Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-07-18

ated Over the Wire.
flotilla of pleasure craft which dotted
the inner harbOr with a hundred slen-
der, wraithtike shapes of silver.
The night was clear, calm. and very
still. Sounds travelled far over it's
FURNISHED waters. Even above the dip
and slither of his own oars, Parr
could hear, as he pulled, the creak of
other Oar-locks and as he laid along
side his speed launch and stood up to
! help Patria board it, he distinctly
heard somewhere near by the drum of
two other motors start up almost si-
simultaneously.
Was one Huroki's? Parr wondered.
Was that gentleman's hasty departure
from the Claiming cottage but a pre-
Jude to a mad dash with an aim like
unto their own?
Running forward, he cast off the
mOOring, then came aft again and,
preparatory to starting the engine, shot
home the ignition switch.
Instantly with muffled defamation and
brilliant FASH the gasoline tank in the
bows exploded.
Blinded, half stunned, Patria reeled
back into the captains arms, and for
a moment remained there, while both
struggled to recover from the shock.
| But Parr was less aware of her in that
intimate position than might have
been expected, even the bewldering
circumstances considered. For there
was but one thought coherent in the
turmoil of his mind:
The electric wiring must have been
purposely diverted to the tank in or
der to cause this explosion when the
switch was closed.
An enemy had done this thing.
Duly he heard voice shouting:
''Mees Charming! Mees Patria! This
way-I save your
Patria diSengaged from PARIS arms;
he rubbed his eyes, looked. and saw
another power boat standing along
side. In it, fishing with a boathook
for the side of the launch. stood Senior
Juan de Lima.
With much excuse Parr thought this
rescue oddly opportune. Then the
boathOok caught the gunwale; the two
small craft swung nearer together. De
Lima leaned perilously out, offering
Patria hand. She caught it, jumped,
landed safely. Parr climbed up on the
side and prepared to follow. But
while posing for the leap. he saw the
water swiftly widen between him and
safety.
De Lima was not waiting for him.
Very much to the contrary, the Mexi-
can was deliberately pushing off.
Parr cursed him literally, finding in
this sufficient proof that the explosion
had been no mere accident-even as
there had been nothing adventitiOus
| about the timely coming of De Lima's
| boat. Patria was wanted; he, Donald
/ Parr, was not-was to be left to burn
and drown. That he purposed doing
neither was beside the point.
But the Mexican's stratagem failed
| in its upshot. Parr laughed aloud to
| see De Lima turn back to re-enter the
| cockpit of his vessel and find himself
nose to nose with small but decid-
| eddy wicked-loOking pistol in Patria's
| han1.
! With scream of mingled fright and
surprise the Mexican dropped the boat
/ hook and tOppled backward. The har-
| Dor took him to its bosom. Great and
greatly satisfying was the splash
| thereof.
Putting up her pistol, Patria seized
| the boathoOk and with ii bridged the
yawning gap. Parr jumped, and fell
| in heap at her feet.
| He wasted no precious moments in
| efforts to salvage the jettisoned con-
| spirator. De Lima had fairly earned
his ducking: when sufficiently weary
of laundering about and shrieking for
help, when his strength failed and he
went under, it would be only to find
/ footing in waist-deep water.
/ And so it fell out. Starting the en-
CINE, Parr grasped the wheel and
| shaped a true course out from the
anchorage. To his immense gratifica-
| ton. the boat proved to be a fast one.
| Astern a pathetic scene dwindled
rapidly: Senior Juan de Lima standing
| half out of water. alternately tearing
/ his hair and threatening high heaven
with exasperated fists, his plight
+ brightly illuminated by the glare of a
burning power launch.
(IrN-T az, Ftp 81, EpTSnDE