Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

The Secret of Caprice enthusiasm of the mechanician. Loder, ap- parently, had changed his opinion of the sporting qualities of the gentleman who lied about his fishing. “What I would like you to do now,” Blaydon continued, evidently not aware of the change in Carl’s bearing, “‘is to take off the cylinder-heads and see the condition of the insides and the rings. I’m afraid the salt water may have ruined them. You can do that, can’t your” “Yes, sir. Easily.” “All right. You look her over now, and T’ll go up and get that lantern from the deck. These lights don’t seem to be much good i in | Spite of all the fixing you have done to “em.” He left them and climbed again to the deck, while Carl bent over the big engine in a preliminary survey. “Those heads will come off easily enough, Chief,” he said. ‘‘If this is another clue, though, it’s a mighty queer one.” “T don’t think it is,’ Ward replied. ‘‘Mr. Blaydon wants to sell whatever will bring money. when Caprice is broken up. He thinks he can get a couple of thousand dol- lars from the engine.” “‘That’s what he says,” corrected Carl. “He said this morning he was going fishing. -There’s a lantern in that other cabin there. Do you mind getting it while I hunt out the tools? I'll need plenty of light.” Ward walked through the passageway into the next cabin. He found the lantern and turned to go to the engine-room again when he heard a sound from the deck and paused. It came to him again, the sound of Nellie Blaydon’s voice in a tense whisper saying something to her uncle. Through a window in the cabin-trunk he suddenly saw a lantern swung down and then back and forth in regular rhythm. Then the girl’s voice came to him, louder and more vibrant this time, and he ‘caught her words distinctly. . “Uncle Stephen!” she cried. “‘What are you doing?” “Shut up, Nellie,’ Blaydon’s bass voice growled angrily. But the figure of the girl suddenly darted out into the rays of the swinging lantern. . “T will not,” she cried. “TI tell you “For God’s sake, Nellie,” the bass voice pleaded hoarsely, “‘won’t you shut up? You'll ruin everything if——” But the girl darted from his side to the © 5I hatch and, with her voice shaking, called excitedly— ; “Mr. Fenton—Mr. Fenton!”’ “What is it?”’ cried Ward. “Hurry up! Some one is at your aero- plane-tents!” — He heard Stephen Blaydon blurt out an oath at the girl, and she uttered a little cry as though she had been struck. “Carl!” he shouted. ‘Come quick!’ _ With a leap he was up on deck. As his head appeared above the hatchway, Blay- don’s gréat voice boomed out: “Hey, there, you! Get out of those tents. What are you doing there, anyway?” “Shut up, you fool,’’ snapped Fen- ton. ‘‘Are you trying to warn them?” “Excuse me; I got rattled,” said Blay- don. “Come on! We'll get em!” He sprang for the steps just as Ward started and the two collided with an impact that sent both staggering backward. Blay- don, being the heavier, lost less of his bal- ance and at once sprang back for the steps. : Ward followed almost immediately, but Blaydon, reaching the bottom, suddenly turned and dashed upward again, shout- ing— “T must get a gun, or something.” His unexpected movement brought the men once more into collision and Ward went down with a jar that half stunned him. But the delays thus caused had, if done purposely, accomplished their end. Shaken by his fall, Ward arose in time to see two shadowy figures dart away from the aero- plane-tent and disappear toward the ocean side of the point. Unceremoniously, he shoved Stephen Blaydon out of his way, leaped to the beach and ran up the slope. He heard the lighter footsteps of Carl Loder following and the fleet-footed mechanician passed him. Reaching the tents, Carl swung into pur- suit of the fugitive but, as he turned, stopped as if shot. “Chief!” he cried in horror, “Chief! Stop! They’ve set the tent on fire!” With the thought of his aeroplane threat- ened by flames, Ward rushed up to the © mechanician. A little tongue of light was visible under the sidewall of the tent and its glow shone through the heavy canvas. “Get sand!’ Ward shouted. “‘T’ll get the extinguisher!’’ He rushed into the tent where the big machine was outlined clearly by the glow of Gomichoo (S SS) (E@)