The Courage of Captain Plum

lum, his head inclined slightly, every nerve in him strained to a tension of expectancy. His companion involuntarily gripped the butt of his pistol and faced the narrow entrance through which they h

lifted, his thin arms flung wide above his head and his lips moving as if in prayer. His eyes burned with a dull glow as though he had been suddenly thrown into a trance. He seemed not to breathe, no vib

three blessings of the universe-peace, prosperity and plenty, and

message and when the last echoes had died away the old man's

on's question. "The package is to be delivered to him. Now you must excuse me. An important matter calls me out for a short time. But

which he was as yet playing a blind part that he forgot to smoke, which was saying much. Who was the old man? Was he mad? His eyes scanned the little room and an exclamation of astonishment fell from his lips when he saw the leather bag, partly filled with gold, lying where his mysterious acquaintance had dropped it. Surely this was madness or else another ruse to test his honesty. The discovery thrilled him. It was wonderfully quiet out i

ed a long time when he heard the sound of footsteps. They came rapidly as if the person was half running. Hardly had he located the direction of the sound when a figure appeared in the opening and hurried toward the door of the cabin. A dozen yards from him it paused for a moment and turned partly about, as if inspecting the path over which it had come. With a greeting whistle Captain Plum jumped to his feet. He heard a little throat note, which was not the chucklin

could have given no good verbal proof of it. Only the eyes and the odor of lilac remained with him and after a little the lilac drifted away. Then he went back to the log and sat down. He smiled as he thought of the joke that he had unwittingly played on Obadiah. From his knowledge of the Beaver Island Mormons he was satisfied tha

way to the little room, where the candle was still burning dimly. To his astonishment he beheld the old man sitting beside the table. His

ying yourself. What did you think of her, Nat?" He winked with such audacious glee that, despite his own astonishment, Captain Plum burst into a laugh. Obadiah Price held up a warning hand. "Tut, tut, not so loud

lmost resting on it, and twiddled his thumbs with wond

the master of the Typhoon. "We've been roasting for thirty-six hours without a br

chuckled the old man. "And

ing-m

ostly. Why, certainly you sail! And why do you carry a p

ng the Northern End aren't very scrupulous. They t

ped up in tarpaulin under your deck, Nat? And what in the

es-" began C

And you seem to be a young man of education, Nat. How did you happen to make a mistake in your count? Haven

aming red. "Yes, I have got twelve men and I've got a gun in tarpaulin and I've got

d stood so close to Captain Plum that a person te

ed off the head of Beaver Island, and one dark night you were boarded by two boat-loads of men who made yo

stood sp

enlisted some of your friends, armed your ship-and

as rubbing his hands

y wouldn't-ho, ho, they wouldn't! One of our friends in Chicago sent quick w

st words in int

ly, he held

with me? Will you shake hands?-

in place there came a questioning, almost an appealing, look. His tense mouth relaxed. It was as if he was on the point of surrendering to some emotion which he was struggling to stifle. And Nathaniel, meeting those eyes, felt t

o to St. James

draw his hand but Ca

two or three things which your fri

yes glittered

orning I gave explicit o

into the old man's

, we'll call it off. And if he isn't-why, we'll stand out there a mile and blow St. James into hell! And if I don't come bac

d at his hands with

t, I swear to God there will be

tain Plum

u? Whom am

Twelve, Nat, and lord high treasu

n Plum and a throatful of his inimitable chuckles, chose the path down which his startled visitor of a short time before had fled. For fifteen minutes this path led between thick black walls of forest verdure. Obadiah Price kept always a few paces ahead of his companion and spoke not a word. At the end of perhaps half a mile the path entered into a large clea

ilac!" he

d Obadiah Price. "We have ve

still holding to the old man's arm, and pointing a th

on't doubt it, Nat, I don't doubt it. She is very

another clearing and Nathaniel knew that it was St. James that lay at his feet. The lights of a few fishing boats were twinkling in the harbor, but for the most part the to

the same. There were three of these hummocks, side by side, and Captain Plum chose the one nearest the old man and waited for him to speak. But the councilor did not open his lips. Doubled over until his chin rested almost upon the sharp p

ard the path. Captain Plum listened. He heard low voices and then footsteps-voices that were approaching rapidly, and were those of

ten them, Na

was a hesitancy in the soft tread of the approaching steps. Slowly, and now in awesome silence, two figures came down the path and when they reached a point opposite the hummocks Nathaniel could

!" Captain P

whispered. "What a temptation to frighten them out of their wits! No, they didn't see us, Na

e master of the Typhoon. "G

on them. I often come here and sit for hours at a time. They like to have me, especi

into which the two girls had disappeared. The lovely face that had appeared to him for an instant at Obadiah's cabin began to haunt him. He was sure now that his sudden appearance had not been the only cause of its terror, and he felt that he should have called out to her or followed until he had overtaken her. He could easily have excused

el followed him, assured that the old man's words and the way in which he had spoken them no longer left a doubt as to the identity of his night visitor. She was

was absorbed in thoughts of his own, and held his peace. Was it possible that he had spoiled his chances with the councilor because of a pretty face and a bunch of lilacs? The thought tickled Cap

u," he cried, whirling about. "D'ye s

ed the astonished Captain

ove a pretty face-and you can hate. I know you can. If you couldn't I would send you back to your sloop with the pac

nd put his hands on his pockets

want to call off ou

n is good. The gold is yours. You must deliver the package. But you need not do it immediately. Understand? I am lonely back there in m

to make of him. He looked into the beady eyes, sparkling with passion, and the cat-like glitter of them set his blood tingling. What strange adventure was this old man dragging him into? What were the motives,

d. "I will show you just one to-night. Then you will m

logs and Nathaniel caught narrow gleams of light from between close-drawn curtains. In one of these houses he he

ed out and prodded Nathaniel in the ribs. There was one great, gloomy, long-built place which they passed, without a ray of light to give it life, and the councilor said, "Three widows there, Nat,-fight like cats and dogs. Poor Job killed himself." They avoided the more thickly po

dering how to punish them. To-morrow there's going to be two public whippings. One of the victims is a man who said that if he was a woman

aptain Plum caught a glimpse of a lighted window. Obadiah Price now began to exhibit unusual caution. He approached the light slowly, pausing every few steps to peer guardedly about him, and when they had

ang. I am going to show you what you have never seen before and what you will never look upon again. I have s

the laws of his country, were criminals in more ways than one. He had seen much of their work along the coasts and he had heard of more of it. He knew that this gloom and sullen quiet of St. James hid cut-throats and pirates and thieves. Still there was nothing ahead to alarm him. The old man dodged the gleams of the lighted window and slunk around to the end of the g

e, N

g through a window would have been repugnant to him. But at present something seemed to tell him that it was not to satisfy his curiosity

low whisper

ell lilac,

ere was a suggestive gleam in his eye

ut the women were in full view, three on each side of the table and one at the far end. He guessed the man to be Strang; but he stared at the women and as his eyes traveled back to the one facing him at the end of the table he could scarcely repress the exclamation of surprise that rose to his lips. It was the girl whom he had encountered at the councilor's cabin. She was leaning forward as if in an agony of suspense, her eyes on the king, her lips parted, her

ed him and yet she had not revealed her discovery! Nathaniel could have shouted for joy. She had seen him, had recognized him! And because she had not cried out she wanted him! He drew his pistol from its holster and waited. If she signaled for him, if she called him, he would burst the window. The girl was talking now and as she talked she lifted her eyes. Nathan

grip of the counci

h-for to-night." He saw the pistol in Nathan

t-N

ain Plum's fre

e," whispered the master of

stood on tip

six wives of

demanded Nathan

"The girl of the lilacs, eh? Why, she's the s