The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-22

source of his wealth, instead of get ting frightened and wanting to go home to mother, I became possessed with the de- sire to fling my whole soul into this dan gerous game-rum running. Almost from the beginning I had an ambition to become queen of the rum runners.
 I never shall forget my first exharaton at hearing rum cargo being taken aboard mysteriously almost noiselessly. Like any first offender 1 was being constantly an- noyed by surging doubts, msgivings and qualms of conscience
 I remember refusing to admit even to myself the illicit character of our undertak- ings. Constantly l would say to myself that we were not actually outside the law h. deed, l never have admitted and never will admit that l did not do the right thing
 We had been in Nassau five days. We were staying with the Amsrasters, very Weathy wholesale liquor dealers. I cannot say that l relished my surroundings. Not that the Ambrasters were not kind to me- but the companionship of the members of the household bored me. craved action l wanted to get into the thick of it.
 The fifth day of our sojourn was par tcularly gloomy. The skies were turned inside out with rain and fog thunder, light hing rain and more rain. Cassese had ad- advised me to stay at home with an elderly Noman. Rain and old lady were two companions that never were meant for me-
 Cassese, MT. Ambraster and the members of our crew went to the water front at o'clock. It was quite dark by now except fer the occasional fitful flashes from the sky I rebelled at staying home. Putting on souwester slicker that was built for 2o0-pound man, also a pair of hip boots, cast aside by one of MT. Ambraster's help ers. I followed Mr. Cassese and our party. Antonio permitted me to go on board on the promise that I would seculde myself :n the salon and read a book
 I did very little readying Possibly the book was not an interesting one. Very she rtiy heard a nose on deck. Eighteen year-od girls sometimes forget their prom ise-. I went on deck. Sometimes my rivals have referred to me as being "cat," but oui osity hasn't killed me yet. Not a light was on 'he boat except in the salon where ] had dropped my most unintereting book The moon had come out by now and the st rn subsding. As my eyes became ac nstomed to the semi gloom could make out schooner to which our vessel lashed alongside. Nor were there anr lights or the schooner. It was a weird situ- ation. I asked no questions but merely ob- served everything could.
 Ten were lined on the starboard of the schooner facing our port. Opposite them was line of 10 of our men 10 dim fip. ures facing dim figures There was a rum ble of packages being transferred from the men the schooner to those on our boat, The only distinct sound was deep whis- percd counting by Cassese:
 "One, two, three, four five, six, seven, eight, nine ten, taliy
 Again and again this was said. Over and over almost monotonously with one man counting and then another man on the schooner counting and the mysterious sib'lant word at the end of each ten counts:
 Tally"
 My First Post
 Presently went back to the salon. fearful that might interfere unwittingy in this procedure. But to my surprise l soon was summoned to the deck by Antonio to keep tally while he watched the storing away Th; shows how sharp his eyes were. Not wiihstanding his duties during the tallyng he had caught glimpse of me on deck while l had thought myself unobserved by. anyone. He seemed to take |: for granted that had leraned how to tally during my short period of spying. Later l learned that tro or Ix;p ;s