The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-11-14

tokens enjoying himself immensely /
But why?" he asked lightly. Why /
damn me for taking a simple meas /
ure toward reservation-obeylng /
Natures first law, and all that sort OF
thing? | want you to STICK here IN /
til tomorrow morning, at the earliest; /
that gives NE chance to make |
clean getaway Why should / leave |.
you the means to gum up my plans?
Thanks, I'm many kinds OF fool, /
know. but not that bad"
You'll never leave this island free"
Coast muttered.
Eth, what's that? Oh, you think
not-so? Believe NE, my gay gallant,
I'm wise TO all you're banking on. It's
true you had me guessing for time
i wasn't sure about you at first;
that immature beard you've been grow
ing recently is quite some disguise,
and besides you'd changed your way
OF talking: his lordship's languid
drawl was missing; and you look like
any other ordinary mutt, out OF your
pretty clOthes-but | got your num-
Der in due course of time. That
break you made about the gun when
| was pulling my bluff about knowing
people by the feel Of their faces
you forgot yourself then, and | hadn't
any more doubts. l did some tall fig
uring before got completely hep, but
a little work with wireless rounded
the story out. You see, you had the
yarn of the COrsairs trouble down toe
pat and glib for it to be without al
grain of truth; you gave me that
much to go on. And then
well, we knew one man certainly, and
probably two, had been on the island
in the fog yesterday morning and
butted in on the funeral obsequies of
my ill-advised young assistant, Power,
and it didn't seem in reason they'd
be content to let the matter rest at
that-'specially after going to the
trouble of breaking Chang's head in
return for being shot at. So l
got busy, as / say, and the fog help
ing 1 fixed things up very prettily.
II warned Voorhis-hes sloping for
safety now; sent the tug after the
Corsair, unhappily too late-it's evi-
ucHt yOui 1iiCuu, luc CCSiCI Sci VIC
sleuth@"
How did you guess that?" Coast
demanded huskily.
considering what I've been up to,
what was the likeliest guess? !
wasn't sure until you gave it away
just now-merely satisfied such was
the case. Well, as l was saying,
=
ily-was happy enough to pick up
message to the Scylla-a revenue cut
ter, / take it-ordering her here to
bust up nest Of smugglers; and
spiked that gun with another mes
sage, a couple of hours later, revoking
the order as being based on false in
formation. And, finally, 1 got my
friends on the mainland to make up
little party to fetch me off. So, all
things being pleasant as afternoon
tea, 1 came down to gloat over you a
little. Hope you don't mind"
Why said Coast-"since you'd
made up your mind about newly
did you hold Off this long? To laugh
at me?"
Partly, Mr. Coast, partly There
were other reasons. One was I don't
bear you any ill-will; which you'll
allow Is pretty decent of me, consid
ering the rotten way I've treated you.
I don't kill In cold blood without a
pretty good reason. Van Tuyls
mouth had to be shut, you know-or
rather, you don't know why, and
likely never Will; and Power was
threatening to split on the game here,
so he had to be taken care of. But
you I'll be candid: to begin
with your life wasn't worth a tallow
dip; I made up my mind to eliminate
you with neatness and dispatch
when your. back was turned, for
choice. But then l began to think
the game was about up, so far as No
Mans Land was concerned. So, what
was the use of making a bad matter
messy? You were harmless, and
didn't hate you hard enough to want
you murdered-unless you made it
necessary. So | voted for the laugh
instead Of the funeral"
DO you think for an instant in
tend to let you go?"
You? What've you got to say
about it? Don't be silly; I'm going
and not to the electric chair, either
l shall just quietly drop out of your
ken for good and all-and some day
you'll be grateful. Look what a cute
little island I'm making you a pres
ent of-God knows I've no further use
for it; you're Welcome. Same way
with my wife: | was rather fond Of
her. once, but now you can have her
OF course there'l be some delay
about the blessed responsibility end
of 1.-THE -grounds-deser-
tion-and all that-but, still, if you're
half as keen a lover as you are a
fool"
You contemplate hound."
"steady. there," Blackstock's voice
dropped to a dangerous key. Re
member"
He found no time to finish. AS he
spoke Coast, beside himself, released
the dog and whirled the tiller above
his head With a grunt Blackstock
stepped back, Juggling at the weapon
in his pocket; but before he could
drop it the dog. free and frantic with
hatred, launched itself like a bolt for
his throat and. blind though it was,
springing by instinct toward the
sound 81 n c