Evening star., 1928-03-11
The Devils Mantle
A MYSTERY STORY.
By FRANK L. PACKARD
By FRANK l.. PACKAR

all you get out of 1t. You amt going
to take 1t lying down, are you-like
a beaten pup? I've seen you fight once.
and what I'm saying now Is that heres
where you've got the biggest night
you've ever had on your hands Go
out after 'em with their own tools!
Nobody else Is going to. because every
body's satisfied 1t begins and ends with
Peter Blake--the way they wanted IL 10
be believed Find EN-. my lad, dig the
rats out of their holes, fasten 1t on en-
and then you've got some reason for
going around with label on you
Stating that you're Peter Blake! That's
the course to steer. you take 1t from
me: and, that being the case, I'll say
here and now that Capt. Josephus
Mumm II stand by and lend mana
till the crack of DOOM.
Peter was staring with knitted brows
again at the floor. Every pnysiclai
instinct he possessed bade him thrust
out his hand and seal pact with THIS
bellignrent and forccful little man on
the bed-and yet something witnin
him held him back. Was 1t an exag-
peratcd sense of honor-unduly exag-
gcrated: was it. In the face of ordinary
common sense. merely a stuboorniy
uuixotic impulse, that was not only
unreasonable and illogical. but one
that foolishly and brainlessly courted
disaster?
He got up abruptly from his chair
and began to pace the cabin-and then
once more he halted by the bedside
and laid his hand on the little red
haired skipper's shoulder.
Don't think I do not appreciate
what you've said, or what you've Of
fered." he said earnestly. But don't
know! It's not easy to decide. You
talk of running those devils who were
on that ship that night TO earth. How
is that to be done? II will require
money. and so far as I am concerned"
he thrust his hand into his pocket
and, with a wry smile, displayed its
contentS-''here's where I stand on
that count just as told you that day
IN Hafus hut"
In the palm of Peters hand were
six shillings. and long, slender. Curl
cusly shaped key.
Capt. Mumm leaned little forward,
What's that?" he inquired. The
key. l mean"
"Oh. that"-Peter laughted shortly
that's a souvenir OF the occasion we're
talking about found it In the bot
:om of Murchison's motor boat the
next morning when I regained con-
sciousness. The sun was shining on 1t.
and 1t hurt my eyes"
Hump! Murchison's. probably" OBJ
served the little skipper With a grunt
He probably dropped II there the day
before dunno as it's wise for YOU
TO hang on To it,
Il don't think 1t was Murchisons.
I never saw him with one like II"
Peter answered He stared for mo-
ment thoughtfully at the key. then re-
turned It, with the money. 10 his
pocket. Anyway I've kept it so far.
and / can't see whore II Is going TO do
me any harm. Let's get back 10 what
was saying. You talk of running
those devils down. How Is il TO be
done. without money. without freedom
Of action. and without a clue To either
their identity or their whereabouts?
How" spluttered the iraScible little
skipper "Damme. don't know how!
That's 10 be thought out. But III tell
you something There's been some
strange doings going on around In these
parts Tor the last few years. Queer
things. And I've heard queer things
I so where most men dont--up around
the fringes OF civilization. and where
been a murder here, and a wholesale
beach robbery there--a lot Of them.
It's mostly been put down to maraud-
ing Malays-the Orang-laut. or sea
pirates as they call EN-: but opinion
is beginning 10 change. And IN tell
you why. About year ago. a small
packet left Singapore with her
owner aboard and abou; ten thousand
pounds In cash 10 settle some deal
he'd made with some chap up in the
Natuna Islands There wasn't any
bad weather--but nothing was ever
heard Of the boat or any one aboard her