Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-16
Bows FURNISHINGS

here.' He clapped me heavily on the
shoulder. I've got things about fixed up
now What do you say if we clear out
| tonight?
| II don't want to clear out a. all, ! lied
glibly
| "oh. bosh: That's too thin. You'd sell
your soul to get the mainland-you
know YOU would He thrust his face
close to miEe and eyed me angrily.
whats the matter? Got another scheme
on foot-or don't you like my COMPANY
| 1 drew back from him. You can take
your choice.
HIM. l have" he grunted turning
away.
But he had put a disturbing thought
into nv head. Are you going tonight by
YOURSELF"
Not a bit of it. I'll wait over and see
the fun tomorrow. When they get through
with YOU you'll be glad enough to come
along.
| Perhaps" ! laughed.
Dead sure he retorted, swinging on
his heel and disappearing around the cor
ner of the house.
| I climbed slowly up the path to the
| hut.
| The next few hours were endless. Fol-
| lowing my former plan, | pottered ABOUT
the place until bedtime, then, lounglng IN
watched impatiently for the lamps in the
living room to go out. But. as ill-luck
would have it. the Haywards seemed to
| have chosen this particular evening Tor
Shaving up late. 1t was haf-past ii when
the last light was eNtnguished. aud close
upon midnight before | finally dared 10
set out.
! \ thin mist had risen over the loWland'
| but the night was calm ana Starnt. WIN
the faint promise of a late moon hover
in in the eastern SkE. / pa uSpu al
| instant noting the weather with salts
| faction, then struck diagonally across the
pa StureS to the entrance OF the cave
With the aid of dark lantern, which
| had found i'm the Haywards' storeroom, l
made a rapid examination of the cluster
of powders but the strong rays revealed
nothing suspicious. The place seemed TO
be deserted; even Andersons vallse had
disappeared.
Deciding that he had hidden it in the
| tunnel, shut off the light and crept eau
tiousy into the narrow opening. but.
though i searched carefully, | made the
passage without discovering it. Had he
lied to me, or changed his plans since 1
had seen him. Had he gone tonight.
after all? l emerged from the tunnel with
the uneasy feeling that he had trickei
me, and it was with sense or relief that
| caught sight of the boat, standing out
black against the seward entrance be-
word Whatever his intentions We're, he
had not yet gone.
l turned to the right. and. sk1rtlnS the
shore, clambered out warily on narrow
shelf of rock which formed natural
landing stage along one side of the cave.
The boat, straining idly at her hawsers
lay dark and silent in the gloom below.
listened in vain for any sign of life on
board of her. then. slipping back the slide
of the lantern. stepped down on the deck.
At first glance one might have thought
that she had been swept by d cyclone.
From the bow, where j stood. to the dim
contour of the stern. was one bare eX-
panse Even the wheel and the bin
nacle had been sunk into q curious de-
preston, like q round we'll. on the TO-
ward deck. But il was the more serious
detail of her length which claimed my al
tent:on. and, as | stole aft. counting off
large-much too large-for a single man
TO handle. l hal come expecting to find
a launch and had found a full-f1edged
yacht
There was an open hatchway near the
stern. and. in the vague hope of discoy-
ering some contrivance which connected
the machinery with the steering gear,
climbed down the rude ladder. The lam
tern light piercing the darkness dis
played the meager furnishings of cabin
"a table. secured to the rough flooring,
few empty hunks. locker or two and in
one corner a well filed rack of firearms
l picked my way forward toward a low
opening cnt in the partition which divided
the boat amidships and crept into the en-
CINE room. The machine was a motor of
the latest pattern. / examined Ii care
fully. noting its ingenious construction,
Its evident capabilities for swiftness
Nothing which could insure speed and
smooth running had been neglected. but