The Adair County news., 1921-11-29

uC AOuS at tHC LACh
he turned to the girl and Rainey.
"Come down inter the cabin" he
said. "We'll need all our wits. That's
a patrol boat, japanese, for million!
None other this far west. An it's
id funny 1T should come up right at
this minnit. We've made the trip
on schedule time, an here they show.
But we'll let that slide. We've got to
think fast. They'll board us. They'll
overhaul us lookin' for seal pelts. At
least 1 hope so.
"We've got none. Our hunters an
our rifles an shotguns'll prove our
claim to be pelagic sealers. We got
to trust they believe us. If there is
a hide aboard or a club, or a sign of
a dead seal on the beaches they'll nail
us. They may ennyway, just on suspi-
cion.
"Its lucky we didn't start mussin'
up that beach. But they'll go over
everything. 1 know 'em. They claim
to own the seas hereabOuts, an they're
cocker than ever, since the war.
Rainey, you got to git busy on the log.
If yOre father didn't keep it up, Miss
Peggy, so much the better. If he has,
you got to fake it Someways, Rainey.
I'm Simms, get me, until we're clear
of 'em. An you, Rainey, are Doc
Carlsen. NOthin' must show in the log
about emmy Deaths"
"But why?' asked the girl. "Why
do we have to masquerade if we
haven't touched the seals?"
Lund barked at her:
81 gave you credit for sharper WITS"
he said. "We've got to have every
thing so reg'lar they can't find an ex-
cuse for haulin' us in an settin' fire
to the schooner. They'd do it in a
jiffy. We got to show 'em our clear
ance papers, an we've got to tally up
all down the line. Rainey amt on the
ships bookS-Carlsen is. Lund amt
but Simms is. Pm Simms. An you"
he stopped to grin at her-"you're
my daughter. I'll dissolve the rela-
tionship after a while, I'll promise you
that. An I'll drill the men. They
know what's ahead of 'em if the Japs
git suspicious.
"That amt the worst Of it! They
may know what we're after. If they
do, we're goners. Ever occur to you,
Rainey, that Tamada, who is a deep
one, may have tipped of the whole
thing to his consul while the schooner
was at San Francisco? He was along
the last trip. He'd know the approx
mate position. Might have got the
right figgers out O. the log, him
havin' the run of the cabin. A cable
would do the rest. He'll git his
whack out of it, with the order of the
Golden Chrysanthemum or some jig
arig to boot, an git even with the
way he feels to'ard our outfit for'ard,
that amt bin none too sweet to him."
The suggestion held a foundation Of
conviction fer Rainey. He had thought
of the consul. He had always sensed
depths in Tamada's reserve. 1t looked
plausible. Lund rose.
"I'lI fix Tamada," he said. But the
girl stopped him.
you don't know that's true. Ia
mada has been wOnderful-tO me-
What do yOu intend to do with him?"
I'll make up my mind between here
and the galley" said Lund grimly
This is my third time of tackIing this
island, an no Jap is g0jn' to stand be
tween me an the gold. this trip. Why
even if he amt blown on us, he'll give
the whole thing away. If he didn't
want to they'd-nake him come through
if hey laid their eyes OH him. The We
gU; more tricks than a Chinese man
DARN to make a man talk. Stands to
reason he'll tell EN-. If he can talk
when rhey git here" he added ON
inouSly. standing halfway between
tn" table and the door of the corridor.
bis hand opening and closing sugges-
lively. The crew'd settle his hash
if | didn't. They amt fools. They
know what's ahead of 'em in Japan.
You, Rainey, git busy with that log.