, 1923-06-27
Bv H. DEVERE STAcPooLE
A Romance of the
Bahamas
Copyright by Robert n. Mcbride 4 Ca
CHAPTER x-continued.

couldn't get back last night" said
indie as they came on board. Left
II till shutdown, and then l was afeard
of the current, and say, Satan, l saw
a wuzzard! I was carrying the eggs
when l saw him, and then ran and
smashed the lot"
"A which,"
"A hant-little old chap walking on
the sands. D'you remember the figure
head on that old bark they broke up
last year at Havana-man with a
glass under his arm and the other arm
wavin' his hat? That was him plain
as my eye. He up with his glass and
let one yelp. Ratll tell you; he
saw me running"
"Oh, git along-git along, you and
your hants! I'd been countin' on
them e and here you come back
like a one-eyed skite with your yarns
about hants. Come along down If you
want some grub. I sighted you more'n
an hour ago, and there's coffee
waitin'."
1t came to Radcliffe that the quietude
Of Satan yer the business came less
from natural good temper than some
other reason. The desertion of the
Sarah was mutinv and a rank crime.
Satan had been left with his food to
cook, his sister had been off with an
almost stranger for a whole night
yet he was not displeased.
II Jude had done the business alone,
she most surely would have been car
...o1 h 49,. n,gIa,tI, III, De-
DISQUALIFICATION in 1t that fend-
ed off trouble and turned wrath into
complacence. Why?
Was II because he was a guest? Not
bit! Satan, had he been angry,
would not have bothered about that.
He followed down below, and there,
I o'vr the breakfast table. the Cleary
\ business was cleared up.
He dropped in last night" said
Satan, IAN hour before shutdown.
and the anchor hadn't more than
clawed the mud before he was aboard
the Juan. / expected the shootin' to
begin but there weren't no fireworks,
lnd after dark ! lit out for the Juan
In the clapslble and tied up and
boarded her. All the men were in
the %foc'sle, eating onions and playin'
tunes on guitars-no anchor watch
and the Cleary crowd down in the
saloon as friendly as pie, Clark ladling
the liquor and Cleary suckin' It down.
cigars as big as your leg In their
faces, and Cleary with his thumbs in
the armhulls of his vest leanin' back
laughin'. That's how I found them.
Sweet as sugar they were; but l tell
you this, I'm as frightened as hi"
"How's their
aren't much by themselves, but Cleary
Il the snakes tooth an poison bug of
that combination. now that he's Joined
in with Cark again. Cleary's Irish
gone bad on the fathers side and
drunk Welsh on the mothers; I had
his pedigree from Pap. Well. I've had
q thousand dollars from Cark on ac-
count Of takin's. Now you see how l
am. supposin' the wreck turns out a
a fnd. D'you mean to say they won't
2 20 for me to get their money back?
supposin' the gold is there. D'you
mean TO say they won't chouse me
out Of my share?"
What are you going to dor
u worked the hull thing out last
night before l boarded them. Seeing
there was no fighting, l concluded
they'd Joined up an become friends I;
then made my plans, l didn't put out
no anchor light"
What vas your meaning In not
putting out a lightf" asked Jude.
Maybe you'll find out" said Satan.
II you keep your eyes skinned and
stop askin' questions. Well, that's
where we are. They'll have the bar
rel of gunpowder fixed by tomorrow
10 blow the deck of her. and as Don
as they put a light to II we'll know.
IT'S blastin' powder and ought TO split
the deck to flinders II they fix It prop
er' don't b1ieve It's coral coverin'
hat deck, l b1ieve It's old petrifacted
sonno, II you ask me; anyhow. It's
hard enough"
by Jovei" said Ratciiffe. "If that's
NO. II bears out my theory. I believe
ue real wreck is lying Mt that place
you said that's given in the latitude
una longitude. Well, see here, why
not get the anchor up and light out
right now for the other placer They
wouldn't follow"
wouldn't theyf' said Satan. "The
Nhtchez would be after us like n cat
pouncin'. No. I'd rather stick. II It's
WI the same to you. and see the fire
works. After that lenve 'em to me.
inere aren't mnny's got the better OF
NE when my dander's up. Now then,
suue' II you've done stufin' yourself,
sayoe you'll lend n hand on deck.
4here's swabbln' to be DONE"
CHAPTER xI