Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 32, Number 344, 25 January 1908 — Page 7

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Hires ror I :.1 CHAO CHAHNG AND THE MAN-EATER

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A STRANGE GRAF

FROM a hoy' 9 standpoint, Seattle is one of the most interesting ports on the Paeit'.c coant. Robert Cole, whose father had lost all his fortune after the bcorr. h;:d ended, lived very near the waterfront, and spend many hours, -vvlirn he was not in used to achool, dangling hs feet over the edge of a dock, vtnd vntehing ihe interesting shipping in the busy Puget Sound port. TJobby had a !iu!e craft himself. It ivas an old row-boat with a :-o" mutton ail, but it d "well for a day's cru;e. Charley Rugj'ey, who was the son of one of the harbor pi'ol;, 2nd v.l-.o had taught Bobby ail It knew about s.i'ir. and ti -Aind.s and tides and currents, nearly always went "with him on the daylight sails of exploration. One day in August the boys had arranged to sii! ever to the western shore of the Sound to a fishing ettlement of Siwash Indians. Robby had cor.f tiown to the float where the Ready, as he called his ,iUoat, was tied up; it was early morning, with heavy mist over the bay. Bobby peered over the wharf "dr and saw Churlcy bailing out the boat. Beyond, there was the mteerestdool.ing cr;U he had rer seen, fretting against the piler, on the other K-de- of the dock: in the mist ami against the dark .snifr.e? of the water he could hardly sec her, although die was only a few yards away. All along her thirty feet of thin, narrow length, she was T ainted a dull, neuiral gray, the color of batt'.esh'i s In war-time. At her bow was a little black machine Kim peeping out from a cover of gray canvas; she locked lor all the world as if she -were built for the. r.se of pirates. 'ircl'o'. Charley," crief Bob, "'what boat is that?" "Don't you !now?" answered the other, "that's the Smusilrr's Nightmare, or at least that is what they c;.ll her." "The smuggler's what?" exclaimed Bobby. "Why you know how much smuggling of Chinamen nd opium there is in the Sound. Well, that's the boat the government has built to catch the smugglers. She's gray and can't be seen any distance, and she has electric power and o is very fast and doesn't make any noise. "She looks like a ferret," commented Bobby. "We have had the wind at our back all the mornjK." said Bobby, about noon; "and unlets it shifts w e will have to beat our way every inch homeward." Suddenly the breeze dropped altogether, as if it hud been shut off by a curtain. Charley scowled. "We're going- to be becalmed." lie said finally. "I thought so." What mean luck!" iaid Bobby, dipping his fingers in the water. "We've only got one oar, and we may not get any wind before to-morrow morning " Charles nodd ed. ' What time is full tide?" he Baked. "I don't know." said Robert. "It must be nearly full now. Are you wondering " "Yes." interrupted Charles. "I'm wondering how far the tide will take uf before morning." The gray fog. damp and salty, had rolled up the lay md. growing heavier and thicker, shut off th; tight of the opposite shore. "Why. we are under way!" exclaimed Bob, as he felt the slight resistance of the helm. "And look at that seaweed go by!" He cat a glance at the fail; 't was still lying limp against the m3;. "It's the tide!" said Charles. "It's running out! Koth boys st dejected and letpless, preparir.s themselves for a long isst and a cold night on the v ater. Suddenly Bob started ' D,d you hear that?" Ye cried. The muffle J sound of the explosive pound ing of a naphtha-launch came to them over tiie waters. .v

By RICHARD V. CHILD

"Yes," said Charles, -training his earv .!:;ten is it coining neare-.' i taniK vr i iu-'.'-r e them." He threw his i.-ad back and 'hor.t;d. "A!- y, there!" several time.-. The roi-c of the n:t; 1 tl:apngine stopped 1 r a moment. i harc; cor.rnf.cd his !'.a'.ioo.i;g and then a c- : : .i s t!::n;.: h-.p: ened: behind the curtain of f j . ; and vl... i.n.'Ss the cV.r.ritig noise of t'.i'j lar.ncli bvgan .i..i:i; b.:t ll.i.. t'iric, ir.stcad of coming nenrer, .t la. led r.:pidly a .ay. The boys looked at each other in amazement. THE SEARCH-LIGHT SUDDENLY "Weil, whoever they are they're mean enough," s-id Bob indignantly. Charles nodded. "I should ay so," said he. "Vow we have the problem of spending the whole mght in this we: mist; and, what is more, no one can tell where w e will be in the morning" S-.iriden'y the boa; bumped over a. rock and, with a -.light shiver, t arred half a-ound. "Shallow v.ater!" cried Robe r: " ou're right!' said Charles: "and look there!" Soth the boys cot-id make cat Mack shadow against ;'"" moonlight. "This is land, aryway," said Fob. rle stopned "'.ddenly, for mt ffry vards awav throuch tiie Dines he saw the light of a lantern moving toward the beach. It wa carried by a short, stocky man. who

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.iny !"-' r in"! v. th.aa-, e'e- ! l':n,sy beast. ,iai rat I. t Cha ht-ge-t and .:'(.ng.-'. -.;;: : , do. t Y;. h.-,d 's '-lepl.a.rs ...in .- .t ,-r, . a l.D I-,-, c- 1 . the -:: :' -

:r.c:d' elephant's if' that -.v. -r ' ne mort-iir.g th Pru'r: f-tinp tiger "!i a r n-k in t:a- t ..' -,.a:t . r i . c '" . ! 1 ' iia.I swum tltrre in t::e i.igitt ;.r..i brf m r;r.:j;.' th rising (:(-. t heir irh rr : v. , Ti..., i ten ;..inttcs. ferr hpha:u v. it 'f;i ::s the poo.', C"r. i i. !.;!. r. !e"dinc i ''r.err ',- iv rn ... rati. fall - mew nere t: :h- r er. ap.ii Tim in ii -My .vater u '. - M , 1 :".-mg rout. (I 1 : i ' tact; ctier''. r ch ..; r .': we l'. c ' !: .'Ptca! bea-t in u.te::-- dre..d of an '. lion, arid the tiger t rn.-d irotn hi-, besu ger-. tatu--.: by liiiniitf. t. :;ti and prow!. crv s-ion, :.a ;.i t ee ..f :h' cVp'irn;.- ;..:'to'l nVo it in ;'':.- Tar!. otr.c: :.:r! ; i': ::uii ;-a ! rl w -t.-f i com ; r.ni'wlicrc ire:,-:. - it c; ..pr:! thr rock ihc t:; r g-.d-l upoj; :t. Tmc h,av tl'aiing' deep i:i tltc water, Hnk lower heiK-ut'.i Is was followed by two others carrying several sma'l '.v "i.i'.cii b-;s . P.ob th.'Ujiiit i:ii!y of petting hone: h.- had rdreadv tilled hi.-. !t;i!s t... slunit. when h.- f-.-!t Charies'- hand 1 i.zhteu ttpon l.;, wr.-t at:d l.-.-ard I'.irt -a hiper . "Keep s;ll', B. J! Can't yo-.i r . they're :!i.- smtiggler-.! 'i!;erc' ti.' launch we heard. See it on the shore?" It w a - a.-. Charle . '. 'a TiiaH wi i -den ravel into sna'.'a.w' " Li h !" wl'.ispcr -1 can t!.c.r sl:.l th.c iimc for m . ;..!: a black launch loaded had hcfii puile'l ...vor iIk let. in K 'bert's o r;'.i th.c tree; k:Sa?toiaES'-.. SETTLED ON THE LAUNCH. Robert s-et h;s moi: tn i determined manner. "See here, Charles." lie said: "these men are law breaker-. They're cheating the go-r:u::ci:t. It wou'd be cowardly to ran." "Well, what are yo.1. going ; n .j,.-" j-.j-e'I Charie? . "You ci! run a -a phtita-la'an ; r. "Yes " Then we haven t a ec '"i ' ' -' '. ;;-; a be back :n a minute I m 'it; j ;.-,k; :'r; ia-rrch and her cargo back to the -"venue oricrf . and leae these smuggler prisoner- r.rt thii lard." "Whew"' rxc:.-.i;"''i Charle? 'Thin-; of tae canr?"' And, bcilce5, the men c ?uic escap; in th.e Xo," said Bob, firmly. "I'll push the Ready out iato tiws current. Copyrighted by the Century Co

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Whene'er this stuffy, puffy scribe Sets out to write a diatribe, Or aught else that he pleases, Charles was enthused by the idea. "fit do said he. He ran back and pushed, the little sailboat into deep wj'.tcr; v. hen he had waded beyond his waist he gave her a final push tha sent her out into the channel A' he came back : i the beach lie beard once mere the oice .i the in;n approaching. "It's too late: h - v. r.ispei ei. "It's rear fi;'y etc i re rornni : is i -.ami O".". the AV.:?J" !.,: c...ne," said Boh. hi- voice v, uli exctcji-.ei.; "Cr.tr? on'"' 1 he l -a o ')- started down the lec'n tn u -ace tor tlte :aun, .i. A.", they tugged away to g-; her into uccp v.ote:. the isnterti w as rommg near nrrrcr throusrh the trte.r.d "Quick!" e-ied Hob. Both reiys -pr;: side of tr.e lautfh. which p.,w floated in the deeper water. ihe three mn were running down the beach, .shout g hoarsely, and had nearly got to the water'- .-due whn the propeller of the launch began to buzz and :' am boi'cd up in the broadening wake. "Come back here!" shouted one of the men, frantically running into the water. "Stop or Til khoot!" cried another. "IK. n't -h .jt'" cried the stocky man. knocking the other's hand into the air. "We're caught here l.ke rats and we J.-.m't wan. '. b taken i -r murder." The launch p -ended atony .;ver the b'a-:i; v.ittr, ttel i.t ai'v tamed into ;h- ,.peti Sovt.d. Sttdder.Iy t. hjt'Vs -t-.pped 'he engir,- ' I . - t i ' " .- a! he. Behind 'l ey - -'d '.- . : lo.it o: a boat " f '--;. -c 1... t.,. u-!' i T'c-i Bob. ' Star-, the engine gam Once more they were oft. "We've got : rc -it r crted ("har'es; "they're v.. ou s--, they carry rr, Itchfs The launch r. w plowe.l alof; t her roi.most seed. but it seen became evident that the other was gaining.

' v .! into i:e vi;er. It was V "- "a.'.r :a ... mstant. In that ' v-., uad !f:l the 1 :tcg 1 .-. v aalinij -:-lked shorewatd 1. with t'-e v ..f baing .u-t tis-

,ie i: . i : n e r was r The cirth h ad , pen re..evcd had -1 .-a:: i - -eeraeii I.i man. Tr.e elephant '. :n :'. heay pl d ling A busy, buzzy bumblebee, Perched on his desk, sagaciously. Supplies him cooling breezes. Suddenly with a quick fiah the beam of a search light stretched out over the water like a long finger. It turned this way and that, and then suddenly settled on the In.inch with its two boys and in cargo of boxes. "Oh, neve got 'em tins time!" shouied a voice, and the blinding light began to come nearer. "It's (he 5 tr.uggier's Xig kl mare " cnd Bob. "Why, they're nothing but boys!' exclaimed a bearded man in a -rig blue uniform, more atontshi than any one. "i.iee us a hand, pi-e." said Bob. and i'.l come aboard and explain." To th revenue ofnrer ihe br-v s told the wv story. He !i--trre.l intently to all that he- said. "1 hi- is splendid!" Ml put a man ir'o the launch with you so that you can g right home. Of course we will have to go to the island for she men." "If you should happen to see our boat, I wish ou"d pick it up. said Bob." "Oh, I wouldn't worry about your boat." said the officer. "There is enough reward for th capture of these muggler to buy yon a very respectable little cruising yacht cabin and all. Both the boys ar.d one of the sailors got into the launch. "Good right!" shouted t! revenue officer. f )nce more the nape tn-launcl. tar;cd on her journey toward the ha-bor. b-:t this fme instead of -r paktrg a'ong he !--rp a 'tght a', rer bow acd ,. --.! or.-) - t;r i ..nd -.ry happy pasenge'S "It isn't ?o bad being becalmed, atter ai',"' aid i.; arie. when thy had cl imbed up on to the wharf ard were sajmg good night. "Sc. indeed T Robert a;d her'i y. ' ard we won't tal!y lose the R?ady, either, tor I took the bearings of a little cave she drifted izlo as we were coming out with the launch."

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