The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-12-18
CHAPTER VII.
The Clue.

Hernandez returned to the veranda
and seized the glasses once again. He
passed them to Inez. "Tell me what
you see," he said.
The woman shuddered slightly.
. "Government vessel" she returned.
With the woman at his side he
strobe into the huge living room,
A moment later he reappeared tug
ging with him small steamer trunk.
With her aid he carried it to the We.
randa; then they went back for an
other-and another-and still another.
"Senor," exclaimed Ponto, from the
inner edge of small pit that he and
the brute had finished digging, behold,
the task is now complete"
"Come then," cried Hernandez
sharply, dump these in 4
Half an hour later and half mile
from shore a revenue cutter stopped
It's engines and later dropped an an
chor.
Another half an hour and Hernandez
and his dark-haired Inez sauntered
shoreward and stood bowling on the
crazy little wharf. They waited calm
ly, the woman smoking a cigarette
and Hernandez enjoying his panetela,
until the ships gig drew up to the
wharf. s - -
Hernandez deftly caught the rope as
it was thrown to him. -
"Mr. Hernandez" said the officer
brusquely, "I've got a government
search warrant"
"Do not produce it, SIR" he said. II
take you at your word" =
"Mr. Hernandez" went on the off,
Ger. "a Porto Rican fsharnaan-reported
to us yesterday that his kicker had
been hired three times by a notorious
negro smuggler-that three times he
had watched the departure of his boat
and its return. Each time it had come
in this direction-each time returned
from this direction"
'"The point u.s." went on the officer,
Just this: This is the only point south
Of Porto Rico within a given distance.
The kicker owned by our informant,
when it left its owner, sailed direct
toward you and returned direct from
you. Possibly am on fools errand,
but I've got to do my duty"
Permit me to escort you, senor," "
said Hernandez.
An hour later the officer was seated
on the veranda waiting for his men.
One by one they filed in and reported.
mo go, SIR they all said. "We've
covered the whole place. There's not
an ounce of gum nor a penny's worth
Of fake"
The officer shook his head and dis.
missed his men.
"You were speaking" he remarked,
slipping his glass of ice-cold vichy,
you were speaking of the Martinique
eruption"
"Of that" assented Hernandez. "and
of something else-the steamship Prin-
cess of New York"
why" said the officer, "she was
burned, that tramp-burned two days
out from Martinique"
Hernandezs eyes narrowed. How
do you know, senor?" he queried.
Il know" returned the officer, "be-
cause was seaman on the gunboat
Eaglet-and the gunboat Eaglet res
cued the survivors of the Princess
"Senor," said Hernandez gravely, II
would hear about this Princess of New
York. She stood by, senor-I remem-
Der we'll, for thought my last hour
had come-she stood by to succor
refugees and I with my man Ponto
here-I was a refugee. I fed from
the smoke and lava of Mount Pelee
back in 1902" .. ~
Were you on the steamer Prin-
cess?' asked the officer.
NO." returned Hernandez, "they
would not let us on; they beat us
back. But strange thing happened,
senior. There were four of us, myself,
my servant Ponto and an American
named Ilington.''
-Four of your queried the officer.
"Ah," said Hernandez, "there was
fourth member of the party-we
had put off in a leaky boat. She was
baby girl-a child. She was the
daughter of this 1lington.'