The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-01-12
loopyright 1905 by Dobhs- Merrln Co.,
CHAPTER Z.
The IWo Oaths.

The Two oaths.
On an afternoon In tlk early sum
ner of 1856 Capt. Nathaniel Plum.
master and owner of the sloop Ty-
plloon. 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 a subject that was not altogether
pleasant But Captain Plum was, In
a way, a philosopher. though one
would not have guessed this fact from
mis- 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-
pCsure to the sea. was just now lighted
up by eyes that shone with an I'M
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
70 the eastward. Straight ahead.
shooting up rugged and sharp In the
red light of the days end. we're two
islands. Between these. three miles
away. the sloop Typhoon was strongly
silhouetted in the fading glow. Be
we're 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 a 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 a
iong.barreled revolver from under n
coat that he had thrown aside and
examined 1t 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 a
belt, buckled IL round his waist
showed the revolver into its holster.
and dragging the coat to him. fished
out letter from an inside pocket. 1t
vas a dirty. much-worn letter. Per
haps he had read II a score of times.
He read Il again now. and then. refill
ing his pipe. settled back against the
rock that formed rest for his shout
ders and turned his eyes In the direc-
zion of the sloop.
The last rim of the sun had fallen
below the Michigan wilderness and in
the rapidly increasing gloom the slooD
was becoming indistinguishable. Cap
tain Plum looked at his watch. lie
must still wait 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. lie 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 1t
Shere came over him a loneliness that
was chilling. a loneliness that made
him homesick. Il was new and un-
pleasant sensation to Captain Plum.
He could not remember Just when he
sad experienced 1t before; that is. II
ne dated the present from two weeks
ago tonight. 1t was then that the let
ger had been handed to him In Chi
cago. and II had been a weight upon
his soul and a prick to his conscience
ever since. Once or twice ne had
made up his mind to destroy Il. but
each time he had repented at the last
moment. In a sudden reyuision at his
weakness he pulled himself together,
crumpled the dirty missive into ball
and flung IL out upon the white rim
Of beach
Al this action there came a quick
movement In the dense wall OF verdure
behiud him Nolselessly the tangie OF
vfnes keparated and head thrust
itself odl In tins to see the bit OF
paper fall short OF the waters edge.
Then the head shot back as swiftly
aud as silently as a serDents. Per
haps Captain Plum heard the gioat-
ing chuckle that followed the move
ynent If 80 be thought II only some
night bird In the brush.
"Hei..h-hol he exclaimed, with
sc-ne return a his old cheer. its
about ume we were starting'" lie
jumpea "a his feet and began brush
ting the dust On his clothes. Wher
ae had dome. walked out uPop the