The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-09

been IN II water long, Or. 0omethin' ~
overheard BY some private yacht, { ~
thinkin'. III keep out o Stsve's way. IN
lay low ON shore, sir" y
And though Steve made q perfect range e
the spot, he never came back to llnd the mye
terious box, never saw the ellison house baco
home. NOR did he ever zee Dunkers again. o.
tie voyage home he brooded consmually, aro
was frequently found blubberins: and ous
night he skipped his watch and went to Dav1
Jones' locker.
Dunkers had not told Tout the name be -
seen on the box and Blossom had not thougho
to. The name Hargreave had instantly
brought back to DunkeTs' mind the newspapaD
stories he had recently read. There was -
doubt in the world that this box belonged -
the missing millionaire. who had drawn . mi)p
lion from his banks and vanished; and, more
over, there was no doubt IN Dunkers' MIND
that this million lay in the Bahaman watsFA
1t had been drawn up from the bottom Of ~
sound, under the path Of the balloon. n
proceeded, then, to take most minute runsa
1t would require money and partners bot hall
. loaf would be far better than NO loaf at AMI
and he was determined to return to New YoGo
to find backing. Finding h keeping, on lar
sea.
Now 1t happened that his favorite sros shoD
was . cheap saloon across the way from IL
headquarters Of The Black Hundred; an
vroon occasionally dropped In. for he ofteA
picked up . valuable bit Of maritime newA
Dunkers was an old friend Of the barkeepers
and he proceeded to pour and suzzle down biz
throat q very poor substitute for whisky. He
become communicative. He Dragged. He knew
where there was . million, and an he ncedeo
was . first class diving bell. year fron
now he would not be drinking cheap whiskyS
he'd be steering course up and down Broad
WY and buying wine when he was thirsty
He was no miser. But be had to have div
ing bell; and where the blue devil could be
ses one with $12 and an Insersou watch II
his pocket?
From his table vroon made q sign which
the bartender understood. Then be rose an1
approached Dunksrs.
II own q pretty good diving apparatuss
he said. If you've got the goods, III take
q chance on a ifty-hfty basis" vroon did moe
believe there was anything back of this talk
but It always paid to dig deep enough to End
out. " Have drink and, Bill, give us a real
whisky and none OF your soap-lye. Now, lets
hear your yarn"
II don't know yuh,~ said Dunkers. with
drunken caution. g How il It, Bill?" turning
to the bartender.
:" He's the goods, Jim. You've heard u
wyant 4 Cor" -
"sure I've heard o them. Best divisf
apparatus they is.''
well, this gent here is Mr.. Brooks, sea-
eral manager for Wyant & Co. can O. e.
him."
vroon threw an appreciative glance at the
bartender. He was not affiliated with The
Black Hundred, but be had often aided vrooa
in minor affairs.
An right, II yuh say 80. Bill Well, hsrs's
tn yarn"
And when he had done, vroon smoked quieep
~ without speaking.
Don't yuh believe it," demanded Dumb.
ers, truculently.
But 600 feet Of water, in . coral bottoms
and NO way Of telling just where 1t fell ovef.
board. That's . tough proposition"
20, it is, il it? I'm 4 sailor. can lay
my hand right over tn spot. Do yuh thinh
I'D be fool enough { hunt for 1t without Z
perfect rahGe?" Dunkers tapped his cost
pocket sugsestively.
And vroon knew that the one thing he
wanted was there, a plan or drawing Of the
range. 80 there was another man shangiaied
that night, and his destination was Cape
Town, TWENTY-FIVE days voyage by the Gales
dar.
vroon carried his information to the orGan-
ization that same night. They would start
the expedition 1t once, and tin this was &C.
-complished, Harsreavs's daughter was to b
immune from attacks. Besides, II would give
Hargreave wherever he was) and the others
the ides that The Black Hundred had Coz
cluded to give up the chase.
Above. with his ear to a small hole, skill.
fully bored through the ceiling without per-
uniting the plaster to fall. knelt q man with
q bandaged arm. He could never sec any
faces; no one ever took OF q mask in THE
sinister chamber. But there were voices, and
he was never going to forget some Of them.
After the meeting came to an end, he waited
an hour after, and then stole down into the
street by the aid of the fire escape. Later, ho
entered q telephone booth and called up Jones.
Then nne 1anfhapu v<>.1 ~,