The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-04-23

dispatch for his approval before dis
playing it to the passengers it will
prove Benedict the author Of it and
that he forged the others. Different
details will arise undoubtedly. Well
attend to them as they come. Let's be
off,"
At the captains door they knocked
once, twice and still again without ef-
feet. At last as they were about to
turn away the heavy square Of steel
opened slowly and disclosed the sturdy
form Of Captain HUMPHREYS, his face
somewhat flushed and his eyes curious
ly deep in their sockets.
"Come in, gentlemen" he said. ex-
tending his hand cordially. II thought
I heard q knock. I was in the inner
room. IL haven't had many visitors
since 1t set in to blow. Wen have fine
weather now. Will you?"
He nodded toward the tiny mahoga-
ny sideboard, but both shook their
heads with thanks.
Conversation turned-as perennially
in a captains cabin-on the weather,
the voyage and the behavior of the
ship, and time dragged along until
Marsh grew impatient. It was Brilrs
u to begin to lead the conversation
to the gold shipment, but the young
man seemed uneasy and averse to en-
tering the skirmish.
Catching his friends eye when the
captains back was turned, Marsh
made signs intended as an order to
proceed. Brill paid no apparent atten-
ton, but crossed to the other side Of
the room and began to whistle softly
to the canary singing in his cage.
Then he turned toward Humphries.
"How's the bird standing the voy-
age, captain:" he said cheerily.
Marsh was thoroughly irritated.
why was the man wasting golden time
in talking about a bird? He noted that
even Captain HUMPHREYS was not par
ticuarly enthusiastic over the welfare
Of his pet today.
ooh, Dick" the officer replied. "He's
all right. Aren't you, Dick? Pretty
fellow"
He put his head sidewise, close to
the fragile bars, and chirruped once
or twice. The bird sided away on his
perch to the opposite end of the cage.
Clearly he was not on his good be-
havior. But Brill persisted.
Cant you make him sing or--or
turn a somersault, Captain Hum
phries?" he asked. "Mr. Marsh has
never seen him. You'd like to see him
turn a somersault, wouldn't you,
Marsh?'
That gentleman growled out a most
ungracious acquiescence. So long as
Brill had lost his nerve he might as
we'll accept anything.
"He's a bit surly lately" explained
the captain. doesn't like high winds,
1 suspect. Come, Dick. comet"
The officer thrust his bronzed finger
between the bars, but the disobedient
Dick merely gave it one savage peck
and then hoped to his upper ring,
turning his back most unconcernedly
on his master.
"You see," laughed the latter thick
~, "Dick doesn't like me today. Some
other time he'll do better"
"Well, we must be going" said Brill,
to Marsh's amazemcnt. II hope Dick
will be more gracious the next time we
call on him"
Marsh's indignation was about to
lead him to speak on the subject which
Brill had apparently forgotten, but a
tug at his sleeve and a strange look on
the face of the other told him that
there was good cause for this action.
They babe the captain good day and
quickly went out. Not a word was
said till they reached their favorite
rendezvous, Brills cabin. Marsh's
face was one vast interrogation point,
however.
Seeking the captains aid would
have been sheer folly" We're the first
words the younger man spoke.
what do you mean:"
II once had a monetary transaction
with Observation-Disclosures looked up GU
riously-"and wrote him a note. The
envelope containing his reply, which
was merely money, bore a peculiar
monogram"
"Yes, yes" said the other, deeply in
terested.
"a sheet of paper bearing that mono
gram lay on the captains table, con-
tinued Brill.
"And you introduced that bird non.
sense to read it. Well, I'm
The young man smiled at this tribute
to his strategy and proceeded with his
narrative.
"On it was written, y. decides to go
with the gold, but everything must pro-
ceed as arranged"
Marsh could be extremely annoying
at times, as Brill had learned before
this. The present was one of the
times. He produced his pocketknife
and again began some merely hypo-
thetical surgical operation or his finger
nails, the while INDUCING in his softly
sibilant whistle. "What do you see in