The Lamar register., 1919-08-20

of the bush there. II was they or
me-"
THAT no lie, sar. and II 1t hadn't
been for that suckin' fish's skin you
wouldn't be here now"
"It didn't save me from a pretty
good one on the head, Tom. did lit"
mo. sar. but that was just it-if
1t hadn't been for that knock on the
head. pulling you down just that min
ute. that thar pockmarked fellow
would have got you. As II was. he
grazed your cheek and got one OF his
own men killed by mistake-the very
fellow that hit you. There he is
over there"
"And who's that other, Tom7" /
asked. pointing to another dark figure
few yards away.
That's the captain. sar."
The captain? Oh. I'm sorry for
that. God knows I'm sorry for that"
"Yes. sar, he was one of the finest
gentlemen | ever knowed was Cap
tain Tomlinson; brave man and
good navigator. And he'd taken pow
crful fancy 10 you. for when you got
that crack on the hend he picked up
your gun and began blnzing away with
words | should never have expected
from religious man The others, ex
capt our specinl friend"
Lets call him Tobias from now on.
Tom" | interpnsed.
"WeIl. him. sar, kept his nerve. but
the others ran for the boats a. If the
devil was after lhem; but the cap
iain's gun was quicker. and only four
Of them got to the Susan Il. The other
two fell on their faces. as II some
| hing had tripped them up In II couple
Of feet Of water. But just then Tobias
hit the captain in the heart; ah II
only he had one Of those skins-but he
always laughed on such things as su
pcrs'iitious
There was only me and Tobias
thrn. and the dog. for the engineer
| hoy had gone on his knees to the Su
san B. fellows at the first crnck, and
b"eged them to take him away with
item. There was no one lefi but To
| bias and the dog and me. and was
sur, my end was not far on, for was
never much Of shot.
As God is my witness, sar, was
ready tn die. and there was moment
when thought that the time had
come: but Tobias suddenly walked
away to the top Of the blum and
, called on, to tho Susnn r.. that vas
! Just running up her sails. AT his
word they put ont Il hoai for him. and
while he waited ne cume down the hill
! toward rue and the dog. that stood
! growing over you: and for sure |
! thought II wns the eud But he said :
1 Tell tlInt fellow there that I'm not
going To kill u defenseless man He
might have killed me once but he
| didn't. It's bound to be one of US
some dny or other. but. despise me all
he likeS-Tm not such cnrrion as he
thinks me: and II he only likes to keep
out Of my way I'm willing to keep out
Of his. Tell him when he wakes up
That ns long as he gives up going after
what belongs to Ht'-for II was my
grandfnther's-he is safe. hut the min
/ ute he sets his foot or hand on what
is mine. It's either his life or mine.
And then he turned away and was
rowed Ia the Susan b.. and they soon
sailed away"
with the black flag at the peak, /
suppose. Tom" said /. well. that
was line speech. quite flight of ora
tory. aud TN sure I'm Obliged TO him
fnr the life that's stIll worth having. In
spite Of this ungodly aching in my
head. But how abOu: the poor cap
tain therel Where does all his elo-
quence come In theref He can't call
II self-defense. They were waiting
ready to murder us, as you saw. I'm
afraid the captain and the law be
tween them are all that is necessary
to cook the goose Of our friend Henry
T.. Tobias. Jr.. without any help from
me-though. as the captain died for
me. should prefer they allowed me
to make 1t a personal matter"
Its the beginning Of the price"
said Tom.
''The beginning OF the price,"
ITS the dead hand" continued Tom (;
81 told you, you'll remember. that wher-
ever treasure Is there's ghost Of dead
man keeping guard and waiting till
another dead man comes Rlong to take
up sentry duty so TO say. The ghost
is getting busy. And II makes me
think that we're coming pretty near
to the treasure, or we wouldn't have
. had oil thfa hannan Mark me the