The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-10-10
Copyright BY DOT

~RJAA8Ae " 0OuOASA
fifty yards without one Of them get.
ting YOU"
"Sharks!" gasped out the boy, con-
temptucusly. II know more about
sharks than you do"
"YOu seem to know a good many
things l DON'T" said Charlie, whose
grimness had evidently relaxed a little
at the lads display Of mettle. Mean
while, my temper was beginning to
rise on behalf Of u young passenger.
Il tell you what, Charlie" l inter
posed; IF you are going to keep this
up. you'd better count me out on this
trip and set us both ashore ut West
End. You're making a fool Of your
self. The lads all right"
The boy shot mt a 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 filler. he made as If to turn the
boat about and tack for the shore.
"No! nor cried the boy, %springing
between us and appealingly laying n
hand on Charles 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 1t to his judgment"
"Right-o!' agreed Charlie at last;
so our passenger and ] thereupon
| withdrew for our conference.
It was soon over and | couldn't help
laughing aloud at the simplicity of it
ali.
"Just as l told you, Charlie" I ex-
claimed: its innocence itself" Turn
ing to the lad, l 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 acquiescence.
"All the same, I gave my word" he
said.
When told Charlie the innocent Sc
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 q visit the very after
noon l 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
arouse Charles suspicious OF our
charming young companion once more.
Presently. in the far southwest, tiny
points like a 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,
TIL 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
l both turned to him together in sur
prise-and his face certainly be-
trayed the confusion Of n who has
let something slip involuntarily.
"Ho! no! young man." cried Charlie.
his face durkening again. what do
you know about High Cay7 l thought
this vas your first trip"
$50 1t Is" answered the boy, ION
the sea-"
What do you mean: on the seaY"
II mean that I've done 1t many a
tim-On the chart. l 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 / was a kid, and gone
every kind Of voyage you can think of
playing at huccaneering or whaling,
or discovering the north pole. Every
kid does that"
They do, eh?" said Charlie. evil
IDENTIFY quite unimpressed. Il never
did,"
That's because you've about rs
much Imagination as a turnip in that
head Of yours" l broke in, in defense
of my young Apollo.
Maybe, il you're so smart" cOntin-
ued Charlie. paying no attention to
ME. lyon a navigate us through the
North Bight2"
"Maybe!" 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 ~.
In Which We Enter the Wilderness.