Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-02-20

free lifeI
"A-ya, fancy i'll" yawned Rex I'M
feelingly. Just fancy THAT'S
enougnI The free life Of cutthroats
and scalawags! Where can you
find anything in the stories OF those
days to equal the perfected products
or the present day-a yacht like
this, for i~nstance?"
Well" conceded Pat magnani-
mously, you're probably right.
Much OF the splendor and glory at
tributed to the old buccaneer days.
I suppose, would be tinsel and
whitewash in the golden realities
OF the Goth Centuryl"
The course steered by Captain
Lee had been almost due south
from New York. the yacht pasSinI
between Porto Rico and Jamaica,
into the Caribbean. The itinerary
planned by Pat and her friends
would take them past the Barbados
10 Trinidad, thence around the
East coast Of South America TO Rio
de Janeiro. Buenos Aires, down
through the strait OF Magellan and
then up through the South Pacific
to San Francisco. That had been
the route planned.
The yacht had been running all
day under greatly reduced speed.
This was owing to the more or less
dangerous course lying between the
west passage Of Jamaica and the
Barbados. This course, Captain Lee
explained. was noted for It's many
ugly coral reefs that lay hidden
beneath the waters surface. In
good weather. when there was no
sea running, the danger vas great
~ obviated, although navigators
never overlooked the need OF eau
tious navigation.
During the day the yacht passed
within a few miles of several IS
lands. all small, but covered with
a profuse tropical growth.
Just after the dinner gong sound
ed. and as Margery and Pat. walk
ing a few feet ahead Of Rex and
the doctor. were about to enter
the doorway leading 10 the main
cabin. the squat figure OF the red
headed deckhand suddenly rounded
the corner Of the pilot house. He
seemed at the same instant to
catch sight Of the two girls. for he
whirled as though on a pivot and
darted back III the direction from
which he had come.
But in that instant Margery had
obtained a full look at him. On
this occasion her memory perform
ed its duty. She knew then where
she had seen those piggy eyes aid
that surly. cruel mouth before. it
had been the scrubby moustache
he had grown that had prevented
her recognition Of him that day
al the dock.
"Hahi' The ejaculation leaped
from her lips. She. too. whirled
facing her friends. her arm raised
n a theatrical gesture. command
ing attention.
Did you see that man just them
she cried eXcitedly. her eyes wide
with a sudden, newborn fear. The
fellows motions had been 50 swift
that he might have escaped the
others sight. But he hadn't. as il
happened. They had all seen him.
They stared at her wonderingly.
Il Just recognized him. She weuS
on in a tragic. husky half-whisper.
ITS the roughneck that black
lacked me that day-the brute who
knocked poor Jimmy down. What
oh what do YOU suppose, Is he
doing. or planning TO do here? II
can't be simply coincidence! mat
man is a hireling OF Maxwell! Hes
aboard this yacht for some evil
purpose-to kill Jimmy. most like
IL! What shall we do2'
The ominouS portent embodied IL
MarEery's startling declaration was
unmistakable. Facts We're facts and
there was no C|--ng them. This
man was a Maxwell agent. He could
be on board this yacht for no 9TH
er purpose than TO do MaXwelIS
dirty work.
we must notify the Captain az
oncel" announced Rex ballard with
a grim seriousness. The fellow 5
very presence here bespeaks a plot
of Maxwell's hatchingl He must be
put off the yacht at the very earl
lest opportunity In the meantime
he should be locked upl Wed bet
ter see the Captain right away!
They met Captain Lee az the
head or the staircase as he was
coming down from the pilothouse
on the ships officers, at the spec
ific request of Pat. ate with the
owner and her guests. Private
yacht etiquette differs ordinarily
from that maintained aboard pas
senger vessels. where il is consider
ed an honor TO be invited TO sit at
the captains table.
Rex ballard lost no time IN max
ing Captain Lee acquainted with
the facts concerning the deck
hand whom Margery had just re-
cognized and the positive menace
that his presence aboard the yacht
! presaged. He went on still further,
pointing out TO the captain the
absolute necessity of making it i'm
possible for the man 20 work any
fell design by locking him up Sc
curely until they reached some
port, where the fellow could be put
ashore.
"You understand. Of course. Cap
tain" continued Rex, that we
would not ask you to act in this
radical manner unless We were alb
solutely certain the facts In the case
warrant extreme measures. There