The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-09-11

SSe " bNlbCI ltll SUOutT.
For an instant cold feroclty spoke in
the mans tone; then he slipped back
into his old smooth manner. But a
child could have told that 1t was mock
ing.
Maybe you think this is Just a sud.
den fiash-ln-the-pan mutiny," he said.
1T amt. AS I've just been telling the
captain, 1t amt, rightly speaking,
mutiny at all. It's piracy, planned
weeks ago. You remember the night
that Morbach was killedT'
"Morbach?" Nellie sought in her
memory. mol Yesl You don't
mean that"
Eyes, l do. I'm the man who car.
ried him into the Grant cottage mol
l didn't kill him. Quite the contrary.
He ran me down and came near kill
ing me. He was crazy to see your
father and he talked about millions
of dollars and all that, you know.
Well That interested me. was just
getting away from New York with
my share of the loot of the Steenth
National bank and was ready for a
fresh layout. So, to cut the story
short, went out to my buggy and put
on another hat and coat and came
back and said | was Mr.. Akin. Gee /
insulted myself some when / did 1t.
Before I'd be shrimp like Akin! =
However, got the packet and cleared
out. The doctor and the Grant girl
were pretty excited, and 1 got away
with the stunt. They'd seen me only
a few minutes, and the dim light
helped. That was mighty interest
ing packet. 1t held map, descrip-
tion Of a route, and good big pack
age of l guess you know what, and
statement that there was about forty
million dollars more where 1t came
from. That interested me still more
See / wanted that forty million dol
lars. The map was of an island, but
it didn't say where the island was.
But / guessed your mother knew. So
/ sent her copy of the map, with
er-some changes, and watched. Sure
nuff she piked straight down to the
docks and interviewed our friend the
captain here and took passage for the
whole family and an extra lot Of as
sorted freaks"
my mothers Is she hereT' Mel
lies eyes grew big.
"Well! Here or hereabouts. Mol
She amt aboard, but she amt far on.
She and her friends all came down
here with the ship. And l and my
friends came along, too. This morn
Ing your mothers friends all went
ashore, following the map I sent 'em.
| sent lot of grub along, SOS they
wouldn't suffer while they was waitin'
for ship. Then just as l thought
had everything lovely, l found out
somebody'd swiped my map-my own
man. " understand. Course losing 1t
don't do me any real harm, because l
reckon | could draw 1t over again just
from memory, but l hate to be stung
that way. Besides, it's just possible
that l might need it. So / starts to
ask the cap'n what he knows about 1t,
when all of a sudden somebody with
vour crowd begins to wigwag from the
mountain top; and the mate starts to
answer him; and so-not knowing
what he's saying-I tells the boys to
take possession and / comes In here
and-er-takes possession, too. The
captain says he don't know nothing
about any map of mine"
81 don't!" Captain Bunker cut In
sharply.
"WeI. who in thunder does, then!
Those people that went ashore didn't
have IT. or they'd have gone to the
right place instead of the wrong one
If YOU amt got it. who has? Very
evidently Price was trying to make
his auditors think that he set very lit
tle store by the map. But he was not
succeeding.
Captajn Bunker shrugged his shoul-
ders. "If I'd had it you'd have been
in irons now, and my passengers
,youId he safe ON board. And While
I'm talking, I'll just warn Miss Arcn-
man that you're treacherous houhu,
and not 10 be believed on oath. 1
don't know what your game Is, put
voure not foollng me one ounce. You
haven't told more than half the truth.
You haven't told of robbing my safe
and opening my sealed orders or OF
throwing bottles over the side with
messages for your consort, or of burn
Ino that flare on the taffraii last
price was listening curiously. MOT
me - he said finally, entirely disregard
inc the captains excoriation' MOI
me- didn't know your papers mas
been swiped, and I never heard ABOUT
onv hotties. AS for the fare-weii'
,twa'n't me or mine that burned IL.
THAT'S straight. But I'll give you
fin If / was guessin', I'd charge all
those M things up to one or two of those
Messengers of yours. A steward ge.s
,ots Of chances to hear things and i've
% heen hearing of 'em. Maybe me ana
INV friends have double-crossed you
hut unless I miss my guess the ~. ~
Iered Britisher and that gose'nes'