The Washington times., 1914-09-13


wanted tho box hut to prove that he
was strong enough to take it if he
wanted to. The name on the box
flashed and disappeared 1t was a
| kind of shock to him. He and Bios
som went battcTinG again the rail.
Dunker's Eri? slipped and so did
| Blossoms. The result was that the
box was catapulted into the sea. win
an agonizing cry. Blossom leaned far
! over. He saw the box OScillate for
a moment. then sink gracefully in n
zig gag course. down through the
| blue waters Fainter and fainter 1t
| grew, and at last vanished.
I'm sorry, Steve but yuh wouldn't
let me look at it," said Dunkers. con-
| tritely.
Damn you; I'm goin' t. kill " for
| that"
1t became real fight this time. fist
and foot, tooth and nail; one mad with
| the lust to kill and the other desper-
| ately intent on living. 1t was one of
| those contests in which honor and fair
| play have no part. But for the timely
arrival of the captain and some of
| the crew Dunkers would have been
badly injured. perhaps fatally. They
| hauled back Blossom, roaring out his
| oaths at the top of his lungs. 1t took
| half an hours arguing to calm him
down. Then the captain demanded
to know what it was all about. And
blubbering. Steve told him.
| six hundred feet of water. II I've
got my reckoning right The anchor
lies sixty feet. but the starboard side
| drops sheer six hundred. You swab!
| Why didn't you bring the box to me?
A man has a right to what he finds.
I'd have taken care of 1t for you till
we got back to port. l know; you
| were greedy; you thought ] might
| want to stick my fist into your treas
ure. And you'll never find it in 600
] feet of water and tangled, porous
| coral. That's what you get for being
blamed hog. As for you" and the
| captain turned to Dunkers. get your
dunnage and your pay and hunt for
murder on board Captain Manners
And the sooner you 60 the better"
I'll go, SIR" said Dunkers. readily
enough. Had the misfortune happened
! gressor. he would want his life. He un-
| derstood. Like the valet in "Olivette,'
| it was the time for disappearing.
An keep out O. my way, I'll git y
| yet growled Blossom.
| Keep your mouth shut" said the
| mate, "or I'll have you put in irons,
| Ali right. sir I've said all I'm gon'
t say tday;' and Blossom strode off.
What was the box like" asked the
| captain of Dunkers.
Chinese contraption. sir: leastwise it
| looked that way to me. Didn't look as
II it'd been in tn water long, sir. Some
| thin lost overheard by some private
yacht, t my thinkin'. I'll keep out o
| Steves way. I'll lay low on shore. sir"
And though Steve made a perfect
! range OF the spot, he never came back
to lind the mysterious box, never saw
the ellison house back home, nor did
he ever see Dunkers again On the
voyage home he brOoded continually,
and was frequently found blubbering;
and one night he skipped his watch and
went to Davy Jones' locker.
Dunkers had not told about the name
he had seen on the box: and Blossom
had not thought to. The name Har-
greave had instantly brought back to
Dunkers' mind the newspaper stories
he had recently read. There was no
doubt in the world that this box be-
longed to the missing millionaire, who
had drawn a million from his banks
and vanished: and. moreover. there was
no doubt in Dunkers' mind that this
million lay in the Bahaman waters 1t
had been drawn up from the bottom
OF the sound. under the path of the
balloon. He proceeded. then, to take a
most minute range. 1t would require
money ana partners; but half loaf
would be far better than no loaf at all:
and he was determined to return to New
York to find backing. Finding is keep
ing. on land or sea
Now it happened that his favorite
grog shop was cheap saloon across
the way from the headquarters of the
Black Hundred. and Vroon occasionally |
dropped in, for he often picked up |
valuable bit of maritime news. Dunk |
ers was an old friend of the barkeeper, |
and he proceeded to pour and guzZle |
down his throat a very poor substitute |
for whisky. He became communicative |
He begged. He knew where there was |
a million. and all he needed was a first |
class diving bell. a year from now |
he would not be drinking cheap whisky; |
"a Cfnarinp and
broadway and buying wine when he |
Was thirsty. He was no miser. But |
he had to have diving bell, and where |
the blue devil could be get one with |
s2 and an lngersoIl watch In his pocket?
From his table NrOOn made a sign |
which the bartender understood. Then |
he rose and approached Dunkers.
Il own a pretty good diving appara-
tus." he sad. IF you've got the goods,
III take a chance on a fifty-fifty basis"
Nroon did not believe there was any |
thing back of this talk; but it always |
paid to dig deep enough to find out. |
Have a drink. and, Bill, give us real |
whisky and none of your soap-lye. Now, |
let > hear your yarn |
4 don't know yuh,' said Dunkers, |
with drunken caution. How is il, Bill?" |
turning to the bartender.
Hes the goods. Jim. You've heard |
of Wyant &: Co. >"
Sure I've heard o them Best dvin |
Well. this gent mere is Mr.. Brooks, |
general manager for Wyant & Co. |
can o. *. him"
Nroon threw an appreCiative glance ut |
the bartender. He WAS not affiliated |
with the Black Hundred but he had |
often aided Nroon in minor affairs.
An right. if yuh say so, Bill Well. |
here's tn yarn
And when he had done. Vroon smoked |
Quietly without speaking.
Don't yuh believe it, demanded |
Dunkcrs. truculently.
But coo feet of water. in n coral bot |
tom, and no way of telling Just where 1t |
iell overheard. That's Il tough PROPOSE
ton
my hand right over tn spot. DO yuh
without n perfect range" Dunkers
tapped his coat pocket suggestively.
And Nroon knew that the one thing ]
he wanted was there. a plan or a draw
ing of the range. SO there was another
man shaEhaicd that night. and his
destination was Cape Town. twenty-five
DAYS voyage by the calendar
Nrnon carried his Information to the
organization that same night. They
would start the expedition at once. and
till this was accomplished. HarSreaVcs
daughter was to be immune from at |
taCks. Besides. it would give HarErrave
(whcrcvcr he was) and tho others the
idea that The Black Hundred had con-
ClUded to give up the chase.
Above. with his ear to I small hole. |
skilfullv bored through the ceiling with
out permitting the plaster to fall. lnelt