The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-09-08
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
The Smugglers.
BY WILL 7. AMEs.
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
NeWspaper Syndicate,

Newspaper OyAAASabO'
THERE was no long, black, rak-
/, lsh lugger. There was no cave
1 wind swept and spray washed
carved by the erosion Of million
years Of breakers far into the face Of
cliff. There was no secret under
ground passage leading from the
back of the cave to the manor house
of the titled leader of the smugsiersi
there was no clash Of cutlasses; nc
band Of bearded adventures ready
to lay down their lives from the
svasll-l5uckling, handsome young
chietain.
There was a trawler, an inshoIe
trawler thirty feet long with tiny
cabin forward and little glass hui
like a wee coming tower to protect
the steersman's head as he stood or
the cockpit floor and ran his ship
engine and wheel, quite alone; 10.
she was one-man boat.
Ashore, at spot where the river
road ran but half a dozen rods from
the estuary, there was waiting one
ton motor truck. And there was as
fine cargo of contraband on the
trawler as was ever boated ashore
from any lugger, or battled over IT
the dark by soldiers and blue-watel
bullies, since custom houses and
their evasion, were invented.
Travis's part in the transaction
looked easy. All he had to do was tc
meet the tramp a mile due south Of
Ducks and brakes light at 10 o'clock
take the forty cases aboard, run into
the sequestered tidal estuary which
was his home harbor, anyhow, helF
the man of the motor truck load the
stuff and collect $40 case from the
truck driver.
Four hundred dollars for nights
work is lot Of money TO a trawler
And Ben particularly needed that
u $500 AS to the risk-"Piffle!" said
. Kimpinski. Kimpinsh, junk dealer
was the owner of the truck, and Its
driver for this occasion. "lf the
government was looking for some one
for a few bottles Of booze, would they
let shipload OF it go along the coast
like a peddler, maybe? Sure. it's all
fixed. Everywhere it is coming in
The coast guards-bah! They can see
nothing. the wind is blowing hundred
dollar bills In their eyes!"
There seemd to be sense to this
II the government we're, indeed, as
jealous in the Suppression of con-
traband liquor as it was supposed tc
b, would 1t be likely to concern it.
self with small fry like Ben, and still
4 permit a big ship to cruise the coast
/ dropping off her Illicit cargo here
and there to fishermen, tugs and
coastwise schooners? Surely 1t mus
be we'll fixed" And Ben was young
and adventurous; he didn't put MUCK
stock in the eighteenth amendment
anyhow-and he needed the money;
Caroline and he needed it.
Caroline was helping in the matter
OF the bungalow, too. She went into
town five evenings a week and
taught foreigners in the evening
school. It's strange how things hap
pen. how they dovetail; one Of Car.
dimes pupils was Kimpinski's eldest
son, man grown but young. Kim
pinski came to the school and called
his son out into the hall. Afterward
near the door where Kimuinski had
stood. Caroline picked up a crumpled
telegram, addressed to the junk man
and signed by an initial. 1t said:
"Try Benjamin Travsi trawl fisher
man Sandy Bay"
It was rather startling to Caro-
line. Also it happened that young
Isadore Finkelstein was bad man,
law smasher already.
Now 1t was that Caroline had Just
been reading an old-time novel-one
of the lugger and cave sort-and as
she read it the thought had come to
her that the dashing, handsome SNUG
gler hero must have looked good
deal like Ben So, with what she
knew about the mysterious telegram
and Kimpinski's reputation, when
Ben a couple of evenings later told
her the next night he would have 10
be out all night in his boat-a most
unusual thing-something jumped up
in Caroline's throat and her heart
beat in fear,
No man could have deduced that
Kimpinski had gotten Ben and his
boat mixed up in liquor HmuGgling'
ANY woman could, especially one who
knew Ben's streak Of recklessness
and who had been reading lugger
stories.
ged up to an anchorage three rods
from the shore where Kimpinsd's
truck waited, on as dark night as
YOU can have when there are no stars
and when Ben with six Of the cases
piled into his skiffboat, rowed ashore
four coastguard gobs and a coast
| guard lieutenant arose Ont of the
hedge to greet him, and at the same
instant two others stepped from be-
hind the trees, where they had been
watching Kimpinski for twenty min
utes, and grabbed the junkman by the
collar
"WeIl just trouble you for the loan
of your skiff, Travis" said the OFF,
Ger, till we bring the rest OF that
stuff ashore ourselves. Then you
can take her and go about your bust
ness. You're a very lucky chap"
1t was at the front gate of Caro-
line Webster's home and they had II
4 out the next afternoon. Caroline,
pale but determined, met Ben there
lend talked 10 him over the barrier
instead of swinging It open, as usual,
| In rnufe Welcome