The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-11-04


spoke,
Careful, senor." he commanded
Behold the surf"
He was quite right. They were
crossing some bar well off the shore
Before they knew II they wero in the
midst of tumult of wiGddriven angry
waves. Ponto shricked A wave tow
cred high above them and fell with
thunderous thud upon the bottom of
their boat She went under.
Come on" cried Ilington; "a hand
on each OF my shoulders-lll take you
safe ashore"
Half an hour later the three men
staggered out of the battered surf and
sank down exhausted upon strip of
beach.
Dawn broke with llington still sleep
ing heavily. Ponto was the first to
wake. He shook Hernandez, placing
his finger on his lips. Hernandez
sprang up with the agility OF a pan
ther. lie collected his faculties in an
instant. He placed his hand upon the
shoulder Of the sleeping man and
shook him.
Wake, senor," he commanded; 1T
is day"
"Senor," went on Hernapdez, ''let
us resume our conversation-our talk
of yesterday, Where is this lost
island" He thrust his face into the
face of Ilington. Aud where" he de-
manded, rs the oilsilk packet?"
Where. Also" added Ponto. "is the
bag of gold?"
llngton smiled. 80 you have
searched me, have you?" he returned.
well. you're welcome, gentlemen. to
anything you find" He rose to his
feet. Come on" he commanded,
were marooned. I'm hungry. Let us
see what we can find"
Hernandez caught him by the arm.
where is the packet?" he demanded.
And where the gold?" persisted
Ponto.
Ilngton smiled. Both travelling
north" he answered, with Annette IL
ington. They are coniided to her care"
And why?" asked Hernandez.
llington shrugged his shoulders. 81
thought you and | and Ponto here
were booked for death, that's why.
Who knows-we may still be booked
for death"
Hernandez glanced significantly al
Ponto. Some of us may" he said
Come on" said Ilington, there are
mussels on those rocks yonder Fol
low me-"
} He strobe into the water and waded
toward a patch of rocky reef beyond.
Ponto seized bit OF jagged wood
that lay upon the beach. He and Her
nandez waded after lljngton. Once
on the rocks Illngton stopped and tore
huge shell fish from their mooriDgs
with his naked hands AS he did sc
Ponto in a sudden frenzy lifted high
the billet in his hand and brought II
with crashing blow down upon the
head OF Ilington.
Ilington fell like a log. Hernandez
sprang at Ponto and shook him as
terrier shakes a rat.
"You fool" he cried, what do you
gain by this?"
Wait" exclaimed Ponto, clawiDe
Ilington with his clutching talons;
"let us search him thoroughly"
The search yielded nothing to them
Fool" repeated Hernandez, you
have done a useless thing. There's al
ways time | tell you"
Ponto shook his head. "Senor." he
said. this man stood between US and
the packet. There is no one now to
keep us from his child"
Hernandez slowly nodded. True"
he returned, perhaps you are right
He was a menace-now he is dead. He
is removed. Let us leave him 10 the
mercy OF the sea. Come on"
TO the mercy of the sea-" these
adventures had said land the sea was
strangely merciful. With the tender.
Iess Of a mother 1t laved the limbs OF
the supine victim-it washed his
wound-it laved his brow.
II did more-it brought him back TO
life. Uttering an lnarticulate cry. the
man rose, staggering TO his feet. He
put his hand TO the back of his head |
II came away covered with blood He
stared at his ruddy fingers vacantly.
"Red-red-" he habbled.
He stared about him in bewilder. /
ment.
Babbling and cackling he rose once
more to his feet. Some instinct led
him toward the shore. He waded
across the narrow strip OF water.
breast high, toward the narrow strip
Of beach beyond.