Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-04-20
CHAPTER Ill.-contlnued.

CHAPTER Ill.-contlnued. q
For a long time Roscoe walked
steadily on, until the two had come
lar up the glacier. Finally, when he
did stop, he whirled quite around and
stood confronting Planck, %squarely in
the middle of a narrow path between
two deep assures in the ice. His eyes
were glittering inadvertently.
do you know any reason" he
asked in a thick voice, why 1 don't
pick you up and drop you down n
of those cracks there, or why I don't
serve you as I served that fellow yes
terday?"
Planck thought he meant to do 1t,
but, with the fatalism that marks the
men Of his profession, he stood fast
and eyed his big opponent.
You're strong enough to-" he said.
"And I'll do 1t If I want to; you
know that" Roscoe supplemented.
Eyes, l know that" The big man
nodded curtly.
well, I'm not going to now, be-
cause / choose not to, Listen. If you
had the chance. could you navigate
that solid mahogany, hand-painted
ship down there?"
Planck cleared his throat, as If
something were sitting him. with a
crew, yes" he answered.
could Schwartz run those nickel
plated engines he'll find In her, do you
think?"
Eyes"
well, within two days I'll give you
q chance to make good. Now, I'm
going to tell you my plan, not be-
cause you asked me, but because I
want you to know. I'd run the whole
thing alone If I could, but I want you
with me. We're going to take that
Sacht and we're going off alone in her
I'VE of the Whaler, alone. Do you
understand that?"
They're better armed than we"
laid Planck refiectively; better fed,
better everything. And man for man,
bar you, they're Just as good, and
they're three to one Of us. 1t will
want some pretty good planning"
"You needn't worry about that" an
swered~R Roscoe. II didn't expect you
to make the plans; knew you
couldn't. I've made them myself;
they're working right now. Can you
keep your tongue in your head and
Hsten?"
Planck nodded.
"That searching party didn't &c
sack to the yacht last night. They're
all camped together-about 20 of them
down in the Little Bear valley.
There aren't above half a dozen fire
trms in the bunch; none Of the sail
PTS from the yacht have any. and
hey've got about two days rations
They're all there together, except the
.ne man we accounted for yesterday
"T see" said Planck; "and you think
re can capture the yacht now while
hey're ashore"
Don't try to think, l tell you." Ros
,oe growled. "rm doing the thinking
There are probably ten able-bodiei
men left on the yacht. That's not
good enough odds, considering the
way they're armed. But about az
hour ago I sent Miguel down to the
shore party to be their guide. He
lsn't going to say anything much Il
them, but what he says will bt
enough, I reckon. He's to pretend he'i
aotty and can't understand what theJ
gay to him"
Planck's eyes widened a little ant
be did not ask his next question yer,
steadily. Where is he going to tax,
them?"
Cant you guess that? He's goini
10 lead them into Fog lake, of course
The thought of it made Planck'i
teeth chatter. Fog lake was, perhaps
the most curious natural phenomenon
upon that strange arctic land-a littl'
tup-shaped valley, from which the fol
never lifted-had lifted once II
lii the four years they had lived there
On days when the rest Of the LAM
was clear, the fog hung there, hal
way up the side Of the hills, SO tina
from the ridges surrounding 1t it real
" looked like a strange vapory sea
They had explored the edges Of II
~learsomely, at times. but had neve
penetrated far enough to learn tn
secret Of its mystery, If 1t had one.
And then?" Planck asked.
why, they'll send out a relief part,
from the yacht, Of course. The yacht
people know what rations the search
ing party took with them, and whel
they don't come back In two days
they'll probably set out from tn
E:scht, with every able-bodied man O
wv, and try to find the first part
aEanE IL In soon az they ar