The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-05-09
By Edgar franklin
Author OF "BOKN 70 TROUBLED" ETC.

graduation were muttered at them
In strange tongue, and then:
Just try one trick and you're
three dead men! By-by!" said Capt.
Velvet.
The door clicked behind them.
Ahead lay little stairway. dark save
for one little oil lamp in a bracket ae
the bottom. There was black pas.
sage beyond. and at either side OF its
entrance two grim little brown men
stood.
Their eyes were eager az they
looked upward and waved silently to
tho doomed trio-and the trio paused
Tor an instant and listened to the
rattle OF locks In the little restaurant
and the aubdued hum Of talk that
had followed their exit.
DO we do III" asked the Snake.
I'VE do not" answered Pollard.
Hell Eet us IL we dont." gasped
the pop-cycd Ryan. Il got faith II
that KIND of a promise when that OLD
guy makes ~"
He may" Poliard's white lips sail
almost soundlessiy. You take the
little fellow down there; we'll take
tho big one. Don't let ono squeak
get out OF him"
And then. some three seconds afteA
when two Santa Chanzans were on
their way to realizing Just what Il
means to be struck by q New YORK
thug. Pollard went down tho passasU
In u series OF leaps. The little door
Mt the end was locked: he tore It from
its hinges and passed IL to the Bruto
who laid N on the floor and dashed
after his chief. into the Relampago =
night without a sound.
They were nearly done rrfnp.nR. b
be sure: their breath came In Easpo
or agony. and perspiration rainOd
from thom. yet for tho sake OF thoar
own personal freedom they endured
and raced on and on. And there Wa0
something about this last street that
cheered them-a snifr OF salt water
at first. and then tho sound of \
whistle. out In tho harbor. and after
that n glimpse Of the water front
lights themselves.
And now. pell-mell. they had
bounded almost the full length of a
dock before thcy were able to puu
In. Rulping and choking, with the
wavelets OF tho harbor tapping the
piles below ana a long pencil Of white
iight sweeping the skies from further
out.
Pollard studied the light for manr
seconds before:
"Whats-the searchlight?"
Ana ve-y unexpectedly voioo
came from almost beside him. II be-
lonKed to an aged santa Chansan.
who preferred to sit and smoke hy
the waters edge In the quiet evening
rather than witness all the demon
STATIONS In the world: and Il an.
swered Pollard politely:
.Ees war-sheep. Estados Un,dos..s
Tho Spanish Brute crouohed anA
peered at him.
wershipr he croaked.
'Si. senor." said the paaoid ola
man. she anchor tonight. Shs"-
Splash! Splash! splashi" saAl
tho har0or Of RelaInpaso.
There was very new aAstln
who strolled tho deck Of the battiS.
ship beside . slightly older ensign =
the soft Santa Chanxan night. And
as they approached the little kn0t
of sailors the older one smiled GYM
cally.
They may b Arink-maddsusd n.
tives. you know. But II thsy asV
Americans DO sure they'll have a.
excellent excuse 70 offer eor aiding
free passage homa" hs said IT hap
pens. you know"
And Just there . sailor dstaoAa1
himself from the group asd teosAsA
II don't think They're Quite sanA
sir" he reported. mo. sir. not drunk
by any means. But one Of thAA
stands there and he hasn't spoken .
word. sir: and the big ones aoon0
queer. too. He asked mo three t1mAo
II / wouldn't send word 70 the go.
tain and have the searchlghe turA04
On that flaKpole again"
Have they got their VIVA 0Aao
the elder ensign inquired
Fully. sir. IT'S u good bit = =
swim. but they've recovered frouD<A44
part OF IT," said the sailor.
Then he stspped ns.ds and ~ -
signs looked curtously at three BE-
iraggled figures that might haND
rallied at q ropes end In the water IN
he way from home. One Of them, ~
best appearing. merely leaned agAanOe
he after turret. his head bowed. an4
very limo OF him proclaimed the mA1
utterly broken in spirit.
Another. the youngest. lounged
no rail. looking about with the moGe
Incanny mixture Of Joy and bowls
ierment in his eyes. But the third,
Who happened 70 be tho largest by q
rood deal. came forward suddenly
Mister" he said. "me and M
friends are fugttives from justice IN
New York. We want to ask yod
indy II you'll take IN back there
lse-and give us to the polioA
,lease7 We're willing TO work IKE
I'm. mister" the Spanish Brute plead.
ii. "Only, for the love o. Mike, donN
make IN 20 back"-
And at that second tho white pencil
Tw"pt up and down the giant mar,
'ole In Relampago's Plaza Lbertad.
md the large man seemed to go mad,
There II Is Did you see that!~
IL shrieked. IT told you he'd ret
way with ~ That old guy could"- 4,
The flag fluttercd clearly in the fun |
light and tho younger ensign started.
~ say. Haskins," he cried. MAYBE
h"re IL something up! That's not the
lag of Santa Chanza."
And the searchlght moved aRain
nd the elder ensign smiled cynicaliy,
II fancy It's the same old flag" ne
aid. but no end OF things can hap
zen down this way. Queer thinEs-
ueer characters, dozens Of them!"
Ia chuckled whimsically. why.
hare's ono Two heard about time and
gain down here-a picturesque old
ascnl who lives In RelampaGo now,
believe" And he turned patronis-
nglv TO the Snake and said: ~ say,
Nv man. did Won over. by any chance,
ear Of fellow they call Captain