The Pulaskian., 1919-10-31

Copyright by Doubleday, Page & Company.

fifty yards without one of them get ting you"
 "Sharksl" gasped out the boy, con temptuously. q know more about sharks than you do"
 You seem to know a good many things I 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.
 q tell you what, Charlie" I 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 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. I'm damned if I don't" And, his hand on the tiller, he made as if to turn the boat about and tack for the shore.
 "No mol" cried the boy, springing between us and appealingly laying one hand on Charities shoulder, the other on mine "You mustn't let me spoil your trip. I'll compromise. And, skip per, I'll tell your friend here all there is to tell-everything-I swear-if you will leave it to his judgment"
 "Right-ow agreed Charlie at last ; so our passenger and I thereupon withdrew for our conference.
 It was soon over and couldn't help laughing aloud at the simplicity of it all.
 "Just as I told you, Charlie" I ex- claimed; tits innocence itself" Turns ing to the lad, I said: Dear boy, there is really no need to keep such a small secret as that from the skipper here. You'll really have to let me tell him."
 The boy nodded aequieseence.
 "All the same, I gave my word" he said.
 When told Charlie the innocent se- cret, he laughed as I 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 I 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 the mysterious matter.
 Yet the day was not to end without a little incident which, slight though indeed 1t was, was momentarily to arouse Charlie's suspicious of our charming young companion once more.
 Presently, in the far southwest, tiny points like a row of pins began very faintly 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 Cay" rang out the rich young voice of our passenger, whom we'd half forgotten in our tense scanning of the horizon. Charlie and I both turned to him together in sur. prise-and his face certainly be trayed the confusion of one who has let something slip involuntarily.
 "Ho ho! young man." cried Charlie, his face darkening again. "what do you know about High Gay? thought this was your first trip"
 "So it is." answered the boy, "on the sea-"
 What do you mean: 'on the sear "
 q mean that I've done it many a time-on the chart. know every bluff and roof and shOal and cay around Andros from Morgan's Bluff to Washington's Cut"
 "You do, eh?"
 "On the chart. Why, I've studied charts since I was kid, and gone every kind of voyage you can think ot playing at bueeaneering or whaling or discovering the north pole. Every kid does that"
 "They do. eh2" said Charlie, eyi dently quite unimpressed. q never did"
 That's because you've about as much imagination as a turnlp in that head of yours" 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?'
 "Mayber' answered our youngster pertly, with an odd little smile. He had evidently recovered his nerve, and seemed to take pleasure in piquing Charlie's suspicious.
 CHAPTER w.