The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-03-11

some of the gold, but they do not in
tend to give it to me. They will offer
Mr.. Lund only small portion of what
was originally arranged, the same
amount as the rest of them are to get.
He will refuse that tomorrow, when
a meeting is to be called. Then there
will be trouble. l shall stand with
Mr.. Lund. If we win you will get
your share, whether you help US or
not. If you help us can promise you
at least twice the amount you were
to get"
How can help you? If this is to
be talked over at q meeting l shall
not be allowed to be present. l do not
think it will help you for me to join.
l do not see how you can win. II you
can show some way out will do what
l can. But like to see way out"
He Modified the bald acknowledge
ment Of his neutrality with little
bow and hissing-in breath. Back of
it all was will that was inflexible,
thought Raney.
''If we lose, you lose" he went on
lamely. He had come on fools err
rand, he decided.
II think / shall get my money" said
Tamada. The Oriental gave swift
smile, that held no mirth. no friend
ship, rather, sardonic appreciation
of the situation, without rancOr.
'They are very foolish" he said.
"They make me cook. they eat what /
serve. They say Tamada is very good
cook. But he is Jap. d-n him. Sup
pose l put something in that food,
that they would not taste? l could
send them all to sleep. I could kill
them. could do it so they never
suspect, but would go to their beds
and never get up from them. 1t would
be very easy. Yet they trust me-"
The statement was so matter-of-fact
that Rainey felt his horror gather
slowly as he stared at the impressive
Oriental.
A thought suddenly flashed over
him. Was Tamada in league with
Carlson? Had he mistaken his man?
DlQ SuiISCu pan " nave
dertake wholesale poisoning to Sc
cure the gold himself, providing the
drugs? Was it friendly hint from
the Japanese?
When Raineys watch was ended
and he was cloSeted with Lund in the
latter's cabin, the giant promptly
quashed all discussion Of Tamada's
attitude.
''I'll put no trust in any slant-eyed,
yellow-skinned rice-eater," he an
nOunced emphatically. They're
against us, race an religion! They
want California, or rather, the Pacific
coast, an they think they're goin' to
git it. They're no more akin to us
than snake is a cousin to an eel.
They're not O. our breed, an you can't
mix the two. I'll have no deal with
Tamada, beyond gettin' dope out Of
him. If he helped us it 'ud be only to
further his own ends. Not that he
can do much-unleSS-"
He lowered his voice to husky
whisper.
There's one thing may slip in our
gold-gettin', matey," he said-"the
Japanese. ! doubt if this island is Sc
down on American or British charts
But I'll bet it Is on the Japanese.
They don't know of the gold, or it
wouldn't be there. Rightly, the island
may belong to Russia. but. since the
war, Russia's in bad way, an emmy
thing loose from the mainland'll be
gobbled by Japan.
"What the Japs grab they don't let
go of. If they should suspicion us of
gittin' gold off emmy island they c'ud
trump up to call theirs, If they found
gold on us at ALL 1t 'ud be all off with
us an the KarIuk. We'd be dumped
inside of some Jap prison an the
schooner confiscated.
"An' if things 60 right with us, an
we ever sight the smoke of Jap gun
boat comm our way, the first thing
I'll be apt to do will be to scrag Ia
mazda or he'll blow the whole PROPOSE
ton, whether we've got the gold
aboard or not Even If he didn't want
to tell becoz of his own share, they'd
git it out of him what we was after.
"Ever play much at cards?" he went
on. "Play for yore last red when you
don't know where to turn for another,
an have all the crowd thinkin' yo're
goin' broke as they watch the play?
An then you slap down card they've
all overlooked an larf In the other
chaps face?
"That's what Tn goin' to do with
Carlson. I've got that kind of card,
matey, an l amt goin' to spoil my
fun by tellin' even you what it is.
though yo're my partner in this
gamble. It's a trump. an Carlsen's
overlooked It,"
Lund chuckled hugely as he mixed
himself some whisky and water.
Rainey refused drink. He was nerv
GUS, bothering over what the outcome
might be, and how he might handle
himself. He was not at all sure of his
own grit. There was nasty doubt as
to his own prowess and his own cour-
age that kept cropping up. And that
state of mind is not pleasant one.
Rainey went over and over the stu
alton as squirrel might race around
4 T. 4 q