The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1914-07-22

chief had said he would turn the girl
free In New Orleans, where she could
do them no harm. New Orleans, then.
was doubtless the port for which we
sailed. Ii was clear they meant no
personal harm to her. and they would
never have brought me on board
alive II they had deemed 1t necessary
to otherwise dispose Of me. These
considerations were. in the main. re-
assuring. and as I turned them over In
my mind I drifted into better humor.
Besides, my head ceased to ache.
1t was fully an hour after the COM
ing Of darkness before ! was disturb
ed. Then the door opened. and the
entering CLEAN OF a light swinging In
the passage revealed the grinning ne
gro steward bearing a well filed tray.
This he deposited In the berth. while
applying a match to the La p over
head l saw no shadow Of any guard
outside, but the fellow made no ef-
fort to close the door. and l did not
move, confident he was not alone.
Say. George. what boat 10 this" I
asked.
Nah name II Louis, sab"
"All right. Louis. then: what's the
name Of this vessel?"
''she am de Sea Gull, an q mighty
In boat, sab
80 Judge. What y she. fruiter
or private yacht7"
II reckon l don't just know" and
he grinned-
perhaps then you will inform me
where we are bound. 1 suppose you
know thatr
NO sab; de captain he nebber done
toll me. sab. nothin' bout. bis person
q plans. All he done said wus fer
ne to hustle sum grub In yere"
The shadow of 4 man blocked the
doorway. He was one Of those who
had been In the small boat, and ] no
decd . revolver at his waist
That's enough, boy. Come. now.
out with your he commanded gruffiy.
Never you mind the door. I'll attend
to that"
He pulled the door to after the re-
treating form Of the negro, and
heard the sharp click of the latch
and then his voice, mufned BY inter-
vening wood. ordering the steward
aft There was no appearance Of any
lock on the door. Probably there was
none. a. otherwise 1t would not have
been necessary to post q guard. How
ever. this was clearly no time to ex-
pertinent. and 1 was hungry enough
to forget all else in the appetizing
fragrance Of the meal waiting. 1 fell
to eagerly, convinced there was a
good cook on board and enjoying ev-
cry morsel. This did not look as
though l was destined to suffer. and
merely being confined In these narrow
quarters for few hours was no great
hardship. Probably the girl was re-
ceiving very similar treatment. and
~ soon as the Sea Gull made what
ever port was aimed at we would
both be put ashore and left to pro-
coed az we thought best These peo-
pie were iawless enough without
d0ubt-the murders already commit
ted were evidence Of that-but all
they desired. SO far as we were per-
sonally concerned. was to get us safe
~ out Of the way. where we could no
longer interfere with their plans
What those plans might be l could
merely conjecture. with little enough
to guide my guessing. They might be
alibusters connected with some revo-
luton along the Central American
coast. smugglers or marauders of even
less respectability, using the Henley
place for q rendezvous. These fellows
were doubtless the ghosts which
haunted the place and had given 1t
20 uncanny a reputation Throughout
the neighborhsod. They would nat
urally resent any interference. any
change in ownership or control Pos
sibly II they were thieves, as l more
than half suspected. they had loot
buried near by and were anxious to
get US out Of the way long enough to
remove it unsbserved. This appealed
to me a. by far the most probable ex-
PLANTATION. The door opened again,
and the guard stood revealed before
me In the glare Of light
The old man wants you," he ex-
planned brusquely, waving his hand
AFT a. though specifying the direction.
Come on. now"
preceded him along the narrow
passage. The cabin was unoccupied,
The table swung M AGAINST the beams