Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-03
By FRANK [. PACKARD

I mile away; 1t would not disclose so
diminutive thing as this little
motorboat out here on the water
creeping in toward the shore.
The boat was barely large enough
| to accommodate the baggage, piled
| forward. and still leave room for
| Runnells and himself. Also the boat
| leaked abominably; also the engine,
not only decrepit, but in bad repair
| was troublesome and spiteful. Zap
| tain Francis Newcombe shrugged
| his shoulders. The engine was
| Runnells' lookout: that was why. as
Il matter OF fact. Runnells was here
! at all. A for the rest, what did it
matter? The boat had been bought
| for the proverbial song over there
! on the mainland. and 1t was good
| enough TO serve its present purpose
Again lie changed his position. but
his eyes narrowed now as they fixed
on RunnelIs' back. RunneIls sat
amid ships where he could both
| nurse the engine and manipulate the
little steering wheel at his side.
tunnels was a necessary evil. He.
Sewcombe, did not know how to
run the engine. Therefore he had
been Obliged to bring Runnclls
along. and therefore Runnells would
participate after all in the old fools
half million Temporarily. Afterward
well. there were so many things
that might happen when Runnclls
had lost his present usefulness.
Runnells spoke now abruptly.
Its pretty hard to make out any
thing ashore" he said: but IL we've
MT 1t right, we ought to be lust
about heading for a little above the
hoAthouse. Can YOU pick up any
thing
Nothing but the outline OF the
island against the sky" Captain
ianeiS Newcombc answered.
We're too far out vet"
lie smiled with cool ironic com.
placency. Locke. having i'm mind
scotland Yard, would expect him n
disappear as eftectualiv and as
iapihy as possible. Locke ought NOT
10 be disappointed, He had dis
appeared. he ana Runneus-nnd
.Iuatty important. their luggage
"V was sometimes too easily trac-
eu ~ iuggage-especialiv with that
Internally efficient checking system
they employed on the railroads bora
IN America 1t had been rather
simple, When Runnells and INA
massage and himself had all been
"uthpeu with equal lack of ceremonv
oh Wharf over there on the nai,
iahu, he had had soma Of tho
negroes that were lettering oro,n,I
carry the luggage into a sort az
storage shed that was on tho dool-
ana. merely saying that no wo,,i(;
sehd Tor his things. he and RunnelIs
N"d hhostentatiously allowed them-
,t.' 70 De swallowed up by the
NJ ana then they had separated
~ iss. nad been matter of de-
~ "etail IN which Runnels, with
particularly efficient. 4 nnrchosS
nere. purchase there-otlite in
hectnt purchases m themsoI,os
siiu later on man. not two mo-,
~ ohe man, man who did nor a.
az look like Runneils. seeIpg ~
.n"hcs or picking up bargain in a
second h3nd motorhoat somnwhnr
alons the waterfront, had hongb, -
anu gone away with it. I,ater ~,
S n put not until after nightfa1
t unth o'clock in fact. ba
@eaptain Francis Newcombe. had
. Seh, Tor the luggage-by the verv
49,, p.e eNpedient of forcing an en-
~ INTO me shed and loading II into
hre nhotorooat that Runnells had
"ousht alongside the dock. There
after, Runnells. the luruaea
himself had disappeared Surai,,
locke ought to be quite satisfind
ne, captain Francis Newcombe No.
uolns mis- best to guarantees polIr.
ssalnst any unseemiy publicity in
connection with Scotland YARD
ano he would continue to do 90;
win any kind OF luck. he wonId ba
away from the island here again
long before daylight: then. saw,
rev nights cruising along the coast
laying up by day. and then. as cir.
oumstances dictated, BY railroad. or
whatever means were safest. a final
With smothered oath. Captain
Francis Newcoube snatched at the
gunwale of the boat fer support, as
ne was thrown suddenly forward
from his seat. The boat seemed TO
stagger and recoil as from some
vicious blow that had been dealt It,
and then. AS he recovered his
balance. II surged forward again
with an ugly. rending, tearing sound
along the bottom planks, rocking