The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-24
The Sky Man

/ fronting Planck. souarely in the mid
die of q narrow path between two deep
fissures in the ice. His eyes were gllt-
Jering malevolently:
DO you know any reason, he asked
in a thick voice, "why | don { pick
you up and drop you down one of those
cracks there, or why / don Z serve you
as served that fellow yesterday
Planck thought he meant to do it,
men of his profession, he stood fast.
and eyed his big opponent.
g You re strong. enough to, he said.
"And II do it il / want to; you
know that" Roscoe supplemented.
eyes, I know that" The big man
nodded curtly.
"Well, IN not going to now. be.
cause I choose not to, Listen. If you
had the chance, could you navigate that
solid mahogany, hand-painted ship down
there7p
Planck cleared his throat, as if some
thing were stifling him, 'With Il
crew. yes,' he answered,
| FCould Schwartz run those nickel
plated engines he'd find in her, do you
thinkW
eyes -
"Well, within two days I'll give you
n chance 10 make good, Now, | m GO
ing to tell you my plan, not because
YOU asked. but because I. want you to
know. ! ID run the whole thing alone
| We're going TO take that yacht and
we re going off alone in her,-we of
the Whalcr, alone. Do you understand
| that7'
"They're better armed than We -
said Planck reflectively; "better fed,
better everything. And man for man,
bar you, THEY'RE Just MS good, and
fhau 'rp ihran RI pf n will W. N f.
some pretty good planning.
answered Roscoe. "I didn't expect
you to make the plans. ! knew you
couldn Z. I've made them myself;
they're working right now. Can you
keep your tongue in your head and
listen7'
Planck nodded.
"Thnt searching party didn't go
back to the yacht last night. They re
them-down In Little Bear valley.
There aren I about half a dozen fire
arms m the bunch; none of the sailors
from the yacht have any, and they We
got about two days rations. They re
all there together, except the one man
we accounted for Yesterday
"I see,' said Planck; "and YOU
think we can capture the yacht now
while they re ashore7"
Roscoe growled "I'm doing the
thinking. There are probably ten able
bodied men left on the yacht. That Is
not good enough odds, considering the
way they re armed, But about an
shore party to be their guide. He ism It
going to say anything much to them.
but what he says will be enough, I
reckon. He's TO pretend he's dotty
and can't understand what they say
to him.
Planck IS eyes widened little and
he did not ask his next question very
steadily. "Where is he going to take
thcm?'
''Can't you guess that? He's going
to lead them into Fog lake, of course. -
The thought of it made Planck IS
teeth chatter. Fog lake was. perhaps,
the most curious natural phenomenon
upon that strange Arctic land,-a little
cup.shaped valley. from which the fog
all the four years they had lived there.
On days when the rest OF the land was
clear, the fog hung there, half way
up the side Of the hills, so that from
the ridges surrounding il it really
looked like Il strange vapory sea. They
had explored the edges of it, fear
somely, at times. but had never pene-
Lldleu ldl W IcdIH tuc ecClSl
of It's mystery, if it had one.
them in there9" PIauck asked. CHOW S
he going to get out himself ~
Roscoe laughed shortly: "Oh, he IS
likely to get out, But he's the cheap.
est man we We got, and that s why /
sent him, He's half silly now, and
he's likely TO go ice-craZy most any
time. we seen it coming on him, Oh,
l.. ,..l,E L.,
he gets out himself, or not. doesn I
matter"
tAnd then7', Planck asked.
fWhy. they III send out relief
party from the Yacht, of course The
Yacht S people know what rations the
searching party took with them, and
when they don 7 come back in two
days, they III probably set out from the
yacht, with every able bodied man on
board, and try to find the first party
and bring it in. AS soon as they are
well out Of hearing, we take the yacht
We may not find a living soul aboard
her; and we certainly can't leave one
there. But Wen steam up and take
our gold aboard-all our gold. And
then, well-there where you u come
in"
'fBut what then, man' Ny God!
what then9 Do you suppose we can
90 steaming into San Francisco, or any
other port. in the world, with all that
gold in our hull and another captain s
log and papersl We might Just as well
hang ourselves from our own crowjack
yard.'
'fI hope your wits will improve when
YOU get a deck under your feet Ros-
coe growled. "On land here you re
about as much good as pelican In a
foot race. No, your sailing orders
won t be San Francisco. nor any other
port that has such a thing as a revenue
officer about. But you ought to know
the north coast line over there as far
east as Mckenzie bay. You must know
some harbor there where we can lie
up for the winter and not be both
cred. -
eyes" said Planck, "I could take
the yacht to such a place as that,
There's a very good harbor in behind
Hirsel Island. But what will we do
when we get there7"
"After that. it S my affair." said
Roscoe, tWe III winter on the yacht.
Then when the weather begins to loosen
up q bit, but before the spring thaws,
we II land our gold and our stores;
nha ol1 bo Al