The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1920-01-10


you don't, you'll wish to whatever
saints you swear by that you were in |
the hands Of the authorities answering |
tor that throat->ltting job back in |
Singapore, instead of in mine. That's |
pain Statement-eh? Well, What
dye say?"
Il say that I'm Wallen," said Walen
steadily. That | committed no muir
der in Singapore. and that this treas
ure-hunt idea is pure imagination"
Captain Laynton scowled. You coax
mule first" he said significantly
after that you slam h out Of him.
However. | amt through coaxing yet.
Come along to my cabin"
They entered the captains cabin
and Laynton, spreading out a chart on
the locker, stabbed at 1t with his fore
finger.
Anything familiar about that?" he
grunted.
Wallen leaned forward. Certain
ly," he replied. in surprise. ITS the
north coast of Arru, where Mac
knights station is-where was
brought ashore after was picked up"
Laynton snorted savagely, and pick
| ing up a pair of dividers indicated the
position with exact precision.
ITO the norad bit, among those
islands, he snapped. You know fast
enough what ! mean"
Wallen shook his head.
Don't you!" Laynton rasped. well.
how about this?' He pulled piece Of
paper from his pocket, and fiattened it
out on the chart. "They correspond.
don't they? You dropped this out of
your pocket. | had kanaka aboard
then, who picked it up and gave 1t to
me-
He smiled at Wallen unpleasantly.
81 haven't got that Kanaka now.
He disappeared. There's something
damned queer about it-and about
those shots last night, wouldn't you
say? Dye think I'm fool-d'ye think
| wouldn't stake my oath that mealy-
mouthed Indian you brought aboard
with you didn't fire 'em? But l still
thought you were Wallen then, and |
was still for giving you all the rope
you wanted.
"Well, here's the latitude and longi.
tude on the paper and here's the pO-
sition on the chart. and | guess in a
general way we're pretty hot on the
scent-its only the few details that
may be lacking when we get there that
I'm asking you to supply. What?'
1t was moment before Wallen
spoke.
The position given on that piece Of
paper had come, Gunga had said. di-
rect from Ram Gulab Singh. There
were many islands around Mac
Knights station, and among them. evil
IDENTIFY enough now, Ram Gulab Singh
had his lair.
DO you mean." he asked abruptly,
that you are going there?"
Dye think there's any doubt about
it," returned Laynton causticaly.
'Then," said Wallen earnestly. IL
warn you, you're running the head of
every one aboard this ship into d
moose. If you want the truth of the
whole business. it's this: Years back
nv father had trouble with Il power
full native named Ram Gulab Singh
who was and is the head of many of
the Malay pirates that infest these
waters. The man swore revenge. The
feud still exists.
at was to save me from plot Ram
Gulab Singh had Matched to murder
me on the UpOlo that my father char
tered YOU. Furthermore. there was nc
accident aboard here when my father
died. 1t was this Kanaka, that you
say has disappeared, who murdered
him-the man who started this cock
and-bull story about treasure because
he is in Ram Gulab Singh's pay. and
that paper he gave you was to lure the
ship into his masters claws if he was
unsuccessful in doing away with my
father himself.
"He did away with my father, but
he still gave you the paper for the
same purpose, except, of course. that
am substituted in my fathers place"
There was an incredulOus sheer or
the faces of the two men.
Sounds almost as fshy as yOr
writing yourself down dead in thu
log." commented LayntOn, with al
ugly laugh. "Of course, you dom
want us to 90 there. Ell! Well, thats
all right and thanks for the warning
but don't worry about us coming tt
any harm, though 1t does credit t
, your heart! We don't scare ABOARD
, this ship. Mebbe if there was thu
prospect Of bit of scrap it woudn
, stand in our way none, either. Have
, you by any chance taken note of thu
, crew.
A sort of savage anger came upoI