The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-01-26

"A message?"
II don't know what to say, sir, the
telegraph instruments are going like
one o'clock. thought you had better
know Immediately. There's no one else
aboard can read them.
My rough exclamation astonished
them both. Our Marconi instruments
had always been q pleasant source of
mystery to the crew, and even the cap
tain regarded them with some little
awe. Hitherto we had hardly made use.
OF them at all, exchanging, think. but
couple OF messages, one with p. &
0. steamer and another with a Union
boat. And now they spoke for the,
third time, not from any ocean-going
ship, felt sure, nor from any station
pregnant of good or i'll, 1t might be.
beyond any power Of the imagination
to say. Be 1t said that went below
with an anxiety, an excitement OF the
news, battling words. Was 1t possible
that this implement Of steel and brass,
OF wire and filings and the simplest
electric batteries, would reveal the
truth so long concealed? Even that I
dared to hope.
Now, the second officer watched the
instrument when / entered the fore
cabin, where we had set II up, and his
curiosity was natural enough. / caught
him in the act of trying to send some
signal In reply, and arrested him with
so rough hand upon his own, that he
must have believed me bereft sudden
ly of my senses.
"Goodness!" cried, mot a word,
man--not word! This may be life or
death to us! Leave 1t alone-let them
speak before we answer"
THE instrument has been going for
fxy fNt,t 20. eli, Irv lit 90
the Morse code, but can't make head
or tail of 1t. She's not P. & o. ship,
sir"
Neither a p. & o. nor any other
letters in our alphabet, my lad. Go
down now to Mr.. Bronson the engineer,
and tell him to give an eye to the bat
teries and the coherer. will see to
this"
He left me, and took my stand be-
fore the implement and watched 1t as
a man watches a human face wherein
he may read the story Of his fate. A
message was being licked out there, but
so family. SO absolutely inaudible, that
no skill of mine could write 1t down.
Far away from us, 1t might be some
hundreds Of miles away an unknown
ship flashed it's news over the lonely
ocean. What ship, then, and whose
were the voices? Fascinated beyond
expression, stood long hour by the
instrument, and could hear my own
heart beating with the excitement Of
suspense. Would the instrument never
speak plainly? Should risk a question
in answer sent out from our own lofty
mast where all had been prepared for
such seeming miracle as this? And IL
so. what question? Had Imroth a pass
word upon the high seas of which I
was not the possessor? I knew not
what t. think. One man alone upon
the yacht might speak at such an hour
young Harry Avenhill, who silently,
willingly, and In gratitude had worked
with our engineers during these long
weeks Of the vain pursuit.
Harry came up to me from the depths
OF the engine room, his face little
pallad, but his eyes a clearer, healthier
blue than yhen l had taken him from
England and given him that second
chance which humanity owes to every
lad who sins. He told me frankly that
there had been password in use both
in England and France.
I'VE used to have to write the letter
"A five times, running from the bottom,
left hand, to the top, right hand, Of a
slip Of paper, sir. That was when we
wanted to get into any Of our houses
in London or Paris or Brussels. If we
met friend in the streets, it was the
Romany tongue we spoke-'Kushtc
bokh' or nero paP-or something OF
that sort; and when we had said It, one
or other asked how old Five AS was
doing. Once remember the password
was Fordibras.' That was at Blois,
when we robbed the house Of the Count
of Sens, who had just bought some Of
the empress emeralds. I never remem-
Der it being used anywhere else but
there"
/ smiled, for Imroths perspicuity was
as evident here as 1t had been In Eng
land and upon the island. The weaker
man, Hubert Fordibras, he who by
subtle cleverness and canting self-de-
ception tried to believe himself inno-
cent of these crimes-he would be the
first prize when detection came. This
was obvious, as obvious as the lads
inability to help me.
TT will not pc Fordibras' upon the
high seas, nor will a whole alphabet of
AS help us, Harry" said I as kindly
as 1 could; but that's not your fault,
my lad. Had you gone aboard with
them, 1t would have been a different
story. There is some password, am
sure, and it is used only for the ships
AS 1t is, I must go wanting tia hun
dred thousand pities, If pity is ever any
use to anybody"
Then you never met one of their
sailors, DR.. Fabos?"
mo- l never-Good God! what am I
saying! Never met one Of their SAIL
ors? Harry, what made you ask me
that question:"
you think of everything, sir.
made sure you would have been aboard
one of their ships"
II have not been aboard one of their
ships, but-well we shall see. Who
knows, Harry, but that you were to be
the destiny Of this. Go up to Captain
Larry and tell him that / may have
news both for him and for Mr.. Benson,
It may not be Europe after ALL"
CONTINUED Next Weekly