The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-05-26

The Report of Pistol Shot Reverber,
ated Over the Wire.
totilla of pleasure craft which dotted
the inner harbur with Il hundred s,lcn-
der, wraithlikc shapes of silver.
The night was clear. calm, and very
still. Sounds travelled far over its
FURNISHED waters. Even above the dip
and Slither of his own oars. Parr
could hear, as he pulled. the crcak of
other oar-lockS; and as he laid along
side his speed launch and stood up 10
help Patria board ii, he distinctly
heard somewhere near by the drum of
TWO other motors start up almost 81
simultaneously.
Was one Hur0ki'S? Parr wondered.
Was that gentleman'S haSty departure
from the Claiming cottage but a pre-
Jude to mad dash with an aim like
unto their own?
Eunning forward, he cast off the
/ mooring, then came aft again and.
/ preparatory To starting the engine. shot
home the Ignition switch.
Instantly with muflled defamation and
brilliant flash, the gasoline tank in the
bows exploded.
Blinded, half stunned. Patria reeleI
back into the captains arms. and for
moraent remained there. while both
struggled To recover from the shock.
But Parr was less aware of her in thar
intimate position than might have
been expected, even the bewilderiny
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 i'm or
der to cause this explosion when the
switch was closed.
An enemy had done this thing.
Duly he heard voice shouting:
"Aees Claiming! MeeS Patria. This
way-I save YOU"
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-eyen rs
there had been nothing adventurous
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 a small but decid-
edly wicked-looking pistol In Patria's
hand.
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, Patrla seized
he bOathoOk and with It bridged the
gap. Parr jumped, and fell
n heap at her feet.
He wasted no precious moments In
Efforts to salvage the jettisOned con-
'pirator. De Lima had fairly earned
lis ducking; when sufficiently weary
If foundering about and shrieking for
help, when his strength failed and he
vent under, 1t would be only to find
'ooting in waist-deep water.
And so 1t fell out. Starting the en-
line, Parr grasped the wheel and
shaped a true course out from the
anchorage. To his immense gratlfica-
lon, the boat proved to be q fast one.
Astern a pathetic scene dwinGled
apidly: Senior Juan de Lima standing
lalf out Of water, alternately tearing
us hair and threatening high heaven
With exasperated fists, his plight
rightly Illuminated by the glare Of
'urning power launch.
(END OF FIRST EPISODE)