White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1935-04-25
CHAPTER VII

To follow briefly the oblique move
ments Of Dave MacFarlanes diver,
Mike CASTILLO, the night before, and
after his departure from Friendship.
Mike was steady, reliable Portuguese
who was thrifty to a fault-that same
being the higher distillation of thrift,
which is avarice.
Mike had got hold of some liquor
ut bargain, and it struck him that
here was a good chance to dispose of it
at profit. New Harbor was not much
out of his course around Pemaquid
point and Mike knew that there were
just then several Portuguese mackerel
boats fishing out of that port. He de-
cided to duck in, dispose of his wares
and proceed upon his voyage.
This little trading venture met with
gratifying, but limited success. There
was not enough ready cash in the for
eign crowd to pay for the whole lot,
so Mike decided to dispose of the re-
mainder as market offered.
Then, just as he was about to put
out on the last lap of his voyage, a
French Canadian from Miquelon boat
that had blown in there came over to
find out what all the joy was about
He bought quart of it, paying from a
big roll of money that he dragged from
some recess of his sash and that left
hollow until replaced
He was the patron, it appeared,
and on learning that Mike was bound
out around the point from Bristol, to
do a diving job for Doctor White, a
sunk boat or something, the Miquelon
skipper asked Mike for ride around
there with him, saying that he wanted
to get new stuffng box for his ships
tail shaft at Boothbay Harbor the next
morning; and that friendly lift would
save him running around to East
Boothbay in his own boat.
What SebaStien, for he was the pa
from, really wanted, of course, was
the chance to tamper bit with the
diving gear heaped up in the forward
part of the cabin. He had seen the
De Corlays leaving Whale Island that
afternoon, concluding, naturally, that
Doctor White had offered them aid in
their endeavor and had looked up
diver for them.
With true sailor hospitality, Mike
not only offered to set him on his way,
but put spare bunk at his disposal
for the night.
It may therefore be understood how
thoroughly the skids were creased for
the launching of Tom and Robert into
a cross chop of troubled waters. Mike,
his thrift loosened by the practical
demonstration that his wares were
wholesome, had gone below to serve
himself another little nip just when
Toms launch passed them. So Sebas-
ten was steering the vessel His keen
eyes sighted her white side, and fol-
lowed her as she made her turn to fall
in astern of him.
Sebastien could not guess just what
was afoot, for radio telepathy has its
limitations, but he scented trouble. The
chances were, he thought, that they
were being followed by an official
launch on the lookout for bootleggers.
He had frantic moment They were
towing dory, and he was tempted to
haul it up under the stern, drop into
it and cast off But he reckoned that
he could not manage this without be-
ing detected from the following launch
when such action would be taken as
a proof of guilt. Besides, there was the
chance that their pursuers might not
be officers at all. but gentry with
thirst who, on sighting the cruiser
sneaking along the shore without
lights, had made a good guess as to
her possibilities. And for Sebastien to
decamp would be for him to lose his
chance of spiking his rivals guns.
CHANGING astern, Sebastien saw that
the launch was rapidly overhauling