Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1926-04-16
SYNOPSIS

theirs yacht before his death and finan-
cial reverses forced him to part with 1t.
A man whom he hears a girl who ac-
companies him address as Mr.. Blake,
lands from the yacht. The girl drops
her handbag in the stream, and Dick
RECEIVERS it. Thanking him, she gives
him her visiting card She is Alice
Cutler, niece of Stephen Cutler, sue
cessful business rival Of the elder Van
Ness.
:Keckon not, Mr. Blake" replied the
other chuckling. "Twould sort of let
the cat out of the bag if we had to
sneak into some harbor for coal be-
fore the time was up"
"Yes we must guard against any
such contingency. I'll phone to
Blanks pier the first thing in the morn
ing for all the coal you can store
aboard"
what time'll the old man want to
come aboard?" queried Captain Brent,
putting Mechanically at his cigar.
shortly after sundown. Lay off
here at sunset, and when you see the
signals send the boats ashore"
"There'll be lot of dunnage, |
s'pose?"
mo, nothing but light traps-chiehy
personal things of Miss Cutters. Most
of the baggage will go aboard earlier.
I'll see to that"
You say there'll be four of 'emf"
Yes, Mr. Cutler, Miss Alice, her
maid and Doctor Alster."
And yourself?
Certainly" said Mr.. Blake, little
tartly. "Pll come down with the.
party"
"All right! I'll have everything
ready. Reckon, now, if | don't have
any trouble finding that island we'll
have a pleasant voyage"
why do you say that? demanded
Blake uneasily. Have you any doubts
about finding it?"
why, no, if the map you gave mes
correct"
well, it is" snapped the other.
1--WE verified it in every particular.
You don't think I'd slip up on such a
small thing as that when there's so
much at stake?'
mo, reckon not, but it's bit puz-
cling in places. Some of them dots>
and marks looks like as if they'd been
put there for private use. You don't
spose, now, that captain was up to
any misleading tricks, marking the
location wrong and shifting the chan
mel buoys, do you"
Mr.. Blake smiled and shrugged his
shoulders.
"You forget" he said coldly, that
I'm running this little expedition, and
I never make mistakes. The chart is
correct"
"AIl right" replied Brent, moving
toward the steps. "Then We'll pick
up the island in a couple of days" He
stopped and stared out into midstream.
why don't they send that boat
ashpreY' he added irritably.
"Here it comes now!"
We'll, I'll be going. | got to put In
a night doing some figuring"
Blake nodded, and waited for him to
descend the steps, then walked to the
end of the float. A few minutes later
the yachts tender appeared, and Cap
tain Brent was whisked out into the
gloom. The man on the end of the
gone, and then turned and walked
briskly away.
Dicks first impulse was to follow
and then he changed his mind. He
came from behind his hiding place and
stood near the steps, watching the
lights Pickering on the river and run
ming over again in his mind the words
he had heard.
They were a little puZzling; but
the main fact was clear to him. Steve
Cutler and his niece were starting on
q long cruise in the Pelican the fol
lowing evening, sailing under the cover
OF darkness, which might or might not
mean anything unusual. Mr.. Blake
was to accompany them, and, accord
ing to his own statement, he was run
ming the expedition.
Their destination was some island
whose exact location was a mystery
to Captain Brent. Who was Mr.. Blake,
and what island was it2 Dick puzzled
over the situation for a long time. He
recalled the reference to some mysteri
Gus captain who might have played "a
trick on them by marking the map
wrong. Who was he?
Piecing together one thing after an
other Dick finally came to the concIu-
sion that the expedition was an ad-
venture, undertaken by Cutler for the
furtherance Of some personal scheme
that he wished to keep secret, and Mr.
Blake was managing 1t for him
So far all seemed plain, but the
mystery Of the island to which they
were going introduced puZzling fac
tor that baffied Dick for long time.
1t was hours later when the truth
seemed to dawn upon him.
"Thats It'll" he exclaimed suddenly,
bringing his two hands together. ITS
Q treasure hunt. or something like