Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-10-21
CHAPTER l--Continued.

BE seated, Captain Plum right
over there-opposite me. Sol"
He continued for a moment 70
smooth out the creases Ill the letter
and then proceeded to read it with as
much assurance as though its owner
were thousand miles away instead
Of within arms reach of him. Cap
tain Plum was dumbfounded. He felt
the hot blood rushing to his face and
his first impulse was to recover the
crumpled paper and demand some
thing more than an explanation. IN
the next instant it occurred to hin
that this action would probably SOIL
whatever possibilities his nights I'd
venture might have for him. So ne
held his peace. The old man ia. sc
intent in his perusal of the Letter tt;
the end OF his hooked nose alllc-c--
scraped the table He went over the
dim, partly Obliterated words line 0y
line, chuckl1ng now and then, and ap-
parently utterly oblivious of the 9th
er's presence. When he had come to
the end he looked up, his eyes glitter
ing with unbounded satisfaction, care
fully folded the letter, and handed it
to Captain Plum.
That's the best introduction in the
world, Captain Plum-the very best!
Ho, holt couldn't be better. I'm
glad | found it, He chuckled gleeful
ly, and rested his ogreish head in the
Inns nf c1z
elbows on the table. 80 you're going
back hOme-sOon?"
Il haven't made up my mind yet,
dad responded Captain Plum, pulling
out his pipe and tobacco. you've read
the letter pretty carefully, l guess.
What would you do?"
Vermont" questioned the old man
shortly
That's it."
We'll, Id 60 and very soon, Cap
tain Plum, very soon indeed. Yes, I'd
hurry!" The old man jumped up with
the quickness of a. cat. So sudden
was his movement that it startled Cap
tain Plum, and he dropped his tobac-
co pouch By the time he had recov-
cred this article his strange compan-
ion vas back in his seat again holding
leather bag in his hand. Quickly
he united the knot at its top and
poured torrent of glittering gold
pieces out upon the table.
Observation-Disclosures and gold" he
F,uTgleG happily. rubbing his thin
hand ana twisting his fingers until
they cracked. "a pretty sight, en- Cap
tain Plum? Now, to our account! A
hundred carbines, eh? And a thou
sand of powder and ton of balls. Or
is it in lead? 1t doesn't make any diff
ference-not a bit. It's three thou
sand, that's the account, eh?" He fell
to counting rapidly.
FCr a full minute Captain Plum re-
NAMED in stupefied bewilderment, 81
fenced by the sudden and unexpected
turn his adventure had taken. Easel
mated, he watched the skeleton fingers
as they clinked the gold pieces. What
was the mysterious plot into which he
had allowed himself to be drawn?
Why were a hundred guns and a ton
and a half Of powder and balls wanted
by the Mormons of Beaver island?
Instinctively he reached out and closed
his hand over the counting fingers of
the old man. Their eyes met And
there was a shrewd halfunderstand-
ing CLEAN in the black Orbs that fixed
Captain Plum in an unflinching chal-
Ienge. For a little space there was
, silence. 1t was Captain Plum who
broke it.
Dad, I'm going to tell you for the
third and last time that you've made
mistake I've got eight of the best
rifles in America aboard my sloop out
there. But there's a man for every
gun And I've got something hidden
away undertook that would blow up
st. James in half an hour. And there
is powder and ball for the whole out
fit. But that's all. I'll sell you what
I've got--for a good price. Beyond
that you've got the wrong mani"
He settled back and blew volume
of smoke from his pipe. For another
half minute the old man continued to
look at him, his eyes twinkling, and
then he fell to counting again.
Captain Plum was not given over to
the habit of cursing. But now he
Jumped to his feet with an oath that
Jared the table. The old man chuck
led. The gold pieces clinked between
his fingers. Coolly he showed two