Evening star., 1921-05-22

ledge-pleased amazement, as the,
knew him better. He was no matci
for them. could be no possible match
upon him from either side and started
to drag him down as a preliminary te
trampling the lights out of him.
Mr.. Peabody did not pause to figh,
or to wrestle. He let them get good
grip on him and then took the uneS.
land. pinioning their arms. merely
walking them over the edge into
space.
For an instant the three seemed to
hang suspended. !oterlocked amid
smashing vines and taut ereepers. and
then toppled toward the lagoon.
| Even before they struck Sydney's
despairing yell rang out. Their
Iplunge drowned it and gave way to
the cries of startled sea birds knitting
the AR in hung white crescents and
circling about the troubled spot that
boiled like blue champagne But
when he came up again the unfortu-
nate larrikin loosed Shrek after bub-
bling Shrek and f1oundered madly for
shore. all else forgotten in his domi-
| nant terror.
Willems was made of sterner metal
| He grappled Peabody as they rose
and sought to use his long arms
reaching for the throat. He learned
| better presently. however. and he
| learned. too. how much chance he had
| fancy diving title at Travers Island.
| Junius took him down by the feet
and held him down until there was no
| spring ANA no temper left to him,
only large and limp and very badly
| frightened Hollander who wanted to
get out of the wet. He was quite
willing to paddle after the sydney
| Duck. Meanwhile Junius gathered
up an object in a fiber net that was
| floating near by and swan on to fol-
| The man Rcndemeer was standing
behind his little zinc bar when a
shadow siftcd in through the door
way. and. looking up. he took a back =
! ward step that nearly cost him his
stock of glassware. The man Ben
back from anything, but the red and
dripping ruin that confronted him
was beyond usage of any kind. Ju-
MUS Pea body looked as if he had
been run through mangle, His
skin had been fayed from the more
| prominent curves of his anatomy
His left arm hung useless. He
crawled in and propped himself to
keep from falling. and called for
brandy in voice scarcely recogniz-
able. "Peabody-is ito" demanded
Bendemeer. incredulous.
Ill you keep customer wait
ing? rasped Junius. You needn't
stare. He laughed weakly You
can't order me off now. Bendemeer
I'm paying customer again."
LAS how"
Junius lifted fist and dropped the
sopping net on the bar. "Ambergris
eleven pounds of it. MY property
Bendemeer inspected the brownisf
lump. and. as he understood. his thir
I loo t,1 Ii.
ened' .ne 1z "oh. no. he said Was it this
! Peabody nodded.
You got it back from them-your.
self?"
There's the stuff"
80 | see. But I'm asking-did yo,
take it away from those two cut.
throats alone. without any help?"
Il did. And now I've come to talk
business. It's good proposition
Bendemeer.
THE tall. grim white man studied
him with narrow regard CLINT
ing like a probe and equally cool, de.
tached and impersonal He had the
air of surgeon who approaches
clinical experiment. I'm inclined t.
think if may be- he decided Yes
"a sporting risk; though I'm certain
enough of the result. Peabody, mint
that. / believe that I might make
bit of a gamble with myself. just t.
see that I'm right. Come. now-wha
do you want?'
| "A thousand silver" said Junius
| II haven't SO much about me. Sup.
pose we say standing credit for {
| thousand drinks instead
| Junius stiffened against the bar
! 1T amounts to the same thing
doesn't it?" continued Bendemeer
why should you trouble about dol
lars-mere tokens? You can't get
away from F'ufuti The Jane out
there. she's due to sail this morning
on q round of my plantations. She's
the only ship clearing for month al
least. BY the time you'd
drunk yourself to death I'd simply
have the money back again.
! Peabody stared, and streak OF
! crimson leaped into his cheek as if a
whiplash had been laid across it.
Damn you-.' he cried. shakily
"Give me that brandy-rl pay for it
Here's the stuff. It's mine. I wen,
! after it and l got it. l earned il
! myself. and fairly"
ITO what end? Bendemeer cut in
so you can pickle yourself properly
| before burial?"
! Junius Peabody writhed. Whats