Courier Democrat., 1916-09-21

! for perhaps five minutes. Then the
clerk returned with a handful Of gold.
This Brown counted over and showed
across to Talbot. The latter also
| counted it and thrust it in his pocket.
"Now," said Brown, with something
approaching geniality, 81 am counting
on your honor to say nothing of this
outside I am gambling on your evi-
dent class in life at home"
'You have our promise, and it will
be kept" said Talbot.
At our place we found that Yank
had not returned. At first we thought
nothing of this, but about dusk we
found that all his belongings had dis
appeared.
We could not understand this sud
| den departure, except on the possible
ground that 1ank, realizing that now
| the party must split forces, had decid-
ed to seek new companions among
| those lucky enough to sail on the first
| steamer.
Gwen then he needn't have been in
such a hurry" complained Johnny
trifle bitterly. "And he needn't have
! thought we'd be in his way"
HAS he paid his share Of the lodg-
J ings?" 1t occurred to me to ask
We felt quite bitter against Yank.
and we carefully avoided his usual
haunts, for we did not want to meet
him. Then we began to think it
strange we had not run across him
somewhere on the streets. Then we
began to look for him. We found
that Yank had disappeared.
| At that, little alarmed, we set our
selves to q serious search and inquiry.
A few remembered to have seen him,
but were vague as to when and where
| The authorities moved sluggishly, and
, with little enthusiasm. Men were dy-
ing every day and disappearing under
! ground, leaving no trace of themselves
behind. One more or less seemed un-
important.
In the meanwhile we spent much Of
our time by the shore, together with
a comfortable majority of our fellow
argonauts, awaiting the sighting Of a
vessel. We had engaged and paid
daily a boatman to be in readiness to
take us off, and we settled our lodg-
! ings account a week ahead.
There's going to be a scramble for
that blessed ship" said Talbot, "and
Well just be prepared"
To that end we also kept our effects
packed and ready fer instant removal
The expected ship came, of course,
on one Of these dull gray days, and
those who had thought themselves un-
lucky In being crowded cut Of the huts
We're the first to sight her. They
sneaked down very Quietly and tried
to launch two Of the boats. Of course
the native boatmen We're all inside;
trust them. rs q high surf was run
ming, and rs none of the men We're in
| any sense good b2a:mcn, they prompt
ly broached to and ilicd. The noise
brought us to the door.
Then there was fine row. One of
the two boats communicated by the
early birds happened to be ours. All
our foretbought seemed to have been
in vain. The bedraggled and crest
fallen men We're just wading ashore
when we descended upon them. Tai
bot was like ;aving lunatic.
"You hounds"' he roared. Don't
you dare try to sneak off! You catch
hold here and help empty these boats!
You would, would you:' He caught
one escaping worthy by the collar and
jerked him SO rapidly backward that
his heels fairly cracked together. John
ny flew to the combat with chuckle
,f 10, II
two of them together until they prom
ised to be good The four we had col
Jared were very meek. We all waded
into the wash where the boat lay slug
gishly rolling. 1t is no easy matter to
empty boat in that condition. Water
| weighs q great deal; is fcarfully inert,
| or at least feels so, and has bad hab
tugged and heaved and rolled and
hauled until our joints cracked, but at
last we got her free.
In the meantime forty other boats
had been launched and We're flying
over the waves halfway between the
shore and the ship.
Talbot was swearing steadily and
like crazy man. was heaving away
at the stern and keeping an eye on
our involuntary helpers. The boat
man, beside himself with frantic ex-
element, jabbered and ran about and
screamed directions that no one under
stood. About all we were accomplish
ing now was the keeping Of that boats
head straight against the heavy wash.
1t seemed as though we tugged thus
at cross purposes for an hour. In real
ity it was probably not over two or
three minutes. Then Talbot regained
sufficient control to listen to the boat
man. At once he calmed down.
Here, boys" said he, lease her
backward. You, Johnny, stand by at
the bow and hold her head on. Frank
and will give her shove at the
stern. When the time comes I'll yell,
and you pile right i'll, Johnny. Vamos,
Manuel!'