Evening star., 1911-08-20

rob us of the way home? We must have
men we can rely on, and men who know how to pump
a Winchester. l can get you both. And Bannerman
will furnish with anything from pair OF egglngs to
a quick firing gun and on Cark-st they'll quote me a
special rate ship stores hydTau1c pumps dVerS mel
NETS"
Edgar's eyeglasses became frosted with cold
demnatory scorn. He shook his head disgustedly. l
was afraid of this he murmured
| endeavored to reassure him. "A little danger, |
laughed, "only adds to the fun.
q want you to understand" exclaimed Edgar ndig
going to be any fun This is plain business PROPOSE
ton. asked you those questions just to test YOU
And YOU approached the matter exactly feared you
would | prepared for it. In fact" he explained
samefacedy "ve read several of your little Stories
and find they to adventure and blood and thun-
der; they of the analytical school OF fiction.
Judging from them he added accusngly, you have
tendency to the romantic" He spoke reluctantly. as
though saying had tendency to epileptic fits or the
morphine habit.
Il am afraid was forced to admit, 3that to
pirates and buried always suggest adventure
And your criticism of my writings IS well observed
Others have discovered the fatal weakness. We
cannot ALL pointed out, manufacture Unshrnkabe
Fannels.'
A 7 this compliment to his more fortunate condition,
"A Edgar seemed to soften. Il grant you, he said,
@that the subject has almost invariably been approached
from the point of view you take. And what, he de-
manded triumphantly @has been the result? Failure;
or at least before attained most unneces-
sary and regretable loss of blood and life Now,
my expedition do intend that any blood shall be
she'd or that anybody shall lose his life. have not
entered into this matter hastily. have taken out
formation and mean to benefit by other peoples mis-
takes. When | decided to go on with this, he ex-
planned q" read all the books that bear searches tor
buried treasure and found that in each the
mistakes were made and that then in order to remedy
the mistakes it invariably necessary to kill some
body Now by not making those mistakes, it will not
be necessary for kill anyone, and nobody gong
to have chance to kill me.
1You propose that fit out schooner, and sign on
a crew. What will happen? A man with saber cut
..1o I1,o1x
will inevitably be of that And soon as we
SAIL he will begin to plot against us. cabin
boy whom the consprators think asleep in his bunk
will overhear their plot and will run to the quarterback
to give warning; but pistol shot rings out and the
cabin boy falls at the foot Of the companion ladder
The cabin boy is always the first go. After that
the mutineers kill the first mate, and lock in our
cabin, and take the ship They will then breach
a cask of rum and all through the nil ght shall listen
to their drunken howlngs and from the cabin airport
watch the body of the first mate rolling in the lee
scuppers'
aBut you forget protested, -that there is always
one faithful member of the crew who
Edgar interrupted me impatently. L have not
overlooked him. he said. 4He is generally Jamaica
negro of gigantic proportions, the ships cook; but
he always gets his too and he gets it good They throw
him to the sharks. Then all camp out on desert
island inhabited only by goats and we build stockade,
and the mutineers to treat with under white
fag and trusting entirely to their honor, are fools
shoot us up and withdraw laughing scornfully Edgar
fixed his eyeglasses upon me accusingly.
@Am | right, am wrong?' he demanded.
| was unable to answer
@The only man." continued Edgar warmly, "who ever
showed the slightest intelligence in the matter the
fellow in the Gold Bug He kept his mouth shut. He
never let anyone know that he after buried treasure
until he found it. That's me! Now know exactly
where this treasure is, and"
7 SUPPOSE l must have invountarily given a start
of interest; for Edgar paused and shook his head,
syly and cunnngly
aAnd if you think have the map on my person now"
he declared in triumph, you'll have to guess again.
1Realy," protested, Il had no intention
3Not you perhaps" said Edgar grudgngly; "but
your Japanese valet conceas himself behind those