The Courage of Captain Plum

ongly odored smoke, tinted with the lights of the setting sun, had risen above his head in unremitting volumes for the last half hour. There was infinite contentment in his face, notwithstanding

strong, rather thin face, tanned by exposure to the sea, was just now lighted up by eyes

nd sharp in the red light of the day's end, were two islands. Between these, three miles away, the sloop Typhoon was strongly silhouetted in the fading glow. Beyond the islands and the sloop there were no other objects for Captain Plum's eyes to rest upon. So far as he could s

he powder and ball were in solid and that none of the caps was missing. From the same place he brought forth a belt, buckled it round his waist, shoved the revolver into its holster, and dragging the coat to him, fished out a letter from an inside po

of some small animal. There came the sleepy chirp of a bird and the rustling of tired wings settling for the night. A strange stillness hovered about him, and with it there came over him a loneliness that was chilling, a loneliness that made him homesick. It was a new and unpleasant sensation to Captain Plum. He could not remember just when he had experienced it before; that is, if he dated the present from two w

hrust itself out in time to see the bit of paper fall short of the water's edge. Then the head shot back as swiftly and as silently as a s

ting!" He jumped to his feet and began brushing the sand from his clothes. When he had do

ks of long white hair hanging down on each side, framing between them a pair of eyes that gleamed from cavernous sockets, like black glowing beads. There was unmistakable fear, a tense anxiety in those glittering eyes as Captain Plum wa

between the lake and the island wilderness. No sooner had he disappeared than the bushes and vines behind the rock were torn asunder and a man wormed his way

s white and hung in straggling masses on his shoulders; his hooked nose bore apparently the infallible stamp of extreme age. Yet there was a strange and uncanny strength and quickness in his movements. There was no stoop to his shoulders. His head was set squarely. His eyes were as keen as stee

trail of Captain Plum. A quarter of a mile dow

fast pace you're setting for an old man, sir!" He broke into a laugh that was not altogether unpleasant,

e on Beaver Island who was expecting him. To the best of his knowledge he was a fool for being there. His crew aboard the sloop had agreed upon that point with extreme vehemence and, to a man, had attempted to dissuade him from the mad project upon which he was la

thing wrong, Cap

g the cold hand that still persisted in clinging to his own.

a grimace and one gleaming eye opene

n general-mighty clever thing to do. Strang should appreciate it." The old man gave vent to his own ap

Plum. He had planned a little adventure of his own, but here was one t

t's

nt on the old man. "

tty

n good sh

as ti

of balls, and

emphasis, but the darkness that had fast settled about them hid th

shaking as if the thought of it occasioned him great merriment. "Very cau

. Thus far he had succeeded in getting but a single grip on the situation. Somebody was expected at Beaver Island with powder an

that was slowly forming itself

I'll show it to you. I'll pay you the whole sum to-night. Then you'll take the stuff where I tell you to. Eh?

that he was lending himself to a rank imposition. At the same time he was filled with a desire to

u comin

topped a dozen paces awa

that you've got th

u follow

ight-heartedly after the old man, his eyes and ears alert, and his right hand, by force of habit, reaching under his coat to the butt of his pistol. His guide said not another word until they had traveled for half an hour along a twistin

voice had changed. It was low and soft, as

Jam

throbbing in a sudden tumult of excitement. He had set out that day with the idea o

ed home of the king!" His voice had again changed. A metallic hardness came into it, his words were vibrant with a strange excitement which he strove h

u m

ran

en rods farther on his mysterious guide turned into a by-path which led them to another knoll, capped by a good-sized bui

as he led the way in. "A candle will be sufficient. You know th

up of one large room, and that at the present time, at least, it possess

ed about a table for a match and a candle. "I have a little corner back here that a candle will brighten up nicely and

of the power of speech. The little old man had lighted his candle, and, grinning back over his shoulder, passed through a narrow cut in the wall that could hardly be called a door and planted his li

Plum; right over the

crumpled paper and demand something more than an explanation. In the next instant it occurred to him that this action would probably spoil whatever possibilities his night's adventure might have for him. So he held his peace. The old man was so intent in his perusal of the letter that the end of his hooked nose alm

be better. I'm glad I found it." He chuckled gleefully, and rested his ogreish head in the

Plum, pulling out his pipe and tobacco. "You've read t

stioned the ol

t's

vement that it startled Captain Plum, and he dropped his tobacco pouch. By the time he had recovered this article his strange companion was back in his

ty sight, eh, Captain Plum? Now, to our account! A hundred carbines, eh? And a thousand of powder and a ton of balls. Or is i

rious plot into which he had allowed himself to be drawn? Why were a hundred guns and a ton and a half of powder and balls wanted by the Mormons of Beaver Island? Instinctively he reached out and closed his hand over the counting

p out there. But there's a man for every gun. And I've got something hidden away underdeck that would blow up St. James in half an hour. And th

For another half minute the old man continued to look at h

old man chuckled. The gold pieces clinked between his fingers. Coolly he shoved two glittering piles alongside the candle-stick

course you're not the man. I know it-ho, ho! you can wager that I know it! A little ruse of mine, Captain

ank back into the chair. His jaw dropped a

evil y

r. "I would have visited your sloop to-day, Captain Plum, if you hadn't come asho

heard the chink of gold pieces and when he looked again the two

" he continued, speaking as one who had suddenly thrown off a disguise. "If it had been any other man it would have been the same. I want help. I want an honest man. I wa

t the old man slipped from his chair and darted swiftly out into the blackness of

, Captain Plum? Did you ever take an oath?" H

d held it under his left hand. His right he lifted

ace me under oath to deli

e. A sudden hectic flush had gathered in his death-like c

Captain Nathaniel Plum, do

ation shot into Ca

ll take this oath upon one other consideration," continued Captain Plum. "I came to Beaver Island to see something of the life a

eside the table a

med excitedly. "I will show it to you-yes,

d word by word repeated the oath. Whe

?" asked C

rceptible swept over

iah P

ormon. You have

d stood them on edge so that he might clasp both between his bony fingers. One was the Bible, the other the

uting the gold pieces among his p

es. When he returned he placed a small package t

an gold," he whispered tensely, "yet worthless t

no marks on

that?" asked

on the young man's cheek. He lifted a hand as though

esident of the Unite