Arizona state miner., 1926-05-01
By
ARTHUR D. HOWDEN SMITH
Cspyngh By Arthur D. HOwdea Smith WNU Servic


complacently. "a little tight; but 1
don't like to be naked, Bob. Neen!"
| He rose to his feet, buckling the
dead mans belt around him.
They'll splash!" / warned him ,as
he picked up the big one.
Nobody hears" he answered.
he lowered the body over the rail
feet first, and the splash was less
than l had expected. The second
body followed with equal expedition,
and Peter laid hold of one of several
ropes that trailed untidily over the
| Walrus' side.
Now we go, Bob,' he said.
We entered the water almost to-
gether, and swan side by side down
the anchorage toward the James.
Peter, despite his discomfort at sea,
was remarkably powerful swimmer,
thanks to his lifetime in the wilder
ness country of the frontier.
THE tide will take care of the dead
men," painted stroking for all 1 was
worth to keep apace with. the Dutch
man.
A whistle shrilled again aboard the
James,
"Ja,' said Peter. "Der anchor goes
opp, Bob. We hurry"
He was a dozen strokes ahead of
me at the end. / found him hanging
on to the heel of the rudder and
calmly treading water. For'ard the
capstan was clanking to a steady yo-
ho1ng and trampling of feet. Yards
were banging, sails were Stating, men
were shouting and calling.
l looked up at the stern windows,
so high above us. From our precari-
Gus perch on the rudder the James
lowered like Spyglass mountain,
touchable but unattainable Almost
| could have cried out to my great
uncle and hailed him to have us
hauled aboard. But common sense
warned me he would certainly seize
upon the opportunity to send us back
to the Walrus as clinching evidence
of his good faith. And 1 had no de-
sire to face Flint with those two dead
men to account for.
"What's to doT / whispered to
Peter, whose eyes were rowing over
the lofty stern. eve cannot bide
here. Once she has way on her, we'll
be tossed off,"
"Ja," agreed Peter. "You see dot
shiny picture Oop there?"
He indicated a golden sunburst,
carved across the stern beneath the
cabin windows.
"Yes," / answered, puzzled.
81 climb oop on der rudder, andt
der middle. Andt you climb oop on
my shoulders andt into der cabin win
dows, ja."
"But you? How will you"
You t'row me a rope"
He scrambled on to the rudder and
slowly spread-eagled himself upward
against the scrollwork which covered
the stern: His hands, feeling blindly
above his head, sought for and found
deep indentation in the rays be.
low the center of the sunburst, and
with this to cling to, he climbed a
foot or two higher on to a shallow
ridge which ran across the stern, a
shelf scarce wide enough to give him
toehold.
"Now you climb, Bob," he grunted.
The rudder surmounted with ease,
standing erect with a hand on one Of
Peters legs to steady me. I stepped
up to the ridge upon which the Dutch
man stood with no more difficulty,
holding to his leather belt. Then I
changed my hand-hold to a ridge in
the carving, and by his direction
braced the toes of one foot in the
slack of his belt as l heaved myself
upward. Peter grunted. That was
all.
found new hand-hold and
brought my other foot up on to Peters
shoulder and stood erect there Reach
ing upward now, better than two tall
mems height above the waterline, my
cropping finger-tips were still below
the level of the stern windows. Peter
sensed my difficulty.
ION my headt," he grunted.
l carefully lifted one foot, selected
IL
Peters tow locks. Again 1 explored
upward with one arm stretched to
the limit of safety, but l failed by
inches to clutch the sill of the stern
windows.
Jump" sobbed Peter.
"But you"
Jump
The rudder clacked as it was put
over, and the James heeled slightly to
| the breeze.
1 jumped Peter sagged beneath
me, but the fingers of my right hand
fastened upon the ledge of the win
dow. l heard a splash, and caught
hold with my left hand.
"Ooop" spluttered Peter from the
water.
The rest was child's play compared
to what had preceded it. The cary
ing afforded toe-holds in plenty, and
soon I had leg over the windowsill