Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-01-28


Dawn came before they were aware
of It, sudden rush Of light that dyed
the Ice in every hue of red and orange.
that tipped the frozen coast with
bursts of ruby flame that flared like
beacons and gilded the crests of the
long swells, tinging all their world with
a Wild. unnatural glory.
Lund. stridlng the deck, his red
beard iced with his breath, suddenly
stopped and stared into the east
There, in the very eye of the dawn,
was trail of smoke. like a plume
against the flaming, three-quarters cir
Gle of the rising SUM-
Lund's face, on which the bruises
were fast fading. changed purple
black with rage. He whirled upon
Sandy. gaping near, and ordered him
to fetch his binoculars. Through them
he stared long at the smoke. Then
he turned TO the girl and Rainey.
Come down inter the cabin" he
said ''We1l need all our wits. That's
patrol boat, japanese. for a 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 Wen let that slide We've got to
think fast They'll board us. They'll
overhaul us lookin for seal pelts. At
least l hope so.
We've got none. Our hunters an
our rifles an shotgunsll prove our
claim to be pelagic sealers. We got
to trust they believe us. If there is
hide aboard or club, or 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. | 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 1t up, Miss
Peggy, so much the better. If he has,
you got to fake II sOmeways, Rainey.
I'm Simms, get me, until we're clear
of EN-. An you, Rainey, are Doc
Carlson. Nothin' must show in the log
about emmy Deaths"
"But why?" asked the girl. "Why
do we have TO masquerade IL 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 regular they can't find an ex-
cuse for hauln' us in an settin' fire
TO the schooner. They'd do it in
jiffy. We got TO show 'em our clear
ance papers, an we've got to tally up
oil down the line. Rainey amt on the
ships books-Carlsen is. Lund amt
but Simms is. I'm Slmms An you"
he stopped to grin at her-"you're
my daughter. III dissolve the rela-
tionshlp after a while, I'll promise you
that. An I'll drill the men. They
know what's ahead of 'em II 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 off 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 Zig
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 foundation Of
conviction for Rainey. He had thought
of the consul. He had always sensed
depths in Tamada's reserve 1t looked
plausible. Lund rose.
an fix Tamada," he said But the
girl stopped him.
you don't know that's true Ia
mazda has been wonderful--to me.
What do you intend to do with himf"
"Ill make up my mind between here
and the galley" said Lund grimly
This is my third time Of tackling this
Island. an no Jap Is goin' 10 stand be
| tween me an the gold, this trip. Why,
/ even If he amt blown on US, he'll give
the whole thing away, II he didn't
want to they'd make him come through
If they laid their eyes on him. They've
| got more tricks than a Chinese man
| DARN TO make a man talk. Stands to
| reason hen tell 'em. If he can talk
when they git here" he added ON
| inously, standing halfway between
/ the table and the door of the corridor
/ bis hand opening and closing sugges-
lively. The crew'd settle his hash
| II ] didn't They amt fools They
know what's ahead Of EN- In Japan.
You. Rainey git busy with that log
That gunboat1l have a boat alongside
this foe inside Of ninety minnits."
/ But Peggy Simms was between him
/ and the door
"You shau't do It," she said, her
eyes hard as fints. If Lund's were like
steel You don't know what he W8s