, 1924-09-17

we've found that out. The chances
are that this one is right"
"But-but why Toe the thief give
II back to us now? 2" demanded Bess
wonderingly.
Miss Denslow answered. She had
picked up the wrappings of the packet
and had extracted from them a half
e of paper. She bent forward to
the tirelight and glanced at the few
lines that had been scrawled hurriedly
across II. Then she started. Its"
Abruptly she broke off. I'll read it."
she gasped.
I'm afraid trouble is brewing, but
II 1t Is, you're well out of 1t ashore. ]
stole this map from the first thief last
night. ! have never seer yours, but ]
suspect II is different"
When she began Miss Denslow's
voice showed extreme agitation, hut 1t
grew steadier as she went on anil was
nearly normal when she ended. While
she read, Lord George scanned her
features as narrowly as he could by
the freight. as II suspecting some Sc
cret reason for her excitement. The
others either noticed nothing or rs.
cribed What they did notice to the
words Of the message.
When she finished. the six looked at
each other. stricken momentarily
dumb. Each and every one of them
seemed 10 he cropping mentally for
some explanation of the truly amaz.
Ing contretemps.
Bess was the first to speak. "Oh!
What does 1t all mean? 2" she walled.
at means that somebody on board
Is In league with the mutineers, but Is
secretly friendly to US. Maybe IT'S
Price"
No. 1t isn't" Miss Denslow inter.
rupted. ut isn't Price. It's some one
very different. Price was the first
thief and"
How do you know" Lord Georges
eyes bored into Miss Denslow's.
Ill don't know. after ALL" The
woman's eyes dropped and her answer
came falteringly. Tin just sure"
You do know!" Lord George spoke
hercely. you do know. You're play
ing a double part and"
But Harry stepped forward. Hold
on" he exclaimed. with a sudden ac-
cess of dignity. stop right there. /
won't have it. You be civil to Miss
Denslow or you'll answer to me-"
Lord George stared at the boy In
amazement. Before he could answer
Bess struck in. "Oh! For goodness
sake, don't quarrel" she begged.
We're In a bad enough fix without
that. Lord George didn't mean any.
thing. I'm sure" She looked at tho
Englishman app~ealingly.
his lordship gulped. 81 beg your
pardon. Miss Denslow.' he said, with
a resumption of his characteristic
amer. Il jolly well forgot myself.
l FANCY I'm a good deal excited.
What?'
Miss Denslow nodded. 81 don't blame
you-under the circumstances" she
said. But suppose we look at that
map and see"
IL was not necessary to finish. In
another instant Lord George had
spread out the parchment and as many
heads as could get near were bent
owe 1t.
In geographic features the map
seemed practically Identical with the
one that had been sent to Mrs. Arch
man by mail ten days before. It diff
Tered from 1t. however. I'm having sew
era! black lines which the first one
lacked. and In having only n single
comparatively short red line instead Of
q long curved one. The red line start
ed from the sea at the north end Of
the Island and followed an underlying
black line almost straight up the peak.
h black lines formed a rough and
very open network over the island.
The cleft wherein the six were camped
was roughly shown on the map and
was cut not far from the shore by a
black line that paralleled the course
of the cliffs.
Miss Denslow put a finger on tn. in
tersection. THAT black line marks
the break In the walls of the rav,ne,"
she said sagely. THE one we noticed
as we were going up this noon. Frob-
ably a trail leads through 1t. All
these black lines are probably tails.
II we follow this one north II will
bring us 20 the path marked by the red
iine-the line we should have fol-
lowed in the first place. n II we
start rs soon as We have eaten some
thing. we'll get to our destination be-
fore those mutineers get there"
Nobody spoke for n moment. Miss
Denslow's explanation seemed very
reasonable and in fact convincing But
they felt reluctant to leave the spot
where they were encamped. Desolate
ne IN was II WA yaf tho pIana u.bara