Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-01-22

the task is now complete"
Come then" cried fernando.
sharply, dump these in"
4 Half an hour later and half a mill
] from shore a revenue cutter stoppe,
its engines and later dropped al
anchor.
\ Another half an hour and fernando,
and his dark-haired Inez saunteret
i crazy little wharf. They waited calm
ly, the woman smoking cigarett,
and Hernandez enjoying his panatela
until the ships gig drew up to TIT
| wharf.
Hernandez deftly caught the rope a!
II was thrown to him.
"Mr. Hernandez" said the Officer
brusquely. I've got government
search warrant"
DO not produce it, sir" he said, %
] take you at your word"
Mr.. Hernandez" went on the off
Ger, "a Porto Rican fisherman reported
to US yesterday that his kicker had
been hired three times by notorious
negro smuggler-that three times he
had watched the departure of his boat
and its return. Each time 1t had come
in this direction-each time returned
from this direction.
The point is" went on the officer
lust this: This is the only point south
of Porto Rico within given distance
The kicker owned by our informant,
when IL 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, senior, .
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 flake"
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"
Hernandez's 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"
Senior" said Hernandez gravely, II
would hear about this Princess Of New
York She stood by, senor-I remem-
Der well, for thought my last hour
had come-she stood by to succor
refugees and l with my man Ponto
here-I was a refugee. / fled from
the smoke and lava of Mount Pelee
back in 1902"
Were you on the steamer Prin-
cess?" asked the officer.
mo" 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 you,'' queried the officer.
sAh," said Hernandez, there was
a fourth member of the party-we
had put off in a leaky boat. She was
a baby girl-a child. She was the
daughter of this Iliagton."
The officer leaned forward. His
mind was at work. His memory trav-
eled back over some Is years. He
NODDED
Ellington" he repeated. "A child
IoA wt~1 l,o,
THAT baby girl, senior, boarded the
ship-they took her out of all her
party-her and her native woman SER
want"
The officer slapped his thigh. II re-
member now" he said, Il remember
all about it. Let me see. 1t was COM
mon talk aboard the Eaglet. This
child came aboard with the wife OF
the Princess captain She had two
boys with her and this little girl. II
don't remember the girl, but she was
young, say five years old. The cap
tain's boy I remember well-he slept
In my hammock the first night hel
came aboard. / remember him. But
there was something about the girl
wait, / have it. A bag of gold-Span-
ish pieces most of them, think-or
maybe French A bag of gold-and
something else. Some note or pack
age some mystery at any rate, as !
recall"
Hernandez knocked the ashes from
his panetela. You don't say so, Sc
nor" he replied, with show of inter-
est. "a bag of gold and mystery
knew nothing of all that | wonder
what has become of Ilington. BY the
way, senior, what became of the sur
viyors of the Princess?"
The officer hooded. 1--WE landed
them at Brooklyn navy yard. They
were people from the North, New
York or Whereabouts Curious about
this little girl. ! had almost forgot
all about her. | will have to look her
up somehow some day and see what
her history is and what the mystery
was"
Hernandez shrugged his shoulders,
Like looking for needle In a hay
stack, officer he suggested.
"Oh, no." said the officer. they've
got the record in the Brooklyn navy
,,ard con easily find ont !" He rose