The Washington herald., 1914-08-30
DEAD RECKONING.


DEAD RECKONING.
On Nauset Beach, in the shank of midsummer
night, two men sprawled on the sands, some dis
lance back from the water, and listened to the
heavy humping of their overtaxed hearts. and
painted.
Now and again one would lift his head and stare
out over the black face of the waters at little
line Of reddish flames about a mile on shore, all
that remained to witness to the fact that, hour
since these two had been in command Of as trim
a small schooner as ever ventured the coastwise
trip from Portland to New York
AS far out again, shone the starboard light Of a
becalmed schooner whose people had been directly
responsible for the disaster which had overtaken
the smaller vessel
more ease, Of the two marooned gentlemen said:
Tell me, Barcus what's the nearest symptom Of
civilization"
Chatham village" said Mr.. Barcus. six miles
to the moth ards and cut on by inlet a mile
SO wide at that"
Mr.. Law groaned soulfully.
Then there's the lighthouse on Monomoy Point"
Mr.. Barcus pursued. three miles to the south"
A silence commented eloquently on this asser.
ton, broken only when Mr.. Law voiced thought
bred Of long and malignant observation of the
schooners green eye:
I'D give deal to know who's aboard that YES
sell"
You don't mean you think your regular young
woman-?"
Its possible. Judith kidnapped Rose in Port
land That's not far from Gloucester; motor
car could have caught that schooner before she
sailed to waylay u.s. this morning. And what better
way to take care of ableboded, full-tempered
girl you've kidnapped, than to ship her somewhere
by sea, in the of trustworthy hellions?"
Don't ask me: I've done very little kidnapping
for one of my years"
For tuppence" said Mr. Law, I'D risk a swim
OF to that boat and see for myself"
For two million dollars-I would mott" Barcus
affirmed with great decision.
moment or so later the line OF little flames
went out altogether and Unexpectedly; and the
owner of the late Seaventure fanced he could hear
even at that distance, the hiss of charred and
smoldering timbers sucked under and drowned out.
Exit" he announced plaintively, exit Seaven-
ture, with heroic gesture. R. l. P. good little
ship"
"Oh, let up, can't you!" Mr.. Law exclaimed peev.
ishly I'm sorrier than you are-and after all, it's
my loss: I've got to buy you another boat. All
you've lost is your temper"
And my susceptibility to the charms of the we'll
known SEX" Mr.. Barcus corrected. Nothing
ever restore my lost faith in gentle woman's gen.
tleness. When you brought that young woman
aboard thought butter wouldn't melt in her mouth,
and for while l actually contemplated doing her
the kindness Of tipping you over into the drink,
SOS she could lavish her tender affections reg
uar guy, someone able to appreciate her-meaning
me. of And first thing know, she ups
and points a gun at my head and tips over
board. and then makes pretty bonfire out Of my
sailboat. And all the excuse you produce is
that she's crazy in the head WE'LL who said she
wasn't? Any woman who would consent to elope
with you is fit subject for a commission de
lunatico inquirendo. all right"
For moment the two maintained attentive ST.
lence
silken whisper troubled the silence, a little
hutter Of sound from far across the waters. Grad
ually it gathered volume, became recognizable as
the lisp of cautious oars.
I'm going away from here" Mr.. Barcus an.
nounced guardedly. and gathered his legs under
him preparatory to rising
Half a second" Alan Law insisted, rising in
turn and grasping the other by his arm. They've
got to land-haven't they?-and leave the boat
while they look for US. Well, then what's to pre-
vent our hiding in the dunes and"
In the next breath. Look outI" he shreked.
With no warning whatever, and within fifty feet
of them, a CHASTITY fare broke out in full blaze on
the surface of the water, revealing the shape OF
dory which had drawn in unseen under cover Of
the profound darkness, and at the same time dis
covering to its occupants the two startled figures
the beach.
Before they could stir the weird light glimmered
on a polished weapon in the bow Of the boat.
spiteful tongue of reddish flame spat out, bullet
sang between Messrs. Law and Barcus and with
g sad thud of disappointment buried itself In the
sands Of wave-eaten bluff behind them.
Like twin automatons stirred to action by the
report the two turned and pelted OF down the
beach, to escape that deadly of illumination.
Other shots sped after them. but none was so
we'll aimed; and presently, finding a break in
the bluff, they swung of into the grateful shelter
of the night-wrapped dunes
Meantime the dory had grounded on the beach,
and its several occupants-four five of them, all
men apparenty-iumping out, set of in pursuit
of the fugitives following the tracks in the sand
The blackness of the night however, conspired
with the savage labyrinth of the dunes to save
Alan and his companion.
Within another five minutes-while still the pur-