The Jasper news., 1919-08-07

sight.
'sThere is nothing left but to try
to meet death bravely and pray for
a swift end" said Dick, and the others
nodded. But even as he spoke a
knife flashed through the air and
buried itself in the tree an inch from
his hand. And as he looked, wonder
Ing, "A second knife severed the ropes
at his wrists. 1t was easy, then, to
free himself and the others, who in
short time We're revived by the cool
waters of brook near by.
On the shore of the Gulf of Mexico
there lived one Lopez, n full-blooded
Mexican Indian who now and then,
took loads of lumber across the gulf
In his two-masted schooner. And one,
afternoon, Scarface and his gang, with
the automobile and horses, came. to
I.opez's shack, and hired the boat to
take them across. Leaving the car
and horses, with the wireless and
other of Dick's'e equipment In the Lopez
corral, all hands set sail for the buried
treasure. ..
AT about the same time at fishing
settlement not far distant, Diaz hired
cat-boat and set sail, telling no one
of his plans. While scarcely had Lo-
pez's schooner disappeared around the
Toint, Dick and his companions ar
| lived at the MeXican's shack and were
told by his wife in answer to ques-
tons as to Scarface:
"No wind. You catch um around
point-maybe."
Sure enough. less than mile Off
shore, her sails Tapping idly, lay the
schooner in fair view of Dicks party
lying behind sand dune. Only Lo-
pez. smoking a cigarette, could be
seen on deck, and Dick rightly sur
missed the others were below asleep.
Quickly deciding to capture the boat
at any cost, he set up the wireless
and sent this message:
american prospectors marooned,
shore of gulf, twenty miles south of
| Yaqui river. Provisions and arms
stolcn-on schooner. Wife with me.
Find us here or on schooner-cap-
tured or captOrs. Help, quick.
RICHARD VAN BRUNT.
Dick and Stebbins then started to
swim out to the schooner telling the
others to remain behind the dune for
further orders. 1t was an easy mat
ter to. reach the vessels deck by the
anchor rope and rs easy to. steal up
or and fell the browsing Lopez, whom
they hurled down the hatch, which
they slammed down and secured, pen
ming the awakened outlaws in the
81. cabin. ....
Guarding the hatch with a rife
found on the deck, Dick sent Steb-
bins ashore for Polly and Chu, and
on their arrival he set out for the
dune to pick up Teel and Tomas and
the remainder of the equipment.
Awakened by the landing in their
midst of the unconscious body of I.o-
PEI the outlaws were aware that
something had gone wrong, but not
until they had Revived the skipper, did
they learn how the tables had been
turned. An attempt to force the hatch
was quickly abandoned when Stebbins
sent couple Of rifle bullets through
1t. Then Lopez, his wits returned
called the outlaws together:
Lumber ports-forward," he said
Creeping forward, Scarface stenlthlly
lifted hatch and could see Polly
and Stebbins and Chu chatting by
the rail aft. Gaining the deck, the
lufiians stole back and by quick
: rush overcame the three and were
, again masters of the boat.
J Then seeing Dick and the othel
two putting out from shore, they hid
below the railing and as they stepped
On deck covered them with pistol.
and their triumph was complete. Ant
\ so engrOsScd were they in these ex
citing events that none saw away Il
: the south a big airplane sweeping II
their direction.
Scarface took only few minutes t.
devise a new way of disposing of hi
prisoners. He had plank run ou
over the rail and ordered the 81:
lined up by it. Then he said:
"Well, since fire failed, we'll tr.
the water route"
Tomas first was led to the plank
his bonds cut, and at the point of ,
y pistol forced to drop into the sea
: Stebbins Chu. Teel and Dick followed
Meanwhile, Polly unnoticed, ha,
: gained the deck and seizlng life
buoy threw 1t to the struggling men
I Then she rushed to the ratlines, III