The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-09-23
Copyright. 1918. BY Emerson Housh

~o.s'os'o"'o~o..o"o"o~o~o~o~
was him. And If he didn't look like
he owned her or was going to I'll eat
your own gas tank there and them two
kids in it fer good measure"
"Ah. ha. Cal Davidson!" said to my
self through my set teeth. Little do
you think that you are discovered in
your sins. and little do you know that
the avenger is on your track. But have
care. for Black Bart and his band
pursue your
Cal Davidson took on five drums of
petrol at Cairo and a like amount of
champagne at Memphis and no man
may tell what other supplies at this or
that point along the river. He evil
IDENTIFY suspected no pursuit or if he
did was staggering varlet enough.
for, according to all accounts which
we could get. he loitered and fingered
along altogether at his leisure, with
due attention to social matters at every
port. for If he had not wife at every
port at least he had an acquaintance
Of business or social sort. so that one
might be sure there were few dull mo-
ments for him and his party. whether
af1oat or ashore.
But we held to the chase as true pi-
rates. not lettering ut any port and,
since now l also had learned some
thing of the intricacies of our engine
and could take trick while the others
slept running twice the hours daily
the naughty yacht would deign to log.
l knew that Cal Davidson would stop
to shoot and to visit and knew that
he could by no human means be in
duced to pass any telegraph point
where the daily standing of the base
ball clubs could be learned. He count
ed that day lost in which he did not
learn the scores.
We We're hot on the trail of the enc
my as he few south along the Chicka
sha bluffs. hot as he left Memphis be-
hind and. taking the widening waters
which now wandered through low for
est lands. reached out for the next city
of size. historic Vicksburg on her sew
enty hills. And hot and eager more
than ever We're we when. chugging
around the head Of that vast arm of
the river where it curves like bay of
some southern sea. with it's heights
rising beyond and affair. we saw what
caused me to eXclaim aloud: "At last.
There she lies. my hearties!"
"Full speed ahead. jean" | called.
"That's the Belle Helene, Yonder lies
the enemy"
And then the inevitable happened.
Perhaps it was too much gas. perhaps
too much lubricant, perhaps a spark
plug was carrying too much carbon.
At any rate, the engine of the Sea
Rover chose that time to chug and
cease to revolve.
1t was more than mile to the foot
of that vast curve, and even as |
leaped at the grimy, oily motor l saw
white dinghy with blue trim make
out from the wharf and leisurely pull
alongside the landing stair of the
yacht. 1t held two figures only, that
of the deck hand. who rowed. and that
of the large white flanneled man who
now disembarked from the dinghy and
went aboard the yacht He was way
ing paper over his head, so that in
ferred the Giants must have won that
day. And then. as we tugged and hnr-
ricd with our arbitrary motor. | saw
the Belle Helene with a slight smiling
salute to friends ashore. swing dain-
tily about and head out and down the
river.
1T shall go hard, but we overhaul
Won varlet yet" said L'Olonnos srlmly.
Aye" assented Latitte. "We've bust
ed a plug and he has showed us clean
pair Of heels, but it's long chase if
the Sea Rover does not overhaul him.
Wen have to overhaul our engine first.
though" he added thoughtfully. When
at last the Sea Rover was ready for
the sea again her chase might have
been a hundred miles ahead an she
liked.
"Gee!' exclaimed Jean LATTE as we
were about to cast off. "Looky here,
de Cubs licked de G'ints to l today
He pointed to figures in newspaper
which he had obtained. so then it
might have been excitement of rage
and not of JOY which had animated
Cal Davidson when he went aboard,
Never mind. then" said !, "for that
gives us a days start"
How do you mean?" demanded
Jean.
1T means that yonder varlet will not
leave NatcheZ tomorrow until late
evening. after the wires are in from
the northern ball games" | replied
"Of course he'll stop there next"
felt now that the Lord had, by implant-
ing this insane lust of petty baseball
news in his soul, delivered my enemy
into my hand.
Now. visit not how or at what dig
nided speed the Belle Helene swept
on down that mighty river through the