New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02
JACK O. LANTERN
Continued from page 9

deuce isl know! Long blank-fash-
blank flicker-hash. Sloing soide. Rect
dhedd.
He was signaling by navy code almost
| forgotten, working madly with the heavy
canvas, fercely holding himself together,
| by sheer will forcing his wounded arm to
do its work.
"S7ping aide. Reef exposed That1l put
Joker on your game, Mr.. Murden! Flash
| flicller-flicker-lll have to Morse it. Snug
| gleyS in laHnch-S5piHg aide reef Glory!
there goes her siren! Too Shoyts-shOrt-
three shorts o. X. CdSco sighted.
iurroo! We've got the whole crowd dashed
to the mast"
| TACK o. LANTERN DEGNAN was all in.
His duty done, he Crumpled on hands and
knees, crawling blindly about till he found
the door, seeking way out OF the inferno Of
gases and heat.
He was half conscious Of white light that
played on the lamp top. The calcium of the
Seneca swept the whole length OF the light
ship. With droning siren the Government
ship passed the sunkcn shoals in wide arc
| Dcgnan sighed contcntcdly.
Pooled 'em!" he murmured.
| The treacherouS sand trap Tom Alurden
had laid with such dcviliSh ingenuity and
foresight had failed. Dcgnan vaguely saw
the white shaft pick up the fleeing schooner
! His last conscious survey brought a grim
chuckle as he lay there spent, bleeding, and
breathlcSS. The big white motorboat filled
with burly life savers in sou'westerS had
closed in on a black launch. cutting her off
from the shore. And they had made clean
| roundup,
"Casco's got the smugglers an Murden;
the cutters got the schooner, an | got
about forty lcven cases Of Struggled cigars,
an a whole raft Of
ribbons and laces, to set off the faces
OF pretty young sweethearts-and wives!
It's a whirligig world! Wonder what-my
Annic's dom now?' said Jack o Lantern
slccpily.
ICASCO and the cutters officer found him,
~ with bruised head and useless arm, in
the cramped cabin OF the lightShip, indus
triously shivering in his attempt to frame his
Report to the Inspector" The officer
could only stare; but Casco promptly gath
cred him in.
| l. had been q strenuous time for !. Deg
nan. special secret agent Of the United
States Revenue Service, detailed to reckon
up" the big Barncgat smuggling case. OF
ensuing events, after the advent of the two
men. and Of the tranShipmcnt of Murden
and his smuggling crew, the securing Of the
smuggled goods on the lghtship, Degnan
knew as little as he knew Of his own flying
trip ashore in the white lifcboat, in blissful
unconSCiousncss.
Two DAYS later, however, in a new blue
uniform with glittcring brass, he stood in the
mcssroom Of the life station, patiently an
swering the admiring life Captain vollcy OF
| questions.
Course il was put up job al around,
he said. "Murdcn had fooled the depart
ment every time; SO they rcckoncd the only
way to trap him was to put blundcrin little
runt he lust couldn't suspicion as bcin there
10 spy on him-and lights are good look
outs But after al twas Providence played
the winning hand for the department. Muir
den couldn't a figured beforehand on Car
| lin's blunder-but when il came he jumped
to his opportunity, and his finish! Great
scheme, though.
Casco nodded. as it right, what hear
about YOU quittin' the beach service; How
about Annabcl?" he demanded blunty.
The big coast guard was godfather TO half
the pretty girls Of Barncgat village, and had
~ .i,;.,,, 10, ., l,,.,.,, ,,,. IN