SHORT STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13454, 3 June 1907, Page 3

SHORT STORY.

THE MYSTERY OF 'TB- EMILY "■■ " 7 .GRIMES.- ■■ , , I. iC-APTATX Hackett sighed, and I may a I well let you. into the secret at once why hi did so. Ho. was hard. up. Five years ag< he had suddenly made up his mind to for !sake a knockabout life, and of all thingIto take its place had decided to rear poultry on a little farm ho knew of. I However, as things were shaping at pre sent, there seemed little prospect of his do ling as he wished, for since this decisici j nothing had prospered with him. First o fall, tho bank in which his savings wore de | posited suspended payment, and to mak< ! matters worse, just about this time th< owners of the vessel he was master of sole her, thus leaving him without a command ! Since then he had walked the heels .ff hi ;boots looking for another ship, and that hi hadn't found one was the prim*, roasoi ! why he now sat in a sailors' shabby board j ing-house at Sydney and sighed. j Presently his face cleared, and, risinj ! from the chair he occupied, he reached' fo a Derby hat, much the worse for wear, an( (with the ; air of a man who has at las j decided some knotty point in his mind, ad I justed it to his head and sallied forth int< tho street. He walked quickly along until | reaching Erskine-street, he turned sharp! jto the right, a direction which brought hin jto the waterside, where all his attentio: seemed to be claimed by a three-mastc< schooner which lay over toward Johnson' Bay. To the nautical observer she was read; for soa. As a matter of fact, she had bcci ready for the last week, and all she nan waited for was a man to command her Yet so far that man had not been found In a port like Sydney where, I am assured there are men willing to captain Noah* Ark or a bathing-machine, this little cir cumstahco said quite plainly that then was something seriously in the way o their doing so. It was just this: For t-hi last three voyages in succession ths Emit; Grimes, three-masted schooner, had return ed to Sydney without, the man who ha( left that port in charge of her, he bavin; died some time through the trip. As a last resource for employment Captau Hackctt's resolve was to offer his service in respect to tho Emily Grimes. Having once made up his mind .ho soon put hi plan into execution. - "Your fraternity seem to have tabooet her," said the owner, Mi. Waters, jumping at the chance of a. man with Hackett's capa bility, " and I'm glad to see you're abovi such silly superstition." " Don't know about that," replied Hac kett. "My experience teaches mo that on< never sees smoke unless there's a fire some where to account for it. This isn't exactly tho job I should choose for myself, bu needs must when the devil drives, and, a: I'm hard up, I'm going the whole hog anc take it with my eyes open." "Tut, tut, man," said Mr. Waters; "wha' has happened is simply a coincidence though a strange one. There's no mysterj hero, I can assure you, and I'm ready it plank down 500 sovereigns to the man whe can prove there is. Don't run away witi the idea that.this is a liberal offer, for, as thcro's nothing to find out,_ no one is likely to handle tho sum I mention." ■ :** ' '"There's no harm in having it in writing," remarked Hackett, with business in-

stinct. . ',-'.-.-; ";':-■ "Not in the least," replied the- other. grinning; " the result will be tho same. Hero you are' 1 ." . _ - Twenty-four hours later the Emily Grimes was once more breasting the broad Pacific, and Captain Hackett was in charge of her. There were six men for'ard, with two mate's and a steward aft. The latter was an East Indian, with large, patient-locking eyes, bub it was noticeable that, they gleamed with a strange fire in moments of excitement. - For a vessel of her class Captain Hackett found the Emily Grimes all that could be desired, and yet, strangely enough, he was anything but easy in his mind. The presentiment of something hanging over him got on his nerves, giving him a sensation of timidity he had never known before. Had it been something palpable, something ho.could have grasped, Captain Hackett was tho sort of man to hit it in the eye, or, failing in the -first attempt, ' : get up anc go for it again." '?.'• r "■ '- i" • Three months, spent around the Line Islands, slipped quickly away. 111-luck, which had been Hacketfc's portion for so long, seemed to have grown tired of persecuting him, and, indeed, went i'to » the other extreme. Tho Emily Grimes, now a full ship, was bowling south ■ again, with a reasonable prospect or making a record, , both in the quality of cargo and tho time taken to gather it. - . _ With this chance in front of him, tho skipper was just as keen on it as an automobilist in a race, so, with a freshening wind, decided to remain on deck all night, and, as ho quaintly remarked, drive the coach himself.. It was breaking daylight before ho finally .went- below -to obtain the sleep he was,in need of.'..' :' ....-: Tho steward into the berth carrying the morning -coffee, and, placing it on tho settee, departed as quietly as ho had come. ,■„ '~'.',•' \'■ >■-'-': ■! -' • •?-<'■' ; : • Preparatory! to , turning, in . for an hour or so Captain Hackett, divested himself of his coat, and, tossing it down without looking where it was going," upset the coffee the steward had placed ready for him. He little thought at the time that this trivial accident would be the means of saving his life. .Righting'the cup, tho contents of which bad been ■absorbed by .the cushion, a moment later ho turned into his bunk. Yet, in spito of his night vigil, ho couldn't drop 3rT. Usually a question of two minutes, it now seemed an impossibility, all his senses joing.moro than usually alert. # Half-an-hour of this sort of thing in-

luced him -to give up the attempt, and ie was just on the point of rising to go in deck again, when the sliding -curtains vhich hung in front of his door were quietly pushed aside, and the head of the steward ippeared in the opening. There was nothing unusual in this, for probably the man visaed to remove the cup and saucer, and lad taken the precaution of observing _ it k> could do so without awakening the skipMr. But what struck Captain Hackett and troused his curiosity was the peculiar gleam n the steward's eyes, and ' the look of inonso excitement on bis face. Apparently satisfied with his scrutiny, the nan entered the cabin, noiselessly drawing he curtain after him. " Confound tho fellow," thought the skip>er, on the point of revealing that he was iwake, " why all this mystery about gatherng up a cup and saucer?" • However, the man didn't gather up anyng. He simply looked at the crockery, and >utting his forefinger and thumb into his locket, drew forth some- minute instrument. The plot was thickening with a ven;eance, and in his surprise Captain H?»c:e'tt nearly betrayed himself by opening his yes to see what the article might be. Just ,t that moment the man was looking at tho bject in his hand, otherwise he must have eon him; but by the time he raised his toad again Captain Hackett was motionless, '.'not so much as the flicker of an eyeash as evidence that he had been observng the intruder. All the same, as he lay here his mind was working actively, and ■very fibre of his body tingled, for he was onvinoed that ■ here, in the- peculiar belaviour of tho mah in front of him, was he solution of the mystery which had eneloped the Emily Grimes. . ;■; Captain Hackett afterward declared that he next 60 seconds was the worst and ingest minute ho ever put in through his ife. Having made up his mind to gain osscssion of whatever was contained in the towards hand without giving him a chance 3 make away with it, the skipper had need f all his self-control to lie perfectly still ntil tho man approached and stood over im. When this happened Hackett waited no >nger. His eyes opened and his fist shot ut at the same instant, but owing to his rorie attitude he failed to attain the ob;ct desired, which was to reach that vulorable spot known to the fraternity as the point," However, his blow was suffiiently hard to send the man staggering to ie other side of the berth, and the skipper

jumped quickly from the bunk to follow up his advantage. But ho had a bigger job in- front- of him than ho had anticipated, for, although the steward looked a frail object of humanity, in reality he was as wiry and supple as an eel. Gifted in this manner 'tis surprising the amount of trouble a small man < can give a bigger one when it comes to a scrap. As the. mate who had charge of 'the deck walked sleepily to and fro he caught the .sound of something unusual going on below. He stopped his sleepy parade to listen in- ■ tentlv and the next moment had taken at a bound the steps which led into the cabin. Hastily plucking the curtains aside, ho saw what was going on and hastened to join in' the fray. Seeing he was likely to be cornered, the Indian put down his head, and, charging desperately at the mate's legs, upset him,

in th alleyway. Before tho : mate, could '.regain lib" feet- th* man jumped past him, , and in spite of the grab Captain '.Hackett made for him, bounded! up the companion- * way, and on reaching the clock made straight ■■■.- for the galley and barricaded the door. The 'question now was how to dislodge him, for Ik was armed. By charging *foi the door five minutes would have beer .ample time in which to burst it in, but Cap J tain Hackett had no idea of losing half hi; 18 crew in this manner. 10 1 Midday came and went, and still th* to steward was in possession. > r- { Captain Hackett called the mate to him. j J" Look here," said he, ■" it's about time wc stopped his little cape:-, don't you think sol 3 lOf coarse, I could shoot him . from where j I stand, but that's not my plan. I've jual e-j noticed that th* galley-hatch *is off,anci o- I wonder* I didn't see it before. Now, .'while you engage his attention, I'm going .* to creep for'ard. You see the novo; don't jyou'f I'm going to jump on him." ._ | The ma grinned. "'Let me do it, cap 1 tain," he pleaded; "I'm lighter than' voi: »« arc." - - ■ , id | '"Just the reason you shouldn't," replied j. i Hackett, pleasantly. " 1 weigh close on j. one hundred and ninety pound's, and that'; "ft ho beauty of it. Now, when I jump, lei !0 the crowd make for the door; he'll have jail his work cut out without paying attend- ; tion to you." ; j : Ten minutes later Captain Hackett had ' gained the fore-part of the ship, and, hav ° hag removed his boots, climbed on to the -"' | house.. l :-, ". . : , . ~. .--.;. id | It required a nice, clean jump to do what stjwas intended, for the hatch "was only a c j_ | little over two feet square, and to bungle l„ jit would give the steward time to malt ' .matters exceedingly warm for him. Hnc '*, ikett stood eyeing the aperture for souk ly | moments before holding up his hand as • m , signal for the others to create a diversion. in ]and then, taking a short run, disnppea'rec , ; through the hole as neatly j»s though he '■" had rehearsed the act for weeks.

fi j At the sound above hint the Indian turned swiftly, just in time to receive the skip[v i per's feet full on the chest. There was no! • much loom below, and the impact sent th< man flying, jamming him hopelessly bo w | tween the stove and the side of the gal r. ley, from where he was finally released ant d. j placed under lock and key. j j Having seen this accomplished, Captait .'jHackett returned to his own cabin. Hen s ; he went, down on bis knees, and fron r- under the settee fished out the article he ■ c was searching for, which proved to be t >i small hypodermic syringe. "At the moment ie he did not know what it contained, but as ly j ho carefully locked it up be had a convic B" tion that this little article would provide id lan explanation for everything;. >S The; next morning Captain Hackct . i dropped in to seo how it fared with hi; in | prisoner, and later on gave the mato « is ! gist of the interview. ':,';•■.: \" \ "The fellow thinks he has discovered at: is , antidote for cobra poison," said he, "ant. ' ! the curious things that have happenet 'd aboard this craft are due to his weakness tg for experimenting with it. First he doseci a- Imy predecessors with poisoned coffee, am 'c j then ho tried to bring 'cm to by applying his antidote with a syringe. I pointed out c- that, bunched together, his experiments hat; ie been anything but successful, and he was e- kind enough to say that a .few lives were ly nothing if in the end no perfected an antiit , dote which would save a portion of, the is j 20,000 who die annually of snake-bite in d j India. Well, he talked like a Philadelphia j lawyer, and wanted me to set him at liberty, it; that ho might continue his experiments. 1 3, j told him I couldn't follow him qistite so far, y. and that the only liberty ho'd got would o bo .when 1 handed him over tp the auo j thorities, which would be as soon as the h anchor .-was on the bottom." '-'•' is j - No doubt this was the'" worthy captain's y j intention, but a certain little incident, put lit out of his power. A morning or two t-j later the mate aroused:, him earlier than i-j usual with the {startling information that ; j the prisoner had disappeared. > f, The skipper was out of his hunk - before ;. the mate ceased speaking, and made his way hastily to the house on dock which had is served as a temporary gaol. The door was I, still fastened,' but no sooner had he enr. tercel than the truth of .the mate's.,-state-is ment was evident. No Indian was' visible, n but on the • deck lay the I handcuffs''- which g not long . before had encircled the Oman's i-1 wrists., -; -, \;'.'.. ;« " "Mister mate," said Hackett slowly, turning to his chief officer, " you and me arc it two very simple sailormen. • He's slipped c the bracelets and gone through the port,s hole, and if. wo had had as much gumption •- as a motherless calf-we. might have known n the fellow was slippery enough to go through a. the eye of a needle." ■ " • >. "Where can he have got to?" answered g the mate. ?.•' i ' -/-i.*',",.",' ,--.-V-. ';V ■•;--'" ■■>' ■ is " Down among the mermaids," replied c, the skipper drily.. ..'.'.',.',: -,■■■'■ '■' '■:'■' d " '-. - -•■' "■■'■';■] ' ■ -—■ ■.- :'- ' ■■ /-"';; ; ■ '— 11. * . Jj When the Emily Grimes reached Sydney , Captain Hackett, although his prisoner had '' vanished, proved conclusively the nature of ._ the mystery connected with "the vessel. He ; blessed his lucky.;. star that ho had been q 'cute enough to obtain a voucher, and, as 0 he pocketed the reward, his mind was busy D with the future as he thought gleefully of a little farm ho had in view and tho poul--0 try he would rear upon it. i. '.; Captain Hackett was thinking of giving gjup his. job on the Emily, and hooking his ■ ; passage for England, when he was astonish--0 ed to read in his paper an announcement to .. the ; effect that the Government were offere ing a reward of £250 for the Indian's capture, or information which would lead to -. the same thing. .'- a " There's no accounting for the working j of a Government's mind," thought he, "but why they should offer a reward for a. man r whoso body is probably distributed among f the sharks of; the Pacific; is a little beyond . mo. I wonder they don't offer a reward 3 for the finding of the lost tribe of Israel!" As he couldn't sec any reason for such s a proceeding he put on his hat and went . down.town, intent on gathering information concerning it. He was soon in ;pos- -, session, of the 'facts'.: It appeared that two . men, former members of the Emil- Grimes' if crow, had.been drinking in a little publichouse on the outskirts of the town. J As t. they were seated in the bar-room tho door s had been "pushed open, and an Indian carrying a bundle of silk handikcrchiofs had en- . fcercd. He started to hawk, them among 1 tho tew customers on the premises, and , the two men in question had each pur--3 chased one. . ' • •. .- • , . Some ten minutes after the Indian had \ j gone one of them was suddenly struck . j with an idea. •' . - ij 1 ,." I ( *k here," said he to his companion, 11" it's-just, occurred,-to me that we've seen I ' that fellow before. I've got a good memory

. for faces, and. you can't deceive me. He } was steward of the; Emily." :• ; , "Just what I was thinking myself," re- . plied the other. "That's the chap, right enough. ; I'd know him among a hundred." : , "Tell you what," said one of them, "the ; chap recognised us and has skipped. What ' shall we do about it?" .! "Give information to the police," replied . the other. . ; | So they started off for the nearest police ■office, and made an emphatio affidavit to ; the effect that the Indian they -had seen : was tho former steward of the Emily Grimes. | They had no theory of how he came there, '' j but that he was the man they mentioned ■ j they were postive. -\ , • | That ; was what Captain Hackett heard, • and naturally he didn't believe a word of it. i However, this belief—or lack of it—i ; which ho • kept to himself, was not shared i ' by the .majority. Every beachcomber in i the town resolved to make a bid for that i .£250, -seeing that a grand spree lay in the . possession of it. They gave* up their usual ■ occupation of looking for a shin and hoping they wouldn't find one, and turned their attention to a little private detective work. Had anyone suggested that Captain Hackett would himself join in the search he ridiculed he would have laughed in his face and told him there was more profit in rearing poultry than in hunting for a man who didn't exist. Yet, as he sat ruminating one '! day an idea came into his head which, made him even more keen on tho job than any of the others: what is more, his idea held out an infinitely better chance of success. ' • He was on board the Emilv when this thought crossed his mind. Taking a chart from the rack he spread it out on the table in front of him. Finally, he placed tho end of his dividers on a tiny spot about the size of a full-stop. This represented an island in -the Pacific, but so unimportant a one that on the chart it didn't oven possess a name. .;. ' • : :- ; That's the place," said Hackett, eyeing this minute spot severely. "If the man's alivo, which I doubt, that's the only piece of laud in this world which contains him "- lor he now remembered that on the night

of the Indian disappearance the Emily Grimes bad passed close to a small, wooded island, and ho was rapidly conceiving a lively desire for further acquaintance with the little place. "It's just possible the fellow mav have reached it," thought he, "and if by any chance he did I can safely bel my hat he s there still." However, before he finally made up his mind to take action in the matter, od* tcrmmed to make sure that this - string* reward was still going, so ho interviewed a ; certain Government official of his "acquaint ance. ' V , ,es >" said this gentleman, smiling, "tb* ' thing still going, and likely to be. Oan'» Bay I ve much faith in it myself, though > our informants are so positive; people mostly are when they're not quite sun* *ou see, everybody was kicking up such

& a dust about , the-.:matter,,itnd^,. as \ f tttuat - ! i, blaming the ' Government, J that-'we-- ;i it forced to do something to appease the puw», i- Being liberal-minded, wo offered a row-artf ' it. j which is never. likmy to be gathered, tot* - • :'] there- the matter Stands-at present." '•§ •of; Theft : l»o gave Captain llackeft'» delibor- . - ;i !' »r|ato wink, and asked him if K.V*thought of ~.. ) nj going in for it himself* Captain Hackett f '•(didn't commit himself in this respect .H<s is simply grinned, and soon afterward .tQSfc ' : hi* departure. * ;e, , "Am I going in for it?" said he. hasr- ■- ;.- ing got 'clear of tho • premises. '■ M I : should u t jolly wed think 3 am. That poultry farm ; 0 !,vil! have to wait a, bit, for I've made up A-.'- ,« [nay mind to take another trip." : ';'■' ■:':!.!'!;i:- : ,' ■ 9 I Fortunately, as w=e have said, be had not :]i'':; ; ' Jt [yet severed hi* connection with tho Emily Vi '; j |Grimes, so that a weak or two later found, - shim once more bowed on an Island cruise. gj One rooming, a couple of mouths latfr, .. •. [the little island lay on the* horiion in front of him, ami before mid-dav be had dropg-d ' J | anchor on the let of it." F'oai the am all j '" [strip of beach rose a few scattered cocoa* I "{nut tree.*, never-planted liyt.!H v hand of ' man, but, haytne drifted hundreds of mite- S « ! from other islands to be finally -'-cast ashore „ : ] n there, .had flourished, and were now fruit- *» 3 i bearing.-' . t ' j **'.} As Giptain Hackett ran his eye over the ' | °] little island ho saw more than over the tin- f J* iikeliiiood of his hope* being realised. How. I ', ever, be determined to look at the plie© .' d I now that ho had readied it, and consoled „ - *'* |himself with the thought that, even if"hi. :" 0 [ errant' proved fruitless, it meant no ma- ' ;■! terial loss. '-.-,;: "' rj- ■ '** ■ :'!. '•.'!,';"■' "Get a couple of hand* in tho boat," a said he to the mate; " I'm "going atharo . °' to have a look round., They might «a<Sell. ; ;0 . bring a couple of kegs along' in case-we ; " come across water." "" ' , _.- ,; I So,?while the two men searched for water ' -■ ;y', a J Captain Hackett strolled off- .in am op- • l > posiic direction, intent upon looking 1 tor * - " something else. As ho went along-"he 0 i glanced keenly about him. but it was 'not until he reached the other side trmt nay- ' .* '" thing unusual came under his observation. '" Here„ tho beach was strewn with miito/an "■; '• amount of coooamit-shell, end he picitoil up \ J * several nieces to examine them. Of wfebl* * ?' nuts he would have taken no no!ice. > hut r'{ '"'these fragments spoke to him in alan- " | guage ho understood. Thus encouraged ha ' sought for other signs of ft human pre-- : , a sence, and soon found them in ii hut, rough. • ' 0 ly built of cocoonut leave*, avid what looked - ? j 11 like the dead embers of a fire. They were* . ; 0 not. dead for all that, for, as Captain Hac- " likett stirred them with his hand, ho quickly 11 dreHv it back again. " What one might S ,s term a warm indication," said he, flicking '- ?*]his fingers painfully. *» v \

,<s He went on board soon after ,'this,' being satisfied with what ho had discovered. ,80 . « far he hadn't said a word regarding tho real ■ ', 18 object.of his visit, to the island, for, wii'on -:'.'■ * ho thought of "it calmly, the, whole thing ' -J, I seemed a., forlorn-sort of business. What • " he had seen, however, caused this feeling ' 'J to disappear/ and he knew that the time • *• had arrived to take others into his eon- ; ; s 'Science. • ■ ' ■ '■■ ■ *« ' • • ' c "I shall want all hands ashore to-mor> \ l | row morning at daylight," said he, to tho 1 S mate. " Fin going to organise a little hunt- 1 '• ing party." . , 11 The mate looked surprised, and mildly i tS wondered it the skipper had taken leave'. . c of his senses. Several times through ; iWie | '" day lie had scanned the little place from f e end to end with binoculars, and had' seen \ a nothing wort.y of powder and shot.' «r' .' . - j a "But there's no gftmo on that island, ": 's surely, captain}'" said he. , . - ' • "That's whore you'ro mistaken, returned r > tho skipper; '"there's game there, right < enough—black game, and it'll pay us buret- ; '* somcly to bag it.: What do you say to ' our lato coloured steward as quarry?" *' ■ , " You don't moan to say so?" cried- the = mate, grasping the idea at once. ' ''' . " ' 11 " That's just what Ido moan, though," ! ° said Hackctt. '■ "That absurd Sydney bust- ; " nosa set mo thinking, and I remembered wo '; 11 passed close to this island on tho night ho , disappeared. .It occurred to me that thero \ ; .* was just a chance ho may have reached, it; j ■ s anyway, I determined to have a look, and " that's the only reason I have for anohbr- , s ing here. This afternoon I found eorno- '\--'A I" thing which set the matter beyond doubt, * '- " for round tho other ; side 11;, a. ',-.•/■ -« !» quantity; of eocoanut-s hells, some'.of thorn • " broken no longer ; ago rhanyesterday. Far-. 8 ther on a firo'lmcl lx*jn lit,'and, foolicihlike, I put my hand into it, and, as you '" see, scorched my fingers. So that proves °. conclusively --.-there's soineono on the island, > . -: ! a and ~ judging from its size, it ought tovb« '* easy enough to find him." ** " Tho next morning Captain Hackotb t£pk j 1 all hands ashore with him, and, having sprbad - ,'j " them out to; his action, started osaja . systematio search of the little island. Theji.. 0 commenced-' at •ono'etidjatid' reached Jibe * . other without discovering what they sought. cl Then , they... wont .back .. tho- way (hey-' had come; beating every'Mnch "of 'ground"even . , more carefully than before, but still ,wjtb " .'' no result. ..';;. ,-■--,', \, ; ,-,,.- '-- v - *-'-'. .'"■), _ Captain Hackctt, and

jj looked perplexed. & "I dtnow--.th«» .fellow's . ' ' ■* ,£ here," said he, "although so far'we- haven't ' j e seen him. He's lying low', and wo, must n havo overlooked him somehow, but* we'll I a havo him in the end if it takes a week. 1 v Anyway, "it's time ■ wo;>'had : " T SofflS ..dinner, ■ I ;f so we'll go aboard- now 'and resume the . f _ search later, and ,1-',.shall bo very,.' much j surprised if wo don't lay" him by tho heela ' f before "sunset." ;:,.■. _ ' " - ;.'•■';■ i ' There was a surpriso in store for them in ] s any case. The beat had reached within two f " hundred yards of the : schooner when . they .§ 3 were- 'startled by tho ' report -of a firearm, \ " and; then others following in rapid succes- - 1 sion. , -^'-*r^~ , >i^&i:^'*^r!?:'f';:;■ : "*■■■-. ',; * | y "Back all!" shouted tho skipper, as tho ; I ; bullets fell about him, "back, all, for you. I * lives."- t ■'■'''"■■' f ' A little wisp of smoke which floated from. j, J ono of the cabin port-holes told where the I: 5 shots came from,, and Captain Hackett >' I , wasn't long in making tip his mind what '".'■' k was-.the ...matter. •, -~ - : , r ''Confound it.' 1 said he, when tho boat I 1 had reached a distance of safety, " tho fal- I low's euchred us, after all. /While- we've "-/'.!' been searching the island he's slipped down '•"/'. T {.- "■to tho beach and swum off. to - the ship. , Apparently ho's found the guns and am- ', \' munition, and so far seems to have much ' y: " the best of- the deal." ; ; ■'.'..; '. -V ' At first Captain Hackett had boon in-' : ' clined to laugh, and treat the affair as a joke, for certainly 'the "situation had its - ~ ' " comical side. , But this feeling soon passed > away, and :as they /day wore on he grew i? serious, for, he began to see- that if the* . |; didn't regain .the vessel before dark "alt '.. .-.. 1:'.» . sorts of unholy 'things" might 1 happen. The ' •'{ } man might even fire the ship,,and Hackett f • had unpleasant visions' of his vessel disap- .'. j

pearing for ever in a. column of smoke,and -| ' tiame. _ ' ; '-. Several times the boat approached with the "','•;'■ ( . object of parley, but in each case had to A -' retire, tho only answer being a fusillade. '. t "This is too absurd," said Hackett,* the ' f ' " boat having pulled away out of -range for . '' tho third time. "If the fellow, thinks I ,' l , ; came hero expressly to play at king of the - |' I castle with him, he's liable to find himself J- * mistaken. I'll give him one more chance. •'}; . to surrender." •""'•'..:.■.. ■,?^:i4:;W% : : - . , : "-*,JNone of the boat's crow, were armed,- the j captain alone carrying a -rifle, for he had !" ' been afraid that one or other of them might L* ' do some damage, and by killing the man r 1 jcopardiso that-little reward he had never ,' *" ■ lost sight of. '..?' t .:.:. |. Once more the boat was .headed toward 1 tho ship, and once more she came under the fire directed against"her. But there wan - ' ' ; no retreat this time. Tho boat held steadily ■ : onward, tho Indian, who . was now . firing from tho deck, blazing away [at-them without pause. .',. ■''•■■'.•■'•'>'■.■•.•: ."'Vast pulling," eaid tho skipper quietly, as a shot tore away a portion of gunwalo from the boat and slightly wounded one of . *"« .crew. " I think we're near enough." » The, men who wore pulling thought so ' too; for, naturally, they had their faces from the vessel-all this time, and could see' ' *'. little or nothing of what was going on. - I hey knew their backs offered a fine target tor a bullet, and the ; thought had created a nasty, creepy sensation down tho spine, a feeling which nearly caused them to lose ' ■ their nerve. -,■■- -■.: : ™™, ■•*■■: •-).■'■■-.■'.»■. „ r ~ : - ■■ '•"'• ■ " I'm- sorry," said Hatikett, reluctantly bringing his gun to his shoulder, " but ho ', won t listen to reason, and there seems no help for it. I only want to wing him, but the chances are against me. It's like shooting for the King's* prize, for this shot has two hundred and fifty pounds hanging to . it, a condition which is liable to make one nervous." With this he pulled the trigger, and the next instant the Indian had leaped -two feet in the: air and fallen heavily on deck. '■■< " Give way, boys, 'give way,"" cried Hackett, rising in the stern-sheets to urge thorn I on. ■." ' ■_■;,;.-. . . • .- _ .-, .•._■. ,; . '-.-..: ; : - ? The boat shot forward as the oars gripped the water, and half a minute later lay along- * J side the schooner. Without loss of time 1

Hackett jumped aboard and made his way to the- prostrate Indian, earnestly hoping, J both in the interests of humanity and profit, ■ ■ ■■[■■■ that his shot had not proved fatal, J t ' "** ( "Shoulder," said '.he, "after "a brier ex- <; ; amination; " the fellow -will be -as right as rain in a week or two." ■ s . When Captain Hackett arrived in Syd- 1; ney, rather to the chagrin of "the Govern- f ment, ho handed his captive ovei to them, , i and claimed £250 in exchange. "I'm hanged glad the notion took me to |: overhaul that island," said he, when, two '. f months later, he found himself in London. \-|^ " Ideas are funny things to monkey with :..■■■)■ if they are dangerous, as proved by my . J Indian friend; but on the other hand, if V they're sound, a simple idea is sometimes ', worth a pot of money. And now for those chidkons!" ■'■*■■ ■ . .'■■.<-.' -:^:.,^^y'<SMMMilMM