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Show H iYcic YorL 7orfcor rtf nip, "o faro o rnaNj fl H .framaic incident rauj.f f.r peril am dcari. t the trfiri? o .it nfcorh.na ror n. rid M rfponrr of H j.o Jfajrfer A'ojmic," irrifca foi )c papw fcj hnkc Hj TArfcc H .CopyrlRht. 10IO. bj- lb.- Neiv Yock 11-r.lrt Co All rljht- rw rrH.J H .--w j in htirbor police launch was coming on H 6 I nftor them when ihey lilt for the shore." I cnlri Lnxton. "They could lmvc made II, H 1 but It was just n nip-up hmween the cops' H mul the customs. They look tho former." H "Preferred Sing Pins to Leavenworth," suggested B the master. H -No - returned the visitor. "It wasn't thai. Itamblo B said he'd rather take throe chances with the police uny H day titan one villi tho Inspectors.' 'Cops are human H he' told mo, 'hul when a iiinii works for Ihc govern- mcut he's nothing but a cog in a stamp mill. If you slip under you're not through till you're pulverised. H "How did they mauage to sock comfort in tho H municipal bosom''" H "Hove 'the stuff over uud Ramble Jumped on Y hit HI with a blackjack. When the launch overhauled them 1 thev were going to cxplnln what they were doing H and why they had no lights. So llicy fixed the H tableau for Hie most reasonable answer. Ilaiuhle piny- H lug the it roiis arm and White the helpless sailor. It H worked like a charm. Give the cops something they H ean understand and they'll look no further. Thai's H what Ramble said, and he took his year for assault H with thank yon kindly. White hnd free board at St. H Vincent's for a week, and the Surveyor's otllcc was none the wiser." M "Good 'figuring for Ramble." observed Rurcli. ("l H wonder If he wasn't rather forcibly reminded of i H certain ancient federal Indictment when he sacrificed fl Ihc haul and shifted ids petting." "That was, an additional stimulus to his Invcn- Uon, I guess. There were nt least three old timers at H the Surveyor's who would have given him the grip. M The cops had nothing on him except trimming a vlc- H Um in a rowboat. 'Yiu can talk about your enmem H eyes,' he said, 'but a government's got u lonscr mem- H ory than all the police In the country lacked end to H end with a picture film and a phonograph thrown H The master's lean, virile face relaxed for an Instant H into a quiet smile as a tribute to the philosophy of y M Ramble. The two meu sat in their former quarters. M the Fombre rear parlor. A whipping rain from soa- ward, a typical New York tnsic of weather blown M from the Banks, had driven them to shelter from the M .snmmcr arbor on the roof. Under the change Hureli had gone so far as to seek again his winter occupn- M Uon at the chessbOBrd and hnd run his tilts all aftor- M noon against nimble wlttcd Ola. Now. with tho sweep and drum of drops upon the pane as cosey cm- fl phasis of after dinner comfort, he was moved to meet fl Laxton's subtly expressed expectation with a tale fl from the past. The visitor waited patiently until H second cigar time, confident that the proper moment H wonld bring reward. And this was the story I he Hj master told; Hj There Is a phenomenon common to some minds by H which association of Ideas, sharply stimulated, may j project nil tbo Impressions of n distant spot ujwn a H present scene of vision. It amounts to an inner optical M Illusion and with me Is occasionally vivid. So it was that when I haw a certain shapeless figure In n wrin- H kled and faded blue uniform, topped by a round cap M with the low brim drawn sidcwlsc over a fnt, seamed. M sea beaten face, rolling dovn 13ea-er street ono aftcr- H noon the roar of tho city dropped away from me and H I stood once more In the baked brown plaza of Taita. H The Woful Sin. H The three Joiceless cacti and the lone, heat blasted H palm, pride of a dead, sand choked coast, shrivelled H under a pitiless sun that made the dull mud walb and H empty earthy surfaces writhe with torment. Into the H Aqnare from the opposite eallc, lurching unccrtJimly H on Its Rtubby legs, rolled this same figure In faded H blue broadcloth and tanilshed buttons. Uniting, it H Bbattexed. the scorched silence of tbo Rlcsta hour with H high, piping voice: H "Toko-cp the Covenant are wc H Well armed and furnished forth oh, Hj Each -wo-e-ful bin a foo Hhall be" H Then, catching sight of me, he checked suddenly H nnd yelled across, "That you, Burch? Troojis a-com- H in'. They've got tho guns and the pesos, too, nnd H we'll never llvo to up anchor. H "To ke-ep the Covenant aro wo" H I came back to Beaver btrect to And myself block- H Ing the further progress of the man in the faded blue H uniform aud looking Into the faded, shifty blue eyes H beneath the low drawn brim. lie made a sullen ges- H ture of recognition and we walked without n word H to the water front and Into the dingy bar of "Xed'K H Cove." Over the glasses In a (mjet corner I renewed H an acquaintance which had been abruptly broken H when he announced the failure of liln most daring H attempt at gun running In the square ut Palta years M before. H "Well, Captalu Welsh," I said, "apparently you H did live to up anchor." H Ho nodded slowly. "Up-anchored into Ecuador H three weeks on a mangy mule, three weeks on foot." he whispered asthmatlcally. "Xo damn thanks to M you. 'i'liought I heard them fusillade you behind the H Cathedral, but it seems you were safe euougb. I H brrke Jull two days later." Hl "That watn't In the manifest, Cap," I answered. H "If wo were caught and one got away he was to do Hi what he could to help the other. I lay hid in Ling Hl in'.s godown, aa you could have learned If you'd H taken the trouble. When I crept out yon had wluged H to iiarts unknown." m Welsh's false eyes flickered under the charge, but Hl he lKibted it off with n whlbtllug dennnclalloij of H Soutli America in general and Peruvian revolution- B his by name. 1 was -watching tlic man carefully, fl The presence of Matt Welsh at any given spot on tho H fnce of the globe meant that something wai abroad H which would be of decided Interest to tho authorities H having Juribdlctlou. He had commanded everything B (hat ran on a keel, fiom feluccas to eighteen knot Hj seal snntchcrb, hi waters red, blue, yellow' aud gieen, H with cargoes varying from ubscoudlug cashiers to M stolen copra. Ills personal pupers were dated Llver- H KK)1, but he could produce others Hint proved him nn H admiral In the Uruguayan navy and an authorized M navigator in any of the Seven Seas, lie had grown M so long in the shade that his sonl hnd become iinprog- H nated with it uud he hnd forgotten all tricks of auxl- H ety or testledne.NS in the most desperate, sltuutlons, j save for the Hhlftlnesa of his gliuice. Lie wns the H perfect modern successor of Trench nnd Hngland, M 'wary but bold, unobtrusive but dangerous when not B befuddled, a was too-oftin the case. Add thnt he jif- OKXi of ,THC 'XHPoE.E AND ONL " By Luke Thrice "Getting to my knees, I seized one of tho rungs and when the boat tilted toward the wharf again I threw my weight upon the gunwale." fectci n pious Bsa mid www strict In his adherence to some o1$ciiru Scotllh sect aud you have uiy plruto. "What Is It now, Cap?" 1 risked, when wo hnd re-11 re-11 lied the glas. "guns ngnln, or Italian nntlquea';" "All otralght this time, my id." he answered, without with-out the flutter of nn eyelash. "Tramped from Ylndl-vostock, Ylndl-vostock, the l'ort' and Ceylon, currying fiya, hair and tea." "What's your ship?" "Zumpa, twenty-two hundred. Utile iron lub thnt waggles off her eight per, week In week out, on u pinch of coal. It's n good berth, nnd I'm done with lha rest." Not All Believed. Itook the liberty of doubting this Information. It io happened that I was rnlhor clobely probsed at the tlipe. I had Just run my brief course as the society lounger, Frederick 0. iaeller, at a Klfth .tveuue club. Several events had made It expedient to curtail inactivities in-activities in the held of purple and gold, where 1 had raised several rich vintages, aud to efface myself behind be-hind a less obtrusive character. I was living on my reserve, which was ample indeed, but which I had bternly resolved to leave Intact. A professional opening open-ing that should keep mo away from certain conspicuous conspicu-ous parts of town while offering replenishment was n matter I hnd sought vainly for weeks. "So it's on .the level now?" I Inquired cnsually. "That must be n weight off jour mind. Now, when we took Wheaton and his Venezuela bank bullion" lie stopped me with a thrust of his hand and a warning warn-ing shrug, Indicating two men who blood together at .tho bnr, shoulder hunched to shoulder, in low convor-1 convor-1 gallon. It was a mistake on Welsh's part to call my attention' specifically to those, particular neighbors of our. Perhaps It was a half unconscious losult of tho importance they were playlug at that moment In his thoughts. Certainly he bad not the bllghest Idea that the bight of them would mean anything more to mo than that they were possible eavesdroppers. But I knew them Immediately. An experienced government govern-ment operator would have known them even better. They were "Buddy" Chase and a muatto called Simmons, Sim-mons, former leaders lu the Chinese Importation tralllc from Mexico and at present fallen to tho low estate of dock thieves. Their presence might, of course, be quite accidental. But It was enough to throw me upon the alert. "Quito so, Captain," I said, after one quick Hash nt the pair, "I'd forgotten your constitutional caution, cau-tion, valuable lu your old business and none tho less desirable lu your present state of reform. Kur, hnlr and tea, eh? Sounds good. No opium inside the pucknges by any chance?" Welsh wns plainly uncomfortable un-comfortable under my questioning and my Insistent gaze. lie gave an orTlinnd denial and intimated that he miiKt be going. 1 made no objection, for I had felt out no plan us yel. It was only when we pasbe1 the men at the bar on our wny toward the door that 1 begun to perceivo an opportunity. Welbh was behind be-hind me, but I was aware that some signal wns exchanged ex-changed between him and the two. We parted lu Water street us soon us Welsh could coutrlve an engagement, but not before I hnd Ieurued from-him the approximate position of the Zampa, lying In the stream oft St. George, not fur from Quar-anUue. Quar-anUue. My next care was to return cautiously to a point whence 1 could walcli "Xed's Cove." The two there presented a simpler problem than the Cuptain. It was dark before he returned. The others had not left in the meantime, and when I hud a glimpse of tho luterlor through the Hwluging doors soon nftor-ward nftor-ward tln-y had left the bar. 1 sauntered In, and after, n, word with Ilia bartender traced the .three to lite rear room. Thoy were sunk on elbows about n table. Having the plnco to themselves they spoko In dfetlnct if guarded, voices. Fifteen minutes behind the partition was enough to put me on all fours with thorn, nnd when I had the affair in hand il walked up to the table nnd took a sent. "CJood evening, gentlemen," I said, "nnd well met." Ohase sprang to his feet, staring nt mo In pallid alarm nnd clearing the chairs toward the door. Simmons Sim-mons bhoved away and his hand shot under the side of his coaL Welsh nlone made no move, though his pale eyes were a trllle brighter nnd moie Intent as they rested upon me. The Proposal. "Don't disturb yourselves." I went on. "I've come with a plnln pioposltiou. The plan is .sound, but you need one more good man. Here he Is. If you require re-quire references, why there's my old friend, the Captain, Cap-tain, who should know my worth." They held their positions for an Instnnt of silence before Welsh bad quite adjusted himself. "It's all right," he wheezed, turning to the others. "I knpw him, but damned if 1 know what tack he's on.,r Chase nnd Simmons came bnck to the tnblo nt his gesture and the three waited, sharply attentive, for my word. "Sorry to take ndvantngo of you, sincerely sorry," I snld, "but It's outright necessity. Aud 1 th'luk I enn enrn my share.", "What d'ye mean?" demanded Chase, a sallow, beardless chap, llthcly built and rather suapplly dressed. "I've been outside the partition, there, for the last quarter of an hour," 1 lepllcd. "Well?" said Chase, steadily. "Well my dear sir, do you renlly think your,con-vcrsntlon your,con-vcrsntlon during the Inst quarter of nn hour bus revealed re-vealed nothing?" - Cluibc would have replied, but caught Welsh's glance and subsided. The Captain's shrill whisper Took up the questioning. "We got to know what you think you know when you come at us that way, lad," he said. I smiled. "Don't imagine I couldn't understand. Som6 one's sending in a consignment of essences and you're going to get it ashore." i They sat silent until Welsh, summoning the bartender bar-tender by tho simple process of a list hammered on the Uible, called for drinks. "AH right, lad," ho said, suppressing the quick protest of Simmons with a cold shift Of his eye, "you've got us fair uud we'll take you." The sensing of the significant messages that played and flashed across tho boaid and tho correct leading of their Irlple.x import wns as close and dllllcult a bit of worl: as I have ever attempted. "Fourth share," I said, decisively. "And I piomlsc trouble to any ono who tries to count mo out." "Fourth share, all alike." he nnswcicd, with u warming show of hcnillncss that sllll further put mo on my guard. "And we'll shako all around on It, -with no hard feelings. It's tho game." Welsh had succeeded now in dominating the others nnd the compact was mude, solemnly on his part, Burllly by his companions. It was ugieed that we bhould start for St. Ccorge by eleven, taking adnn-tagc adnn-tagc of the tide and a light fog that was creeping up the bay. n For tho next twcrflioure the bottle was going freely, free-ly, and the Captain; led our strangely iibsorted tnblo ill conviviality, whleh wns not. I snspected, entirely assumed. Simmons! aud Cuuse responded to his in- , iluencQ and we discussed the enterprise from all sides. "There's one thing," said Welsh, nt one point, "I don't no ways like running against them government men. I'd take on ten policemen before I'd chauce It with one of them Inspectors." And the others, agreed soberly. ( It wanted twenty minutes of eleven, and we were finiHhliig our lust round when I saw Chnse turu his trick. 1 had been waltlng.for It. Ho accomplished it with all the consummate skill of the finished sleight of hand performer, a mere mnttcr of shoving my glass toward me across the table, but 1 caught the splash of the colorless fluid under his supple fingers. 1 wus careful to avoid the slightest appearance appear-ance of sucplclon aud manipulated the contents to the lust drop. Jt was dllllcult. for he wns watching me. There came an Instnnt us he was holding the bottle, however, when I wns conscious that his attention atten-tion wavered, nnd with a sudden, shnrp thrill of quickened Interest 1 understood that he had served Welsh's glass as he hail my own. The Fog-Wrapped Bay. flerc was an unexpected complication In n situation situa-tion that had opened on commonplace lines. Chase, playing with Simmons nnd Welsh, was crossing me; at the same time, probably with the cognizance of Simmons, he was double crossing Welsh. In this suggestive division of Interest, outwardly friendly but each secretly planning mischief, we ended our bout with a final drink as the Captain, Hushed with liquor, struck Into his one song with piping voice: "To ke-ep the Covenant are wc Well armed and furnished forth oh, Each wo-e-ful sin n foe shall be" 1 wondered, of tho four of us, which' one would keep any covenant lie had made with any of his fellows fel-lows that night When we landed at St. George from tho ferry the thin fog had blanketed the bay, a condition which, while favoring the plan, would bo sure to put the Inspectors In-spectors along the shore on the alcrL A small boat without lights ut such a time could not pass unchallenged un-challenged If seen. The Captain's craft, light and fast for part of a tramp's equipment, we found beneath the piling at a lumber wharf. The thole plus had been mufilcd and wo put out silently, Welsh nt tho tiller, the other three nt the ours. 1 had succeeded in reaching the bow thwart, where I could keep developments In front. Chase made no demur nt the nrrangcrucnts. A few strokes carried us out into the sliding, rippling, rip-pling, dripping mystery of the night Welsh kept his courso by a small electric torch and a compass, having hav-ing mndo careful calculations, ho nssurod us, of the tide. The fog was not so heavy but that we could make out tho bulk and lights of vessels passing and moored In the stream at a hundred yards. After half nn hour's rowing Welsh Indicated wny enough nnd pointed. A durk, lowlylng blot loomed ahead toward the Narrows, whither the current was boftly drawing; draw-ing; us. Under slight headway we unshipped ours, the Captain coaxing us In under the bow, and here, at his Insistent whisper, I grasped the anchor chain and mndo fash Tho act was mechanical and 1 failed to understand how out of keeping It wus until I turned to find that the Captain had drawn up near the others and was beckoning nle. I Joined the conference with. due cnutiun. Whereupon Welsh sprang his first surprise. "Lads," he whispered, "maybe you woudered. you two, and you, Burch, why I was willing to have so many In on a Job of smuggling a few bottles of essence." es-sence." lie chuckled. "I kept the cioam of It till -wc reuehed tho spot This Isn't the Zampa und we're not after essence." i No one spoke and he went on "Listen." he said "This Is the Triton, and the c-aptnln's got half the cleanings of the penrl fisher banks on board taken in two good days work, they were, between cruiser visits. 1 got the tip nt Nagasaki, where rIio was lying when I en me in. Thre's $r!i.CX)0 lu It If there's n cent Flvo men on wateh. Wiinger, that's the captain, hasn't moved the peurls. They're bid, and he doesn't believe any ono could know. He only got in ycatculny, I drove the bolts out of the Zampa rnclng to get here as hooii as he did. and he hasn't , hnd time to have chin chin with the agents yet. What do you sny?" 1 henrd Simmons draw a sharp breath cloe besldo me. Chase dtew himself forward toward the unehor chuln, taking oft' his shoes. "Cnptnin," lie said thick-Jv, thick-Jv, "you're the uncnged terror, .lust a minute nnd 1 I'll h'nve n rope down to you." lie begnn the ascent I of the chain. About then I decided thnt I had my cue J to sink to sleep nnd keeled over peacefully in tho j bow. It was not until Simmons, the last to Ieae the row-boat, row-boat, was about to climb to the low bulwark of the steamer that my apparent condition was noticed. Tie stumbled forward, prodded mo and gave the others the news as he swarmed up. "Then that settles him." 1 heard Welsh mutter, "and damn good work. Tou'rc certainly the handy hid with the drops, Buddy." What happened aboard the Triton, tramp steamer, that night, what manner of vessel phe wns nnd how Captain Welsh discovered the hiding plaer of the pearls were matters of which I never had definite knowledge. Probably the watch, after the manner of watches lu iort. wns mostly asleep and mndo little resistance. Twice I heard a man cry out. Once there was a sharp scullllng on the deck. Then followed a long period of silence, while tho little craft tugged "cntly on the henvlng current and rare whistles and fogbells sounded faintly from the upper patts of tho Chase was the first man to appear again above the bulwarks. lie slid down and assisted Welsh, who followed him. Both stood to receive Simmons, who delayed and seemed to move with dltlleully. When he was started 1 saw that his head was bound with a white bandage. Apparently he bud suffered the onlv damnge Inflicted by the surprised crew of the Triton. Welsh nnd Chase reached out helping hnnds to him nnd caught him as he slipped from the rope. The next move was accomplished without a word between be-tween the first two. Welsh whipped Simmons' arms behind his back and Chase sprang upon the helpless mulntto with silent ferocity, bearing hlin to the after thwart nt the risk of capsizing the rowboat and stilling his late partner's cry of alarm In his throat The act of trenchcry was accomplished In the space of a breath and Slninions, bound and gncged. was thrust M underfoot as Welsh crawled past me to the how and H cast off. lfl The Very Neat Job. ; I The tide bore us swiftly past the low hull of the ' W Triton nnd beyond before Clme could ship the onrs nnd put his bnck to It. ' Bear inshore, pull on your I right, Buddy," was the Captain's anxious whisper, k nnd we labored on Into the thin veil of the fog. IT (Welsh, nt the tiller, 1 could hardly see. Chnse was lil on the forward thwart, so near thnt I could have I touched him. He wus watching Welsh much more I closely than the progress of the crnft nnd I could ' sound his anxiety. It wns nearly time for the drops I to take effect even upon the tough constitution of tho I old sailor. ' I The expected development came when the tide R cased cloe In to shore. 1 was straining up to ob- serve Welsh( peering over Chase's shoulder at the risk S of discovery. There wus a mutllcTl wheee and the vague bulk In c stern sheets collapsed. Chnse ; I laughed and continued to row, "watching tho shore now for a" favorable landing plnee. L "And a very neat Job." he remarked to his three IS silent passengers, each one of whom he preened him- I self upou overreaching In succession. Chase showed himself lo be but nn Indifferent boatman.. ITc had difficulty In keeping his course . nnd he stopped frequently to listen nnd to study the . q dim mass of the whore, snrlnkled with rare lichts. , h Evidently he decided at length to put In as nearly ' as might be to the wharf whence wc had started, as I determined by taking brief glimpses of our 'nsl- ;I tlon over the side. The ferry house gave bin his , J bearings as he drew tip toward St George, and he mndo In with extreme cautiou. : Jk The bhndows of the wharf screened the next net ! I in the strange drama upou which we four had em- , barked. Chase was crouched against the side, pull- t Ing and easing the craft in among the slimy piles with awkward hands, his back turned to the stern, when i J a form nroe quietly behind und flung uikui him. M Hc( bent beneath the weight, and, reaching back, strove to grasp the unknown enemy who had so com- - " pletely surprised him. It was a deadly struggle, A without a sound beyond quick gasps and the bump- f Ing of the boat against the piles us It tipped aud 2 whirled under the shifting weights. I lay motion- S less, us unnerved as Chase himself must have been, S awaiting the outcome of a conflict the nature of , which 1 could not satisfactorily surmise. Chase went down nt last beneath his assailant, ; ! M who pinned him painfully across n thwart with a . 1 strangling hold. Then, as well as I could make out, . the unknown seemed his victim and arose pautlug. "Now," came the familiar whistling whisper of Captalu Welsly "That's a'lessou to y my lad. I've 1' H dealt with more of your kind In more parts than : S you've scratches to your record. Handy with tho 2 drops you are, and so I'll say. But It takes more than : n a New York wharf nit to put knockouts In my drink. - J You did for Burch and you did for Simmons and "t you thought you'd done for me nnd now l have do. j , l for you. Think it over, xuddy, my bucko . Oh, ' you would, would you?" h Chase had begun to twist nnd fight ngnln against j t' the ropes, mnklng several attempts to cry out Welsh v R sank upon him with the full pressure of his Jinees. f 2 and set himself to quell the final frantic efforts of his I; fc vanquished nsboelute. The row boat rocked danger- f ously and wns working out from beneath the wharf. I Looking up I saw that the craft had drifted almost .' I against the fixed lnddcr by which we had made j- m onr descent Welsh wns hnving all he could attend I E to In Chase, who was straining desperately, nnd his I ft fnce. moreover, wns toward the stern. j Getting to my knees I seized one of the rungs, nnd r H when the boat tilted toward the wharf again I threw t fk my weight upon the gunwale. Welsh, who was I-' W kneeling on his udversary. was hurled headlong Into U 9 the bay. The craft righted quickly after having j. K shipped only nbout half a foot of water, nnd I took I m the opportunity to mount hastily to the wharf. 1 W From the strlngplccc 1 saw the rowboat fioat away I j slowly on the tide, which was tlll ebbing, bearing C Its freight of two In safely. Phase was almost as 1 helpless as Simmons but I could see that he con- r. S tinned to squirm and struggle in his bonds and that I he would probably release himself In time. Jj Welsh, whom 1 knew for a strong swimmer, came Sf to the surface blowing and struck out for the ladder. ' J When ho had reached it I withdrew discreetly Into ; n the black ruouthiof the shed and there I prepared for S him, ( ; JJ "Stop! Stand where you are! Surveyor's inspec- f h tori" I, snapped as ho came squattering for the shore. j g It was the final test I had no gun. Welsh, I had l 5 every reason to believe, wus armed. I was pitting ', h the surprise nnd the fnir chance thnt li.e had not V g snspected my escape from the boat, aided by his own B confessed respect for the customs authorities, against j tho man's courage and nerve. v KJ He stopped aud stood uncertainly a few feet from R mo, peering through the darkness. "What's the row?" n ho Inquired. "I fell overboard." S "You came in that boat Keep your hands in f J front nnd turn around." Ho hesltnted a moment, (' then obeyed. When I oucc had a grip of him, thanks j Sf to the teachings of Ota, my Japanese, he wus no 5 longer to bo feared. I found a cunvns bag contain- f" lug the pearls lu bis pocket Sf I left him In u bewiideied state of frothing ruge, IS after I hnd rammed tho lesson home for his benefit l, ft "You will observe, Captain," I said, as I made him ft JJ comfortable, "thnt 1 kept the one definite promise I i: mudo, that It would mean trouble for any one who h N tried to count me out. All you others broke your $ gf compacts, spoken and Implied. Goodby." ' V V) To ke-ep tho covenant ara wo J Well armed and furnlrticd: forth.-' a 15 - if |
