Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1922-01-28
A Man To His Mate
BY J. ALLEN DUNN
TIa4rBoBs NaRRrLco

| on the resonant sheets OF ice.
Dawn came before they were aware
Of 1t, a 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, tlnging all their world with
a Wild. unnatural glory.
Lund. striding 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 a trail of smoke, Ike 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 Raiuey
"Come down inter the cabin" he
said "We1l need all our wits. That's
a patrol boat. japanese, for a million
None other this far west. An it's
id funny it should come up right at
| this mnnit 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 I hope so.
We've got none. Our hunters an
our rifles an shotgunsIl prove our
claim to be pelagic sealers. We got
to trust they believe us. If there Is
hide aboard or a club, or sign of
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 EN-. 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 II up, Miss
Peggy, so much the better If he has,
you got to fake 1t someways, Rainey.
I'm Slmms. 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 If we
haven't touched the seals?"
Lund barked at her:
II 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 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, Raney 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 I'll dissolve the rela-
tionship after while, I'll promise you
that An I'll drill the men. They
know what's ahead of EN- 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 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
bo,,fps 4f,o ,,,n &c t,n oots,, ,nt,I.
would do the rest. Hen git his
whack out of 1t, with the order of the
Golden Chrysanthemum or some iig
arlg 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 for Rainey. He had thought
Of the consul. He had always sensed
depths in Tamada's reserve. 1t looked
plausible Lund rose.
"In 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 himT
'I'Il make up my mind between here
and the galley" said Lund grmIy
"1his is my third time Of tackllng this
island an no Jap Is goin to stand be
tween me an the gold, this trip Why
even If he amt blown Oh 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 9 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 tatie 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
I know what's ahead Of EN- Ia Japan
+ You, Raluey, git busy with that log
I That gunboatn have a boat alongside
/ this foe inside Of ninety mlnults'
But Peggy slmms was between him
+ and the door
You shaB't do It." she said, her
I eyes hard rs fliats. If Lund's were Ike
steel. "Yon don't know what De uas
I 10 rup ghaT,--vH hon dad vge hurIed