Page 119 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

Adventure
114
FOR two or three reasons Lord Lord Bob asked what it was, but I could
Bob chose that route. The first not say. He poked in the flashlight, but
was that he was to turn over his box nothing was revealed except a small surface
to parties waiting for him clear at the sout.h of bright yellow metal. I pried lose another
end of the city 's water-front; another reason board, and again the flashlight swept it.
was, he said, it gave more room to maneuver Lord Bob stood as if dumfounded-
in case some suspicious craft put off from "Gold!"
shore or loomed up ahead. He yelled it; then, taking the chisel,
He suggested that I try to locate a boat struck into the metal, and the part laid bare
that carried no lights, to locate her purely was, or. seemed to be, the same.
by sound, particularly when she was travel- "A statue of solid gold!" he cried.
ing as fastt as the Sea Breeze; and-his Then:
phrase-I would find it like trying to catch "By Saint Solomon, I don't b'lieve it!"
an "echo in a rain-barrel." It was some kind of a Jarge image, and
Behind us we could barely make out the seemed to be made of yellow metal.
faint lights of the pursuer. He explained "F'r two cents I'd dump it over," he
that at that distance she couldn't hear our shouted. ·
motor for her own, that she would have to Meaning that the first law of smuggling
stop from time to time and listen, and he was to get rid of the evidence when in dan-
promised that he would do some fancy ger of being taken; and he could pretend to
curves before we had finished. have been in that danger.
"Like a bull chasin' a jack.rabbit," was "Nothing contraband," I said, pointing
his gleeful simile. at the statue.
A ferry-boat, all lights, was scooting We had to talk at the top of our lungs.
across the bay, and I would have appreci- "Be sure there is-or I wouldn't been
ated one of those fancy curves that he spoke sent for it. . . . What's that?"
about, for it seemed that as we lay we could He fixed the glasses to his eyes and stared
not miss her. We did; by-I guessed- ahead to a twinkling green light on the
about ten feet, but was assured that the water.
real distance was several times as many. "Some Goat Island cutter," he guessed.
Distance, to my eyes, is deceptive on black "The tower of jewels," he added, jesting
water. and pomted toward the Ferry Building.
"Now," said Lord Bob, "let's have a The water boiled behind us and a fine
look." spray like mist up from the windward of
Veiling his flashlight, we examined the the Sea Breeze. The motor struck with the
box; but there was not a lock on it. rapidity of a sewing-machine.
"Must break 'er open," he said, and "We can do better 'an thirty knots-in a
crawled back toward Jackman, who sat pinch,'_' Lord Bob shouted approvingly a
almost steadily pouring oil into the engine. he agam turned and poked his light into tl1e
He returned with a hammer and chisel. box.
"Tell Sin the p'lice did it," he cried gaily, Then, putting the megaphone almo t
pushing the tools into my hands. "Give 'im deafeningly against my ear he yelled:
a great story of how I got away. He's "A ton o' fake gold for a phony ruby---
good old chink. B 'lieve anything." that's my guess. Kuowin' Hurgy an'· in
I struck into the tough wood, eager, yet a too! . . . Moth r of -- What the--!''
little afraid of finding what I expected. A sear hlight, d ad ahead, and not
The wood was hard, and nailed solid. hundr d yard ah ad at that "lruck th
"Great mother ·of Solomon," commented water near us and almo t at n e :hiftcd
Lord Bob, "why didn't he call a transfer soas to cover us with a stream of light.
company? All this risk. Hurgy didn't use Thr pint t starboard, and slightly far-
to be a fool." ther away, anotherr light ut through the
A piece of the board reluctantly gav way darkness and fumbled for a moment b fore
to my prying. I thrust in a hand, feeling it intersected the other right across our
and struck something cold and hard, metal- small deck. A voice bellowed:
lic. It would be impossible to say whcth r "A-hov th re. Lay to!''
my sensation was one of relief or disap- Either because our own motor had
pointment. smothered all sound of other motors, or r
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