The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-23

our. nan maintained COMMUNICATION
with his friends. and even visited them
under cover OF the supposed shooting
expedition And now. while we had
been striving 10 overcome the recall
citrancy Of Mr. Tubbs, Captain Mag
nus had taken a short cut TO the same
end You felt thar the secret Of Mr.
Tubs would be extracted, il need be,
by no delicate methods.
But Mr.. Tubbs' character possessed
none of that unreasonable obstinacy
which would make harsh measures
necessary under such conditions. His
countenance. as the Illuminating con-
yersation OF the pirates had proceed
ed. lost the speckled appearance
which had characterized 1t at the
height Of his terrors Something Ike
his normal hue return.l He sat up
straighter. moistened Try lips. and
looked around upon Us, yes. even upon
Aunt Jane and Miss HiggieSby- Browne,
with whom he had been so lately and
so tenderly reeonciled, with a side
long, calculating glance. After the
pirates had eaten, the prisoners ON the
log were covered with a rifle and their
hands united, while Cookie, in a lu-
gubrious silence made eloquent by his
rolling eyes. passed around among us
the remnants OF the food Yet under
all the terror was q bedrock confidence
that there was, there must be some
how In the essence OF things, an eter-
nal RICHNESS which would keep me
safe from Captain Magnus. And as
i looked across at Dugald Shaw and
met for an instant his steady, watch
full eyes, managed swift little smile
rather wan smile, / dare say, but
still smile.
Cuthbert Vane caught, 50 to speak,
the tail Of it, and was electrified. i
saw his lips form at Mr.. Shaw's ear
the words, Wonderful little sport, by
JOveI"
A curious stiffening had come over
Cuthbert Vane. For the first time In my
knowledge of him he showed the con-
sciousness-instead of only the sub
consciousness-of the difference be-
tween Norman blood and the ordinary
sanguine fluid. His shoulders squared !;
ne lost his habitual easy lounge and
sat erect and tall. Something stern
and aquiline showed through the
smooth beauty of his face, so that you
thought of efigies Of crusading knights
stretched on their ancient tombs In
High Staunton church. He was their
true descendant, after all, this slow,
calm, gentle-mannered Outhbert 1t
was young lion that had been play
ing with, and the claws were there
strong and terrible In their velvet
sheath.
Captain Tony, having finished his
pipe, knocked the ashes out against
the heel of his boot and put the pipe
in his pocket
well" he said. stretching, I'D ruth
er have a nap, but business is bust
ness. so let's get down to il. Which
o. them guys has the line on the stuff,
Magnusg'
"Old Badly. here" returned Mag
nus, with a nod at Mr.. Tubbs. "OId
Washtubs ] call him generally; ha,
hal"
'"Then loOky here, Washtubs," said
Tony, addressing Mr.. Tubbs with sud
den sternness, maybe you could BLUM
these here soft guys, but we're q diff
| ferent breed o. cats. we are. What
ever you know, you'll come through
with it. and come quick, or It'll be the
worse for your hide. see"
Mr.. Tubbs rose from the log with
| prOmptness.
Captain" he said earnestly, from
long experience in the financial cen.
tiers of the country, I have got to be
man what understands human ma,
ture. The minute / looked at you,
seen ii in your eye that there wasn't
no use in tryin' to bluff yeu. YOu ara
congenial crowd, you boys-gosh
but you do look good to me after tbs
bunch o. stiffs I been playin' up tC
here! All 1 ask is, TO let me In on II
with you. and I'll be glad to put yoI
wise to the best tricks Of q sly ole
fox who amt ever been caught ye
without two holes to his burrow.
won't ask no half, nor no quarter
either. though / just signed up fol
that amount with the cid girl here
But give me freedom, and a bunch o
live wires like you boysi I've neal
froze into a plaster figure O Virtue
what with talkin' like a Sunday schoo
class, and sparzin' one old maid ant
maxim out like wouldn't melt butte
with the other. So II. 81. will shil
along of you, mates, and Wen on Q
the China coast somewheres wher
the spendin' Is good and the polio
not too noisy, and try how far I
trunkful of doubloons viii go!"
With a choky little gurgie In he
throat Aunt Jane fell Imply agains
me. 1t was too much. All day lon
she had been tossed back and fort
like shuttlecock by the battledore O
emotion. She had borne the shoe
of Mr.. Tubs sordid greed for golC
his disloyalty to the expedition. hi
cOldness to herself; she had been shat