The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1916-02-05

Neal, after few gasps for breath,
smiled at Annette forlornly.
Hernandez stamped his foot. Il
will give you two minutes to produce
the map of Lost Isle," he said, "and
IL it is not then forthcoming. ."
He paused. go on" said Neal,
what them"
At the end of two minutes he
thrust his watch back into his pocket.
He signed to Ponto. "The helmets"
he commanded, land the Gloves
Ponto produced two sets of crudely-
fashioned head nets and hand gloves
made of mosquito netting. 1nez had
told him how to make them Hern-
andez donned one set and Ponto
donned the other.
Neal and Annette, each with a
guard of two behind, were forced to
leave the hut, and forced down the
trail on the farther side Of the small
hill.
After fifteen minutes walk they
halted. Ponto spoke sharply to the
native who was with them.
Lead on he commanded; you
know the way
"Ah,' said the native, Il and mighty
few beside. Be careful now"
Ponto turned to Hernandez. "This,"
he said, lis the cause of all the pesti-
lence-this is the quagmire at the bot
tom of our hill-mosquito swamp
There are not so many mosquitoes
here" returned Hernandez, mot
enough in fact"
The native grinned. "Not now-but
at .night-at night they are legion
they are fiends, foul fiends. And they
breed pestilence. On. Follow me-"
Back at the Inn of the Spanish Don
Neal Hardin's mother began to grow
Neal was nowhere to be seen. Once
the surgeon stepped in anC inquired
for Neal. After that Mrs. Hardin
made inquiries of her own. No one
knew where he was-no one had seen
| the little white angel. :.
Out in the swamp Neal and Ann cite
were conducted to small, swamp
islet, green with dark growth-upon
which there was barely foothold.
"This," said the native to Herman.
DEE, lis the place of which I told
From this there is no escape.
Hernandez bowed. "You have chos
en- pests and pestilence, your friends
he said. Goodnight, and pleasant
dreams. Now take us back
T.. Back at the hut, the native was bow
ing low Hernandez poured much
coin into his hand. "And mind,' said
Hernandez, "close mouth for two days
at any rate, you dog"
In one way he was close-mouthed
In another way he we'll, ne
started for the nearest tavern, and
bent his elbow with great frequency
and every time he bent his elbow he
opened his mouth-and to some pur
| pose 80. after awhile he began tc
treat-and falkland show his money
And then, to prove he was an honest
man and no thief, like others there, he
began to tell just how he had become
SO very, very rich in such a short space
of time . they listened to him
open mouthed. Among them were
men, sober men, whose families had
been ministered to by the angel sent
from heaven-a little white angel
One of these men suddenly sprang tt
his feet and grabbed the boaster b,
the scruff of the neck-and, notwith
standing struggles, carried him, pei
nell, from the wine shop, -.
4 Back in the Inn Of the Spanish Don
the proprietor was protesting that he
had not seen Gunner Neal-had MOI
learned of the whereabouts of the lit
tie white angel-Senorita Annette II
ington. A dozen bluejackets were OF
hand-the surgeon was there. Mrs
Hardin, wild-eyed in the glare OF the
smoky lamps, was sobbing historical
ly- Inez looked on calmly. Suddenly
4 into the midst of this company was
q propelled an intoxicated native-e bal