Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1911-09-15
CHAPTER III.-continued.

SHAf En- IlI.-SOntinuco.
For a long time Roscoe walked
steadily on, until the two had come
far 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 | don't
pick you up and drop you down one
of those cracks there or why l don't
serve you as l 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 l want to; you
know that" Roscoe supplemented.
Yes. know that" The big man
nodded CURLY.
We'll, I'm not going to now, be-
cause I choose not to. Listen. II you
had the chance. could you navigate
that solid mahogany, hand-painted
ship down there?"
Planck cleared his throat. as II
something were sitting him. with
crew, yes" he answered
Gould Schwartz run those nickel
plated engines he'll find in her. do you
think"
Yes"
We'll. within two days I'll give you
a chance to make good. Now, I'm
going to tell you my plan. not be-
cause you asked me. but because l
want you to know. I'd run the whole
thing alone II could. but / want you
with me. We're going to take that
yacht and we're going off alone in her
we of the Whaler. alone. Do you
understand that?"
They're better armed than we."
said 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 Roscoe. 81 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
listen?"
Planck nodded
That searching party didn't go
back 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 dozen fire.
arms in the bunch; none of the sail
ors from the yacht have any, and
they've got about two days rations.
They're all there together. except the
one man we accounted for yesterday"
Il see." said Planck; land you think
we can capture the yacht now while
they're ashore"
Don't try to think, tell you" Ros-
coe growled. I'm doing the thinking.
There are probably ten able-bodied
men left on the yacht That's not
good enough odds. conside ring the
way they're armed. But about an
hour ago sent Miguel down to the
shore party to be their guide. He
isn't going to say anything much to
them, but what he says will be
enough. reckon. He's to pretend he's
dotty and can't understand what they
say to him"
Plancks eyes widened little and
he did not ask his next question very
steadily Where is he going to take
them7"
Cant you guess that? He's going
to lead them into Fog lake, of course"
The thought OF It made Plancks
teeth chatter. Fog lake was, perhaps.
the most curious natural phenomenon
upon that strange arctic land-a little
cup-shaped valley. from which the fog
never lifted-had never lifted once in
all the four years they had lived there
On days when the rest OF the land
was clear. the fog hung there. half
way up the side Of the hills. so that
from the ridges surrounding It 1t real
1y looked like strange vapory sea
They had explored the edges of it.
fearsomely. at times. but had never
penetrated far enough to learn the
secret Of its mystery, II It had one.
And them" Planck asked
why. they'll send out relief party
from the yacht. OF course. The yachts
people know what rations the search
ing party took with them. and when
they don't come back in two days.
they'll probably set out from the
yacht. with every able-bodied man on
board. and try to find the first party
and bring Il I'm. As soon as they are