The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-08-07

- ssie up FIRST came
Lord George, then Harry and Akin
MISS Denslow, and last of ALL Mrs
Archman, whom the comparative ouiet
OF the bay had partly restored to
neaith' All gathered in group and
chattered excitedly, without gettina
anywhere, until Captain Bunker cama
up and gave direction to the conver-
sation.
My orders directed me to come TO
this bay he said, in reply to numer.
ous questions as to what he was going
to do, ito the northeast corner of that
island yonder. AS you can see. we ara
not yet at the northeast corner. hut
are about the middle of the east side.
| anchored here last night partly be.
cause the red line on your map came
down to the sea about here, and partly
because l did not want to move about
these waters In the dark any more
than 1 had to. don't see any land
Ing place, but I'll send a boat in to
see whether 1t is possible to land.
Then 1 will run north about mile
to the corner of the Island and see
what l can find there. Meanwhile,
perhaps we had all better go to break
fast"
All went, still chattering excitedly.
When they came up again, boat was
approaching the ship. Bess screamed
out at sight of it, and then cried out
again in disappointment as she recog-
nized Collins on board and realized
that 1t was one of the Ell Rios boats
that had been reconnoitering the shore.
Collins, however, brought news.
There's sort of cleft in the rocks
he reported. you don't see it from
here. but it goes In deep and ends with
q fair landing place. There's no sign
Of path up the rocks, but the ascent
seems to be fairly easy"
The news caused fresh excitement.
The discovery of the entrance seemed
to be proof of the accuracy of the
chart. and both Bess and Mrs Arch
man were agOg to go ashore at once.
Captain Bunker. however, demurred.
Possibly this cleft will lead you
where you want to CO." he said. Put
my Instructions say nothing about
landing They merely tell me to go to
the northeast corner. Presumably Mr.
Archman will be watching for us and
will communicate. Certainly he won't
he watching for anybody on this path,
because he doesn't know that you have
recovered the map. 1t seems to me
best to obey instructions and run to
the place Mr.. Archman specified, stay
ing there long enough to give him Il
chance to see us and to communicate.
If he doesn't, we can come back
Mrs. Archman listened with evident
disapproval. Her anxiety for her hus-
band and for Nellie had grown enor-
mously since she had heard of the
robbery of the safe and the attempt to
signal.
1--WE ought to land right away" she
protested. Right away. It's per-
fectlv dreadful to wait. Those people
who are following will get ahead of
us If we don't. Where are they, any
way? Where have they gone? They'll
get ahead of us and m-murder Henry.
Bess tried to calm the excited lady
"Now. mother" she began.
But Mrs. Archman would not stop.
"I know more about them than any or
vou." she burst out ~ don't know
much. but know that Henry has heen
afraid of them for years and wears.
He wouldn't tell me anything He saih
II wasn't his secret
"But when he brought Nellie TO
us"
she broke on as she noticed the dis-
tinct sensation that her words pro-
duced. 'I mean." she cried. Il mean
when Nellie was born and-and-oh
oh. I don't know what l mean But
I'm afraid, I'm afraid"
"Neyer mind, Mrs. Archman. MISS
Denslow came to Bess' rescue III ;
all right. We've thrown whoever was
following us completely on the TRACK.
Contain Bunker must obey orders anu
go TO the place designated You can I
fell what might happen If he h''li' T..
Later he can come back. she ""
tho baIf-hysterlcal woman 10 II seat
A moment later the boat was hois'eu
In and the FL Rio started on her sl'r'
run to the northeast corher ".
,el,nd AS she went. those on poaro
scanned the mountain closely WIN
Neld glasses and with naked eyes 'ry-
,ng to discover the path Indicated Wy
the red line of the chart But tnis
proved impossible, even with the start
ns r,,im aTorded by tie e'ei' Inn o"n'
,u,i,ns hnu discovered. The iaouh,
t,,;nside WAS covered with trees anu
hru.b TINT hid even the Inequalities oi
,he surface. All that could be ascer,
tained was that the path, If accuratel,
delineated by the red ilne' ".n.
straight upward to the top OF n IN.
gentler slopes and then CURED SOU" :
ward about the base OF the peah .,s
position screened from view oy '"'
peak itself. 80. s. corner
The aspect of the northeast co'ne' ..'o
of the island proved not to diner sa n,u'
terla1lv from that Of the -eastern si.s