The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-01-25
saw him definitely started on his way


through the Bitter Lakes. He saw a
string of buoys, a width of water like
Jade, q vista of sand, fiat, gray,
patched with gray.green desert shrub,
bounded only by the horizon. .
Damn :" said he listlessly.
He slipped down again upon his back,
painted, and wiped his brow.
Danny, recognizing that he was not
expected to respond, and being a
young man remarkably acute to dag
nose his masters moods, prudently re-
Trained from comment. He sat bunch
ed up on cabin stool, his intensely
red, bullet-shaped head bent low over
bit of channels skin, which he was
sewing into rough, sturdy bag.
AS the sun dipped beneath the rim
of the horizon, pleasant shadow in
vaded the stateroom. until that mo-
ment blood-red with it's level rays.
And Danny Strengthened up, dropping
thimble and thread, announcing the
completion of his needlework by a
brief, contented: "There!"
O'Rourke glanced at the article
dangling from his Wallets fingers, and
slammed the book against the bulk.
head at the foot of his berth.
Finished, is it," he exclaimed
Faith, tbs about time, We lazy good.
for-naught!"
Danny smiled serenely. "And good
iNh c0r' cold hn prNrllI,
MANN no onrespect to yer honor
he added hastily.
O'Rourke took the subject Of discus.
sion in his fingers and examined 1t
searchingly
"'Twill do" he announced. "'Twill
serve its purpose, If no more. Lay
out me evening clothes now" He
stood up, stopping to stare through
the port Good enough" he com.
mented on what he discovered with.
out; its passing Suez We are this
blessed minute. Praises be, we
caught boat that doesn't stop here. "
Danny scratched an ankle thought.
fully. "Yiss, yer HONOR" he assented,
dubious. But, for all that, phwat's
to hinder annywan from boordin' us
be boat, if they sh'u'd want to-"
: O'Rourke turned and eyed the man
keenly. "'Tis a great head We have
on your shoulders, Danny" he said.
Sometimes We betray almost canine
intelligence. I'm be way of having
hopes of We. Now get We on deck and
watch to see who does come aboard,
if anyone, and report to me-"
"Yiss, yer honor"
O'Rourke bolted the door after Dan
ny and assured himself that the key
hole was properly wadded, that no
crack existed through which his move
ments might be observed from the
gangway. Struggling his broad shout
ders he returned to the seat vacated
by his valet and thrust a hand be-
meath the coat of his pajamas, with
drawing it moment later, fingers
tightly wrapped about rather bulky
object
And the Pool of Flame lay glitter
ing and stabbing his eyes with shafts
Of bloodred light.
Into it's depths of pellucid fire
O'Rourke gazed long and earnestly, in
the most profound meditation.
But at length, slipping the ruby into
the new receptacle and drawing the
lanyard tight about its puckered
throat, he stood up and threw the loop
over his head, permitting the bag with
its precious contents to fall beneath
the folds Of his Jacket; and, shaking
off the sober mood inspired In him by
the study OF the stone, rang for a
steward, to whom, when he responded,
he entrusted a summons for Danny
ii so be it we're clear of Suez."
In the course of five minutes or so
Danny himself tapped on the door and
presented to his master a beaming
face.
"Divvle a sowl!" he announced tri-
umphantly. Sure, it's ourselves have
given thin the slip entirely"
He fished brand new kit-box from
beneath the berth and, opening it, be-
ban to lay out O'Rourke's clothing.
His master INDUCED in sigh of re-
lief. Then no boat put off to us at
'all?'' he questioned indifferently.
only wan" replied the servant,
"and thot wild no wan in ut but nay
CUR"
"A negro?" demanded O'Rourke, ia
cling about. What do We mean? Did
he come aboard?"
Sure and he did that, Yer honor,
and caught us be no moore thin the
skin av his lathe and"
O'Ronrke bent over the man and
Selling him by the shoulders swung
him around so that their eyes met.
{7327VI -