The Internet Detective Library — page 100: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

r etty boat rown tant, tokes hat’s | the ‘ctive e low water d in y the 2 seat on. ad to iu to e was little seen tor a 2 his wbhoat o the boat, r up; sang imau stion, A STRANGE ATTEMPT? AT CAPTURE. 91 looked first at one another and then at the Esquimau, and at last one of them responded : ‘It’s all right, stranger. Come along!’ With this they began to pull again. | ‘‘No, you don’t,’’ Stokes shouted. ‘‘Let go, there, or there’ll be trouble. ’’ . -. The men paused an instant, and Stokes took. pains to hold his revolver in such a way that they could see the gleam of its barrel. The Esquimau said something in a low voice which Stokes could not understand. ‘Yes, this is the island of Taska, right enough, stranger,”’’ shouted one of the men. The other added: ‘‘You’d best let’s drag you on shore, or you’ll get spilt.”’ ‘‘Well,’’ thought Stokes, ‘‘if this is Taska, the less fuss I make about landing the better. ’’ So he leaned back in the boat as if he was satisfied, and the men began to pull. : In two or three seconds the boat was high enough on the beach to be out of danger of capsizing; then the two on shore made their end of the rope fast around a stump and stepped down to the water’s edge, where they could climb on board if they wished to without so much as wetting their feet. Stokes still sat in the stern seat. They looked at him expect- antly, while the Esquimau stood with his back to Stokes. The detective was quite certain that the skipper was saying something to the two men in whispers. ‘If this is Taska,’’ said Stokes, ‘‘thar must be a mine around here somewhars, ain’t thar?’’ ‘‘Oh, yes,’’ responded one of the men, promptly, ‘‘It’s jest over the ridge thar.’’ He jerked his thumb toward the centre of the island. ‘‘Come along, and we’ll show it to you,’’ said the other. Stokes slowly rose and walked toward the forward part of the boat; apparently he had put up his revolvers, for his hands appeared to be empty. The Esquimau stood aside as Stokes approached, and the two men stood close to the prow with their arms akimbo. Stokes seemed to be in no hurry; he paused a moment just as he came in front of the mast and asked: ‘‘How far away is the mine?’’ There was something in the expression upon these rough men’s faces to make him feel that the utmost caution was necessary, His prudence was justified almost instantly. The expression on one of the men’s faces changed to a look of ~*~ COMUNE