The Washington times., 1919-06-25
HEARTS OF THREE
Henry Bargains With the Swarthy
Skipper to Aid Their Escape
From the Hostile Jefe
By JACK LONDON.

Is so pinched that there Is no room
to come about. A schooner can
only run II with the wind abaft or
abeam. Now the wind favors. We
will run 1t. Which is only half my
scheme ="
And il the wind baffles or fails.
strand the tide Of the inlet runs
out, and in, like a race. as / well
know-my beautiful schooner will
go on the rocks" Captain Trefethen
protested.
For which, il it happens. will
pay you full value" Francis as
sured him shortly and brushed him
aside. And now. Henry. what's the
other half of your scheme?"
I'm ashamed to tell you" Henry
laughed. But il will be provoca-
tive Of more Spanish swearing than
has been heard in Chiriqui Lagoon
since old Sir Henry sacked San An
tonic and Bocas del Toro. You just
watch"
Leoncia clapped her hands. as
with sparkling eyes she cried:
1T must be good, Henry. 1 can
see it by your face. You must tell
me-"
And. aside, his arm around her to
steady her on the Keeling deck,
ear. while Francis. to hide his per-
turbation at the sight of them.
made shift through the binoculars
to study the face on the pursuing
tug. Captain Trefethen grinned
maliciously and exchanged signi-
cant glances with the pale-colored
sailor.
Now. skipper" said Henry re
turning. We're just opposite FL
Tigre. 1 want a coil Of half-inch
old, soft. manila rope. plenty OF
rope yarns, and sail Irvine, that case
of beer from the lazarette, that FIVE
gallon kerosene can that was emp
tied last night and the coffee pot
from the galley"
The Money Lust.
But / am distrained to remark
to your attention that rope is worth
good money. sir" Captain Ire
fethen complained, as Henry set TO
work on the heterogeneous gear.
You will be paid" Francis hush
ed.
And that coffee pot it is almost
new"
you will be paid" Francis said.
The skipper sighed and sur
rendered although he sighed again
at Henry's next act, which was TO
uncork the bottles and begin empty
ing the beer out into the scuppers.
please, sir" begged PerctvaL
"If you must empty the beer
please empty it into me-"
No further beer was wasted. ana
the crew swiftly. laid the empty
bottles beside Henry. At intervals
of six feet he fastened the recorked
bottles to the half-inch line Also,
g.
the line and attached them like
s+reamers between the beer bottles
To the end of the main line he made
fast the kerosene can, to the other
end the empty beer case, and looked
up to Francis, who replied
"Oh. 1 got you i've miutes ago
Ell Tigre must be narrow. or else
the tug will go around the stun
Eel Tigre is just that narrow
n,ss the response. There's one
Mace where the channel isn't forty
feet between the shoals. II the
skipper misses our trap he'll go
aground. Say, they'll be able TO
wade ashore from the tug II that
happens-come on, now wen SCI
the stun aft and ready TO toss ous-
You take starboard and III take
port, and when give the word you
shoot that beer case out 10 the SLue
as far as you can
Though the wind eased down, the
Angelidue, square before it, man
aged to make FIVE knots, while the
Dolores, doing six, slowly over
hauled her. As the rifles began TO
speak from the Dolores. the skipper.
under the direction of Henry Snd
Francis, built up on the schooner's
stern a low barracade OF sacks and
potatoes and onions, of old sails
and of hawser coils
Crouching low in the shelter -
this the helmsman managed TO
steer. Leoncia refused to go below
as the firing became more cOntinu-
GUS but compromised by lying down
behind the cabin house. The rest OF
the sailors sought similar shelter in
hooks and corners, while the Solano
men. lying aft, returned the fire Of
the tug.
Henry and Francis. in their
chosen positions and waiting until
the narrowness of FL Tigre was
reached, took a hand in the free and
.asy battle.
my congratulations. sir" Cap
tain Trefethen said to Francis. the
Indian Of him compelling him to
raise his head to peer across the
rail, the negro of him flattening his
bOdy down until almost it seemed to
bore into the deck. That was
Captain Rosario himself that was
steering, and the way he jumped
and grabbed his hand would lead
one to conclude that you had very
adequately put a bullet through It.
That Captain Rosario is a very hot
tempered hOmbTs, sir. l can almost
hear him Disappearing now
stand ready for the work, Fran
els" Henry said, laying down his
rifle and carefully studying the low
shores of the islands of FL Tigve
on either side of them. We're al
most ready. Take your time when
/ give the word. and a. three let
her go.
The tug was 200 yards away and
overtaking fast when Henry gave
the word. He and Francis stood
up. and at three made their fins.
To either side can and beer case
few. dragging behind them through
the air the beaded rope of pots aud
bottles and rope streamers.
In their interest Henry and Fran
els remained standing in order TO
watch the nav of their trap "a de-
noted by the spread of misCel
Ianeous objects on the surface OF
their troubled wake A fusilade OF
rife shots from the tug made them
drop Nat to the deck; but. peerinE
open the rail. they saw the tugs
fOraFOOt DrpSs tho doatad roma 5ou-n