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er Have nve"rnoun-a noun. (or Tom‘? ,
house at 1 o'clock." the old man replied. not smiling,
not showing in any way whether he liked or dis-
liked the others style of humor. "You will, I hope,
take luncheon with me. Goodnight." '
- . II.
SHALL BE ACCEPT Till-I.POSlT!0)c‘?
' ITHERTO it'hsd been the habit of Richard
Overstreet to fall asleep almost as soon as he
tucked the covers about him in his unheated room.
Tonight this habit forsoolr him. He could not. as
he had said. spend that five thousand ‘dollars in bed;
CHICAGO LEDGER
but he could think of a hundred‘ ways of spending
such a sum ,
Richard Overstreet had no particular reasons of
interest or sentiment to cling to his family name. He
had no family. From a very tender age he had been
an orphan, His father had deserted his mother and
his mother had placed him ‘in an orphans’ home,
where in order to be withphim, she had served
as housekeeper under the matron. He could just
barely remember her. He had received "comfort
from assurances of the home authorities that she had
been a cultured young woman, good. quiet, but With-
out,experierice. She had no near relatives, and
naturally Richard had never felt any desire to hunt
out his father's people, even had he held claws to
their whereabouts. All his life. he had been forced
to make his way alone. He had been knocked about
pretty roughly, for the world is apt to knock one
about who has not the means or the‘ prestige to
knock back. '
He did not care particularly for the name of
“Travis,” but certainly be. had no- foolish pride in
“0verstreet." '-if his mother had been an Overstreet.
probably he would have rejected the old man's otter
wlthout further consideration; but she had been he
knew not what, and “0verstreet" meant to him an
unworthy father, a deserted home.
So much for the name. As'for the 35,000, that
was more than he could make at his present busi-
ness in dve years.‘ ‘He really sympathized with the
old man's desire to keep unworthy heirs ‘from enter-
ing into his hard-earned possessions. Had Richard
been an old man who by laborious labor had laid by
‘ something like forty thousand dollars, he would not >
have been willing to seevit allggo to scamps, to idle '
and indlderent connections. and he would have been
‘afraid. just as Mr. Travis apparently was afraid,
that if he willed the property elsewhere, the will
would be broken. ‘
Richard was pleased. but could not be surprised.
that he had been -picked out as worthy of the prop-
erty. He knew himself to be all those nice things
that the other had said about him. He was not used
to being told that he was honest and reliable and
all the rest, but it was true. and be was perfectly
convinced that his merits titted him in every way to
stand between the old man and unworthy heirs.
As to the old man himself. he wasnnt a person
that Richard would have picked out for a father.
There was something about him which Richard, in
thinking it over, could only explain to himself-‘
tho the word hardly conveyed the impression-as
“Don’I'Go! You Have Nothing to Fear From Me." A
“deep.” The long white beard and white hair, not
very well smooth df , suggested a Santa Claus.
but, in spite of the roll of money in his hand, not‘
a benevolent Santa Claus. Richard explained it by-"
concluding that Mr. Travis bated his connections
more‘ than he liked his prospective heir.
Again, Mr, Travis did not talk as one would sup-3-"
pose 3. farmer’ from a place called “Indianapoli ,
Missouri" would talk; his grammar was good, his"
words well-chosen. But he must be a farmer from
thatlout-of-the-world place, else he would not have
(Continued on Page 15.)
Dlore Cliciplers in George Ethelbert Walsh's Best Sea
’ hooth Sea t Pebbles
CHAPTER IV. . .
ALPUTA had not gained his reputation thru
E cowardice. He had the rough bravery of the
average outlaw of the Southern Seas, and
after the first shock of surprise he started for the
long boat with alroar of rage. Climbing into i he
ordered the Papuans to their cars. using his fists
and feet to emphasize his commands.
From his position on the beach. Scar watched the
race for the Bounty. The rakish-looking schooner
came about on another Lack before the long boat
reached the middle of the lagoon. and headed for the
anchored ship. There was a commotion on the deck
of the latter. the tour fuzzy-headed sailors left he-
hind displaying a panicky fear that was quite nat-
ural. Without a leader they ran up and down the-
deck like so many monkeys, gesticulatlng wildly.
fu'ot.b.ing but the fear of the sharks that infested
the waters’ kept them from plunging overboard and
swimming tor the shore. They had no intention of
oifering resismace to the crew that far outnumbered
' them.
"An even bet they’ll take to the water,‘ laughed
V Scar. “A Papnarrs as safe there as on land.‘
Ilia prophecy was fulnlled almost before it was
out of his month. One dark form suddenly dived and
disappeared from sight. This was the signal for the
others, and three successive splashes followed Even
at that distance Scar uonld see their black bobbing
heads as they swam desperately for land. ,
“That leaves L1 in sale possession.” ‘be added
thoughtfully. “Poor Li. I hopethey won‘t kill him."
The swimming Pabuaus made (or the reef, and
urea finding it an inhospitable place to land they
skirted along the edge of it like a string of ducks
(gnawing a leader. One oi them apparently caught
sight of l(alputo.'s boat, for he set up a screeching
and chattering that the others quickly imitated
They met near the entrance of the channel. Kal-
puta helping them aboard with willing hands. Now
that they were faced by an enemy of unknown
strength. the leader was anxious to conserve his
force. Every one would be needed to recover the
ship. - '
The schooner came alongide the Bounty, and a
boat load of black natives soon climbed up on its
deck. There was no enemy to meet, except poor Li
Sin, and Scar felt genuine pity for him.‘ '
The unopposed capture of the Bounty must have
enraged Kslputa beyond description, but the sight of
the boatload of natives that had swarmed over her
decks had also a quleting effect on him. .A few mo-
ments later when a. second boat was launched irom
the side of the schooner, and a score or two of fierce-
looking little warriors leaped into it. his prudence
came to the surface. .
He turned his boat back and headed for the shore
as fast a his six Papuan sailors, reinforced now with
the four picked from the water, could row it. When
they reached the middle of the lagoon, Scar got up
and moved back among the palm trees.
“When there's nothing else to do take to the
woods,” he grinned. 7
From his more secluded ambush, he took a quiet
survey of the interesting scene. Kalpnia was being
pursued now by two boatloads of natives, and in the
bow of one Scar thought he . ognlzed the iigure of
Captain Bernice. if she was directing the pursuit in
person. the outcome might prove highly interesting.
He had recovered his gun from the beach, and altho
his right wrist. where the dart had entered the flesh
and struck the bone. pained him, the hand was far
from helplesa. it was throbbing. and a little tip.
steady. but in a pinch he could give a good account
and Adventure Story.
of himself; of this much he was fully coniident.
Retreating still further as the boats neared the ‘
beach, he waited for Kalputn. He was more to be '
feared -than Captain Bernice and her men. Kalputa '
would kill in cold blood A woman couldn't do that.
It was against her nature. ‘
His interest in the race was suddenly brought to ;
an intense climax. Kalputa's boat seemed to stop. W
shiver, and half turn on its side. Then it began to
ml and sink rapidly. In their, excitement the
Pnpuans had plunged the bow straight upon a coral
rock that had lanced it like a knife going thru
cheese
Won howls of fear. the men plunged overboard
and completed the rest of the trip to shore swim-
ming. Kalputa led, and when he crawled upon dry
land he stopped long enough to rescue his gun from
his mop of halnwhere be had kept it-dry. The next
‘moment he was blazing away at the nearest boat-’ ‘
load of natives. , .
His shots went true. for three tumbled over yell-
lug. and for a moment there was a panic among the
rest. But it was of short duration. A sheet of
flame burst from the bow of the nearest boat fol-
lowed by a loud report. Calmiy and with delibera-
tion, Captain Bernice was shooting with‘a rifle at
the crowd of renegades.
Two of their number fell before Kalputa realized
ma‘ 3 3111311 BKVY pistol was an inadequate weapon .
against a Winchester. Ila turned and fled as a bul-
let clipped his ear and carried away the lobe of it.
"llello. this is where I must either get into the
battle or move!" exclaimed scar when the ileeing
Papuans ran straight for his rendezvous. There
W519 01117 three cartridges left in his gun. and, not
Counting the two dead on the beach. there were
still eight men left with Kalputaj
“I'll save my ammunition for a better time.” be de-
cided. and withdrew deeper into the palm grove,
- Once under the shelter of the trees, Kalpuia made