Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-23


! Copyright. 1911. The 30
CHAPTER XXI. (Continued.)
Privately, much more important
matter was engrossing their attention.
Mats cry, 'wrung from his despera-
tfcn, that he would sink the schooner
had given him the germ of an idea.
Yes, why not sink her-not from any
notion of wild revenge-but as we'll
calculated solution of the perils sur
rounding them? To wait, in fact, I'M
til they knew there were islands near
them and then, sinking the vessel,
compel Schwartz to take to the surf
boat This was fine, big, carvel-like
boat, twenty-six feet long, and Matt
tested it with his penknife to make
sure it was sound. It would easily
hold all hands, with ample provisions
and water, and trip of sixty or
eighty miles in 1t would be no terrible
hardship. Compared to the unknown
dangers that grew daily nearer, the
hazard of such an escape seemed small
indeed. And once ashore-anyWhere
ashore-they would be safe, for how
ever primitive and loose the little ma
tive governments are, they are strong
enough to protect the lives and per-
sons of those within their rule. The
native populations are essentially law
abiding; elementary human rights are
enforced with guns and shark-toothed
clubs; on the smallest atoll Schwartz
would find himself powerless for evil,
with an excellent chance Of being tied
hand and foot in cocoanut sinnett and
cast into q coral prison If he attempt
l~k~
so familiar with South Sea ways as
Matt
But to sink the Esmeralda! That
was so easy to say! OF course
stick Of dynamite would send her to
the bottom in short order, and there
was plenty of the deadly stuff In the
trade room, together with caps and
fuses. But that was suicide. That
was to open a barn door to the Pacific
ocean. The alternative was to chisel
q good sized hole in her cardboard
streak and give 1t about twice the
bore Of the bilge-pump.
The Esmeralda had an unusually
good pump, worked by q couple OF
hand spikes, and throwing a fve-inch
stream Matt squared the circle in
dustriously and then doubled the re-
suit, going over these calculations
again to make sure of no mistake.
What he aimed to accomplish was
leak that would force Schwartz to
lay the vessel toward the nearest land
and perhaps bring it into view before
there would be any need to take re-
fuge in the whaler On two to one
ratio of leak against pump, he hoped
the Esmeralda might stay afioat for
ten or twelve hours after he had
achieved his purpose. 10 T..
How little did Schwartz appreciate
what was going on under his nose, dur
ing those long sweltering days In the
Doldrums, or later when they picked
up the South East Trades. Matt and
Chris, Struggled closely in any strip OF
shade they could find, and to all ap-
pearsnce as busy as ever with their
mythical plantation! They were for
ever scribbling on sheets of paper and
the results. There were
dummies with such headings as:
ESTIMATED yield for the fourth year.
Food allowance for 10 laborers at 81
cents Chile day. Probable profits on
3 acres of pineapples (a) first season
(b) second season (c) third season.
dummies that were always very much
in evidence when Schwartz or Bran
deis were about. But the dummies
were blind for other and more secret
sheets conveying information of such
supreme Importance that 1t could not
even be whispered.
There is not spot on small sail
ing vessel, unless it be the tip OF the
itb-boom, where one is secure from
Matt accordingly took
no chances on this score, we'll aware
that a single word might betray them.
That they were under surveillance
was increasingly borne In on them.
Suspicion was breeding suspicion.
Hence the scribbling that went on so
in the alleyway, or be-
low in their cabin.
Ibid you manage to slip into the
trade room Matt asked in writing.
"Yes-and found lots of tools"
"Chisels?''
"Yes-lots."
"How big?"
"All sizes-the largest about two
inches WIDE"
"A mallet?"
mo-
"Hammers?"
"No. But there was case marked
axes"
would it be hard to open?"
~ think it would.
"No hatchets?"
mot one.'
did you try to shift the hatch
cover?" ..-..
could not bulge 1t, but you could"
"Were the chisels heavy?'
Medium"
in more delegates than Woodrow"
Speaker Clark's thoughtless parents
decided their boy should go through
life saddled with the name Beau
champ" The boys at school simpli-
fled it to Champ" and the person
most interested was quick to see the
He adopted the simpli.
fed form without thinking of dignity,
and Champ" is now one of the most
popular words in the vocabulary Of