The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-29
(copyrishs 1912 By A. c. Aeciurz 4 Coz
CHAPTER II.
The Voice In the Dark.

lace.
"You are perfectly satisfied with the
conditioner" he queried, not without
note of anxiety.
why not? / have your word for it
that the enterprise is honest: as for
the other part of it, why, the secrecy
and all that sort of thing, it only
makes fellow a bit more keen, don't
you know"
"You are confident you can fill the
billets?"
Sure thing. know the very chaps
who will jump at chance like this,
where they would turn down an ordi-
nary offer. You didn't know where to
look. Mr.. Brownlow."
The old gentleman breathed sigh
of relief. 81 suppose not" he admit
ted. 81 never before had to deal with
matter like this. You know where
the Claremont is?"
Tom nodded. He had dined there
often enough to have it's location and
its other characteristics pretty well
stamped upon his memory. Brownlow
continued:
''The Kohinur is at anchor in the
Hudson, just off the Claremont land
ing. Her bunkers are full; most of her
supplies are on board, but I'll take it
upon myself to complete the list this
afternoon. I'll wait for you there.
There are some further instructions
! that l must give you before the char
terer and party come aboard"
Tom fastened away. His assurance
that he could find the men to COM
plete the Kohinur's equipment was not
ill-advised; he had in mind the very
| men he wanted, and his task was sim
ply one of running them to earth.
AS being Of prime Importance, he
first secured the engineer, and by five
! o'clock had found Phil Mercer. This
young man he was forced, almost lit
orally, to shanghai. That is to say,
| Mercer was disposed to hang back be-
cause of certain delinQuencies which
had been the occasion Of his expulsion
| from Annapolis, so that Tom was
! obliged to pick him up bodily and de-
| post him beside the drivers seat. Cox,
the engineer, lolling at ease in the
| tonneau, grinned cheerfully.
Maybe you don't want the job or
! HtCu TIC luOuSy, IOIu Will
| decision, "but do need first officer
in devil of a hurry, too-and I'm
not going to be over-particular about
how l get him. You're elected. AS
it is, I'll have to get along without a
second, unless 1 can break in one of
| Brownlow's tars. I've got you, and
take it from me, you're not going to
get away"
"But-you know, Tom" Mercer
tried final protest, even while Tom
was throwing in the clutch. The lat
ter cut CURLY in:
eyes, know. But, believe me, Phil,
the booze isn't going to get you while
| you're on the Kohinur with me. This
job will beat all the jag cures you've
ever been up against. You'll be en-
titled to a postgraduate diploma when
you are discharged"
Mercer subsidized, grumblingly ac-
cepting the inevitable.
At the Claremont Tom stabbed the
machine, tried to get Van Vechten on
the phone and failed, and notified Ram
| ley at the Kenmore'S garage where to
find his employers car. Then he and
Mercer and Cox clambered down to
the Claremont's landing, where a
launch was waiting.
After persuading Phil Mercer that
he didn't have to attend to a suddenly
recollected telephone message, or any
other errand that might take him in
the neighborhood Of the Claremont's
bar, .om addressed himself to the
white-uniformed sailor in charge Of
the launch.
rs this the kohinur's launch?" he
demanded.
The fellow jerked> al Indifferent
thumb in the general direction Of tlze
| boats vanished bow, where the mar.
, was conspicuously embIazored. II
raised, but somewhat furnished, brass
T. letters.
"vcu can read, can't you?" was the
= impudent reply.
Look here, my man; you answer 8
civil question civilly, and say sir
when you speak TO ne. Do y'get me-
The sailor recoiled with dropped
jaw.
Beg pardon, SIR" he made haste tc
8 conciliate You're Captain Phinney
i didn't know.
Answer my question:
Yes, sir; this is the Kohinur's
launch. l was waiting for you Mr.
Brownlow's on board now"
| Look at that lettering" went OF
Tom sternly, indicating the name OF
the bow; 'as green and dull as an clG
brass kettle. And what do y'mean
coming after your captain in a soileC
rig Ike that? You'll put in the rest o
the evening washing and ironing it"
By which episode it may be seer
that Tom Phinney of the Powhatan
and Captain Phinney Of the zach
kohinur, were two distinctly differen
j personalities detail worth remem
y bering in the light of what is to follow
later On.
Il When Tom swung aboard at tn