Page 118 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

Sorcery and Everhard 113

]anding, and some rough voice told him to We were storming through the water and-
lower it. with a recklessness of which my cautious
"Lower it yourselves. On the job, there," nature did not approve- cutting back al-
and Lord Bob's voice took on a surprizing most at right angles with the police boat.
menace. But she was following sound only.
But Jackman called- Not a light showed; and as Lord Bob ex-
"Look!'' plained, sound is hard to follow on the
In the distance a long, bobbing finger of water. The police boat, made a little un-
light was scrawling short arcs on the water certain by the mingling of her own motor
and in the pause and silence we could hear with that of the Sea Breeze, had to stop her
the faint throb of a motor. engine from time to time and listen to be
"Police," said Jackman, his voice 'un- sure of the direction. But either by luck
troubled. or because the· ears of the policemen were
"Down with it, or off we go," said Lord cunning, she guessed right and changed
Bob, and the group of men-some jumping course so that for a few minutes the search-
on to the boat-began lowering away the light intermittently played around us; and
immense package, which seemed to weigh Lord Bob was right about the rifles.
not less than three or four hundred But he and I had comfortable shelter be-
pounds. hind the box, and Jackman bent low over
"Mothe r of Saint Solomon!" said Lord his engine and poured in oil.
Bob, eyeing the box, which was some six "Are you going to find out what's in this
feet long and two feet square, as it took up box?" I yelled right up against his ear.
a big part of the deck-room. "Bet we "You guessed it!" he shouted back.
dump this over 'fore the night's out. Back I felt a little better satisfied, but one
her out, Jack. We've got to go." needed to be very much the master of con-
The engine kicked, and the landing began centration to think of much beside the
to recede. zz-z-i-p-plung! of rifle bullets that played
"The water cops'll be on our trail all about. The Sea Breeze darted this wav and
right," said Lord Bob cheerfully, watching that, tearing through the water with a very
the searchlight that was rapidly swinging nearly steady roar and creating a wind that
about. struck us like a gale.
Then Jackman swore. The engine had "Great, eh?" Lord Bob cried two inches
died. from my ear.
"I don't know of anything more feminine I thought comment was needless. And
than a motor-boat," I commented. it was not my idea of great sport, although
"Boom erang is," said Lord Bob cheer- as far as that particular police boat was
fully. "And those -- cops carry mighty concerned it was safe enough. The shoot-
long-winded rifles." ing was not good-nor was anybody likely
"Gas was choked," said Jackman as the to have made it good with an unsteady boat
boat tremhled from the vibration of the beneath him and another for a target-and
engine. we were gaining rapidly.
Then from somewhere up above us a But it emed to me that Lord Bob and
voice spoke . We were on our way, and the Jackman were a pair of lunatics. They
engine's throbbing seemed_ almost_ deafen- were heading straight down the bay for the
ing; but somehow that voice earned clear city. The Sea Breeze carried no light , and
and penetrating: the danger of running into something when
"Well done. Well done, my men!" going at that clip was altogether too
Lord Bob clenched my shoulders as both obvious.
of our faces were jerked upward in the dark- She veered abruptly and headed straight
ness, trying to see who had spok n from for Alcatraz; w nt in a half ir l around
the window; though we knew who it was. the island and again cut off down th bay
"Burgy!" whispered Lord Bob. and the poli boat lo t us for a time. ·we
Pause. went by a ship and a voice bellowed at us,
"Great Saint Solomon!" and Lord Bob through his megaphone
Pause. shouted hack som thing impudent that
"I wonder what we have got!" perhaps never reached the lookout's
I ·aid nothing, but I was trying to think. ears.
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