Shag Harbour

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21908, 8 October 1936, Page 7 (Supplement)

Shag Harbour

(By Monte Hoi croft)

* Chapter V. The camp was now in an uproar. Martin could hear voices raised angrily a* he bent to his oars, and the word rifle seemed to be mentioned frequently. He rowed deeper into the shadow; but by this time a round white moon, barely risen from the sea, was lying across the harbour mouth. The calm waters were a dazzling path and he was in the middle of it, like an unwilling actor under nature’s own spotlight. Above him the long hilts turned black.

By this time somebody was shooting at him. He heard the ping of a bullet close to his head, and the report of the rifle from the beach. In a moment of panic he was tempted to throw himself to the bottom of the boat; but as the second shot sailed past him at a more comfortable distance he reflected that every stroke of the oars carried him nearer to safety. He rowed strongly. Tha camp fire was blazing redly, and he could see a party of men starting off along the sandy margin of the inlet. As they broke into a run he realised that they were planning to wait for him at the harbour mouth. And he knew that they had a good chance of getting him there. Tha hills turned in towards the entry; it looked as if the opening had been made during some primeval eruption; a breach in the outworks of an ancient volcano. A chain of black rocks came out from the northern arm and narrowed the entry to a channel not more than a dozen yards in width, A second reef jutted out from the southern shore, and Martin knew that when his boat came into the channel he would be within easy range of the bandits' rifles,

At the first thought of his danger he was tempted to hold back. But there was no .other way of getting out of the harbour, and it was clear that the bandits were anxious most of all to secure the boat. If it were necessary to kill him to do this, they would not hesitate to shoot him down. It was impossible for him to reach the harbour mouth before the enemy, for the boat was heavy and slow-moving. But as he rested on his oars and gathered his strength for a final dash he noticed with a thrill of hope. that the tide was on the ebb. Although it was barely noticeable inside the harbour, he could feel the current moving more freely as he neared the channel. It was just possible that if be left the boat to its own course and stowed himself under the shelter of the gunwale he might be carried safely out into the open sea. He looked ahead and saw the cliffs in thin black lines against the moonlit sky. A great many rocks were grouped confusedly at the water’s edge, and there were Shadows among them that moved. And out of these shadows came a sudden minute.point of flame. They Were shooting at him.

Martin bent once more to the oars, and when the boat was moving steadily he crouched down in the bottom of the boat. It was a passage that could have taken no more than 10 minutes at the outside; but It seemed the longest journey of his life. At first the boat swung uneasily in the tide, and he feared that it might drift broadside on towards the southern shore. But as the tide rip gathered speed he found .to his Joy that the drift was faintly to the north and that he was be-

ing carried towards the end of the reef.

They were now firing steadily. He beard the bullets making their sinister whistling sound above him, and once a splinter of wood was chipped from the g’ nwale and hurled into his face. The danger increased when he found the boat moving too close to the reef. He was forced to expose his head and shoulder while he pushed an oar against a black fang of rock, and it seemed then that the firing was at its hottest. But all the time the boat was nosing its way towards the open sea; the long Pacific surge was beginning to lift him nearer the stars and send him sliding into hollows filmed with a drifting spray. At first Martin bad felt himself in a mere vacancy of few. But as the bullets passed safely above him and he grew inured to an atmosphere of danger, he found his brain working with an unexpected quickness and clearness. And It was now that he discovered his plan for outwitting the bandits in their final dash for safety. Perhaps it was the

nearness of the rocks and the narrowness of the channel that forced the idea into hie mind. But he believed also that it was the movement and the excitement and the gladness as he found himself safely accomplishing the passage to the sea.

The lift of the waves now made him a difficult target for marksmen, and he sat up boldly and leaned to his oars. Over his shoulder he could see the Rata, riding easily at anchor. He rowed now with a willing and joyful stroke and in a little while he was able to rest on his oars and send a hail towards the scow. It wap answered immediately, and he knew 4 hat Maddren had been watching for him. The last lap of the journey was quickly covered, and when the boat had been made fist against the schooner’s side be clambered over the bulwarks and was greeted by the engineer and the cook with every sign or relit! "Thank heavens!" exclaimed Mad* dren, clutching at him as If determined to keep a firm hold on him in future.. “I heard the shooting and thought it was all up with you.”

“They chased me to the entry. And listenl” be went on eagerly. “It’s the Storm Bird in there. They’ve been patching her up, and they’ll be leaving in the morning." Maddren did not seem altogether surprised.

“I’ve suspected something like this all along," he said, "But I didn’t want to be too inquisitive while there was a chance of getting your father into trouble."

Martin gave a short, account of his adventure, and when he had finished Maddren confirmed the radio message from Wellington. ‘There'll be aeroplanes up this way first thing In the morning. The best thing we can do is to start up our engine and limp a doaen miles down the coast out of the way. These fellows will stop at nothing now they know the police have heard about them. TbeyTl float their launch right away. There’s plenty of moonlight, and they’ll want to be well out at sea by daybreak."

"That means the aeroplanes will be too late. They won’t be able to stop the launch, even if they follow hj« « hundred miles out to sea." “But they’ll have her direction, son, And fast boats can do the rest."

“But Ale’s mighty fast herself. Bill. And Australia's a big lump of

land What’s to stop them making for lonely waters and totting into one of those empty harbours?* Then they can disappear into the bush and lie low. And the gold will vanish with thorn." Maddren was rubbing bis chin uncertainly.

That’s well enough, son. But I reckon we’ve done our share in this business. There’s nothing more we can do.”

But there is!” exclaimed Martin triumphantly. “And it’s up to us to .« 0 it* I got an idea about it while they were shooting at me. SthW to «>«

Maddren looked alarmed. fh '7 h T er « a gun on the ship Spiked” °* 'wT abort M

“They won’t Have « chance. Tve bam thinking it out" He hurried into details, and when he bad toished Maddren looked at toecook, aneldwly man with a bald and shining bead who-listened throughout with open-mouthed ittendon. “What do you tltink at it, Sfivd?",

"A 10l of nons«ns« T ” mid the in a husky voice. “That's a* is. All the same/’ he added, with you if you want to tn chance. There was a big rewei fared for information about.l fellows right after the hold-iqjkV shouldn't we be in on itt* "Why notr |

Xfoddren was warming up *TU send off a message ij lington," he said; "and get J hurry up those eeropleneaT

Half an hour later he was dl the engine-room, and «M Diesel motor was running aft at them went forward w/li f Tichor "h# 8 ? 11 safely slowed,.,! dren returned to«» fenSaSl end Martin went aft to urn* Not for nothing was ha n ttl son. Since he wm a snaS J had made occasional hepdiM on the Rata, and more Ini his father had allowed Uni a trick at the wheel. Be H wheel quiver beneeth his JM the Rata began to move, ei blood ran freely through hp as he turned the spokes and Jl schooner’s blunt nose swing I round f towards the stance. .

The cook wax paying out of hose, and when the aw running freely Maddrenj deck end gave a band wtth parationx. Shoreward inj nothing to be seen wrM outline of the hills and xhadowx of the entry; new he turned hi* gase eenetj this direction, and pnaaM aft to the helmsman. "We'll be aU right” betii rd feel better ilwe had l some kind." "Perhaps Fletcher hat« where.” 'i>.s

"That’s an Idea. HI gft i among his belooginga, “Be careful,"said 111 Maddren turned towards i panion-way. “He’ll be ripe chief after being locked IE? Maddren waved bis bull appeared down thd- vj Martin kept his eyes sg bows, and watched the «• nearer. Ho sail was Rata was moving very Ml She was getting there. Jj The cook had vanished! strange silence of the sea 4 upon the scow. Only th chug of the Diesel engiHg sound of life to the mom And suddenly, to Mans prise, this grew fainter* I away. He kept the Hatj course, and waited for Mi reappear on deck. But DM passed, and all the time! was losing headway. 90OT drifting quietly on the PM[ Martin allowed the wh*i round, and was going to I search of Maddren. »ut 1 could move he heard a vwb him, and something thir. i wes Jabbed into the sssaj back. * jl "Stay where you are fellow!” ] Martin gripped the wheefi necessary force. He recogj voice of Fletcher. ’ (To be continued^

THE WANDERS SPECTRE:. | Here Is 90 old soft rhyme: Woe’s me. woe’s me* The acorn’s not jrft Fallen from the tre*j That’s to grow the That’s to make the eg That’s to rock dm W That’s to grow a mm That’s to Jay m*