The Adair County news., 1921-11-22

can hang on an git it, I'll hang on.
But they'll do me up, now, for keeps"
Rainey heard Lund's chuckle ripen
to a quiet laugh.
"Tm id if they amt some CUTS to
the herrin' after ALL" he said. Hang
in on to take some dough back to an
old woman who amt even his mother.
Who'd have thought it? Look here.
my lad. 1 was dragged up the same
way, l was. An l hung on. But
you'll never git a cent out of that
bunch. L don't know as they'll have
emmy to give you"
His face hardened. "But you come
through, an III see you git somethin'
for the old woman. An yOreself, too.
What's more, you can stay aft an
wait on cabin. If they lay a finger on
you, I'll lay fist on them, an worse"
you amt kiddin' me?'
81 don't kid, my lad. don't waste
time that way"
Sandy stood up, his face lighting.
He began to empty his pockets, laying
shells and shotgun cartridges upon
the table.
81 couldn't begin to git harf of EN-"
he said. "The rest's under the mat
tresses. They said they on'y needed
few. thought you was both turned
in. When you come out of the ,corri-
dor was scared nutty"
Between the mattresses, as Lund
had guessed, they found the rest of
the shells, laid out in orderly rows
save where the lads scrambling fin
gers had disturbed them. Lund
! stripped off a pillOw-caSe and dumped
them in, together with those on the
table.
"You can bunk here" he told the
grateful Sandy. 'Now I'll have few
words with Deming, Beale and COM
pany. Want to come along, Rainey?"
Lund strode down the corridor, bag
In one hand, his gun in the other
Rainey threw open the door of the
hunters quarters and discovered them
like lot of cOnspiratOrS. Deming
was in his bunk; also another man,
whose ribs Lund had cracked when
he had kicked him along the deck out
| of his way. The bruised faces of the
rest showed their effects from the
| fight. AS Lund entered, covering them
with the gun, while he swung down
the heavy slip on the table with a clat-
| ter, their looks changed from eager
expectation to CONSERVATION.
Caught with the goOds!" said
/ nj Of In
day, my lads. You want to git it into
| your boneheads that I'm runnin' this
| ship from now on. / can sail it with
out We and, by God, I'll set the bunch
| of We ashore same's you figgered on
doin' with me If you don't sit up an
take notice! The rifles an guns"-he
| glanced at the orderly display of
weapons in racks on the wall-"are
too vallyble to chuck over, but here
60 the shells, ev'ry last one. of them.
So that nips that little plan, Dem
ing"
He turned back the slip to display
the contents.
"Open a port, Rainey, an heave the
lot out"
Rainey did so while the hunters
gazed on in silent chagrin.
There's one thing MORE" said
Lund, grinning at them. ''If emmy OF
you saw a man hurtin' dog, you'd
probably fetch him a wallop. But you
don't think ennything of scarin' the
life out of a half-baked kid an mark
in up his hide like patchwork quilt
Thet kids stayin' aft after this. One
of you monkey with him. an you'll dc
Jest what he's bin doin', wish you was
dead an overheard"
He turned on his heel and walked
to the door, Rainey following.
The girl kept below and seldom
came out of her cabin, Tamada serv
ing her meals in there. Rainey could
see Lund's resentment growing at this
attitude that seemed TO him norma
enough, though 1t might present diff
Guilty later II persisted In. But the
morning that they headed up through
Sequam pass between the spouting
reefs of Sequam and Amlia islands
she came on deck and went forward
to the bows, taking in deep breaths
of the bracing air and gazing north
to the free expanse of Bering strait
Rainey left her alone, but Lund vel
coined her as she came back aft.
"Glad to see you on deck again
Miss Peggy" he said. you need sur
and air to git you in shape again"
'How far have we yet to go?" she
asked.
Almost a thOusan' miles to the
strait proper" said Lund. 'The Nome
/ URalaska steamer lane lies to the
east. Runs close to the Pribilofs
three hundred miles north, with Hal
an st. Matthew three hundred
further. Then comes st. Lawrence
isle, plumb in the middle of the strait
with Siberia an Alaska closin' in"
He was keen to hold her in conver
satiOn, and she willing to listen, as
senting almost eagerly when he of
fered to point out their position OF
the chart, spread on the cabin table
Lund talked well, for all his limited
and at times luridly inclined vocabu
H. e IL