Mountain advocate., 1912-02-16


q Jade, a vista Of sand, nat, gray.
patched with gray -green desert shrub,
bounded only by the horizon.
Damn :" said he llstlessly.
He slipped down again upon bis back,
painted, and wiped his brow
Danny. recognizing that he was not
expected to respond, and being
young man remarkably acute to dag.
nose his masters moods, prudently 10
Trained from comment. He sat bunch
ed up on a cabin stool, his intensely
red, bullet-shaped head bent low over
a bit Of chamois skin. which he was
sewing into a rough, sturdy bag.
As the sun dipped beneath the rim
Of the horizon, a pleasant shadow In
vaded the stateroom, until that mo-
ment blood.red with its level rays.
And Danny Strengthened up, dropping
thimble and thread, announcing the
completion Of his needlework by
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, ye lazy good
foT-naught!"
Danny smiled serenely. And a good
job, too, sor," said he proudly.
MANN no onrespect TO yer honor"
he added hastily.
O'Rourke took the subject OF discus
sion in his fingers and examined IL
sesrchingly.
twill do" he announced Twill
serve its purpose. II no more. Lay
out me evening clothes now" He
stood up. stopping to stare through
the port. Good enough" he cum
meAted on what he discovered with
out; "'tis passing Suez We are this
caught a boat that doesn't stop here"
Danny scratched an ankle thought
fully. "Yiss, yer honor" he sssented,
dubious, But. for all that. phwat's
to hinder annywan from boordin' us
be boat, II they sh'u'd want to-"
O'Rourke turned and eyed the man
keenly. "'Tis a great head ye have
ON your shoulders, Danny" he said.
Sometimes ys betray almost canine
intelligence. I'm be way Of having
hopes Of ye. Now get We on deck and
watch to see who does come aboard,
II anyone, and report to me-"
"Yiss. yer honor"
OROurke bolted the door after Dan
ny and assured himself that the key
hole was properly wadded, that ne
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 a moment later. fingers
lightly wrapped about a rather bulky
sbject.
And the Pool Of Flame hay glitter
ing and stabbing his eyes with shafts
81 blOOd-red light.
Into Its depths OF pellucid are
O'Rourke gazed long and earnestly, in
he 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
tho folds OF his jacket: and, shaking
of 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 20 be It we're clear Of sueE."
In the course OF five minutes or 80
Danny himself tapped on the door and
presented to his master beaming
face.
'Divvle . sowl!" he announced tri'
umphantly. Sure, It's ourselves have
given thin the slip entirely"
He 1shed a brand new kit-boz from
beneath the berth and, opening 1t, be-
ban to lay out O'Rourke's clothing.
His master INDUCED In sigh of re-
lief. Then no boat put on TO us at
all?" he questioned indiferently.
only wan" replied the servant.
"and thot wild no wan in ut but nay
CUR"
"A nesrot" demanded o'Rourks, "a
cling about. what do ye rnean9 DID
he come aboard"
Sure and he did that. yer honor,
and caught US be no moore thin the
skin Nv his lathe and"
o'RouIke bent over the man and
ssiEing him BY the shoulders swunG
him around 20 that their eyes met.
What the diVVlel" demanded the Ad-
Venturor. did 70 mean by telling me
nobody boarded ". then! What"
Sure, yer honor e.. Aw. yer
honorl It's mesilf meant no
harm AZ all az ALL" protested Danny.
Didn't say thot divvls a sowl came
aboord' Sure. thin. Is a naygur a hui
MANI