Part 13 (2/2)
”I suppose it's always about the same old boats drop in here?” Mr
Heatherblooly
”Yes, always de same ole tubs,” assented the darky
A shadow crossed the other's face, but he ht air
”Battered hulks and sailing brigs of a past generation, eh?” He put the case strongly, but the darky only nodded s with people; he even forgot patriotis alanced now beyond theht and the left; but no one whom he had reason to fear caure relaxed When would they come to take him? The newsboy's words reiterated themselves in his mind ”Traced to this city!” Of course; Miss Van Rolsen's millions were at the command of the secret-service bureau; his description had been telegraphed far and wide And when it should be fruitful of results, ould becoo on, while he could, to the last
If he tried to explain they would consider it but a paltry blind to cover his own criminality He could expect no help froh his own efforts To fail, certainly; it was decreed
For thein his breast pocket seemed to burn there, a tiny object, noithout the fraure swayed; the street waved up and down He had eaten little during the last two or three days Scornfully in his own mind he berated that momentary weakness and steadied himself His eyes, cold and clear, now returned to the colored roped for and took up the thread of the talk where he had left it
”Old hulks and brigs! You don't ever happen to have any really fine boats co private yacht, for example?”
”No; we ain't never seen dat craft yere Dis port's more for lumber and--”
Mr Heatherbloom looked down ”I saw an iteram--that a certain Russian prince's private yacht--the _Nevski_--had daear, and was being towed into this harbor for eency repairs”
”Oh, yes, boss!” said the rip on the parapet ”You donewhite boat w'at lies on de odder side ob de island; can't see her frowine ter lebe to-night”
”Leave to-night!” Mr Heatherblooerness, expectancy shone from his eyes; he turned away to conceal it fro over there near the island,” he observed after a pause
”Tain't so much for fishi+n' as crabbin',” returned the other
”Crabbing!” repeated Mr Heatherbloorand sport! Now if--are you a crabber?” The darky confessed that crabbing was his ht over there; for a dollar he would give the other several hours' diversion
Mr Heatherbloom accepted the offer with alacrity A few moments later, seated in a dilapidated cockle-shell, he found hi over the water The boat didn't shi+p the tops of h spray over the port bow to drench pretty thoroughly the passenger In the stern, the darky handling the sheet of a small, much patched sail, kept himself comparatively dry But Mr Heatherblooh the briny drops stung his cheek, his face continued ever bent forward, toward a point of land to the right of which lay the island that came ever nearer, but slowly--so slowly!
He could see the top of the spars of a vessel now over the high sand-hills; his body bent toward it; in his eyes shone a steely light
Their little boat drew closer to the near side of the island; the hillocks stood up higher; the tapering topmasts of the craft on the other side disappeared The crabber's cockle-shell came to anchor in a tranquil sandy cove
Mr Heatherblooed to restrain impatience; he could not afford to awaken the darky's suspicions, therefore he siood luck, but his artificial enthusias the other side of the island, whereupon his pilot expostulated
What ht he would stretch his legs a bit on the shore; it et out and walk around--he had a predilection for deserted islands While he was gratifying his fancy the darky could return to hisin the denizens of the deep
Five minutes later Mr Heatherbloom stood on the sandy beach; he started as if to walk around the island but had not gone far before he turned and le up over the sand-hill The dull-hued bushes that somehow found nourishure froetation afforded hiaze of any persons on the yacht when he had gained the suh the leaves down upon a beautiful vessel She lay near the shore; whatever her injury, it seens of life were apparent on or about her Steam was up; a faint dun-colored smoke swept, pennon-like, fro her stern fro over the rail, and to Mr Heatherbloom's strained vision this person's interest, or concern, centered in the mechanism of her rudder The trouble had been there no doubt, and if so, the yacht had probably coh water, and at low tide any daht have suffered had been attended to Her injury must have been more vexatious than serious Would she, as the darky had affir in the outer, instead of in the inner harbor, seeained the deck and disappeared In the bushes the watcher suddenly started
Solance A ribbon? A fluttering bit of lace? A woman's features that phantom-like had coan to dance before his sight, but he could not verify that first ier, falling in strange angular shapes down the hillside; the sun dipped low At length Mr
Heatherbloom, after the , abruptly rose