Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1941-02-13
CHAPTER IX-Continued
10.

Later Tommy made the bunk
ready; and Richard carried George
in, and Mary made him comforta-
BILE for the night. When he slept, she
went to her own quarters.
Alone there, beginning to undress,
she remembered the packet Jaram-
DO had given her. She unbuttoned
her waist and drew the little bundle
out and opened it. Although she
had been sure what she would find,
her heart clutched at her throat
when she saw them.
In the dim lamp light, the little
handful of pearls glowed warmly.
She stirred them with her finger,
counted them. Fourteen.
She stood looking down at them
trying to understand. The men who
killed Fritz must have looted his
schooner before they burned the
craft and sank it. Jarambo, in turn,
had searched their vessel and found
the pearls and kept them. Mary
looked at them in a sort of terror;
and when a knock sounded lightly
on the door behind her, she turned
with a gasp of surprise. The door
opened.
Peter stood there. He looked past
her, saw the pearls! Before she
could move to hide them he stepped
past her; took some of them in his
hands with an exclamation of de-
light. He turned to her, his eyes
shining.
'Where'd you get them?"
laramie gave them to me-"
"Where'd he get them?"
She remembered Richards warn
ing. II suppose he found them
somewhere"
He said huskily: "Maybe he got
them at the island! Maybe there are
more! Has anybody seen them?"
"No."
"Well, don't show them to any
one"
II WON'T" she promised. She
asked, suddenly wondering at his in
trusion here: "Did George send for
me?"
He shook his head, smiling. "No,
just stopped on my way to bed to
make sure you were comfortable.
He touched the packet in her
hand. Better let me lock them up
for you"
"I'd rather keep them. I'll hide
them somewhere.
He did not urge her; yet he showed
no disposition to 60.
''I'm glad you're aboard. I'm
lone wolf on the Venturer, you know.
The crew is down on me-" He
grinned as he spoke; but she thought
he was not amused.
"Why?"
"Oh, it's that business about your
uncle" he admitted. They think
I was afraid. Just because I used
my head. I backed our boay clear of
the suds so I'd have a chance to
pick up the men, and after that
they started calling me "Starn ALL"
He added appealingly: "You
know, Mary, I'm still kid, in spite
of this beard! I'm the youngest man
aboard except Tommy. sure need
friends"
"Well, you've got one now, Peter.
And really, they're all your friends,
of course. You're just sensitive. For
Heavens sake don't 60 feeling sor-
ry for yourself"
"The devil of it is not having any,
one l can talk to-"
"You can talk to me; to George
and me-" She laughed. "In the
morning." she added. II want to
60 to bed now, Peter"
Fright" he assented, and left the
cabin.
During the first days aboard the
Venturer, George slept much of the
time, while strength crept back into
him. When he was awake Mary
stayed with him, giving him tender
ness and strength from her store of
it, and courage and comforting; but
when he was asleep and did not need
her, she was apt to come on deck.
She learned to recognize some of
the men in the crew. Some were
good sailors, brisk, competent, and
cheerful; but others, Richard adj
mittea to Mary, were poor lot.