The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-03-27
CHAPTER u.
The Voice In the Dark.


face.
You are perfectly satisfied with the
conditioner" he queried, not without
note Of anxiety.
why not? / have your word for 1t
that the enterprise is honest; as for
the other part of 1t, why. the secrecy
and all that sort of thing, 1t only
makes a 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 a 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 q sigh
of relief. II suppose not" he admit
ted. 81 never before had to deal with
matter like this. You know where
the Claremont Isl"
Tom nodded. He had dined there
often enough to have its 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 1t
upon myself to complete the list this
afternoon. I'll wait for you there.
There are some further instructions
that | 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
need the money" announced Tom with
decision, "but / do need a first officer
in a devil of hurry, too-and I'm
not going to be over-particular about
it is, I'll have to get along without a
second, unless / 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 curtly 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 suddenly
recollected telephone message, or any
other errand that might take him in
the neighborhood of the Claremont's
| bar, Ton addressed himself to the
| white-uniformed sailor in charge OF
the launch.
as this the Kohinur's launch?" he
demanded.
| The fellow jerked an Indifferent
thumb in the general direction of the
boats vanished bow, where the name
was conspicuously emblazoned in
raised, but somewhat furnished, brass
letters.
"You can read, can't you?" was the
impudent reply.
Look here, my man; you answer a
civil question civilly, and say sir
when you speak to me. Do y'get me ?"
The sailor recoiled with dropped
jaw.
beg pardon. sir" he made haste to
conciliate. You're Captain Phinney
II didn't know"
Answer my question"
Yes, sir; this is the Kohinur'e
launch. I was waiting for you. Mr.
Brownlow's on board now"
| LOOK at that lettering" went on
Tom sternly,. indicating the name on
the bow; "aslgreen and dull as an old
brass kettle. And what do y'mean,
coming after your captain in soiled
rig like that? You'll put In the rest OF
the evening washing and ironing it,
| ITO BE CoNTINUEDA