The Adair County news., 1921-11-22

, yacht, smooth an speedy. Smart, an
rich into the bargain. Why don't you
make love to her?"
Rainey felt the burning blood
mounting to his face and brain.
81 am not in love with Miss Simms,"
he said 'If l was ] should not try
to make love to her under the cfrcum-
stances. She's alone, and she's f.tl'er-s
less. l do not care to discuss her"
"She's woman" said Lund. And
yo're id prig! You'd like to bust
me in the jaw. but you know I'm
| stronger. You've got some CUTS,
Ralney, but yO're hldebound. You
amt got ha'f the git-up-an'-gO to We
| that she has. She's a woman, l tell
| you, an she's to be won. If you want
her. why don't you stand up an try
| to git her stead of sittin' around like
sick cat whenever l happen to adj
mire her looks?
"Tve seen you. / amt blind emmy
longer, you know. She's a woman an
I'm a man. l thought you was one.
| But you amt. YOre idea of maxim
| love is to send the gal box of candy
| an walk puSSy-fOOted an write poems
/ to her You want TO write life an l
| want TO live it, So does a gal like
that. She's more my breed than yOres,
if she has got eddication. An she's
flesh and blood. Same as am. YO're
half sawdust. YO're stuffed"
He went on deck laughing, leaving
! Rainey raging but helpless. Lund APP
| pearC<l to think the situation obvious.
| Two men. and q woman who was at
| tractive in many ways. The only
woman while they were aboard the
! schooner, therefore the more to be lie
sired. admired by men cut eff from
the rest of the world.
| LUnd sooner or later, meant t. take
her. willing or unwilling. He had
said so, none too cOvertly, that very
evening. And. if Rainey meant To
tectOr, Lund would accept him in that
character only as the girls lover and
his rival.
For the time being, the safety Of
the Karluk and the successful carry
ing out of the purpose of the trip took
all of LundS attention and energy.
Twice he had been thwarted by the
weather from cleaning his golden har-
vest, and it began to look as if the
third attempt might be no more for
tunate.
"The Karluk's stout" he said once,
"but she amt built for the Arctic. If
We git nipped badly she'll go like an
eggshell."
"And then what?" Rainey asked.
"Git the gold! That's what we
come for. If we have to make sleds
an use the hunters for a dOrg-team.'
He laughed indOmitably. "We1l make
a man of you yit. Rainey, afOre we
git back"
Lund was snatching sleep in scraps
seeking always to feel way toward
the position of the island through the
ice that continually baffled progress
Against all opposition he forced his
way until, just after sunset one night
as the dusk swept down, he gave q
shout and pointed to a fitful flare over
!
aurora, but Lund laughed at him.
"It's the crater atop the island" he
said. "Nothin' dangerous. Reg'lal
lighthouse. Now, boys" he went on
his deep voice ringing with exhilara
ton. there's gold in sight! Whistle
for a change of weather, every moth
er's son of yOui"
The deck was soon crowded. Or
the previous trip the schooner had ap
preached the island from a differen
angle, but the men were swift tt
acknowledge the glow Of the volcano
as the expected landfall. Lund re
mained on deck, and it was late be
fore any of the crew turned in
Rainey, during his watch, saw th
. mountain fire-pulse, glowing and wink
. ing like the eye of a Cyclops, it
CLEAN reflected in the eyes of th
watchers who were about to invade
the island and rob 1t Of its COLDER
/ sands.
The change of weather came about
three In the morning, though not as
Lund had hoped. A sudden wind ma
terialized from the north, stiffening
the canvas with its ice-laden breath,
glazing the schooner wherever mOis-
ture dripped, bringing up an angry
scud of clouds that fought with the
moon. The sea appeared to have
thickened. The Karluk went sluggish
ly, as if she was sailing in sea of
treacle.