The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-01-18
The Marked Man

1
"Parish called" he cried. che GOT
a tip that the tender with inspector
aboard was to, Skillagallee week
come Monday. It'll be here any time
Scrub down the tower steps, first
thing tomorrow. See that your new
uniforms pressed and your shoes
blackened proper"
Norman worked deliberately. He
was curious about the inspector. But
the thought uppermost In his mind
was the neighboring presence of Ed
Baker. Baker had some purpose I'm
getting assignment to Blind Mans
Reef. II was childish to think he had
come just to plague him 1t might
be on account of Sue Stocking?
Friday morning. while Norman
stood watch. he sighted a vessel
moving from the northwest She car.
ried few lights and bore off the usual
track OF passenger steamers and
freighters. He hurried into the house
and stirred out Captain Stocking. The
keeper squinted through the window.
That's her," he said and sighed
relievedly. swell, well, well
four O'Clock of morning. Now amt
that like inspectors?" He went into
the hall and howled: "Sue, wake ND,
for the love o. the locksl Get into
| your uniform, Erickson. And listen
If you're spoke to, speak. II
you amt keep your hatch battened."
Norman changed to his other uni
form, combed his hair and put on
his new blue cap He looked like
seaman. From old Gustaf he had in
herited bone and skin and com
plexion and the indelible salty brand
of the sea, no matter what French
farm blood mis- mother had left him.
At the exact moment of sunup he
flashed out the light, just as trim
white steam tender slowed down its
speed quarter-mile off the point
The inspectors anchor plunked into
the water, scattering up white
shower. The tenders round bottomed.
clinker boat slid down from the davits
and three men dropped into her. Two
of them hauled at the oars with q
lazy swing. The third hunched over
the tiller at the stern.
Captain Stocking grunted. "It's
him." he said.
"WhO? "
"The big boy, hisself. Cat-eye Nc
Googan, chief inspector. Why'd he
come? Lord-a-mercy, hate the sigh.
O. his sidelights !"
Tho f.hiof xpoc n Ioo- I.,-k
man, sixty years old, with arms that
stuck out like yards on a mast He
walked like seaman.
'My new assistant He's called Err
ickson." s. i'd Captain Stocking.
The inspector examined Norman with
one short inquisitive glance. Norman
knew at once why they called him
Cat-eye. His eyes were small and light
In color, set close together at The sides
of a long, sinuOus nose; they were
los in his great broad face which was
shaped like cabbage and pitted by
smallpox.
"Good morning, Erickson" he said,
"how long you been here?" r
1.-TWO months, SIR"
you're the lad from Madrid Bay?
I've got report on you, report on a
fight Have to look into 1t. Come in
side, Stocking. Wait here. Erickson.
I'll talk to you later"
Ten minutes passed while Norman
fidgeted. That lying Baker =.
he was near forgetting the unpleas
antness of that first night He walked
intentionally up and down the sand
Another five minutes; then Captain
Stocking appeared with McGoogan
Remember, lad. you're on proba.
tion." McGOogan said. 1.-The capt'n
here" he waved his long right arm.
"has give me good word for you
1t amt seamanly to go bunglin fel-
lows in the dark, and you've the look
o. salt about you. EricksOn's decent
deep-water name. Capt'p says he
don't think you did it. Me, | don't
believe you did. either. Least | don't
want to believe it. Wen call 1t closed
Don't go fighting tn coast guard
This Is decent service, need decent
men. Now the tower.
Captain Stocking made a sign for
Norman to follow He walked stiff
kneed at their heels, his head hum
NJ :. Decent service, Ell? Well, It
would have no cause to be ashamed of
him.
McGOogan fused for half an hour
about the lamp. When he had finished
he said: It'll do" as If disappointed
at discovering no fault, and tramped
up to the house. Sue stood In the
doorway wearing great, white,
| starched apron with sleeves. McGoo-
gan scOwled when he saw her and
gave her thin good morning. She
showed him the parlOr first. Inspector
McGOogan looked IT over critically.
shifted the air. kicke, back the green
carpet and hunted for dust under it.
There was none. He looked at Sue with
little more approval.
"Now the rest of the establishment
Lead the way, Keeper. The sleeping
quarters first, then the fog signal, and
after that we'll talk acquisitions"
Captain Stockings bedroom, which
| Norman had never seen, was bare of
furnishings. The keeper scOrned rugs
in sleeping quarters. There was mar.
row bed, with two red wooden blankets
folded at its foot, table with q comb
upon it, q small mirror above. Cat.
eye McGoogan moved to the bed. ex
amined the sheets, felt the blankets
and muttered "Clean and dry. all
right" then passed to Norman's quar-
ters
There were four bare rooms on the
other side of the house, arranged for
the assistant keeper, should he be
man of family. Norman had scrubbed
| % h;e