Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1915-03-24

was no doubt II the world that this
box belonged to the missing million.
ARE, who had drawn a million from
his banks and vanished: and, more
over, there was no doubt in Dunkers'
mind that this million lay In the Ba-
haman waters. It had been drawn up
from the bottom Of the sound, under
the path Of the balloon He proceeded,
then, to take most minute range.
1t would require money and partners;
but half loaf would be far better
than no loaf at all; and he was deter
mined to return to New York to find
backing Finding is keeping, on land
or sea.
Now it happened that his favorite
grog shop was a cheap saloon across
the way from the headquarters Of the
Black Hundred; and Vroon OCCASION
ally dropped in, for he often picked up
q valuable bit Of maritime news.
Dunkers was an old friend of the bar
keeper, and he proceeded to pour and
guzzle down his throat a very poor
substitute for whisky. He became
communicative. He Dragged He knew
where there was million, and all he
needed was a first-class diving bell. A
year from now he would not be drink
ing cheap whisky; he'd be steering a
course up and down Broadway and
buying wine when he was thirsty.
He was no miser But he had to have
diving bell; and where the blue devil
could he get one with $12 and an
lngersoll watch in his pocket?
From his table Vroon made sign
which the bartender understood Then
he rose and approached Dunkers
Il own a pretty good diving appar-
atus," he said IF you've got the
goods, Ill take a chance on a fifty
fifty basis Vroon did not believe
there was anything back Of his talk;
but it always paid to dig deep enough
to find out. Have drink; and Bill.
give us a real whisky and none Of
your soap-lye. Now, let's hear your
yarn"
Il don't know yuh," said Dunkers,
with drunken caution. How is it,
Bill?' turning to the bartender.
Hes the goods, Jim. You've heard
of Wyant & Coz"
Sure I've heard O. them. Best
divin' apparatus they is
well, this gent here is Mr.. Brooks,
general manager for Wyant & Co. I
can O. K. him"
Vroon threw an appreciative glance
at the bartender. He was not affiliated
with the Black Hundred, but he had
often aided Vroon in minor affairs.
'All right, if yuh say so, Bill. Well,
| here's tn yarn
And when he had done, Vroon
nmoked quietly without speaking.
Don't yuh believe it," demanded
Dunkers, truculently
But 600 feet Of water, in a coral
| bottom, and no way of telling just
| where it fell overheard. That's tough
proposition -..
20, it is, is it? I'm sailor I can
lay my hand right over tn spot. Do
yuh think I'd be fool enough t. hunt
for 1t without a perfect ranger Dunk
ers tapped his coat pocket suggestive
! ~.
And Vroon knew that the one thing
| he wanted was there, plan or draw
ing of the range. So there was another
man shanghaied that night, and his
destination was Cape. Town, % days
| voyage by the calendar
Vroon carried his information to the
| organization that same night. They
would start the expedition at once,
| and till this was accomplished, Har-
| greave's daughter was to be immune
from attacks. Besides, it would give
| Hargreave wherever he was) and the
others the idea that the Black Hun
dred had concluded to give up the
chase.
Above, with his ear to a small hole,
skillfully bored through the ceiling
without permitting the plaster to fall,
knelt man with a bandaged arm He
could never see any faces; no one
| ever took off a mask in this sinister
| chamber. But there were voices, ana
! he was going to forget some of them.
After the meeting came to an end,
| he waited an hour after, and then stole
down into the street by the aid of the
fire escape. Later, he entered tele-
phone booth and called up Jones.
Then, one leathern and steel box,
dotted with bits Of ivory and mother
of-pearl, became two; and the second
one was soaked in mud and salt water
for two weeks till you could not have
told it from the original And that is
why Jones was able, some weeks later,
to hide once more the original box
AS for the substitute, just as Braine
was about to use mallet and chisel
upon it, the lights went out. There
was a wild scramble, chair or two
was overturned
'The door, the door!" shouted
Braine, furious
1t slammed the moment the words
left his lips. And as suddenly as they
had gone out the lights sprang up.
The box was gone. There were evil
IDENTIFY traitors among the Black Hun
dred.