Adventure Magazine, March 1916 — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

The Secret of Caprice said ‘Well?’ And Miss Nellie said, ‘I have not changed my mind, Uncle Stephen. I can not agree to your doing it.’ And he sort of grunted and said, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter if you can’t, because I’ve done it.’ That was all. What is it Mr. Blaydon has done, Chief? I thought he went fishing.” Loder suddenly sprang to his feet as a thought struck him. “Wait a minute!” he cried. something.” He dashed out of the tent, and Fenton heard his footsteps scrambling down toward the yacht. In five minutes he returned. His eyes were staring in amazement, and he “T forgot stood in the flap looking at his employer: without a word. Finally he blurted it out. “What .do you think, Chief? I put ten gallons of gasoline in ‘that tender’s tank this morning for Mr. Blaydon’s fishing-trip. There’s only about three there now.”’ He took a pencil from his pocket and began calculating on a piece of wood. “Eight horse-power,” he said. “Call it a pint per horse-power per hour. Gallon an hour, Give him seven miles an hour; seven gallons—why, Chief, that man has run fifty miles or more today.” He stared at Ward, but the aviator made es answer. His own thoughts were too usy That's some fishing-trip, isn’t it?” the mechanician exclaimed. Still Ward did not answer, and Loder glanced at him sharply. “All right, Chief,” he said with a resigned shrug. “It’s none of my business. I’m shut up.” CHAPTER X NELLIE GIVES A WARNING Cat LODER’S face was a study as he served their evening meal. His eyes were big and brilliant with the ecstasy of adventure and mystery, but when he glanced at Fenton they clouded with a look so reproachful that the aviator could not ignore it. “Never mind, Carl,” he said good- naturedly. ‘“‘You mustn’t be discouraged because I don’t tell you the meaning of everything as soon as it happens: Some- times that is because I don’t know the meaning myself, That's honestly what it is in this case.’ 47 “You mean about Mr. Blaydon’ s fishing- trip?” “Ves. I believe that trip has some signifi- cance that he would give a good deal more than five dollars to keep secret, and I propose to find out somehow what it is. I have suspicions.” “You mean you’ve got, a clue?” “Yes; several of them The mechanician’s eyes gleamed with a fresh light. “Ges, Chief!” he exclaimed. clues.” Ward smiled at the fellow’s enthusiasm. ‘You will have to be patient,” he said. ‘Several things have happened lately that you do not know about yet, and they have an important bearing on these clues. I'll let you know as soon as I find out, and I think it will give you | material for half a dozen movie scenarios.’ “All right, Chief,” Carl agreed. “T’ll try not to ask questions, but it’s mighty hard with so many exciting things happening. You know, I always wanted to do this kind of thing, and it’s the first chance I’ve ever had. You just shut me up when I butt in too much.” “Thanks,” Ward said, laconically. “TI will. 9 He strolled on the beach with his pipe, leaving Loder about the tents. He wanted to think, but he had scarcely marshaled these new facts in orderly array when the mechanician came running down to him. “*T do love “Oh, Chief,” Carl panted, breathless from excitement. ‘“‘What do you thinkP Mr. Blaydon just came to the tents for you. He says will you please join him and Miss N ellie on the yacht. a Bey want to talk to you.” Ward drew a deep breath. He felt that » the invitation was portentous. “All right,” he said. “T’ll go.” He found uncle and niece seated under the awning, with the rays of a lantern, hung over Carl’s new stairway from the sand, reaching them with only a faint illumina- tion. Stephen Blaydon rose and greeted him with a trifle too much warmth and cor- diality, Ward thought, but the girl merely inclined her head gravely in answer to his salutation. “Sit down, Fenton, sit down,” said Blay- don. “Have a cigar? No? All right; I'll smoke if you don’t mind.” He lighted a match, and, asits flame flared JOO cS (ECON AMLE (E(@)