The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-02-16
THE DIAMONDS SHIP
MAX PEMBERTON
Author of Doctor Xavier" The Hundred Days" etc
Copyright by I. Appleton & Co.

your friend is about to pay the price
of 1t! If you wish to contribute your
share. go on and join the fun. l don't
suppose the police care much about
such riffraff as you have on board here
Get them back to Cardiff, and let them
find new ships. You are thinking OF
the honeywell, If you can fill my
bunker yonder, 1 will pay a long price
for the stuff you carry-doWn on your
table In English sovereigns."
AT this, he regarded me very curl
ously. A dull head is often obstinate
in suspicion. The fellow perceived his
advantage, and could have pressed 1t.
OH said he, then you are short
of coal?''
we are short of coal" 1 rejoined, my
frankness astounding him; the others
have none to spare, and if we buy none
OF you. we must run TO Porto Grande.
In that case, you will carry this cargo
back to Europe and be arrested when
you step ashore"
found the Russian to be a low-wit-
ted, covetous fellow, not greatly to be
oVerdraWed by threats. but exceeding
" susceptible to the substantial
facts of money. In the end, l
bought what coal we could carry from
him at a price which 1 would cheer
fully have doubled. And, inded, l do
think it was one of the best days
work / ever did in all my life. To
cut off Imroth's patrol. to fill our own
hunkers with his precious steam coal,
carried at such q risk from Cardiff,
to send the tramy steamer back again
whence she came-even the matter of
fact Larry could find no word to fit
il. AS foramy poor friend Timothy,
his emotions We're altogether too much
for him.
"Docther." said he, II doubt your
salvation, and that's the truth of it.
Say that we are going back to dine
on lmroth's ship, and I'll believe We
entirely. 'Twould not be more wonder
full han that which these poor old
eyes are showing me-"
I told him not 20 make a fool of
himself, but to serve his turn as SEN
tinel, while we brought the yacht
alongside the collier and took in coal
from her. Treachery might yet be
planned against US, though / doubted
1t. We posted an armed guard upon
the bridge and stripped our forward
guns of their c~oyers-the swell ran
kindly and the sea was like a mir
ror. Hardly believing their own eyes,
put oheyinS me nevertheless, IL good
fellows set 10 work like niggers and
filled Il bunkers with the precious
stuff. 1t had been at seven bells of
the morning watch when they began:
It was three Of the afternoon before
they had done. The coal chutes with
Wnlch the tramp was provided to fill
Imroth's bunkers now filled our own
admirably. 1 paid the Russian captain
honestly, and sent him at all speed to
the eastward when the business was
done.
Return as you came and keep YOUR
mouth shut" I said. II will answer
for % to the police. should the need
arise It will be your own fault il
it does"
He thanked me with some civilty,
and could see that he now considered
himself a very fortunate fellow. To.
be frank, I had dismissed him utterly
from my mind half an hour after he.
cast off; and the excitement of the
deal having passed, / called to u
steward to bring me tea to the cabin.
and there we held a council, vital be-
yond n in its significance and it's.
earnestness. For now must we decide
instantly and finally. what steps must
pc taken to save my little Joan from
the devils of the Diamond Ship. How
We're we, he crew OF a puny yacht.
to bring that great hive Of ruffians
to book? What course dare we risk?
What hope had we of any assistance
from the British or other governments?
This is what we discussed when we
had lighted our cigars and the tea was
out. And this is much how
the talk went:
Myself-"We must first consider the
threat. l believe that they are capable
18th 81 toTtuTiits ami OF killing Joan
fordibras If they are driven to it.
But they will only do so in an ex-
trem1ty. She is their hostage. The mo-
o2ne all that they can against us.
1t she be subject to insult meanwhile,
Wen, they have to deal with one of
singular courage and Il is a.
calious argument but that much we
must ignore. My own idea is to lead
them to the belief thar we are watch
1Efs them. If they run for South Amer
lea, we shall fall i'm with ships bound
for Rio and Montevidee. The mails to
the seatt have tine Murconi instruI
ment. We can hardly fail to catch
one of them. 1 would rather b,1rn
this yacht than turn back now"
McShanus-"The docther says the
lady must put up with their insults.
but ye gan see tie blood going and
1t. honor him fos it. We want to
get h girl off tine snip and not to
lose Imroth in the doing of it. ,Tis
an employment for a Japanese wizard.
faith! Here's yon rogue running, for
a South American port, and when her
ashore, nell make money faces at we.
Tell yourselves that. and ersr e..s
against the governments. It's all We
can do that I can see"
Myself ann far from sure of II.
Timothy. but prophecy is Of little herp
to us. We must follow those people.
and let them now that we are FOL
lowing them. In%lpudence has stopped
OF their feet and may stop an
other. l am going to see how far ii
helps me with Imroth himself
There is much of which my log
might speak to tell the history of the
seven days which followed upon our
resolution. We had pledged ourselves
to harass the Diamond Ship by night
and day and bravely had we done so,
Incessantly now the messages passed
from our deck to hers by way of her
hags and instruments. Threats, def
ance, imsult--to these we became ac-
customed. A torture of suspense had
been superseded by a duh submission
to necessity.
All this time we lay drifting some
Two or three miles, I suppose. from the
great vessel which harbored the lew
and his company. Sometimes, when the
night was moonless, we ran up boldly
and spied the huge ship out. defyine
her unframed gunners, and learnine
what We could of that which passed
upon her decks. There was a cabin
art, l remember, which I named as
Joan's; and / would place her therein,
Lam depict her In NV n,i,,d ,Laita.al