Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-10-09

Copyright BY Doubleday, Page q Company.

ting you"
"Sharksl" gasped out the boy, con-
temptuOusly. IL know more about
sharks than you do"
you seem to know a good many
things / don't" said Charlie, whose
grimness had evidently relaxed little
at the lads display of mettle. Mean
while, my temper was beginning to
rise on behalf of our young passenger.
81 tell you what, Charlie" | inter-
posed; IF you are going to keep this
up, you'd better count me out on this
trip and set us both ashore at West
End. You're making a fool of your
self. The lads all right"
The boy shot me warm glance Of
gratitude.
'All right" agreed Charlie, begin
ming to lose his temper, too. "Pm
damned if / DON'T" And, his hand on
the tiller, he made as If to turn the
boat about and tack for the shore.
mol mol" cried the boy, springing
between us and appealingly laying one
hand on Charles shoulder, the other
on mine. "You mustn't let me spoil
your trip. I'll compromise. And, skip
per, III tell your friend here all there
is to tell--everything--I swear-if you
will leave 1T to his judgment"
"Right-o!" agreed Charlie at last;
so our passenger and l thereupon
withdrew for our conference.
1t was soon over and couldn't help
laughing aloud at the simplicity of it
all.
Just as I told you, Charlie" I ex-
claimed; "it's innocence ITSELF Turn
ing to the lad, / said: Dear boy,
there is really no need to keep such
small secret as that from the skipper
here. You'll really have to let me tell
him."
The boy nodded acquiescence.
GAN the same, l gave my word" he
said
cret, he laughed as / had done, and
his usual good humor instantly re-
turned.
The stubbornly held secret had
merely amounted to this: Our lad was
acquainted with my conchologist, and
had paid him a visit the very after
noon / did, had in fact seen me leav-
| ing the house. Answering to the boys
romantic talk of buried treasure and
| SO forth, the shell enthusiast had
| thought no harm to tell him of our
| projected trip; and that was the whole
of thQ mvstpriou<s matter
Yet the day was not to end without
little incident which, slight though
| indeed it was, was momentarily to
arouse Charles suspicious of our
charming young companion once more.
Presently, in the far southwest, tiny
points like row of pins began very
| family to range themselves along the
skyline. They were palm trees,
though you could not make them out
to be such, or anything in particular,
till long after. One darker point
seemed closer than the rest.
There's High Cayp' rang out the
rich young voice of our passenger,
whom we'd half forgotten in our tense
scanning of the horizon. Charlie and
/ both turned to him together in sur
prise-and his face certainly be-
trayed the confusion of one who has
let something slip involuntarily.
"Hol no young man." cried Charlie,
his face darkening again, what do
you know about High Cay? I thought
this was your first trip"
$50 1t is" answered the boy, ION
the sea-"
what do you mean: 'on the scar "
/ II mean that I've done it many a
time-on the chart. I know every
bluff and roof and shoal and cay
around Andres from Morgan's Bluff
to Washington's Gut"
@You do, eh?''
"On the chart. Why, I've studied
charts since I was a kid, and gone
every kind Of voyage you can think of
playing at buccaneering or whaling,
or discovering the north pole. Every
kid does that"
| "They do. ehY' said Charlie, evil
IDENTIFY quite unimpressed. 81 never
did"
That's because you've about as
much imagination as turnip in that
head of yours" I broke in, in defense
of my young Apollo.
maybe, if you're so smart" contin-
ued Charlie, paying no attention to
me, you can navigate us through the
North Bight?"
"Maybel" answered our youngster
pertly, with an odd little smile. He
had evidently recovered his nerve, and
seemed to take pleasure in piquing
Charles suspicious.
CHAPTER ~.