The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922, February 03, 1922, Image 3
TTT13 NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRTBUNE. """"ariirirnaffiesftnii...... r PS the PANISH I Doubloons iL4Wtt'""'l"'"UIIIIlflWWBBItwBBWWWiBwwtlwt,wlj1)M))p CHAPTER XVI. 19 From Dead Hands. AA the head of the fllo, Cnpt. Tony ndrasccd through the clearing, and what with his flowing black beard, his portJjr form and a certain dramatic swagger which he possessed, he looked so eatlrdy Italian and operatic that you expected to hear him at any mo ment burst out In a sonorous basso. With a sweeping gesture he flung dowa npon the table two brown can vas bags, which opened nnd discharged from gaping mouths a flood of golden coins. Slinker and the cross-eyed man shoutod aloud. They ran und clutched at the coins with a savage greed. "Gold, gold the real stuff! It's the doubloons, all right Where's the rest of emr' These cries broke from Slinker nnd llorny confusedly ns the gold slid Jingling between their eager lingers. "The rest of 'era Is where they Is," pronounced Tony orucularly. "Some wheres in the sand of the cave, of course.' Well dig 'cm up tomorrow morning." "What was the point In not digging 'em nil up while you was about It?" demanded Slinker, lowering. "What was the good o' digging up jest these here couple o' bags and quitting?" "Because we didn't dig 'era up," re sponded Tony darkly. "Because these was all ready and waiting. Because all we had to do was to say Thankee,' to the feller that handed 'em out. We got these here bags of doubloons, as I says, without havln to dig for 'em oncet' we hud found the cave, which it's no thanks to old Wnshtubs we uln't looking for It yet. We got these hero bags right out of the lists of a skeleton. Most of him was under a rock, which had fell from the roof and pinned him amidships. ' Must of squashed him like a beetle, I guess. But he'd Btlll kep his hold on the bags." I turned aside, for fear that anyone should see how white I was. To the rest, these poor bones might In deed bear mute witness to a tragedy, "but a tragedy lacking outlines, vague, Impersonal, without polgnacy. To me, they told with dreadful clearness the They Played With the Doubloons Llko Children. last sad chapter of the tale of Peter; Peter who Jiad made me so Intimately his conlldante, whose love and hopes and solitary strivings I knew all about. Vaguely I heard around me a babble of exclamations and conjectures. Mur murs of Interest rose even from our captive band. Then came SI Inker's voice, loud with sudden fear: "Say, you don't suppose the the Bones would of got away with the rest of the coin somehow, do you?" he de manded. "Got away with It?" Tony contemp tuously thrust aside the possibility. "Got away with It, bow? He sure didn't leave the Island with It, did he? Would ho of dug it up from one place jest to bury it in another? Huh I Must of wanted to work If he did 1 Now, my notion Is that this happened to one of the guys that was burying the gold, und that the rest jest left him there for a sort of scarecrow to keep other people out of the cave." "But the gold?" protested Slinker. "They wouldn't leave that for a scarecrow, would they?" "Maybe not," admitted Tony, "but suppose that feller died awful slow, and went on hollering nnd clutching at the baga? Well, .that cavo wouldn't he a plnasant place to stay In, would It? And no one would have the nerve to snatch them bags away to bury em, 'cause a dying man, especially when he dies hard, can have an awful grip, So what they done was Just to shovel Uif sand In on the gold they'd stowed away and light out quick." If the Ingenuity of this reasoning was more remarkable than Its logic, the pirates were not the men to tlnd fault with It. Desire is tlio most elo quent of advocates, and the live rufll ans had only to listen to its voice to enjoy In anticipation all the fruits of their iniquitous schemes. The sight of the golden coins intoxicated them. They played with the doubloons like children, jingling them In their cal loused palms, guessing at weight and value, calculating their equivalent in the Joy of living. Laughter and oaths resounded. And now the night that I unutter ably dreaded was upon us. But the pirates still thought of nothing but the gold. They had exhausted their own portable supplies of liquor, and were loud In their denunciations of our bone- dry camp, as they termed It. It was Tony who Intercepted n ten tative, movement of Capt. Magnus in my direction, and ordered me Into the cabin with my aunt and Miss Browne. Through the walls of the hut we heard loud and eager tnlk of the morrow nnd its certnln golden harvest as the pi rates made their dispositions for the night. Then the voices trailed off sleepily and silence succeeded, broken only by the ceaseless murmur of the waves around the island. CHAPTER XVII. Of Which Cookie Is the Hero. Next morning I came out of the hut in time to sec Mr. Shaw and his com panion In duress led forth front the sleeping quarters which they had shared with their captors. They were moored ns before to a palm tree,' by a rope having a play of two or three feet, and'thelr hands unbound while they made a hasty breakfast under the eye of a watchful sentinel. Then their wrists were tied again, not pain fully, but with a firmness which made any slipping of their bonds Impossible. While the pirates were "breakfasting a spirited dispute took place among them ns to who should go to the treas ure cave and who stay In camp to guard the prisoners. Slinker and llorny urged with justice thnti . as they had missed all the excitement of the preceding day, It was their turn to visit the cave. The right to see the Bones they passionately claimed. Tony supported them, and It ended wltn Chris and Captain Magnus being told off ns our guards for the morning. In leaving the cabin I had slipped Into my blouse a small penknife which I had found In Aunt Jane's bag. It was quite new, and I satisfied myself that' the blades were keen. My own large sheath-knlfe and my revolver I had been deprived of at the suggestion of the thoughtful Magnus. I had surren dered them unprotestlngly, fearful of nil things that my possessions might be ransacked and Peter's diary, though hidden with much art at the bottom of the bag, be brought, to light. For I might yet sell the secret of the Island Queen at a price which should re deem us all. As the heat Increased a voice of lamentation broke from Chris. He was dry dry enough to drink up the con Uemncd ocean. No, he didn't want spring water, which Cookie obsequious ly tendered him ; he wanted a dflhk wouldn't anybody but a fool nigger know that? There was plenty of the real stuff aboard the schooner, on the other side of the adjectlv5 island. Why had they, with Incredible lack of forethought, brought along nothing but their pocket Husks? Why hadn't they sent the adjective nigger back for more? Where was the bottle or two that had been rooted out Inst night from the medical stores? Empty? Every Inst drop gone down somebody's greedy gullet? The udjectlves came thick and fast as Chris hurled the bottle into the bay, where it swam bobblngly upon the ripples. Captain Tdugnus agreed with the gist of Chris' remurks, but deprecated, In u truly philosophical spirit, their un profitable heat. There wasn't any liquor, so what was the good of mak ing an udjectlve row? Hadn't he en dured the equivalent of Chris' pres ent sufferings for weeks? He was bid ing his time, ho was. Plenty of drink by nnd by, plenty of all that makes life soft and easy. He bet there wouldn't many hit any higher spots than hlra. He bet there was one lit tle girl that would be looked on as lucky, in case she was a good little girl and encouraged hlra to show his natural kindness. And I was favored with a blood-curdling leer from ncross the camp, of which I' had put us much as possible between myself and the object of my dread. But now, like a huge black Gany mede, appeared Cookie, bearing cups nnd a large stone crock, "It subtlnly u m a fact. Mlstnh Chris, sab," said Cookie, "dat dey Is a mighty unsplrltuous fluidity 'bout dls yere spring watah. Down war I Is come from no pussons of de Four Hund'ed ain't oveh 'customed to partake of such. But the susslety I has been In lately round dls yre camp ain't of de convlvulous ordah; ole Cookie hud to keep It dark dut he got his ll'le drop o' comfort on de side. Dls yere's only home-made stuff, sab. 'Taln't what I could offah to a gennelmun If so be I is got the raakln's of a genuwlne old- style Julep what Is do beverage of de fust fam'lles. But beln' as it Is, It am mighty coolln', sab, and It got a ll'le kick to It not much, but Jos' enough cd Camilla 7 Kenyon COPYRIOHT THE DODDS-MERR1LL COMPANY to make a gennelmun feel lak he la one." Cooklo's tones dripped humility and propitiation. Ho offered the brimming cup crlnglngly to the p'alc-eycd, red hosed Chris, who reached for It with alacrity, drank deep, smacked his. lips meditatively, and after a moment passed the cup back. "'Taln't so worse," he said upprov Ingly. "Anyhow," It's drink I" Magnus suddenly began to laugh. "S'elp me, it's the same dope what laid out the Honorable 1" he chortled. "Here, darky, let's have n swig of it!" Cookie compiled, Joining respectful ly In the captain's mirth. "I guess you-nll is got stronger haRls den dat young gennelmun I" he remnrked. "Dls yere ole utggnh has help hlsself mighty freely und " dat prohibitionist Miss Harding uln't oveh found It out. Fnc' Is, It am puffeckly harmless 'cept when do hnld is weak." False, false Cookie I Black brother in perfidy to Mr. Tubbsl One frieiid the loss to bo depended on If a chnnco for freedom ever came to us I Cookie refilled the pirates' cups, and set the crock beside them on the ground. "In case you gennelmun feels yo' selfs a ll'le thursty later on," he re marked. He was retiring, when Cap tain "Magnus, culled to him. "Blackle, this ain't bnd. It's coolln', but thin a real nice ladylike sort Of drink, I should say. Suppose you take a swig over to Miss Jinny there with my compliments I'm one to nlways treat a lady generous If she gives mo half a chance." Obediently Cookie hastened for an other cup, set It on a tray, nnd ap proached mo with his old-time ornate manner. I faced him with a withering look, but, unmindful, he bowed, pre senting me the cup, and interposing his bulky person between me and the deeply quaffing pirates. At the same time his voice reached me, pitched In a low and anxious key. "Fo do Lawd's sake, Miss Jinny, spill Ifcoutl It am mighty powerful dope It done fumented twice ns long as befo' it am boon to give dat trash de bllnd-staggahs sho'tlyi" Instantly I understood, nnd a thrill of relief and of hope Inexpressible shot through me. I put the cup to my Hps and after a brief parade of drink ing passed it back to Cookie, spilling tho contents on tfie ground en route. Gradually the rough disjointed talk of Jho sailors began to languish. Cov ertly watching, I saw that Chris' head had begun to droop. The hand that held the cup was lifted, stretched out in the direction of the enticing jar, then forgetting Its errand fell heavily. After a few spasmodic twitchlngs of tho eyelids and uneasy grunts, Chris slumbered. Captain Magnus was of tougher li ber. But he, too, grew silent and there was a certain meal-sack limp ness about his attitude. His dulled eyes stared dreamily. All at once, with a Jerk, he roused himself, turned over and administered to tho sleeping Chris a prod with his large boot. "Hey, there, wake up I What right you got to be asleep at the switch?" But Chris only breathed more heav ily. Captain Magnus himself heaved a tremendous yawn, settled back In greater comfort against his sustain ing tree and closed his eyes. I waited, counting the seconds by tho beating of the blood In ray ears. In the back ground Cookie hovered apprehensive ly. Plainly he would go on hovering unless loud snores from tho pirates gave him assurance. For myself, I sat fingering my penknife, wondering whether I ought to rush over and plunge It Into the sleepers' throats. This would be heroic and practical, but unpleasant. If, on the other hnnd, I merely tried to free the prisoners nnd Captain Magnus woke, what then? The palm where they wero tied was a dozen ynrds fromme, much nearer to the guards, and within range of even their most languid glance. Beyond the prisoners was Miss Browne, glaring uncomprehendlngly over tho edge of hor book. There was no help in Miss Browne. x I left, my scat and stole on feet which seemed to stir cveryleuf and twig to loud complaint toward tho captive pair. Tense, motionless, with burning eyes, they wnlted. Tliere was a movement from Captain Magnus; he yawned, turned nnd muttered. I stood stricken, my heart beating with loud thumps against ;ny ribs. But the captain's eyes remained closed. "Virginia quick, Virginia 1" Dugald Shaw was stretching out his bound hands to me, aud 1 hud dropped on my knees before him and begun to cut at the knotted cords. They were tough strong cords, and I was bucking at them feverishly when something bounded across the clearing and flung Itself upon me. Crusoe, of course I and wild with the Joy of reunion. I strangled a cry of dlsmuy, and with one hnnd tried to thrust him ofT while I cut through the rope with the other. (TO BI3 CONTINUED.) The True Question. Everywhere In llfo tho true ones tlon Is, not what we gulu but whut vu do. Carlyje. KITC 1EN CABINET Copyright, Western Newspaper Union, Who con And a virtuous woman? for hor price Is far nbovo rubles. She sookoth wool, nnd llax, and work eth willing with lior hands. l'rovcrbs. DISHES WEALL MAY TRY As this Is the season when steamed puddings, rich sauces and hearty dishes appeal, the fol lowing will bo found suggestive : Flfl Pudding. Take one cupful each of raisins chopped suet, ChOppO (1 11 g 8. sweet milk, aud molasses. Sift witli two and one-half cupfuls of Hour, one teuspoonful each of soda, ginger, cinnamon and nut meg. Add to the dry Ingredients the molasses, milk, suet and fruit which bus been dredged with Hour. Pour In to n greased mold and steam three hours In smaller molds one hour will be sulllclent. Serve, hot with any liquid sauce desired. Cheese Salad. Soak one tablespoon fill of gelatin In one-third of cupful of cold water, add one cupful of boiling wuter, one-half tenspoonful of salt und set nsldo to harden. When the mlxturo Is rather stllf beat with an egg-beater until lltifTy. Fold In one-half pound of good strong American cheese, one half of a can of plmentoes cut In bits and one cupful of whipped cream. Let stand until set. To serve, heap lightly on head lettuce, place half a peach at tho side, with a spoonful of boiled dressing on top. Date Pudding. To one quart of boiling water add one cupful of sugar, a lew grains of snlt, then when boll lug add one-half cupful of graham Hour mixed smooth with a llttlo of the quart of water; boll well and add one pound of dates which have been pitted nnd cut In hits then cooked until smooth; add one-half cupful of walnut meatsand one teuspoonful of vanllln. Mix all together nnd serve with cream. This makes six largo servings. Cocoa Angel Food. Bout the whites of five eggs until fonmy. add one quarter of a teuspoonful of crenm of tartnr and beat until stllT; Btlr In lightly one cupful of sugar. Sift to gether one tenspoonful of cornstarch, one-half cupful of flour and one-fourth of n cupful of coeon, one tenspoonful 6f vnnllln. Mix well, then pour Into an angel food pnn. nnd lmke. one-hnlf hour. Cover with boiled frosting to which has been added fruit nnd nuts. Belgian Hash. Take one-half cup ful of prunes, one-half cupful of cur rants, one-hnlf cupful of sugnr, one half nutmeg, salt, pepper to taste, three-qunrters of a cupful of- vinegar and one-quarter of a cupful of water. Soak two pigs' feet and cook In the nbovo mlxturo (after chopping) until all tho liquor Is absorbed. Tla an old maxim In the schools, That (lattery's tho food of footm Yet now and thon your men of wit Will condescend to take u bit, Jonathan Swift. WITH GRAPE JUICE As a drink grape juice Is acceptable nt any time of the year, but there are so many delect able dishes tjiat may be prepared from grape Juice, their u a m e Is legion. Grape Fruit Oalad Dressing. Take a cupful of heavy cream slightly sour, whin and when nearly stiff add live tablespoon fuls of grape Juice und u few grains of salt. Use with any fruit salad, but is particularly good with canned pears, celery and lettuce which has been dipped hi French dressing. Grape Juice Frosting. Put three tablespoonfuls of griipe Juice In a pint bowl anil stir in confectioner's sugar till the mixture Is thick enough to spread. From one to one and one half cupfuls of sugnr will be sullleleni. Rice Cooked In Grape Juice, Com bine one and one-hall' cupfuls ol grupo Juke with oiiu-bnlf cupful ol water In a double boiler, bring to the boiling point, adding one-fourth of n tenspoonful of salt and n generous cupful of brown rice or the unpolished ! rice, steam until lender and serve j warm with cream, or If molded It may I he served cold, ltalslns may be added j If more nutriment Is desired. I Grape Juice Tapioca. TtiKe two nnd , one-half cupfuls of water, one-cupful or grape Juice, one-third of a teaspoon. fill of snlt and three-fourlhs of n nu-- spoouful sugar und bring to the hull ing point, Stir In two-thirds of n cup ful of tapioca and oiio-thlnl of a leu spoonful of ground cloves, or n few drops of clore extract. Cook gently until the tapioca Is clear, stirring occuslonnlly, then add the juice of one lemon. Chill and serve with sliced hannnns or whipped cream with grape Juice. During the winter when the fresh grapes are not obtainable, or are too expensive, we need (he acids and mineral salts found In the grape Juice to counteract tho hearty foodn needed for heat. Cocoa Nut Sundae. I'ut plulu va nllln Ice cream In taJl sherbet glasses and pour over a rich cocoa sauce. Sprinkle wl'.h shredded almonds or chopped tousled Brazil nuts. 13 Wat Contents 15luidDfaotn ,r pRR GENT. tlnfithcStofrsandDcirfJ r.hcrrTulncandOal Mineral. NotKmwotivi IS Stnna ft . tOnrimntvte t -c- nw Sleep rwjSimllcSijnat1 Exact Copy of Wrapper. She Did. Mr. Saphead "Do you ever think of nier Miss Kutting "Yes; but l'd bate to tell you what." Judge. Children's handkerchiefs often look hopeless when they come to tho laun dry. Wash with good soap, rinse In wntcr blued with Hcd Cross Ball nine. Advertisement. Garcla'slethod. Mcsdnmes -Vlardot-Garcla and Mall- bran, the wonderful daughters of Man uel Garcia, who was perhaps tho great est vocal teacher of' all time, literally "learned in suffering what they taught In song." The discipline of the Garcia home was extremely severe. It wis said that Garcia used to beat his daughters till they screamed. The neighbors, however, did not con fuse method with madness, nnd on such occasions they quaintly snld: "It Is only Monsieur Garcia teaching Ids glls to sing." Pittsburgh Dis patch. Long-Distance Music. A concert was recently henrd thou minds of miles a way over the wireless, "Nothing new about tlmt," comments J. B. M. waggishly "here In Boston 'M years ugo I heard a young lady ringing 'In Old Madrid.' "Boston Transcript. Dusuns Have Women Priests. Women priests dominate the Du suns, n curious tribe of.people Inhab iting a section of British North Horneo. Caesar First "Emperor." Julius Caesar was the tlrst ruler to style himself an "Hiporor. You wouldn't put on hobbles to run a foot race Then why load up on handicaps for the day's work?v A good deal of food, unwisely chosen, does weigh the body down and clog the digestion, and dull the brain. Why put on the'hobbles? Grape-Nuts is a breakfast or lunch time dish for those who want food effi ciency, and mind and body efficiency. Grape-Nuts satisfies and nourishes. It delights the taste. It is ready to serve whenever you are ready to eat. And it digests easily, quickly and completely leaving no handicap of heaviness and drowsiness. Grape -Nuts Is the food for health and action. "There's a Reason" Made by Postum Cereal Company, Inc., Bottle Creek, Mich. Sold by good grocers everywhere I CASTORIA For Infants and Children. Mothers Know That Genuine. Castoria Always t the W Bears Sighat Thirty Years ASTORIA THC CCNTAUn COMPANY, NEW YORK CITY. of fv Jrv In jX Use j For Over DISTEMPER AMONG HORSES Shcc ess telly Treated Willi Spohii's Distemper Compofmd At thin time of year horses are liable to contract contairloua disease DISTEUPBn, INPI.UKNZA, COUdllS and COL.DH. An a preventive against these, an occanlonut done ot HrOLUSrS" la marvelously effective. Aa a. remedy for casoa already Buffer ing, "Sroim'8" la equally effoctlvo. Give It na n, preventive. Don't wait. 60 cent and $1.20 per bottle at dru store. STOirK MKMCAX, COIIT ANY GOSIIEN, INDIANA Bobby's Guess. Elsie "Your grandpa 1h nlways out of doors." sBobby "1 guess thai's why pa says bo's an oxygcnarlnn." To Have a Clear Sweet Skin .. Touch pimples, redness, roughness or Itching, If any, with Cutlcura Oint ment, then bathe with Cutlcura Soap and hot water. Rinse, dry gently nnd dust on n little Cutlcura Talcum to rieavo a fascinating fragrance en skin. Everywhere 2flc eacli. Advertisement. True 8ympatby. MncTnggart, a canny" Scot, wwitHo n motion picture show anil wit down on tho hat of the man next hint. "Get up I You're on my lint t Why don't you look l)eforo yp sit down?" agonizingly, gcricd tho hat's owner. - MncTitggnrt arose and picked up tho hat. "Ah, well," he remarked, gently, "It might bavo boon worse." "Worse!" exclaimed tho wrathful one. "It's ruined, man! llow could It possibly he worse?" "It might hnve been my alu." an swered MacTaggart, thoughtfully. , Tho Reason. At a football gninu" ilii'old gentleman was watching from tho grand stand, and nt the end of tho tlrst half he pulled a bulky cigar case from his pocket and. turning to an enthusiast sitting beside him, asked: "Du you smoku?" The enthusiast, expecting a nice cigar, promptly replied: "Yes." "Ah I Then you don't mind my smok ing?" smilingly replied tho old gentle man. Virtue is a precious gem for which vice Is ofterf substituted.