs that followed the move.
ment Il % he thought Il only some