Arizona state miner., 1926-02-27
most as If he sought to peer beyond

most as If he sought to peer beyond
the future.
"No-yes-I do not know"
| He broke off abruptly.
peter, am glad you are here" he
added.
"Ja," said Peter vacantly.
"You have not looked at your let
ters yet" reminded him.
II have no occasion to-" he retorted.
There Is that which-but the street
Is no place for such conversation.
Come home, my boy; come home"
Darby McGraw met us at the door,
and from his wild gaze 1 knew him
to be half expecting to see the pirates
hot-foot at our heels.
Have you performed your tasks,
Darby?" questioned my father.
"Yes, master"
"Be off with you, then. I wish not
to be disturbed"
"See can you find US late news of
the pirates, Darby" I added as he
slipped by.
He answered me with a merry
scowl, but my father spun on his heel.
what mean you by that, Robert?"
says he.
l was nOnpluSSed.
"Why, naught, sir. Darby Is daft
on pirates. He"
Peter COrlaer shut the room-door
upon the Irish boy and came toward
us, moving with the swift stealth that
was one of his most astonishing char
acteristics.
ia, he does not know" he said.
"What?" challenged my father.
"What you andt l know" returned
the Dutchman calmly.
$50 you know, too, Peter?"
ia"
1 could restrain my impatience no
longer.
"What is this mystery?" 1 demand
ed. 81 thought l knew all the secrets
of the business; but sure, father, 1
never thought to hear that we were
concerned as firm with pirates"
eve are not" my father answered
curtly. "This is a matter of which
you know nothing, Robert, because
until now there has been no occasion
for you to know of it."
He hesitated.
Peter" he went on, "must we tell
the boy?"
''He is not boy; he is a man." said
Petec
I flashed my gratitude to the fat
Dutchman in smile, but he paid no
attention. My father, too, seemed to
forget me. He strode up and down
the counting room, hands under the
skirts of his coat, head bowed in
thought Tags of phrases escaped his
lips:
II had thought him dead-strange
If he bobs up again-here Is prob
lem 1 had never thought to face
mayhap I exaggerate-it cannot have
significance for us-Certes, is must be
accident"
"Neen, he comes for a purpose" in
terrupted Peter.
My father stayed his walk in front
Of Peter by the fireplace, wherein
blazed a heap of elm logs.
"Who do you fancy this Captain
Rip-Rap to be, Peter? Speak up! You
were right when you said Robert is
no longer a boy If there is danger
here, he deserves to know of it,
"He is Murray" replied CorIaer, his
squeaking voice an incongruous con-
trast with his immnSe bulk.
ANDREW Murray" mused my IA
ther. AYE, 'twould be he. I have
suspected 1t all these years-held it
for certainty But I made sure when
he failed to show himself after the last
war that Providence had attended to
him. 1t seems l was wrong"
"Whoever he is, this pirate can do
no harm to US in New York." l made
bold to say.
"Be not too sure Robert" adjured
my father. "He happens TO be your
great-uncle"
He reached up to the rack over the
fireplace and selected a long clay
pipe, which he stuffed with tobacco
the while 1 was recovering from my
astonishment
"Your uncle?" l gasped then.
"No; your mother's.'
"But he was the great trader who
conducted the contraband trade with
Canada" !" l cried. Il have heard of
him. Twas he established the Doom
trail to enable him to supply the
French fur traders with goods to
es:s 10y; =:ss g sss :ss ss:
~ pTV 81