The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1911-01-06
p !.
The Two Oaths.

mel OF 1856 Capt. Nathaniel Plum,
master and owner OF the sloOp Ty-
phoon, was engaged in nothing more
important than h smoking OF an
enorm pipe. Clouds OF strongly
Odored smoke. tinted with the lights
of the setting sun, had risen above his
head in unremitting volumes Tor 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
q way, a philosopher. though II
would not have guessed this fact from
his appearance. He was, in the first
place, a young man, not more than
eight or nine and twenty, and his
strong. rather hin face, tanned by eX-
posture to the sea, was just now lighted
up by eyes that shone with an un-
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 owe Lake
Michigan. Earlier in the day he had
been able to discern the haZy outline
of the Michigan wilderness 20 miles
to the eastward. Straight ahead,
shooting up rugged and sharp in the
red light of the days end, were two
Islands. Between these. three miles
away, the slOop TyphOon was strongly
%silhouetted in the fading glow. Be-
You'd the islands and the sloop there
were 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 ir. by a dense
growth of trees and creeping vines,
and unless a small boat edged close in
around the end Of Beaver island his
place of c%oncealment must remain un-
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
long-barreled revolver from under a
coat that he had thrown aside and
examined it 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 it round his waist,
showed the revolver into it's holster,
and dragging the coat to him, fished
out a letter from al inside pocket. 1t
was a dirty, much-worn letter. Per.
haps he had read it a score of times.
He read it again now. and then, refill
ing his pipe, settled back against the
rock that formed a rect for his shout
ders and turned his eyes in the direc-
ton of the sloop.
The last rim of the sun had fallen
below the Michigan wilderness and in
the rapidly increasing gloom the sloou
was becoming indistinguishable. Cap
tain Plum looked at his watch. lie
must still wait a little longer before
setting out upon the adventure tina,
had brought him to this isolated spot
He rested his head against the rock
and thought. He had been thinking
for hours. Back in the thicket he
heard the prowling OF some small ami
NAL. There came the sleepy chirp OF
Fl bird and the rustling of tired wings
settling for the night. A strange still
ness lowered about him, and with il
there came over him q loneliness that
was chilling. a loneliness that made
him homesich. 1t was a new and I'm
pleasant sensation to Captain Plum
He could not remember just when he
had experienced it before; that is, il
he dated the present from two weeks
tonight. 1t was then that the let
ter had been handed to him in Chi
cago and it had been a weight upor
his soul and a prick to his conscience
ever since. Once or twice he haC
made up his mind to destroy it, but
each time he had repented at the las
moment. In a sudden revulsion at his
weakness he pulled himself together
crumpled the dirty missive into a bal
and flung it out upon the white rim
of beach
At this acticn there came a quicl
movement in the dense wall Of verdurt
behind him Noiselessly the tangle o
wires separated and a head thrus
itself out In time to see the bit O
paper fall short OF the waters edge
Then the head shot back as swift,
and as silently as a serpent's Per
haps Captain Plum heard the gloat
ing chuckle that followed the nov
ment. If so he thought it only some
night bird in the brush
"Heigh-ho!" he exclaimed, will
some return Of his old cheer, 1T
about time we were starting!" HI
jumped to his feet and began brush
inc tho 1uat m hic cAothoc VIII