Evening star., 1912-07-21

COaStW1Se liner as ne we'll knew. coming up
from Savannah. The two ships came to-
gether like torpedoes, and Welsh wondered
what all those passenger folk up on deck
inwardness of the potential tragedy that
was hurtling him past, a biscuit toss from
the palatial floating hotel and safety. The
time had come to risk everything on one
throw,-girl, Government
"'Tain't Rev woo. not this tlme but
they're behind us and ahead he sullenly
told the schooner master. "Theyll ketch
us sure as shootin', unless
"Unless whato' the black man snapped
him up, his yellow eyes glinting first to the
north, then south, sweeping the shoreline
that lay far over on the lee rail. There was
no shadow of question about his not wanting
to get pinched.
Welsh clawed over the wheel, ostenta-
tiously working hard to hold the schooner
to the blast. 1--WE got to take the inside
course. been through it, an them Rev moo
boats can't follow in shallow water" Welsh
lied boldly. "Anyhow, if they pipe us,
they'll just think us fishing schooner, work
ing south inside the bar, out o the weather"
THIS was the famous scheme that had
been working in the life savers mind as
he fought the gale: it offered the only op-
portunity open to him. South of that long
line of surf shoreward lay Barnegat Inlet,
opening into Barnegat Bay. And Ships
Bottom lay next to the inlet. If he could
swoop down upon that narrow opening at
dusk, jerk the schooner through Ships
Bottom crew would do the rest. If he failed
-"The shippers gun, or Cuby! Oh. I'll
be pirate then, all right, if the Rev'noo
ketcheS me-"
For a tense moment the eyes of the two
men met-in the yellow glare from the
black, hairy face Welsh thought of treach-
erous big cat ready to spring on his keeper,
He braced himself, waiting. The wind
whined overhead, and the schooner lurched,
drenching the crew, swart faced, under the
bulwarks, watching with evil eyes.
"The cutters know we're boring south,
Welsh f1ared out. 1--WE got to run for it or
lay up an be took. It's all up to you!" he
snapped , =
Well, remember" the schooner master
showed his teeth in snarl, "if you run us
into danger, if the revenue police follow us
in this bay
"It'll be surprise party all round if they
do. Swing out the fores1, you Jonahs!
Boom her out!" Welsh beloved. He had to
let out the triumph that was in him-and he
knew tflaC one 1dlSe move IedllI d piullSc
overheard, or his brains splattered over the
deck Well, the Government paid him for
taking chances!
"There's fifty mile o sand strip inshore,
cut through here and there. Well make the
first opening, after we pass the last Rev'noo
station; scoot down behind the sand"
Rapidly he outlined his plan, the schooner
master moodily silent. Welsh knew what
he was weighing in his mind, and his fingers
itched to get at the black bearded throat.
"Let him try to jettison cargo!' he growled.
His bluff had worked. That was all he
cared for. Knowing what he knew, it meant
final triumph over trouble and welcome
home to the conquering hero-if he got
there. OF course by this time the alarm was
out over the coast, Sandy Hook would see to
that. Ships Bottom was probably waiting,
with every nerve on the jump, and he had to
run the ricketts, to reach them.
I'm worth my weight in gold, right where
l stand-to me an everybody" he grlmly
chuckled.
He was not out of the woods, by any
means but he trusted to his knowledge OF
the coast to pull him through. 1t was gam
ble-big enough to stake his life on, IN gale
of wind. Mentally, through the whirlwind
run that brought him closer and closer to
Ships Bottom, he weighed the chances as he
stood by the Wheel bawling orders to the
crew, the skipper watching him like hawk,
-xl.% Il