The Argosy, Vol. XXIV, No. 1 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

THE BUNKEL MYSTERY. 75 ‘“T think you may as well give it up, Andy,’’ said Di, when she saw by his conduct that he was still vexing his spirit with the unsolved problem. “T ‘don’t see that I am likely to make myself any wiser on the subject, and I shall have to give it up,’’ he replied. ‘‘ But another puzzle has just come up in my mind: Why was Tom Sawder taking those boards to Bunkel Island ?”’ . ‘‘T give it up,’’ replied Di, laughing heartily at the spirit of investigation her companion was developing. “When you picked him up, he was not willing to abandon the raft; and he was going to make me help him get the boards on shore. What is he going to do with them?’’ continued Andy, so much absorbed in the inquiry that he did not heed the laugh of the fair skipper. ‘‘T supposed he was only using the boards as a ratt.”’ “Tn that case he would not have taken the trouble to get them to Bunkel, for I have no doubt he stole them,’’ argued Andy. But Di felt little or no interest in the question which called forth so much activity on the part of her companion, and he said no more, though he did not cease to think of it. By the advice of Andy, the sloop had gone down through the strait and was coming up through the channel, as the narrow and the wide passage were respectively called by the few boatmen on the lake, for there were not more than half a dozen boats of all kinds on the beautiful sheet of water. The Diana had just come up with the most southerly point of the island, and Andy was on the lookout for the landing rock, hoping the mysterious man would again show himself. ‘The long tack in the course had brought the sloop close to thiscape. She had come about, and her course was quite near the rocky shore, and almost parallel with it. In a moment more, the boat would be in position to enable the inquirer to see the landing rock. “il Wil Bil’’ shouted Bob Rottle, at the tiller lines of the hood- lum boat, and this seemed to be his peculiar war cry. Tom Sawder had been on the watch for the Diana; and the row boat had been out far enough to enable him to see the sloop standing across the channel. As soon as he got sight of her, he had ordered his lieutenant to back the boat behind the point. ‘The chief of the hoodlums believed that he was a profound strategist as well as the hardest hitter in that latitude. He was sure that Andy would keep out of. his way if he discovered the row boat in season to do so, and he had concealed his gang behind the point, ready to pounce upon his victim as soon as the sloop came near enough to enable him to do so. When the end of the Diana’s bowsprit appeared beyond the rocks, Tom had given the order to pull to the two rowers. At this criti- cal moment, the sloop was not more than fifty feet from the point. ‘Ah, ha! Ah, ha!’’ yelled Josh Boole. “Wah! Yah! Yah!” cried Buck Fishler, for each had his own war cry. ‘‘ Now shet up, fellers, and let me do the talkin’ !”’ interposed the chief, as he stood up in theebow of the boat, with one of the revolvers in his hand. “ Punch him with a shot, Tom !’’ yelled Bob Rottle. COMMiclooolks 3