Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-01-28
(cHAPTER xv--continued.)

--1o-.
Tony thereupon ordered the women
to sit down on the ground In the shade
end not move under penalty OF get
tin a wing clipped" We obeyed In
silence and looked on while the pirates
with wolish voracity deyoured the
meal which had been meant for us.
They had pocket-hasks with them, and
as they attacked them with frequency
The talk grew louder and wilder. BY
degrees 1t was possible to comprehend
the extraordinary disaster which had
befallen US, at least In a sketchy out
line of which the detail was filled in
later. Tony, 1t appeared, was the mas
ter of a small power schooner which
had been fitting out In San Francisco
for a filibustering trip to the Mexican
coast, and his three hard companions
were the crew. None was of the old
hearty breed Of sailors, but wharf-rats
pure and simple, city-dregs whom
chance had led to follow the sea.
Tony, IN whom one detected a certain
rough force and ability, was an Ital-
ian. an outlaw specimen of the breed
which mans the fishing fleet putting
forth from the harbor of San Fran
cisco. When and where he and Mag
nus had been friends I do not know.
But no sooner had the wisdom Of Miss
Browne impaired the great secret to
her chance acquaintance Of the New
York wharves, than he had cemmuni-
Gated with his old pal, Tony. The
power-schooner with her unlawful car
60 stole out through the gate, made
her delivery In the Mexican port, took
on fresh supplies, and stood away for
Leeward island, The western anchor
age had received and snugly hidden
her. Captain Magnls, meanwhile, by
means of a mirror flashed from Look
out, had maintained communication
with his friends, and wen visited them
under cover Of the supposed shooting
expedition. And now, while we had
been striving to overcome the recall
%cltrancy OF Mr.. Tubs, Captain Mag
nus had taken a short cut to the same
end. You felt that the secret Of Mr..
Tubs would be extracted, If need be,
by no delicate methods.
But Mr.. Tubbs' character possessed
none 8 that unreasonable obstinacy
which would make tarsh measures
necessary under such conditions. His.
countenGnce, as the Illuminating con
versation Ct the pirates had proceed
cd, lost the SpecIled appearance
which had characterized 1t at the
height Of his terrors. Something Hike
his normal hue returned. He sat up
s%traighter, moistened his dry lips, and
looked around upon us, yes, ever upon
Aunt Jane and Miss HlggleSby-Browne,
With whom he had been so lately and
so tenderly ~reconciled, 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 wal a bedrock confidence
that there was, there must be some
how In the essence Of things. IN eter-
nal rightness which would keep me
safe from Captain Magnus. And MS
] looked across at Dugald Shaw and
inet for an instant his steady, watch
full eyes, | managed a swift little smile
a rather wan smile, | dare say, but
still a smile.
Cuthbert Vane caught, so to speak,
the tail of 1t, and was electrified. |
saw his lips form at Mr.. Shaw's ear
the words, Wonderful little sport, by
J5velp
A curious stilfenlng had come over
Cutlbert Vane. For the first time In my
knowledge of him he showed the con
sciousness-instead of only the sub
C0nsciousness-Of the difference be-
tween Norman blood and the ordinary
~sangulne fluid. His shoulders squared
he lost his habitual easy lounge and
sat erect and tall. Something stern
and aqulline showed through the
smooth beauty of his face, so that you
thought Of efigies of crusading knights
stretched on their ancient tombs In
High Stanton church. He was their
true descendant. after all, this slow,
calm, gentlemannered Cuthbert. 1t
was a young lion that | had been play
Ing with, and the claws We're there,
strong and terrible in their Ve'Vs'
sheath.
cuntain Tony, having tiaished his
nine. knocked the ashes out against
lie heel Of his boot and put the pipe
In his pocket.
"Well,' he said, stretching, "Td ruth
er have a nap, but business is bust
ness. so let's get down to 1t. Which
O them guys has the line on the stuff,
MagnusT
'Old Badly, here" returned Mag
nus. with a nod at Mr.. Tubbs. "Old
Washtubs l call him generally; ha,
ma I"
"Then looky here, Washtubs,' said
Tony, addressing Mr.. Tubbs with sud
den sternness. maybe you could bluff
these here soft guys. but we're a DIFF
feren, breed o cats, we aYe. What