The Argosy, September 1915 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

ONE- CYLINDER | SAM. launch, stepped aboard and made ready to cast off. Then he bethought himself of his engine. “Needs oil, I guess. The master mechanic would give me the dickens if she knew how long I’ve run with- out filling the cups,” he chuckled. Forward under the half-deck he kept a gallon can. Now he got upon his hands and knees and crawled part way into the dark hole, groping ahead of him as he went. There was nothing tidy nor meth- odical in the arrangement of his ship’s stores, so he spent a full minute, feel- ing about, before his hand came. in contact with the oil-can. Then as he was backing from his cramped quar- ters a scraping sound attracted his at- tention. Another launch had touched the wharf. Something impelled the boatman to remain quietly where he lay in the bottom of his craft. Perhaps it was the guarded note in the voice of a man who was talking. ‘“T knew it wouldn’t do any good to go out to-night,” said the voice. “Well, it helped us to get the lay of the place a bit at any rate,” an- swered a second voice. “But I don’t believe the stuff is coming out through Gananoque at all. And I’m not satisfied that it’s coming in here, either.” ‘Where do ye think it’s coming from?” * Kingston.” “That wasn’t the tip from Wash- ington.” “TI know that. lot more likely. It’s bigger, and that’s some advantage when you don’t want folks to notice you too much.” “And where do you think it’s in? = ‘Oh, blazes! How can we tell yet? There’s a dozen places anywhere along here for twenty or thirty miles. And you can bet it doesn’t come across in the same place twice.” The boatman breathed softly and lay clasping his oil-can. ‘The men in com- in But Kingston’s a 261 the other leuneks were making their boat fast now. “You're dead sure Washington’s not just guessing about this?” ob- served the. second speaker, a note of doubt in his voice. ‘ Not that I mind sticking around a nice place like this for a while, but I’d like to show some- thing for my time.” “They've got to do a _ certain amount: of guessing, of course,” said the other. “But it’s not all guess. They’re getting the thing fairly well located, and it’s ciphering down to this part of the river. We know mighty well that Canada isn’t beginning to use, not by half, the diamonds that have been shipped in from Antwerp. They’re getting across the line, to a certainty. There was a bunch of stuff got into New York last week, and the man who brought it had a railroad ticket that read from Clayton. We're still holding the stuff, but we can’t prove anything yet.” “Maybe there’s a half-way joint out here.” “You mean on one of the islands? I’ve had that in mind. ‘That’s one reason I hired the boat. We'll do a little sightseeing to-morrow and get some new bearings.” The talkers were on the little wharf now. Sam pressed his body close against the flooring of the cockpit. “ Well, I’m tired,” said one. ‘‘ Let’s go on up to bed. It’s all right to leave the boat here, is it?”’ “That’s what the man said. his dock.” Footsteps passed close to the boat- man’s craft. “There’s a boat come in since we were here,’ commented a voice. “‘ He didn’t mind hogging the best part of the dock either, did he? ”’ The second man laughed as the pair went on up the sloping gangway that led to the shore. Sam lay motionless until they were gone from his hearing, then cautious- ly rose to his knees and made an ob- It’s servation. The men were out of sight. - COPMICLOOOKS (C@)