White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-10-16

was unexpected, he seemed grateful
for my having started the converse
ton.
Saved, all saved" he said smooth
ly. "The Osprey's boats were on hand
when your unfortunate ship went
down. They are in restraint
smiled-"but later
However, that leads to what 1 wish
to tell you; something l have been
discussing with the lady here" and
he waved his hand toward Jane. His
teeth glistened.
Michael handed him black, Rus
sian cigarette, and held a taper to it.
The Hawk resumed:
know me as man who has seen
life, who has given and taken much;
who now holds in his hands power
such as few men have.'
81 know you as the murderer of
/ poor Starkey!" burst out Knowlton.
"And Barclay" put in boldly.
"How about the pile of skulls?"
asked Jimmy, with more curiosity
than venom. The Hawk laughed.
| Gwen sol" He tugged at his
beard. LET us take them up, point
by point.
"Starkey-you say that was his
name ?-died for purpose" he told
Knowlton. "My men were over-hasty.
They sought to approach and reason
with him. He wounded one of them;
therefore he died.
Barclays death was as deserved as
!, it must have seemed to you to be mys-
terious."
"Sedras attended to that, sup
pose?" asked Jimmy quietly. / start
ed, and / heard Jane give a little cry.
The Hawk chuckled spontaneously.
aye. A very active man, Sedras,
and a good one. He could have killed
you, Mulvane, and you, Bellew, but
would have none Of it."
I felt sheepish. Sedras an emissary
of The Hawk? And we had asked him
to translate the message which
Knowlton had found on the pile of
skulls!
"The cairn of skulls" went on The
Hawk, stroking his beard thoughtful-
ly, 'has point which may finds it's
wayy home to you. If you had exam
ined the skulls closely, you would
have found neat little bullet-hole in
the back of each. These one-time fol-
lowers of mine would have betrayed
me to the communists, for price.
Therefore they died, and the crows
picked them, A deserved fate"
He clapped his hands. and Michael
appeared, bearing decanter; tall,
narrow glasses on a tray. The glass
es he filled with whitish, cloudy
liquor, and offered it to us. Jane de-
clined with a gesture of loathing. The
rest Of us followed suit. The Hawk
frowned,, / saw murder in his eyes,
but Immediately he was his old ur-
bane self.
Very we'll" He raised his glass
and drained it-vodka, think-at a
gulp.
"No matter how learned Of your
quest" he went on to Jimmy. "No
matter how learned Of the gold this
man and his partner would have taken
from the country-my country. That
is finished. We face the future.
II could kill you all, but for reasons
you may never understand, offer you
life, and happiness. In exchange for
what? Your friendship; nothing
more" He could not keep his eyes off
Jane as he said it.
"My work here is finished. have
good ship under me; a good crew. l
have wealth; ten times as much as
the paltry bags Of gold took from
YOU We shall share and share alike.
"a few hours more, and we shall be
at our rendezvous among the Alaskan
islands. We shall alter the ship, and
you," he nodded to Jane, "shall give
her new name. Then, my friends,
we shall be off for the south; the ends
of the world, anywhere we wish!"
He yawned, shook his head as if
fighting against drowsiness and mo-
toned to Michael, who poured more
liquor for him.
Listen" said Knowlton vehement
ly, "if this ship was loaded SO heav-
lily with gold that she'd sink, and
you'd offer it all to me, I'd say, to
hell with you! You killed my pal,
and by God, that score is going to be
wiped out!"
He snarled at that, like wild
beast; half-raised himself from his
chair, then settled back. The attentive
Michael pressed more vodka on him.
Every WELL" His tongue seemed
thick. He motioned for more vodka,
which he gulped. "Very-well" He
nodded, as If satisfied.
"Let -think-think-" He smil-
ed drewsily, although his heavy lids
could not mask hatred. "You-
shall"
Then, suddenly, before our eyes,
The Hawk was asleep