The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-10-07


pated, for, though he and Morissey
penetrated several of the assures in
the expectation of finding path. to
the top, they came each time to mar
row crevices or unscalable walls of
rock. Their patience was eventually
rewarded, however, by discovering a
narrow and precipitous trail which led
them, after half an hours hard climb
ing, to the tableland which formed the
roof, as it were, of the island.
''The best thing for US to do, Morris
sey," said Hope, sis to separate. You
follow the line of the cliffs in one
direction and I'll go in the other. Well
work right around until we meet each
other again"
aye, aye, SIR said Morissey ODE
dientIy, and of he started.
For nearly an hour Hope walked
steadily, clambering over rocks and
powders, pushing his way through
dense underbrush, scrambling across
ravines. So wild, so deserted, was
the appearance of the island, that the
young officer had almost abandoned
hope of its having any inhabitants,
when, rounding a shoulder of rock, he
a man. In response to Hopes shout,
the stranger, a tail, sun-bronzed man
of middle age, came scFambling down
the rocky hillside.
ST had no idea that there was any
one else. on the island" he said, in
pleasant, wel1-modulated voice.
What are you doing over here?
Ffshing?"
NO. said Hope; I'm a shipwrecked
sailor, and though I'm not exactly
starving, 1 will be if 1 have to go
without food much longer" and he
related briefly their experiences in
the storm and how they had found
refuge on the island.
"By the way he added, edo you
happen to have any gasoline? We
can't get away from here until we
! get some"
81 can give you and your friends
something to eat" was the answer,
but haven't any gasoline. I'm only
! here myself because of the storm. 1
came over from Middle island in a
skiff yesterday morning intending to
make some soundings and go back in
| the afternoon. You see," he ex-
planned, I'm in the coast survey
"By Jove," exclaimed Hope, stop
ping dead, then you must know the
man we're looking for. He's in the
coast survey, too. His name is Fitz-
maurice-Arthur Fitzmaur1ce."
You're talking to him." was the an
swer. THAT happens to be my name"
"Wel1, I'll be hanged" Hope ejacu-
lated. "TaIk about having Iucki Here
we are, Miss Burke and I, ship
wrecked on a rock in the Pacific, and
the only person on that rock is the
man we've been hunting for! 1 was
told by an auctioneer named Dawson,
in San Francisco, that last week you
bought three books of him at auction.
They were scientific works-on by
| biography, if remember rightly"
Right you are,'' said the other
photography is in my line, you know,
so when 1 saw these books on the
auction list that Dawson sent me,
went over to his place and bid them
| in. They came from the library of a
DIR. Burke. didn't they?"
Eyes" said Hope, land it's DR..
Burke's daughter who is waiting down
at the cove. I suppose you left the
books over on Middle island"
mo-" said Fitzmaurice, cit happens
| that two of the books are here in my
shack 1 brought them along yester-
| day, intending to look them over, but
I was so dead tired last night that
didn't even open them The third
| book isn't here, I'm sorry to say, but
you can get it without much trouble.
7 crs1 II
| Owen. who lives at a little place
called Sandstone, on the mainland.
| When Mahlin and Satsuma had ex-
tinguished the light on Southeast is
land, after sandbagging the lighthouse
keeper, they were as certain that they
had permanently ridded themselves of
Hope and Cleo as though they had
seen their lifeless bodies washed upon
/ the shore The next morning, the
storm having abated, they set out for
Middle island in search of Fitzmau-
rice, only to learn from the officer in
charge OF the radio station that the
man for whom they were looking had
left the day before for one of the
North FaralIons and that he had not
yet returned, evidently having been
delayed by the storm. By means OF
a chart the officer showed them the
J island on which they would probably
find Fftzmaurice and indicated a small
harbor in which, were he on the is
land, they would find his boat an
chored.
: About the same time, therefore. that
Hope, Cleo and Morissey were drying
themselves before their fire at one
; end of the island, MahIin and Satsums
? were landing from their launch at the
/ other end. Though there was no one
+ in sight when the two conspirator:
landed, they noted signs of recon