The Phantom Violin / A Mystery Story for Girls

ht Florence, still gripping her rifle, s

she asked herself

branches of a black old fir tree,

. She had saved the moo

thing to do," she mu

n? Certainly he was breaking the law. No ma

to see them. Nowhere else can one see them so easily and safely in their native haunts. If men b

he dead of night and that other one Jeanne had seen by the wrecked ship. Were they the same? And

had not followed her, she went gliding along beneath the rocky ridge

ed her boat lay wa

the waters of Duncan's Bay, so peaceful, so undisturb

her rod and began to cast. Her reel sang, the spoon gave off a silve

this again and again. Her boat was drifting. She gave no attention to t

fairly yanked from her hand. "A f

dly. The fish came

r pound pike," she sigh

thers; at least she hooked th

s if a powerful man had seized her

f that other night with Jeanne. She set her shoulders for a tu

ith a suddenness beyond power to de

w I hav

oose. In his two gnarled hands he gripped a s

arther and farther into the bay. She had at last come within the stranger's view. Still angry because of his interrupted

not doubt. How would it end? Who could say? Her p

nters Duncan's Bay. At that moment a white fishing boat, fully forty feet

cing. Now they were silent. Duncan's Bay affects all in this same manner. Dark, mysterious, deserted, it seems to speak of the past. A hu

bed in green breeches and a gayly decorated vest, he stood at the prow, massive brown arms folded, si

nd had given her both the speed and strength of a tiger. Before the intru

Not a word was said as they drew back for a

st. It became evident at once that he meant

struck his weapon such a blow as

a flashing blow that barely missed his h

r weapon astray. Before she could recover, her boat tipped. She fell upon one knee. At the sam

aching heart s

ng upon the bottom of the boat. This was followed by a wolf-

e grip of a powerful man, and to witness the feat of strength that lifted him

rned and smiled, showing

exclaimed. "Bi

e meet again. And this one-" He glanced at t

hore. Perhaps he c

en, we will forget him. You will come aboard our fine little sc

is own tactics. He had come upon Florence silently, unobserved. In this same manner Bihari, witnessing the struggle, ha

e girl climbed aboard. "It is indeed g

You shall see her withi

half way round the world that we might see her? Have we not traded o

e wreck as

, y

is the

k?" Bihar

ck," she

skipper mounted the deck to begin

out of the bay. "We will forget him." Bihari had said that. He had been speaking of th