The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-07-19

they coAld catch connected with him.
The nets well enough laid. and
think
The lights of the city became Wis
ible, strung along the right bank OF
the river as the launch rounded a
bend. Couch swung the little boat
out into midstream. "Half-speed,
Wheeler" he said, adding to O'Rourke:
i've got to pick out that junk. | pre-
sumo the right one will have all sail
set and be moving downstream with
the tide; it's Just on the turn now
and fortunately there's no wind worth
mentioning. wish | could
see something of the other launch"
He peered anxiously into the obscur.
ity ahead. IF there we're only star
light" he complained bitterly.
Stand by, Wheeler, to stop the motor.
Well drop alongside with the current,
as quietly as we can. Colonel
O'Rourke, will you get forward and
take the boathook and headwarp.
please; I'm needed at the wheel and
Wheeler at the engine until we make
fast"
Cautiously the Irishman rose, took
the boRthook Couch offered him, and
crept out upon the narrow triangle OF
deck at the bows Crouching there,
he found the headwarp and waited.
tense with anxious expectancy, star
ing ahead in futile effort to penetrate
the wide. shadowy reaches of the riv-
er. But the mystical distances con-
fused and eluded him. The launch
seemed to move, painting, in an abyss
Of night She made little noise: a
hiss of water beneath her stem; the
steady humming Of the motor, throt-
tied down to half speed; the mufled
gasping Of the exhaust. And present
ly even these ceased at a word from
Couch, and the launch moved only
with the tide.
Abruptly a towering wall Of opaque
black rose out of the darkness TO
starboard ORourke braced himself
for the imminent instant of action,
poised so lightly upon his toes and
fingertips that a swell from a moving
vessel would have thrown him on
his balance, perhaps overheard. The
launch closed swiftly and silently in
upon the black wall; it lowered over
him like a cliff; far above he could
see dim divisions between black and
black that must be the rail. And he
shook his head. dismayed; he could
never scale that, he thought; not even
the O'Rourke could accomplish a mir
acle. But in a breath 1t had faded
back, and he realized that the tower
ing poop of the junk had misled him.
They were now alongside at the waist.
He stood up and saw low railing
moving and caught It over the edge OF
the rail, drew the launch in, let go the
boathook and, with the headwarp
wrapped about his hand. jumped
blindly.
Something dealt him a vicious, all
but paralysing, blow in the pit Of the
stomach; he doubled up, for a mo-
ment helpless, across the junk's rail,
but retained sufficient presence of
mind to hold on to the headwarp.
Then. recovering trifie, he squirmed
over and fell sprawling upon the deck.
his heels drumming an abrupt and
violent alarm. From somewhere he
heard a shrill jabbering arise. with an
ensuing patter Of bare feet. Swiftly
he got upon his knees and drew in the
headwarp. with his free hand search
ing along the rail for cleat. Some
thing thumped heavily on the deck be-
side him. and grunted; and something
else followed with a second bump;
and the launch swung outward and.
caught by the current, jerked the
headwarp from his grasp. May the
luck of the O'Rourke still holdI" he
prayed fervently, getting upon his feet
to realize that, with Couch and the
man Wheeler. he was imprisoned
aboard the Junk, doomed there to re-
main whatever might befall, until
the coming of the second launch 4.
or perhaps for longer time.
AS he rose some indistinct body ran
into him and cannoned OF with an un-
couth yelp; with no time to draw his
revolvers. the adventurer struck out
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