Evening star., 1929-12-01

hide out when things got too hot for him.
They got him in the end, though He'd been
ra1ding some shell lagoon down south and beat
1t up here as usual. He had q partner at the
time and they quarreled over the pearls they'd
got Bradley wanted to hog them ALL His
partner shot him, but some natives got Bradley
away and hid him for q while
6" >HE partner never did find where Bradley
had hidden the pearls, because the ma
dVes chased him away. He had q pretty good
idea, though, and he intended to go back, but
various things happened and he died soon
after. That's how the yarn goes, anyway,
Interesting, what?" AnSelm laughed. "And for
any one staying on waratah for any length
of time there'd always be a chance Of running
across the loot"
THE islands were pretty rough In the old
days." said Mr.. Smith mildly. He blinked at
Anselm and added, curiously, What became
of this Bradley?"
"Oh, the officials arrived at Waratah soon
after his little bust-up with his partner, and
they took him away. He was sent to JAIL I
guess and he died later in Queensland. He
was tough old bird from all accounts. They
called him TyphOon-Typhoon Bradley. You
never heard of him, I suppOSe2 They say he
was wizard with guns, and guess they had
to be in those days"
He must have been before my time" an
swered the other, frowning. "But 1t does seem
such story is familiar. I've probably read it
somewhere"
Mr. Smith yawned and excused himself for
his regular after-meal nap
Hes all right said Anseln, later. Prob
ably some old trader from the Line Islands
the MaTQuesaS, who's been retired these 20
years. don't think he was even interested"
The day before the ATTabelle arrived at Bill
ton Island the captain approached his pas
senger as he was slowly pacing the poop and
watching the misty blur Of land growing ON
the horizon ahead.
Guess therem be no need for you T. hire a
boat at BillitOn" he grunted tive arranged
with MIR. AnseIm T. run him over and you
might well come along"
"In be delighted" said Mr.. Smith "I'm
afraid couldn't stand a whalebOat traverse
very well in this heat. Getting old" he ended
with smile. The captain nodded and moved
away. Anselm was pleased when he heard.
The ATTabelle lifted Waratah Island late one
afternoon and the final meal Of the day was
eaten in a somewhat spirited atmosphere. The
captain said as little as usual, but his eyes
we're neTvous-lOOking and the lid of the one
which was puckered twisted continuously. The
mate was obviously Ill at ease. Anselm seemed
in the best Of spirits and chatted with Mr..
Smith almost continually.
well, well be safe ashore and eating real
dinner soon" he observed. "In take the lib
erty of inviting myself over to your niece's
house for that, and as soon as get place
built I'll return the favor. suppose you'll
be glad to stretch your legs again? We should
have stopped at Billion first perhaps to give
us a chance, but the captain says he can do
his business there after he's rid Of u.s."
Mr.. Smith replied mildly and seemed unaf-
fected by the atmosphere around him. He
was quite interested, however, in observing a
cloud effect to which Anselm called his atten-
tion it swung back and forth through the
opening of the skylights above, and he GER
tainly should not have noticed the captains
hand lowering over his pannikin of tea for a
fraction OF second just before he lowered his
OTync lin