Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-08-11

lHnEn ''Jil, call me Jatk"-JH'h IIHi ~
away. That Is my name when ! go
on adventures. Tell me your adven-
ture names. don't want your prosaic
everyday names" "Woil," | had re-
piled. entering into the lads humor,
my friend here Is Sir Francis Drake,
and T. wcll--I'm Sir Henry Morgan"
what Is 1t, JackT' | repeated.
But he shook his head
"No" he replied, 81 like YOU ever
40 much---nnd | wish I could; but |
mustn't"
Somebody clse's secret agan?" I
venturpd
"Ycs," And he added: "This time
rs mine. too. But-some day per
h0ps: who knows?-" He broke off
| In hoyish confusion.
AN right, dear Jack" said, patting
his shoulder, take your own time.
We're friends anyway"
"That we are" responded the lad.
with a fine glow.
mustn't be too hard on Char
lie, for Charlie had another object in
his trip besides duck. As n ccrtnin
poet brutality puts If, he had anticjpnt-
ed also "the hunting of man." In nd
dltlon, though 1t is against the law of
those Britannia islands, he had prom
ised me tlamingo T two for decora-
tive purposes. However. tlamingoes
and Tobns alike kept out of gunshot
and rs the week grew toward its end,
Charlie began to grow little FESTIVE.
1T looks" he murInured one eve
ming. as we had completed our four
tecnth meal of roast duck. and were
muslng over our aftcr-ducE cigars, sit
looks rs if ! am NOT going to have any
use for this"
He hnd taken a paper from his peck
of. 1t was a warrant with which he
had provided himself, empowering
| him to arrest the said Henry =. To-
bias, or the person passing under that
naWe, on two counts: First, that of So
ditiouS practices, with intent To spread
| treason among his maicstYs subjects.
! and. second that of Willful murder on
/ the high seas
/ Charlie put the warrant back into
/ his NacNet and gazed dSguS'odly
! cross the creek. where the lONclioSt of
young moons was rising behind Il
| friczc of the homeless, barbariC brush
There was never such place in
the world" he asserted, "to hide i'll
or get lost in--or to StHrVc in. ! have
often thought that ii would make the
most effective prison in the world"
The young moon rose and rose,
while Charlie sat in the dusk Of our
shnnty, like II meditalivc mountain.
saying nothing the glowing end of his
cigar occasionally limiting at the cir
Cumfcrcucc of his face.
"I1l get him. all the same" he said
presently coming OUT of Il sort of
trance. in which, rs / understood Ia
ter. his mind had been making a geo
graphical survey of our ncighborhood
going up and down every creek and
corner on II radius of fifty miles
So we sought our respective cots:
but | had scarcely begun to undress
when Il foolish accident for which
wAs responsible happened, an acct
dent tha. might have had serious con
sequences, and which, as matter Of
Fact did have--thouch not Mt the mo-
mcnt.
Npelecting everything man should
do to his gun when he is finished with
it for the day. | had left two cartridges
in il, left the trigger ON the har-hrink
of eternity, and other cnormitcs for
which Charli" presently. and quite
rightly, ahAShed me with profanity;
in short, my big toe triNpch over tho
beast as II stood CarplcSSly against the
wall of my cabin, and as II fen, | rc-
cciy"d the contents in the ncShy part
of my shoulder.
The explosion brought the whole
crew ont of their Hhnuty. in n state of
gcsticulnling nature and, as Charlie,
growing like II bear, was helping to
bring first aid. suddenly our young
friend Jack-whoSc romantic youth
preferred sleeping outside in ham,
mock sIung between two palm trees
put him aside.
81 know better how TO do this than
YOU Sir Francis" he said, laughing.
"Lct's have look at your medicine
chest, and give me the lint quick"
SO Jack took charge and acted with
such confidence and skill-tmally
binding up my wound. which was but
Il slight onc--thnt Charlie stood by
dumbfoundcd and with n curious soft
look in his face which | didn't under
stand til later.