The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-11-02
bD Louis
Joseph Vance

him once moro
That would DO Phinuit out there
no doubt disdsinlng 20 waste time
breaking In the door or perhaps
fearing his reception once Il was
down. An innocent and harmless
amusement. II he enjoyed e. that Il
seemed pity 20 interrupt At the
same time II grew annoying The
door was taking on the look OF a
sieve. and the neighborhood Of the
headlights ranyard's sole avenue Of
escape. was being well pepperod.
something would have To DO done
about II
Lanyard completed his prepare
tons by kicking off his shoes and
taking up another notch IN the belt
that supported his trousers. II the
swim before him proved a long one.
be could get rid Of his garments In
tho water readily enough: n on the
other hand the shore proved 20 be
venabie 20 lana az least half clothed.
Then--the fusiiiade continuing
without intcrmis-ion saws when the
man outside stopped long enough 20
extract an empty clip and replace II
with one ioaded--Lanyard edged
along the partition 60 the door. cal
cuiatcd the stand Of the iunarAr In
the saloon from tho angie at which
tho bullets were coming through.
and emptied tho pistol he had taken
from Phinuit AZ tho panels an fast
as he could pull trigger
There wac no more firing
lie tossed aside the empty weapon.
made sur, of poplnot'a ON his hip.
approached one OF the headlights.
placed a chair. climbed upon II. ana
with infinite pains managed 10 wrig.
gle and squirm head and shoulders
through the opening. II was very
fortunate for him indeed that tho
syharite happened TO have been built
for pleasure yachting. with dead.
lights uncommonly large for the sake
Of air and light. else he would have
been obliged TO run the risk Of open.
Ing the door 10 the saloon and fight.
Ing his way GU, and up 20 tho deck.
A. II was. the business was diffi-
cult enough. lie had 20 work ono
Of his arms out after his shoulders
and then. twisting round. strain and
claw at the smooth ovcrhang OF tho
stern until able 20 catch tho outer
lip 81 the scuppcrs above.
After that he had 90 iift and drag
the rest Of him out through tho dead
light and. hanging by fingcrtipw.
work his way round. inch BY inch.
until II seemed possible 70 drop into
tho sea and escape hitting tho screw.
In point of fact. he barely missed
splitting himself In two on tho thing.
and on coming 20 the surfaoc chung
to u while taking such observations
as one might In that bcfowged black.
ness
Impossible 60 guess which way 10
strike out: tho fog hung low upon the
water. grcyfnw It's smooth. gently
heaving black surface. no could SEQ
nothing on either beam.
At length. however. he heard
through the Kissing uproar Of escap-
Ing steam q mournful bcll some
where off 10 port which he nj firss
took for buoy. then perceived 20 be
telling with a regularity Inconsistent
with tho eccentric action Of waves.
Timed by puisrbeass. n struck once
every rs seconds or thercabouts: un.
dorbsediy the fog signal Of some
minor lighthouse
In confirmation 81 this conclusion.
Lanyard heard. from the deck above.
the resonant accents OF Captain
Monk. clearly nrsiculats IN that riot
OF voices. apparently sfcrInin1 AZ
hapiess Mr.. Swain
Don't you hear that bell. you asst
Doesn't that tell you what you've
done7 You've piled IN on the rocks
off the eastern end Of Plum Island.
And God In heaven only knows how
you managed TO get 40 fnr off tho
COURSE
Breathing 20 she night air thanks
which would have driven Captain
Monk mad could no have heard them.
Lanyard let go the bronze blade and
struck out for the melancholy bell.
Ten minutes later tho fingers Of
one hand--he was swimming on his
side--at the bottom Of its stroke
touched pebbles.
He lowered his feet ana wnded
thru extensive shadows 10 a vida
and sandy beach.
xSvrII
FINALE