Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-02

!hele Hlght De something In that bag that
would tell us all about things, said the mate 'Ill
take peep
That ugly brute took two steps toward the girl,
and his big hand reached for the bag He had no
more respect for her than he had for piece of wood
lie reached out his hand like this then he gave
howl OF terror and pulled his big paw back, quick
and sudden. HimneN yes He pulled his hand back
so quick that he nearly fell backward on that wet
deck. Out of the loose folds of the silk that was
wound round and round the breast of the girl came
the head of black VIPER and the mate gurgled like
wounded mas as he got out of range That head
did not look nice to the mate He could not get his
breath for some minutes and then he swore hard till
he lost it again.
"'Throw that thing overboard!' he yelled
Throw it into the wet!'
But that girl took no notice of him. She lust
stood there looking at us with her big eyes, and we
were looking at Mynheer Snake and the little bag
that he seemed to be guarding.
That brig was not safe place to waste time on
1t looked if she would take dive while we stood
there watching the head of that viper weaving back
ward and forward its vicious little eyes fixed on the
mate.
She's a sea witchp screamed the mate well
leave her here We won't take her aboard the
schooner while she has that snake in her clothes!'
"'That is nonsense' I said I'VE cannot leave
her here Let take her aboard the Donna Isa-
bella SO that Lopez can talk to her. She has been
made dumb with terror
"Those three sailors wanted her to come with u.s.
You bet they did. Their eyes were fixed on the
leopard-skin bag that she was trying to hide, and
they were puzzling their thick heads in trying to
guess what it contained They could not tear their
eyes from it, and when that snake frightened mate
talked about leaving her on the brig, they cursed
him under their breaths. That bag fascinated them
as the wooden spool on Jora's chest holds that
bunch of Dyaks. They did not know what was in
that bag, and their imaginations were mighty busy.
LET the captain speak to ler! cried one He
can talk a dozen LIMOGES
"'And he will fix that snake in quick time said
another. Coax her into the boat
1T tough business to get that girl into the
boat The brig was settling fast, and that little,
shipwrecked beauty stared at the mate and tried
to pick between the devil and the deep sea. She
made up her mind at last and she stepped gingerly
into the boat, and we had not got ten boat lengths
away from the brig when she Topped under.
"That fiat head of the viper still looking out
of the folds of the silk as we pulled toward the
schooner He was looking at the mate, and the mate
cursed like cameleer he watched him. That
snake was getting on the mates nerves
"Lopez the Shark was the deck waiting for
us when we reached the Donna Isabella, and it was
curious how his eyes got fixed on the leopard-skin
bag the moment the girl reached the deck That
fool snake had drawn its head down into the folds
of the silk, and The Shark did not notice it. 1t
was only the bag that he saw, and he stepped up
close to the shrinking girl before Miguel had time to
speak.
"'She doesn't understand anything said the
mate. And she keeps her hands that bag as
if the blamed thing held the Kohinoor diamond
II think that black-whiskered brute Of mate
was laying trap for Lopez and he was mighty near
successful The skipper reachedfor the curious bag,
and Mynheer Snake came out like jack-in-the-box.
Ia he ierked his head out with swish, and the