The evening world. Newspaper, May 6, 1914, Page 19

Esotes Fs, EAMETS OS, Seong at > the Snak with deadly calm to t tt i ae it a & t i 2 | i il i gz te i es if 5 Hh Liou He at ae “ if i 2 3 2 & : 3 8 .3 Es sf ef e it Fi i i is mm ry CHAPTER X. Gone! HE chief of the predatory band drifted to the lower regions of the house. His fingers wound tightly about the lone fifty-dollar bill, In forty-eight hours Captain Velvet had cost them, it seemod, three thousand hundred and fifty dollars! Pol- lard reflecting that he had not even been able successfully to borrow hush- money from the victim, stilled a little moan as he stepped out of the elevator and looked about for signs of —_ Happily, the sound of their remark- able motor greeted him, coming from the side street. He hurried to the de: serted ladies’ entrance of the place nd confronted the junior member— and his heart bounded so violently that it came near to choking him. Capable, persistent to the death, Tae inimitable Snake had gone forth and returned with the duplicate of Captain Velvet's bag. Sheer emotion preciuded speech as they bent over the wonder in the cor- fidor, Curve for curve, line for line handle, lock and all—they were @ good kid. You're the best I ever knew. Go out and buy ninety-five pounds of monkey wrenches: “Huh? “Have you the price?” “There's twelve dollars of my own left,” the Snake confessed. “Make it flatirons, Snak gulding mind corrected. Ninety-five pounds of cheap flatirons. Bring them fn here. I'll wait in the little parlor.” “All right.” “And get a thousand brass washers to drop in the bottom and make the rattle,” added Pollard, as he took a chair in the corner and wiped the flood of nervous perspiration from bis brow. Hardware stores evidently were few and far between in that neighbor- hood. Another grim half-hour Pol- lard waited before the clattering motor trickled musical sound into is ear. Staggering, the Snake penetrated the little side entrance and laid his burden on the tapestried chairs; and Robert Pollard thrilled. "L think I'll let you switch ‘em, Snake,” he said. The junior member scratched his head “He's a fox, Robby. Can you get Bim out of the room without bie bag?" Pollard smiled serenely “LT can do better,” he said. “Um going to stick him out the window while you're doing it engine house on the next Snake, Go west and turn alarm, and get back here, quick!” He laughed in sympathy Snake's bright Vot werrim patted the Snake on the bac watched him flit away again to vio- late another city ordinance, And then, minute after minute, he waited for the first clang of the bell, the first screeching siren—and, waiting thus, ho was astounded by Ryan's ell, whatter you know about the bag? Whatter you know about the bag? Who got it?” He started at tho sight of the Bnake, who appe: shoot tp from nowhere “1 rung in," f “Upstairs,” said Pollard, and raised the grip. He went on a run, too, and they followed, Just outside the door they listened, The Snake took the massive copy of Capt. Velvet's ious valise and stood tense, Pollard, the door of their own room opened just a crack, waited through ages Until suddenly bells began to clat- ter and whistles to thrill in the neigh- borhood. ‘They were every second, too, and T “Switch ‘em when he's out the window and I begin to point. Go straight out when you get it. Take the car one block north on the ave- nue. I'll be with you in two min- A siren shrieked fearfully. wi" said the owner of the master * mind, triumphantly And he dashed into their beautiful Guite and into the corridor, shouting “Captain! Ch, Captain Velvet! Do you sea the fire? Don't you hear tho engine? Open the window, Captain, and we'll"—— And, having dashed straight into the middle of Capt. Velvet's oparr- went, he stopped short. The wide felt hat was missing from the open closet; so was the massive black grip; ao even was tho person of ADVENTURES OF A MAN WHO CARRIED PTAI the captain himself. A siren shrieked ant anne ve geal and the mn tear Pollard’s brain. He whirled avery — about, peering at But C ‘apt. Velvet had gone, CHAPTER Xi. The Captain’s Black Grip. ALK along New York's East River water-front, examine the stores carefully, big and little, and eventually among the emaliest you will discover the ship chandiery of Hiram T, Pickton, Under the skylight at the re perched on a high stool at the desk, the bookkeeper-clerk—an elder- ly young man with wise eyes, who *pends so much time in thinking that he can never rise above Hiram's es- ae slowly and atead- iy. And as he writes, when the weather {s balmy, Hiram Pickton himeelf alte Juat inside the door, amokes hia Pipe, Permits an occasional Flatbush ten- ant to steal in and pay rent, and for the reat of the time simply dreams, Now and then he removes his gold- rimmed spectacles and blinks his mild old eyes at the funnels of the liner in dock just across the street as he Polishes the lenses, He was, in fact, polishing the lenses that brilliant morning when he be- came aware that a man with a black @rip had been atanding in front of the establishment and staring at the de- caying sign for a full three minutes, People do that sort of thing very rarely indeed; it even occurred to Pickton that the stranger might pos- sibly be loaking for something in his line. He replaced the gold-rimmed spectacles hurriedly and hobbled to his feet; he drew on his infirm old business smile and peered out. And then rather an odd thing hap- pened. The stranger looked straight at Hiram; Hiram looked straight at the stranger, The stranger took a step forward; so did Hiram, Their lips were moving. The etranger cried, with a break in bis voice; diram, by ginger! Hiram!" And Mr. Pickton, tottering into the full sunlight on bis cane, took one last, long look and croaked: “It—it isn't Joel?’ And the stranger’a bag dropped with @ tremendous thud, and he «ripped both of Hiram’s hands and wrung them until the old gentleman bobbed about like a leaf in the wind, “They call me Captuin Velvet now- adays, Hi, but— me! Ye “L guess you 'n’ me are about all that's left, Joel,” the old gentleman said soberly, “Come on inside and bave a chair." When the clerk had returned from hiv physical culture lunch on the next block they were talking about an era which, after the first stretch of listen- tog, did not interest the clerk. “I've been poking around,” the cap- tain said at last, “trying to buy some kind of ship for a friend of mine.’ “Get one?" “Yes, sir, I bought the Glory B. eid the captain, vith some eatisfac- jon. “Old tramp?” “she used to erry, Fes sc and Soiwhatd. you" pay, Joe?” asked Pickton. Fifty thousand dollars.” ackled dorislvely, with the junk marke’ t wortb it by the ton, by no means,” “I bought her by the lump, H the captain said mildly. “She runs.” “I'd never ‘a’ believed it,” said the friend of bts boyhood. “She used to rin up and down the coast; I haven't seen her for years. I s'posed she'd been broke up long before this.” she was the best I could do for price, outside of one old tops'l schooner that ought to been scuttled before I was born, Hi," he sald with some acerbity, for Santa Chanza to-morrow y, and I've got her crew on board this minute." On the corner a rickety yellow automobile had halted. Over the wheei a sad-eyed, rather solled young man gazed moodily along the dock and across the river—the Snake, In fact. By his side sat another worn young man, who shook his head and followed the gaze, and who was, It must be confessed, Robert Pollard, with the smile erased. Evangeline’s life jaunt after the elusive Gabriel could teach nothing to these two after the week they had passed, either in the way of gener misfortune or the growing aptitu for dodging around corners in pur- sult of false clues. They had awak. ened, that dread day a week to find that the hotel desired some forty-two of their $6 So that while car-fares held steady at 4 nickel each and the Spaniah Krute's cousin could and would steal oll and gasoling from the garage which employed him, they had rented a wretched furnished room and bunt- ed by automobile, And now, with the wenk gone, it was only plein that Capt. Velvet had vanished from the face of the earth: and the Snake was asking woarily: “What are we doing down here?" Pollard brightened with an effort. “It's the cnly part of town we haven't covered twice, Snake,” he sald gently, “I'll just’ take a little walk around. T've got a feeling in my bones that we haven't seen the last of him,” Pollara persisted He ‘stepped down and looked around. Into hin nostrils floated, the one odor he could n the scent of one of Cupt, V vel's cliars! From the doorway of a little, dirty shop, two houses down, a thin curl of smoke floated lightly, Ho dived forward and thrust hia ar'stoc nose into it—and he clutched his heart, for ft was the sime, same smoke. And then, with every faculty tingling, Pellard pretended to look into the window of the adjoining store and edged nearer—and nearer and ever nearer, until he was yard from the door of the ship- Out of that open way came clearly: “And thero he was, hanging to the bowsprit with one hand and shoot- gamest little devil sir, 1 ups with m: Pollard edged out, inch by inch, There, by all that was merciful, were the foreign made boots he knew and loved so well. too, was the end of the black bag: and having studied it for one aecond Pollard turned and fled for the corner like a frightened doe. A jerk and the Snake's head came inatinctive this time, and he had released his emer- gency brake and was clattering off once under way, turned with a scared: Yhat'd you do now—snatch some- Another jerk, found him, Snake, I fou Give her the gas!" panted Robert Pollard. | “The captain?” “I found him," gibbered Pollard, “He's in there!” Yet he was quite himself again when they banged to a standatill be- fore the furnished room house. Snake at his heels, he dashed up into @ certuin third floor room, snoring upon a dubious bed. the Spanish Brute, well fuzzed with blue-growth about the jowls, and he awoke cursing and demandin; “What—what—what" ents,” g@aid the cx- yet shaved and buy two the bag?” Pollard asked and then, as the Snake dragged it forth, “Is it all right?” ha: been touched.” You be cleaned up by the time we get back. We're going to move quick attention any- He was gone again, and the Spaniah the stiver coin with the alr of a man trying with difficulty to place a face he has seen soime- where before. know your part?” Brute studied Is he in a store?” “Talking to some one, and the bag Throw that duster over yours and do a fall when we get in- Can you manage it, Pollard asked anxiously. change them that wi “TH take off hiss! knowing it, if you want me to!” the “Leave that part es without him Again the car clattered to the water- front, but It turned down tho block this time; and for Pollard the houses were a mile wide, A thousand things could have happened, even with Cap- tain Velvet at his favorite pastime of telling his adventures, in that time. of them had happened. ke was atill curling from the door: the shoes and the bag were atill in and the car slowed down and Pollard had bounced out with a great, “Why, captain!” “Well, by thunder!” beamed Cap- tain Velvet as he rose and th: “And Jimmy, t “We thought we'd lost you!" pur- sued Pollard, with deep feeling, as he wrung the hand and backed the gen- fal captain away from his treasure, “We thought you had gone for good." he captain laughed mightily bean around town," he T was going to look you fellers up to-night.” “And insiead of that, we've stum- bled upon you,” sald Pollard have you heen? and changed with him s What on earth have ing? Why did you leave The captain grew rather sober. Lute,” he said had some business to attend to for a friend of mine and it struck me all of a sudden that I'd never get it attend- ed to if T kept gallivanting around and then I knew you'd insist on my staying if I started off. So just when it struck me I happened to be alone and—T left, and ths busi- ness took longer than I expected, hut it's over now. Wi “TH tell, you, with you hoys ns as he recov- ered himself. “What tho dickens Is the matter with my feet?” Pollard glanced over his shoulder and smiled. “What's (he matter?” “Stumbled,” grinned the Snake. “How are you, cap?" “Fine, son,” beamed their recent Ruost. “Say, excuse me, Luther, It’ ting past 2 o'clock, you know. looked at the captain again, got a date in Wall street at quarter. past, and I'll have to drag him away from you, I suppose.” A businesslike nod answered him, the samo being executed by Pollard. “Jimmy's right,” he confessed, “I'll bave to race, captain. How long are you going to be here?” “In the store?” “Yes.” “Mebbe another hour, I've been sorter living around everywhere since I started this business, It reminds me of one time in" —— “Well, if you'll stay here for an hour I'll come for you with the car,” said Pollard. “You're going to dine with us to-night—oh, yes, you are! And"—— Luther,” suggested the after the junior member, Fifteen minutes later the trio were in their room bending over the bag, “Well, rip it open!” the Snake Gurgled. “Open her up! His fingers twitched on tho black leather, and Pollard pushed them away and snapped open the lock, There was a resounding bump as three heads me together, directly over the valise—they did not even know it. ‘They were staring with buli- {ue joy stricken eyes into Capt, Vel- vet's treasury, And he had added t lection sin bag. A do: kages, and all rolled in thick brown paper, were in sicht—and nothing else. The Snake, with an impaticnt snarl, tore one of them apart and revealed a new, dark blue automatic pistol. Pol- lard, opening another, revealed a sim- far ‘new, dark blue automatic pistol, And just there the Spanis patience snapped. H. Z Velvet's grip and, stooping upside down on the fi lon his knees, pantinis, for the foast his eyes would have on rolling «old coin and fluttering yellow bills; he paw. into a mags of the brown paper pa Ages—and he sat down suddenly, with @ heavy thud So, for that matter, did Mr. Pollard and Mr. Evans, and the three of them stared blankly e¢ what Captain ‘8 bar had discorged use, while there w m brown paper number of several doz not so much as one 7 money in sicht—and tho | together empty, e neat, the was of real g Was al- CHAPTER X11. Capt. Velvet Is Poste: BERT POLLARD, In fine, was as thorourhly angry as they had ever seen him, and the Snake hazarded, almost apologetically: “Somebody beat us to tt, Robhy— that’s all." “Lt don't belleve It,” shouted Pole lard. Why?" "One of three things has hap- pened," pursued Pollard mebody else may have found even a third bag, loaded it up with these pistols morning—but I don't believe that Or else somebody caught him just right and sold him this load for his whole roll—-and 1 don't believe that, either, The thing that has happened, I'm almost sure,” and his voles grew more normal with every word, “ts that he's changed his gold into bills and tucked the whole thing Into his pockets.” "Or else spent It?" suggested the | Spanish Brute, Say, did you ever seo hi nd $160 VELVET’S WELCOM any money but ours?” Pollard de- manded hotly. : and we've got about §7 left, even now,” Ryan sald very earneat- ly, “What's the use of going after him any more, Robby? We need that $7. We need it bad, any”"— The master mind laughed bitterly, ebrilly. “We're going to have more than that before midnight,” sald, “Pile that junk into the bag again.” “why? “We're going back to bim now,” etated Pollard. The Snake straightened up as if a galvanic shock had travelled throu, him, “And change those bags again?” “It ho hasn't discovered what we left with him—y: “But —— ‘Can you do itt” “I can do it, all right,” the Snake eald gloomily. And they set out for the shop where Capt. Velvet etill sat. “Back @o soon, Luther?” hatled the captain. “Just for another minute or two, said Pollard, “Here's Bill, Bill in- sisted on coming around when be beard that we bad found you again.” “L certainly did, I certainly did, cap,” Ryan sald mechanically aa be lumbered in front of the Snake and gripped the captain's hand, “How' tricks, cap?" Captain Velvet considered him ap- provingly. “Excuse me,” put in the Snake in an odd, panting voice. “I'm going to y out in the car. They've been stealing a lot of cars lately, I bear, You're not going to be long?” “Five or ten minutes, Jim, the mast mind, and, despite bim- seit, listened, Out in the street Evans puffed a ibly under the weight of the flim linen duster swung on bis arm, He opened the door of the tonneau with one hand and the duster struck the floor of their automobile with some such soft swish as a well-packed tool- chest might have produced—and Pol- lard laughed boisterously as he slapped the captain's shoulder and ‘ell, It's a good thing to see you again, And the old bag—I see that that Is still on the job.” “Only it ain't packed with quite the pane stuff, Luther.” “Not! nost infantile pleasure ahone on ae suddenly expanding fea- ‘Oo, I haven't got the money in there any more, Lute,” he said, “and it was kind of funny, too. Remember about my losing mon that gold? He was es l1_ Pollard tensely. I wrong, Luther, I just happened to see a wign, couple of daya ago, of a feller that sells coins, He gave me a dollar aplece, more'n their wort for every one of those Louta d’or— there was something about ‘em, he waid. Why, land! Look!" He delved deep into his trousers cket. He beamed and showed to collard a roll of bills, possibly six inches thick and nicely tled wit! twine; and the outer one bore the mystic “M" of the thousand dollar ‘old certificate. Felgo I just bunched it all together and dropped It into my trousers pocket id T suppose, mebbe, it's safer there, yway,” chuckled the captain, "I might have left that valise lying pund somewhere. ormne queer, joyful constriction in Pollard’s throat left him a trifle husky an to voice. “You did the right thing, captain, he said rtily. "You always do. And lll have to say what I came to say and hurry along. I had meant to ask you to ride eae af, one after- on, but I'm called out of town, Perel, don't let me interfere with pas, Luther, or’-—— t I'll be back by 6 or a little and T want you to dine with us ushed Pollard, with antm~ us “But aft to-night ressic ni Thine a little while ago, and not quite 80 sincerely. “Up to the Redborough?" “We've moved over to the Brad- : they changed chefs uptown and wretchal there after you lett. now where t neen It, yes, Ihe there at 8?" quite charmingly, and pa tain's arm with real affection, “I send the car if mmy has ft In proper working shape by that time {t's trying to break down now, and” — “You don't have to rend any car for me, Luther,” the captain assured him. just wanted to say tls, though.” He turned to Hiram Pick- fon as an afterthought. “Thin tm IT Pickton, boys—friend of mine when Tt wan @ kid. Does the invite include him?" “It certainly does,” erted Pollard As he clutched the withered fingers with his hearty grip, “Delighted. Mr, Pickton, Can we consider it settled, captaine” “T ruess we can, non,” the captain sald fondly. “The Rradwyn, at ® “The Bradwyn ot &, Luther” “Three alee hove? wald Capt. Vel- vet ns they vanished “Live in at the Bradwyn, do they? id Hiram Pickton, and Smiled Ktrangely at the black grip. The enptain removed his clear and 1 at him. ys t kind of a sound do you call thar?” he asked oll, that.” sald the ship chandler, “ia the kind of sound T alwave make when anybody tells about nica peo- tle living at a place like the Brad- wyn.” Hack on bis stool the clerk had listened intently, ‘Twice had Hitched forward; thrice he had nod- ded to himself. And now some meas~ ure of determination anpeared on his rather limp features clerk stepped » hesitated aside his pen, Iked straight to the front of the store. “Mr. Plekton, excuse me," he sald, M k r vet sir, and T beg your pardon, clerk said gustily table calculated to dasale and bi 80n opponit chance, 1 wlong wi “I've got_@ brother who is a de- fective, and I've been around with him a good deal, and he has pointed out most of t in New York to me.” woil- own crooks ‘Go om, Henry! Go right onl Th urged his employer as Wuved, And. those t ree me CHAPTER Xi11. A Toast. T lacked twenty minutes of eight o'clock when the waitere had quite finished their preliminaries and left the private dining-room to Robert Pollard, hia excellent cigar and bis inimitable amile. In the centre of the room etood a Mountains of cut-glass there were, and flowers in profusion and candelabra; and it things were ao arranged that a per- son sitting at the table could by no possibility see the handa of the per- perhaps that was only At all events, the table pleased Pol- lard, which waa well, since he had © paid half the proceeds of one yellow automobile for it; and when he had made 4 final inapection he beamed toward the door and the quictly en- tering Snak And even the Snake, depreaned by the warnings of the cards and much recent misfortune, seemed cheerful. He swept the table with an apprect: tive eye and sald: “Ite all right” “Your end of it, too?” ‘The Snake sprawled on the sofa at the aide and grinned, “We trailed him every second, Robby. We stayed in that store till near 6 o'clock, Then he and the other old guy started uptown to- gether and separated at the ‘L’ The captain's at @ boarding house in Twenty renth street, and he'a got tho second floor, front.” “And when I came away Bill stayed behind, and the captain had just fin- ished primping up to start here. He never even pulled down the shade; we watched him all the time, stick- ing on another one of those freak collara and combing out his whia- kers, Well,” concluded the Snake pleasantly, “And he didn't stop anywhi “Bobby, he never spent a cent.’ “Um—all right.” Pollard nodded. “Here!” He extended two of the six little vials of colorless fluid that tinkled in the palm of his hand; and the nh Snake, accepting them, inquired: “Whe “In tl wine—we'll have to dope both of 'e If they squirm around where they can aee you, I'll do it. If they happen to get up for any reason, you and | can keep their attention while Bill does it, But wherever he kets it from, he's going to «et It good!" geid Pollard, with a sudden wave of deep feeling. “Little old Capt, Velvet is going to be roughed up till he'd make sandpaper look like greaac.” Captain Velvet pounded after the ancient ship chandler, up the corridor and to the closed door of the private dining-room, He turned the knob and burst in, glowing happiness; and he fet u package on the decorated table and seized both Pollard’s bands with a@ glad: “Luther, you dunno how I appre- clate this 'in you!" “It's the sort of dinnor T meant to give you the night you disappeared,” beamed Pollard. And then he looked Wi quickly, for the Spanish Brute had entered, and there was something the Brute was trying to communicate to Pollard by the eves ale Pollard detached himself for a mo- ment and, on pretense of passing around the table, bissed wickedly at Ryan: “Keep your face straight, clown!” bby, one o' them—" began tho Bruto's lips. Pollard had passed on, A moment the muscular member of the combine stared at him, and anger rose within the Spanish Brute. He shrugged his shoulders and scowled, and Pollard was saying “Now, you'll ait here, captain, and you right here, Mr. Pickton, That's the idea, You right over t Iny; an me, BL" Ho rubbed his hands und purred aloud, “What sort of cock- {alls are wo going to have?” , Jim- beside you'll have the plac turned to the captain, and the tn led happily. he sald, “I brought ‘em ne,” ally "Or something better than those fi rned mixed drinks, — Lutner nded the guest of honor as he ed at the string of his packa, nine glasses, Luther,” Snake found them on the mide- board in the corner and ranged them before Capt, Velvet watehed with real amusement aa tho captain brought forth a thick Ite hottle—a black bottle whoue | jong faded out in the mud that cove: and taen hi rd the whole surface, emply, the captain poised it “None of you boys ever saw a put- tle like that before, hey 2” “Liquor?” axked Mr, Pollard “Kum, Luther," suid his guest "Thit is one of the five bottles known to exist the ‘78 distiling at Lanta Tve had this bottle thirty-tive lads, waiting some such o 4 this—and now the occamin: colin un he: He nodded over the task of pour- ing the brown Hauor, and chuckled ag it flowed smoothly into «las originally intended for champagne and of very full capacity. He chucklod, By Edgar Franklin Author o BORN TO TRUUULE,” Bt Snake passed id then the captain stood 4 apoke gravely: this ta the sort of likker you ist about once in a lifetime! is is the stuff that makes million. and stands deud aires out of begga f@ men on their feet again! atu! you've mebbe, but 1 hope you'll appreci to the jolly good fellow it!" erled Pollard ef- that ever work: Ground this town!” - 1 e' that brought ik her down, lads!” thun- And they did. Or, expileitly, Mr. Pollard did, and he Si he ne termed the ‘ickton merely and the cap- after a rather startled feinted at tasting hia: fain himaelf, ook about, sal Well, | meant to drink her slowly, wort of stuf you to take @ alp of—and then smoke a while—and then take an- » However—gimme a match, “Sha'n't we dine before we amoke?” 1 always have half a cigar @aid the captain cheerily, “I Ay back like this, what I've been doin, of nettles you. They were humoring him that ev: ning; they leaned back and amiled quiet, and think ov. Five minutes later the trio were that stuff does work! put In too much?" The ancient #1 t of biting the his left hand, shud and turned bis pale- from the sight befo: “Lord know: whispered. fe: 9 to fall for this!” ivet smiled Rontally at his | Quaking and mutter- Ing at the other side of the table, “Well, inebbe they're Jitst as dan- I wonder it hip chandier paused jast nail from dered violently, ‘green face away 's I hope not, Joel!" he “E don't want ou way, Hiram,” But I must say they don't t very dangerous to me—not now!" CHAPTER XIV. The Captain's Law. JNTIL you have experimented widely you have no concep- tion at all of the tricks a Drivate dining-room can he observed Robert Pollard, without opening his aching eyes, reflected bitterly that the Bradwyn private dining-room could movo—obviously independently of the this commotion, running through the whole house, would have meant ruin, and there seeemd to be no excitement, Robert Pollard opened his eyes and looked stupidly toward the expanse of dingy white boarding just over- Then he turned on his aideand stared wildly across depths of a little room, fort that taxed him to the very limit he swung his legs over the edge of a bunk, and then reeled back again and tried to ery out. Because on the other side of the little apartment were More bunks, auch ag one finds on shipboard, and in the upper lay the Snake, mouth open, snoring, while in the lower William Ryan reposed, ob- livious for the time of an unkind Off to the left a port defined itaclf, little rivulets of water trickling down the glass, and beyond that dull, \twelf, since the shadowy ‘With an ef- thelr room just now seemed be climbing 4 bill—and now was diving down another one and ehuddering and rattling, and with the distant swish of water that reached him, Robert, Pollard all in one awful instant knew worst—they were pwhere out at sea! He it said for the excellence of his mental machinery that Robert Pol- lard seemed able to shake off even the heavy after effects of chloral hy- drate In such doses as Captain Vel- vet appeared to une, ing minute he sat and gripped his aching head, and he wi swaying and tottering to the berths across the room, chattering to him- self and cursing, ahaking the Spanish Brute back t ing hysterically at the Shake. They roused quickly enough, choked and swore vaguely and looked at him from @ great distance; then, almost at the same inatant, they One solid, rack- on his feet, Ryan, on one chief's shoulder Kripped hia @nd regained his wits, grammar, for he croaked: tobby, he done it!" Pollard nodded, with a ghastly gri- fe done it, Bill, fast enough,” be agreed bitterly, “That's water, think—over in the pail. He made for it, reeling crazily. He krimy gulvan- ized affair and shuddered, and then, having tasted tt, the fastidious part Pollard tiptoed to the back+ nd, and he drank deeply. hey were at his side when he fine Ryan snatched the pail and, backed firinly againat the wall, ab- needed moisture; 4 followed his example the junior member drenched a grimy towel at the side and wound it about The Spanish Brute, look- the somewhat ing from one te the other, terly. “Robby,” he sala thickly, y you to sell those little pidtet’ i Gnd let It go at that!” His head sank; be was tryiag te locate something far, far ot pene “Did that old fiend actually rug ue?" the Snake asked Ryan's head came up with an enap. “Yes, and that's what I was to tell you, Robby, and you hat? Le ‘ertainly! Didn't I hear ‘em tai. | ing together? Wasn't I trying to put” | you wine that they were wise?” A little of Pollard'’e horrid eolef waa replaced by pink. \ “I didn't know!" he eal@ simply, T thought"—— . “It doesn't matter what you thought!" Ryan snapped. “I'm telling, you what I was trying to do—and called me a clown! If you'd this wouldn't have happened!” Diamally a whistle biew. The ish Hrute ducked instinctively, from @ threatened blow, and he covered himself only to face Pollasgw savage flare of: “That'll do you! If you'd been good enough to knock owt old man—sixty or seventy years ola— we'd have got away with it ago! You're not even-that good! He ou once and you went te ! Shut up! And the Shake was weari 16 as he put in: Hill's right at that, Robby! ¥e Pulled off so many things right think they can’t fall down! don't know when you're going and if you're not” ‘Stale? demanded Pollard. I stain enough, am I thick to try snatching a bag with a mile rope tied to it?) Am I?” “Well, that"— the Snake mum- bled. Many seconds they eat and giare@ at one another. The room, oa one edge, leaned farther and and atill farther, ovet on the point of ‘turning uj The Snake held his bunk muttered fast, eyes closed. room for a moment veered back the level and timbers cricked a in 4 lontly and rattled, and the smiled forlornly, What's the use of it, boys? be: inquired. ‘We're all in bad, now. Robert Pollard nodded approval “ine “We are, and wi going ey ut of it, and devilish quick at ¢! a waid. He tugged at the dulled and It responded slowly. we ro far? aes ‘re on mer—he puta us there. we're on our way to Liverpoot-ae somewhere.” 7 Somewhere gate it!" sald the ie | “This is no floating hotel yeu | ad about in the Sunday papers, ‘Nteerage, probably?” Pollard eag- gested. f ot a Iner, boy!" the Snake uf awered, with gloomy certainty, as A looked about the wretched little place: Not this—they Soules allow it.” “Well, it's a steamer of some and we don't want to be Nere—ead | that's all we have to know 4 chief sald, with glowing wi 4 The luw'll attend to the rest @f it a." ¥ “The law, Robby?” Ryan queried, mildly i law! This ts al job, and if T don’t put roundrel and the captain of thie vessel behind the bara together*—— He broke off and selected his hire © from the swaying collection on the hook in the corner, Shoes and trou= sera evidently had been left on him r ey dressed!" he commanded, "My head's clearing up and we're to the person in charge of then, Robby?” the Spanish Brute asked, with waxing interest. “Then I'm golng to hand hie a lt of talk that'll start the seama of old derelict to sizaling, and after that he'll turn around and make th ext port. And after t the other end of the law : Just the chief fercely On deck, forward, Capt. Velvet come aidered the stairway that led the bridge. It had been a good way once upon a time, but the third — step was missing now and the fourt® tilted coquettishly to starboard, Have ing considered It, the captain to the little man beside him— little man with a broken nose and @ mahogany face, with blue-black hair shaved tight to his head, a neck @ fraction of an inch in length, huge, hairy hands—a man who bit into his quid of tobacco victously stead of munching it cow-fashlo Mr. MoWirt,” asked the ei “Aid we whip a carpenter?” His first—and second and officer he replied. a f ‘em muckg observed Capt, Velvet. i Mr. MecWirt gave rise to a sound, It might have heen « of anger or a lnugh. Having vent it, he clasped hia hands behind lone, shining oflskin coat and into the solid fox and then down the tumbling gray water below, thle not five yards fram th Cant, Velvet sighed. Meaning that the Glory B, ain’ much herself, Mr. MeWirt ?" The steel’ inher 4 2 - ns e+ asked the captain, with | Ten! Intereat. i. Wrinkles appeared tn the mahog~ comme neo, air,” MoWirt mute! tered, “It's queer, but I've got nal t memory 4 “Well, ‘t bother Iving about its nine,” sald thi t eoing to pull apart, jot unless we get an awful blow) — ‘And her engines—how're they act-|_ Ing, thie morning?" ' MoWlrt shrieeed his shoulders, (To Re Continued.) NEXT WEEK’S COMPLETE NOVEL % @IN THE EVENING WORLD® By BEATR in ! CE GRIMSHAW THE SORCERER’S STONE Fy ® Two Men’s Amazing Quest of a ‘‘ Magic” Diamond Larger Than the Koh-i-noor