The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-02-18
captain of Dunkers.

! as IL it'd been In tn water long, SIR,
| Somethin' lost overheard by some pri-l
vate yacht, t. my thinkin'. I'll keep
out o. Steve's way. I'll lay low on,
shore, SIR
| And though Steve made perfect
range Of the spot, he never came back
to find the mysterious box, never saw
the ellison house back home, nor did
he ever see Dunkers again. On the:
voyage home he brooded continually.
and was frequently found blubbering;
and one night he skipped his watch
and went to Davy Jones locker.
Dunkers had not told about the
name he had seen on the box; and
Blossom had not thought to. The name
Hargreave had instantly brought back.
to Dunkers' mind the newspaper
stories he had recently read. There
was no doubt In the world that this
box belonged to the missing million
aire, 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-
hannah waters. 1t 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 1t happened that his favorite
grog shop was 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 very poor
substitute for whisky. He became
communicative. He Dragged. He knew
where there was a 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 g.
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 SIP and ami
Ingersoll watch In his pocket?
From his table vroon made sign
which the bartender understood. Them
he rose and approached Dunkers. !:
II own pretty good diving appar-i
atus," he said. eff you've got the
goods, I'll take a chance on 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 real whisky and none Of
your soap-lye. Now, let's hear yours
yarn"
II don't know yuh." said Dunkers.
with drunken caution. How is it,
Bill?' turning to the bartender.
Hes the goods, Jim. You've heardi
OF Wyant & Cor"
Sure I've heard o. them. Best
divin' apparatus they is
well, this gent here is Mr.. Brooks,
general manager for Wyant & Co. r
can o. X. 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, ii yuh say so, Bill. Well.
here's tn yarn"
And when he had done, vroon;
smoked 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 q sailor. I can
lay my hand right over tn spot. Do
yuh think I'd be fool enough t. hunt
for 1t without 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 hisl
destination was Cape Town, 20 days.
voyage by the calendar.
Vroon carried his information to the
Organization that same night. They
would start the expedition at once.l
and till this was accomplished, Har-i
greaves daughter was to be immunel
from attacks. Besides. 1t would give
Hargreave wherever he was} and the
others the idea that the Black Hum
dred had concluded to give up the
chase.
Above, with his ear to = small hole,i
skillfully bored through the ceiling
without permitting the plaster to FALL
knelt q man with q bandaged arm. He
could never see any faces; no one
ever took on mask In this sinister
chamber. But there were voices. and
he was going to forget some of them.i
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 tele5
phone booth and called up Jones.
Then, one leathern and steel box
dotted with bits OF ivory and mother