The daily Alaskan., 1920-11-09

mons three rOwers.
 Grim as the three Fates, they stalked toward him. Two of them kept him covered. while the third plucked the revolver from his pocket and dropped It into his own. After that he bent over the body of his master; touched his face; lifted a hand; laid 1t across his breast. He picked up the red mask and snarled around at the others. The others crowIcG; SwOre; and the Pearl hunter fauCied the revOlverS pointed at him a little StrQighter, little more vindictlvcly. It was not the first time these three had faced the Red Mask. He had long been their particular nightmare. It was the first time they had seen him with his mask oil, ana with empty hands.
 The one kuecIinc by the body seemed to be the leader. He felt care fully inside the pocket where the pearl had been pinned; searched the other nockcrS; felt carefully over the cloth inr. He rose after the fruitless search and faced the PearIhuuter.
 "Where iSs itf'
 The Pcar!huutcr shook hls head.
 With snarlcd word of Nidd:Sh, doubtlcss a curse. and a flourish of his clercncd hand that came uncom- forfablv close to the young mans face. the Jew began to search him: pockets: hens: waiSt-band; socks; even his hatband, ears and hair. Ot course the search again proved fruit less. The Jew drew his revolver, cooked it, and thrust it into the.Pearl- hunters face.
 "Whcrc isS it?"
 The bearded lips were drawn so tense that rhc yellow teeth were bare. The Prarlhuntcr knew the yellow teeth meant exactly what they seemed to mean. Louie So!omon's three mardswcn hod a reputation along the Wabash. Tho reward for the Red Mask was the same whether dead or alive. Still. his death would not bring them any nearer finding the Dcarl. He pinned his hope there. and shook his head
 "Tm not the Red Mask. didn't kJll Loufe Solomon. And I don't know where the Blue Moon is."
 The answer was not convincing, %oSlfng he could have said just then would have been. Whether the Jew believed it, or any part of it. his face gave no sign. He backed away two steps and Ieyclcd his revolver full al the Pearlhuntcr'S breast, like a man about to pistol another and deliberate Iy planning to make clean job of 1t, The Instant came when the Pearl, hunter believed the gTimy finger was about to press lhe trigger and he was almost in the act of diving beneath the muzzle when the Jew motiOned to one of the others and said something in Yiddish.
 The man spoken to darted away through the bushes toward the boat landing. The Pearlhunter breathed again.
 The man soon reappeared, carrying a piece of rope. One at a time, he took the Pcarlhunters hands, drew them behind his back, and bound them securely together. Even then, so great was their dread of the man he was supposed to be, that one of them constantly held q gun on him.
 With the knife stll sticking in the dead mans breast, they carried him down to tine boat, driving the Pearl hunter before them. There they load cd them in the dead and the living, and rowcd hack up the river to the vilIage-the second time that day; the same trip: the same boat; the same five men. Then, great day opening; the greatest trade ever made among pearl fishers along the Wabash In prospect: now. the day nearly done; the pearl lost; one of the men dead; another likely soon to be!