The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-04-07
CHAPTER II.

I~lHE three river thieves in the ex-
quisitely furnished houSeboat
worked with deft rapidity. 1t
~ was the woman's swift, intui-
tive part to discover hiding places: the
lean Jakes to discriminate in values;
Big Ben's, with nippers and hammer
and screwdriver. to rip off brasswork,
to open drawers. to rend and tear and
splinter If need be. Within an incredi-
bly, short space of time they had the
skiff piled high with the richest and
the best which the houseboat had con-
tanned; then they spread the tarpaulin
over their plumber and disposed their
punches of celery so that the green
leaves protruded in a fringe from I'M
der the edge of the tarpaulin; then the
heavily laden skiff. with its four pas
sengers and its loot, wormed its way
clumsily from amid the barges. look
ing like an innocent farmer boat.
The sun, now a golden ball in the
eastern mist, looked down upon a
harborage busy with the pursuers of
the little runaway bride. Henri and
Marie were swishing swiftly; Ned and
Bobbie and Iris were leaving the dock
in Boobies speedy little cruiser; Homo
| ria Blye and the well known and just
ly famous private detective, Bill Wolf.
were putting out into the river in the
Eagle Eye Detective agency's steam
yawl. its stovepipe stack rolling black
smoke and cinders and hot sparks
back over the already blackening pas
sengers: Gilbert Blye and the heavy
~ Stref Lon linz Ian
Hilarity in the keen little racer; Gun
bingham had been slow and below
decks when they put off. but he fol-
low now in the cutter. The racer and
the cutter speeded straight for the
point around which June had disap-
peared. Tommy Thomas waved a scarf
after them and shouted absurd in
structions to them, but Mrs. Willard
stood quietly by the rail, her eyes fixed
somberly on that distant point.
Slowly June raised from her crouch
ing position. The cling Of the small
4 boat which she had sighted seemed to
be fainter rather than more distinct.
1t was fading into the distance when
she looked, and from its red stern she
knew that 1t was not one of the Hilar-
ity's boats. Once more she breathed a
sigh of relief. but even as she did SO
she heard a familiar sound-the siren
whistle of the Hilarity's cutter! And
it was near!
FranticalIy now she scanned the
shore. There was another inlet just
ahead of her. and in desperation she
steered into it. 1t was a narrow but
distinct channel. winding about amid
tangle of shrubbery and marsh grass
and stunted trees. with here and there
larger tree rising from a mound OF
solid earth. There were high banks
presently and then tiny island, In the
center of which was a decrepit hut
June was about to step ashore wher
she heard the low purring of a motor
The cutter! From the sudden shut-in
ness Of the sound it had entered the
inlet In terror June jumped back int
the boat The hut seemed deserted
j There was no smoke rising from the
chimney and no one to protect her i
she were found there alone. She wai
away in fash, circling the island
From the other side she saw that ths
channel led away into the marshes
probably to another inlet, and she hat
started to dart down this lonely water