The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1911-01-13

Captain Plum The Old man noted .
! emphasis, but the darkness that had
fast settled about them hid the added
meaning that passed In q curious look
over the others face.
odd way TO come in, though-very
odd" continued the old man, CUR
Cling and shaking as Ii the thought Of
il occasioned him great merriment
Very cautious. Level business head
Want to know that things r on the
square, chr"
That's IT." exclaimed Captain Plum,
catching at the profered straw. In
wardly he was wondering when his
feet would touch bottom Thus far
he had succeeded in getting but q
single grip on the situation Some
body was expected at Beaver island
with powder and balls and guns. Well,
he had q certain quantity OF these ma
terials aboard his sloop. and IL he
could make an agreeable bargain
The old man interrupted the plan
that was slowly forming itself in Cap
tain Plum's puzzled brain
It's the price, chr He laughed
shrewdly. You want TO e the color
Of the gold before you land the goods
Ill show il 20 you I'll pay you ths
whole SUM tonight Then you'll take
the stuff where ! tell you to. En-.
Isn't that sog" He darted ahead Of
Captain Plum with a quick alert move
ment VIII you please follow ne.
SIR"
For an instant Captain Plun's I'm
pcaSe gag 10 hold back In that In
slant ii suddenly occurred TO him that
he vas lending himself TO a rank i'm
position AT the same time he was
filed with a desire to go deeper into
tina adventure. and his blood thrilled
with the thought Of what it might hold
for him
Are you coming, SIR
The little old man had stopped O
dozen PAGES away and turned eI-
pectantly.
4 tell you again that you've got the
wrong man, dad"
~WilI you follow me, sir9"
Well. il you'll have ii so-damned
If / WON'T" cried Captain Plum He
felt that he had relieved his con
science. anyway. II things should de-
velop badly for him during the next
few hours no one could say that he
had lied. So he followed lght-heart-
edly after the old man, his eyes and
ears alert. and his right hand. by force
Of habit, reaching under his coat 10
the butt of his pistol. His guide said
not another word until they had traE-
eled for half an hour along a twisting
path and stood at last on the bald sum-
nit of q knoll from which they could
look down upon a number OF lights
twinkling dimly a quarter of q mile
away. One Of these lights cleaned
above all the others, like a beacon set
among frefies.
That's St James" said the o4d
man His voice had changed II
was Low and soft, as though he feared
TO speak above a whisper.
st james,"
The young man at his side gaxed
down silently upon the scattered lights.
his heart throbbing In q sudden tn
mutt Of excitement He had set VI
that day with the idea Of resting his
eyes on St James. In its silent mys-
terry the town now lay at his feet
And that light" spoke the old
man He pointed a trembling am 10
ward the glare that shone more power
fully than the others That light
marks the sacred home of the king."
His voice had again changed. A the
talIic hardness came into it. his words
were vibrant with q strange excite
ment which he strove hard TO con
ceaL Ii was still light enough for
Captain Plum TO see that the old
mans black, beady eyes were startling
ly alive with newly aroused emotion
You mean"
<~.~Srrang."
He started rapidly down the knoll
and there foated back to Captain
Plum the soft notes OF his meaning
less chuckle. A dozen rods farther on
his mysterious guide turned into a by
path which led them TO another knoll
capped by a good-sized building made
OF logs There sounded the grating
OF q key In a lock the shooting or .
bolt, and q door opened to admit them.
You win pardon me IL / 1onr light
up" apologized the old mar as he led
the way in. "A candle win be SUM-
cient You know there must -
privacy In these natters-lwaya Ehf
Isn't that so-
Captain Plum followed without ~
ply. He guessed that the cabin was
made up Of one large roou, and thaa
st the present time, at least II poo
sessed no other occupant than the
singular creature who had guided him
to II
1T II Just N wei. on this pssttculnr
night that no light La seen q. the
window" continued the old man -
hs rummaged about . table for o
match and q candle. Il have q little
corne back here that Q candle win
brighten up nicely and no one In ths
world win know It Ho. ho. ho.-hov