The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1916-07-13

II you'd "a had any life about you
we'd "a had that schooner now. In
stead of that, they made you look like
q couple of slobs."
II don't see no cigars named after
you, NEITHER" growled Bill. "You
looked pretty, you did, with that little
fellow jumping on your belly"
"You black livered skunk!' bel
lowed Tyler. "You-"
He got no further. Hawkins stuck
out a hamlike hand and almost Gov
cred Tyler's face with it.
"Ere, 'ere," he pleaded softly, don't
raise the 'ole bloody 'ouse. Yer talkin'
a bit too loud Tyler. This amt no
time for fightin', yer know: Bill. don't
cross i'm tonight, I arsk yer"
There were some low grumblings,
and then silence fell. Lent lay quietly
thinking. So they were going to steal
the schooner we're they? Well, he
guessed not. Lucky he sneaked down
and overheard their plot.
Going to slip the cable, warp the
6CIOOuCI OuI CL1OU6u LILO 4nAOS a.
sail away to leave them there to per-
ish-maybe? Fine chance. Came here
with a rotten old hulk and going
away with a yacht and all that's in
her!
Suddenly the cold sweat broke out.
Lent's thoughts ran wild for q mo-
ment.
All that's in her." he murmured.
Yes, there was considerable In her.
Hemenway's heavy boxes, for exam.
pie. "A hundred times since he helped
Hemenway move those boxes he had
mentally figured the value of their
contents. There were thousands and
thousands Of dollars, he was sure. He
wished they yer his. Why not? The
question set his brian whirling again.
Then he calmly thought it all out,
He knew the treasure was in the fore
hold. The three desperadoes did moi
know it. They were bad company,
these three villains; but he would risk
it. He would trust to his wits to secure
the treasure, once away from the u.s.
land.
How could he work it? Wen, for
one thing, he would secretly empty
one of the boxes, fiji it up with sand,
and tell the three sailors, when he
opened the box before their eyes, that
the boxes contained specimens of
South Sea Island sand that :Hemen-
way had been collecting to s in ex-
periments in glass blowing.
"Ha, ha! a fine idea," Lent thought.
For half an hour or more Lent's
| thoughts a along in pleasant char
nels. At last Tyler stirred and spoke.
"Time we shook a Leg" he said in
a low tone. Bill you crawl off down
the beach about a hundred feet and
wait there. If we hear nothing from
the house We'll join you in five min
utes. Then we will all follow the
beach around to the lagoon and paddle
out to the schooner. Move along now,
and don't let me hear a sound out of
YOU,
AYE, ave." answered Bill, and
without another word he began to
creep away.
"Stay where you are; don't move
an inch!" ordered Lent in a low, tense
voice.
Bill rolled over on his side in aston
ishment. The others remained mo-
t~ionless. Tyler's subdued but heart
felt swearing reached the ears of Lent.
keep quiet now and listen to what
I say" Lent spoke just loud enough
for them to hear him. II have you
covered with a gum, so don't try any
tricks. ! heard all your talk about
stealing the schooner and if I wanted
to, all I would have to do is to yell or
fire this gun and the whole house full
would be down here on top of you.
But I won't do it.
"II let you get away with the
schooner, because I'm going with you.
expression of thanks on the part of
is that I must be protected in ase you.
make a mess of it or anything goes
wrong. I must appear to have been
captured by you. Do you under
stand?"
Did they understand? 1t was a
wasted question. But there was no
expression of thanks on the part of
the three, nor were there any prom
Uses. Bill and Hawkins let Tyler do the
talking, and all Tyler said was. all
right"
"Follow the beach around to the
dingey," said Lent, land the three of
you keep together. TIL meet you at
the lagoon. Wait here until / get back
to the house, and then make your
start"
Lent craw1ed cautiously back to the
house, assured himself that his com
panions were all asleep, and then
started toward the lagoon Half way
there he stopped and looked at the re-
volver he still carried in his hand. Al
ter some thought he retraced his
steps.
"Come to think of it, I guess I bet
ter make 'em think I was caught
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