| Show In Valhalla and Out By ay George Ethelbert Walsh copyright i 1925 b by W W. 0 O. O Chapman BerTie S ON THE PELICAN SYNOPSIS Fishing Fishing in idle fashion fashJon from a a. private dock dook Dick Van Ness Nees watches a a. ship the Pelican which ho he recognizes as ae the Beacon his fathers father's yacht before Ills his death and financial reverses forced him to part with It A A. man whom he hears a girl who accompanies him address as Mr Blake lands from the yacht acht The girl Irl drops her handbag In Inthe Inthe inthe the stream and Dick recovers It Thanking him she gives him her visiting card CHAPTER II Continued II-Continued 2 Mr Blake Dake he mused placing ironic emphasis on the name Wonder Wonder Won Von Vonder der if It hes he's going ab aboard ard the Pelican He meditated In n silence a few tew moments mo mno- ments meats and then followed It was easy to keep the couple within sight without exposing himself to view They were going in the direction of ot the private dock and Dick had no doubts about their objective He took advantage of every favorable street lamp to study their ther backs and once when the second man stopped to to light a cigar elgar he got a glimpse of ot his face That isn't old man Cutler either he said frowning Too young for him and too big and husky If It I remember remember remember re re- re- re member rightly he was a small wizened wizened wiz wiz- ened up dried man The one accompanying Mr Blake was an anything but that Tall square shouldered and bony of ot arms arms and legs he was the very picture of health and muscular strength Dick caught a glimpse of ot gold braid on an arm sleeve and the flash of ot something on his cap The Time captain of the Pelican he breathed He smiled as he be recalled the amount of gold braid and emblems that his fathers father's skipper wore Captain Johnston Johnston Johnston Johns Johns- ton I 1 Where was he Had he lost his Job with the sale of the old Beacon Deacon Apparently he had for tor this one was the very antithesis of the short fat navigator of the yacht under Its former I ownership The dock was in dense gloom except for tor red lights burning at the end and anda a white one at the entrance There was no sign of a watchman and as the men were unchallenged Dick fol fol- lowed When they stopped abruptly at the head of ot the steps leading down downto to the float Dick was within twenty feet teet of ot them He slid behind a spile and remained motionless better coal early In the morning Captain Brent Mr Blake was saying Take enough aboard for fora a couple of ot months We may need it We dont don't want to get caught short Reckon not Mr Blake replied the theother theother theother other chuckling sort of let the cat out of the bag if we had to sneak Into some harbor for coal before before before be be- fore the time was up up Yes we must guard against any such luch contingency Ill I'll phone to Blanks Blank's pier the first thing in the morning morning morn morn- ing lag for all the coal you ou can store aboard What the old man want to come aboard 1 queried Captain Brent puffing puffin volcanically at at his cigar Shortly after sundown Lay Layoff off here at sunset and when you see the signals send the boats ashore There Therell be a lot of ot dunnage I spose No nothing but light traps traps chiefly chiefly y personal things of ot Miss Cutlers Most 1 of the baggage will go aboard earlier Ill I'll see to that You say therell there'll be four tour o 0 of em Yes Mr Cutler Miss Alice her maid and Doctor Alster And yourself Certainly I said Mr Blake a little tartly Ill 11 come down aown time uie party All right Ill I'll have everything ready Reckon now If ItI I I dont don't have any trouble fin finding that Island well we'll have a pleasant voyage Why do you say that demanded Blake Dake uneasily Have you any doubts about finding It I Why no if It the map mav you gave mes me's correct Well It Is I l snapped the other Ive verified d it In- In in c every ry particular You dont don't think Id I'd slip sUp up on such a small email thing as that when theres there's so much at stake No I reckon not but Its It's a bit puzzling puzzling puzzling in places Some of ot them dots and marks looks like as if the they'd d been put there for private use You dont don't spose now that captain was up to any misleading tricks marking the location wrong and shifting the channel chan chan- ch chan channel m- m nel buoys do you Mr Blake smiled and shrugged his shoulders You forget torget he lie said coldly that Im I'm running this little expedition and andI I never make mistakes The Time chart is correct All AU right I r replied Brent t moving toward the steps Then well we'll pickup pick pickup pickup up the time Island In a couple of ot da days s He lie stopped and stared out Into midstream Why dont don't they send that boat ashore he added irritably Here it t comes now II Well Vell 1 Ill I'll be going I got to put In Ina a Q night bight doing some som figuring Blake nodded and waited for tor him to descend the steps then walked to the end ead of the float A few tew minutes later the yachts yacht's tender appeared and Captain Captain Captain Cap Cap- tain Brent Drent was whisked out Into the gloom The man on the end of the dock remained motionless until it was gone and then turned and walked briskly away Dicks Dick's first Impulse was to follow and then he changed his mind He came from behind his hiding place and stood near the steps watching the lights flickering on the river and running run fling ning over again in his mind the words he had heard They Thoy were a little puzzling but the main fact was clear to him Steve Ste Cutler and his niece were starting on ona ona ona a long cruise In the Pelican the following fol tol lowing evening sailing under the cv cover r rot of ot darkness which might or ml might ht not mean an anything unusual Mr Blake was Vas to accompany them and according according accord accord- ing to his own statement he was running running running run run- ning the expedition Their Ther destination was some Island whose exact location was a m mystery to Captain Brent Drent Who was Mr Blake BInke and what Island was it Dick puzzled over the situation for a long time He recalled the reference to some mysterious ous captain captan wh who might have played a atrIck atrick atrick trick on them by marking the map wrong Who was he Piecing together one thing after another another another an an- other Dick finally came carne to the conclusIon conclusion sion slon that the expedition was an adventure adventure ad ad- venture undertaken by Cutler for the tile furtherance of some personal scheme that he wished to keep secret and Mr lr Blake was managing it for him So far tar all seemed plain plaiD but the time mystery of ot the island to which the they were going Introduced a puzzling factor factor fac tac- tor that baffled Dick for a long time It was hours later when the truth seemed to dawn upon him it I he exclaimed suddenly bringing his two hands together Its a treasure hunt or something like that Old Cutlers Cutler's come Into possession possession posses posses- sion son of ot some old sea captains captain's chart of ot 1 1 TRY PIES They Only Half Filled the Box an island where the treasures treasure's burled buried And like hog hes he's tricked the owner of ot it and intends to gobble up the whole thing Its It's like Steve Cutler I IlIe 1 He lIe went ovet the conversation again sentence by sentence as he recalled It and in the end his conclusion was strengthened All the facts fitted admirably admirably ad ad- into this theory With the chart of the unknown Island In his possession Cutler Intended to pay a visit to It and If there was any treasure treasure treas treas- ure on it dig it up and add it it to his already swollen fortune In the event of ot its proving a hoax hoar he could hush bush up the matter and no one but a few of his servitors would be any wiser A treasure hunting expedition Inthe in inthe inthe the Pelican Dick mused thought thought- fully What an adventure 1 I wish I were going gong He cast longing glances at the yacht In midstream The wild Idea entered his bs head of ot swimming out to the time craft and smuggling himself aboard As a stowaway he might make the trip and blurt bluff It t out when discovered But Dut this was Impractical for several reasons The Time tide in the river was strong and even if It he made the yn yacht ht safely the chances were ten to one that he lie could not climb aboard served That he concluded would have ha to be his last resort The Time yacht would coal at Blanks Blank's pier In the time morning Could he disguise dis- dis guise himself as a coal heaver and during the bustle hide in n one of ot the bunkers Dick knew every nook and corner of ot the craft and he Ime felt If f he could once get below decks he would be safe sate from discovery Then the time card that Alice Cutler had bad given gl him jo Jogged ged his memory He Ile took it out and stared at it t In the gloom as if trying to read some message message mes mes- sage from it For a long time he sat satIn satin In n puzzled silence frowning at the bit of white pasteboard Then an e eyelid eyelid eye eye- elid e lid flickered and his lips parted a smile slowly spread across his hs features features fea fea- tures and a chuckle broke the time silence I J could work it he mused with u a little luck I believe Ill I'll try it In the morning At the time worst I could say It was Just a lark lark lark-an an original method of ot making her redeem her promise promse II lie Ile chuckled softly and waved wa a hand as if It in farewell to the time city that had bad treated him so shabbily Ill bet bet he be murmured it t will be bea big big improvement on this smoky godless city elty of ot Mammon I CHAPTER III Dick Van Dan Ness proceeded deliberately deliberate deliberate- ly 11 to put his little scheme to the test but first he be provided himself with a afew afew few tev hours of ot sleep to refresh the ba body Ily and steady the nerves By Dy daylight he reviewed the situation calmly and decided that the plan was as feasible as It had appeared the night before He ne ate a hearty breakfast at a nearby nearby near near- by restaurant and then ordered a huge batch of sandwiches wrapping each one In oiled paper as if for tor a picnic Leaving these to be called for tor later he paid a visit to a dry goods store where he selected an oblong paper paper pa per box big enough to contain a mans man's suit of clothes With wrapping paper and stout twine he returned to the restaurant for his sandwiches They only half filled the box The rest of ot the space was stowed with bottles of water and sweet drinks pickles olives fruit cakes and candy The proprietor of ot the restaurant smiled when he clapped the cover on the box Looks as If you were loading up to last a week he remarked I may need It t replied Dick frankly frank trank- ly Tm Pm going where grub may be hard to get I dont don't want to take a chance As he paid for tor the food tood and trouble the restaurant man made no further inquiries and Dick volunteered no additional additional ad ad- Information When the box was wrapped he lie borrowed pen and Ink And and wrote on the outside Miss Alice Cutler Steam Yacht Pelican 1 I Blanks Blank's ks k's Pier City I r guess that will do he chuckled admiring his chirography Five BIre minutes later he was on on his way to Blanks Blank's pier per The Pelican was already at the dock coaling Dick took tooka a n swift survey of the scene and then whistling nonchalantly with the box under his arm he be walk walked d toward the end No one challenged him and when he reached the Pelicans Pelican's side he stopped A dozen grimy grIm men were storing coal aboard a deck hand checking off on ona ona ona a card the number of ot bags carried into the hold bold A small g gangplank was thrown from the main deck to the pier Dick started up this thIB and r reached ached the deck before anyone challenged him Then a booming voice right behind behind behind be be- hind him caught his ear Hello there What want Dont Don't you ou know this Is a private yacht It was Captain Brent Drent Sure I I replied Dick nonchalantly Its the Pelican isn't it Mr Cutlers Cutler's Cutlers Cutler's Cutlers Cutler's Cut Cut- lers ler's yacht acht Well what if It It is growled the captain Nothing except I guess Ill I'll take a arest arest rest rest- rest here here Hot day it isn't-it re He moved his hat and began wiping his forehead Yes es its it's hot but It ma may be h hotter if f you dont don't look sharp What you got In n that box Dick smiled and winked If U I knew cap I dont don't know that Id I'd tell you but well we'll both have a n guess Miss Cutler didn't take me Into her con con- Maybe its it's a bathing suit or ora ora ora a diving dress Its It's for Miss Mss Cutler Cutler- queried Brent Drent picking it t up and reading rendIng the name and address Well slowly after alter weighing It wIth both hands bands sl she e aint here Leave it and Ill I'll give it to her Ill I'll put It In her hll cabin He lIe started to walk away away- with the package but Dick rescued It Not so fast tast cap he lie said good She didn't tell me to leave it she It-she she said not to leave It If It she wasn't here when I called I was to wait walt halt half haltan an hour Then If It she didn't appear I Iwas Iwas was to carry It around to her house The skipper looked a little tIttle puzzled and gave the package another sharp scrutiny queer he muttered I didn't know she expected to come aboard this morning Ill In bet she didn't know herself grinned Dick why she said not to watt walt tor for her longer than half halt an hour She gave me thIs tills card to make sure I could find her home He fingered the card carelessly and when Brent Drent reached out a hand to take It he let him have It The Time man stared at it a moment and then returned returned returned re re- re- re turned it DI Dick k felt that the card curd would remove any suspicion that might find lodgment in the others other's brain All Al right he said sad finall finally Stay on on this deck and when the half halt hours hour's up go down that gangplank you came up Sure J You dont don't think I was going to Jump overboard and swIm did you OU 1 The skipper frowned and eyed him with disapproval Dick Didi flirted out a cigarette and added Any objections to smoking cap Im I'm dead for tor a afew afew afew few whiffs No not if you ou stay outside was the surly retort Dick Is taking big chances Where will he hide I TO rO BE CONTINUED |
