, 1924-08-27
The Red Line Trail
CHAPTER X-Continued

the nrst on deck, she did not long re.
""ih so. Very soon the other passen-
gers began to struggle up. First came
Lord George, then Harry and Akin
MISS l'enslow. and last of all, Mrs.
Archman, whom the comparative quiet
OF the bay had partly restored to
health. All gathered in a group and
chattered excitedly, without getting
anywhere, until Captain Bunker came
up m gave direction to the CONVEX
sation.
My orders directed me to come TO
this bay" he said, in reply to numer-
GUS questions as TO what he was going
TO dc. TO the northeast corner of that
Island yonder. AS you can see, we are
not yet at the northeast corner, but
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 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 l will run north about a mile
TO the corner Of the island and see
what l can find there. Meanwhile,
perhaps we had all better 60 to break
fast"
All went, still chatterlng e~xcitedly.
When they came up again. a boat was
approaching the ship. Bess screamed
out ut sight of 1t, and then cried out
again In disappointment as she recog-
nized Collins on board and realized
that 1t was n Of the Ell Rios boats
that had been accommodating the shore.
Collins, however, brought news.
There's 4 sort of cleft in the rocks"
he reported. "You don't see It from
here. but 1t goes in deep and ends with
a fair landing place. There's no sign
OF a 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 wan to GO" he said. But
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 lie won't
be watching for anybody on this path,
because he doesn't know that you have
recovered the map. 1t seems TO me
hest to obey instructions and run to
the place Mr.. Archman specified, stay
Ing there long enough to give him a
chance to see us and to communicate.
II he doesn't, we car come back"
Mrs. Archman listened with evident
dIsapproval. Her anxiety for her hus-
band and for Nellie had grown enor-
mousiy since she had heard of the
robbery of the safe and the attempt to
I'VE ought TO land right away" she
protested. fright away. It's per-
fectly dreadful TO wait. Those people
who are following will get ahead Of
II we don't. Where are they. any
way7 Where have they gone? They'll
get ahead of us and m-murder Henry"
Bess tried to calm the excited lady.
snow. mother" she began.
But Mrs. Archman would not stop.
81 know more about them than any of
you" she burst out. II don't know
much, but ! know that Henry has been
of them for years and years.
He wouldn't tell me anything. He said
II wasn't his secret.
But when he brought Nellie to
us"
She broke of ms she noticed the dis
tine; sensation that her words pro-
duced. ~ mean." she cried. 81 mean
when Nellie was born and-and-oh!
oh, I don't know what ! mean. But
Tn afraidl I'm afraidl"
"Never mind, Mrs. Archman." Miss
Denslow came to Bess' rescue. ITS
all right. We've thrown whoever was
following us completely on the track.
Captain Bunker must obey orders and
to the place designated. You can't
tell what might happen II he didn't.
Later he can come back" She led
the half-hysterical woman TO n seat.
A later the boat was hoisted
IN and the El Rio started on her short
run TO the northeast corner OF the
island. As she went, those on beard
scanned the mountain closely, with
field glasses and with naked eyes. try
ing to discover the path indicated by
the red line OF the chart. But this