Argosy All-Story Weekly — "Sea Marauders" — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

i , - ; Pas.t < * , en atm ‘ LA is ss * ve | 448 of any sort, what a gorgeous prize lay unguarded here on Gascon! Although he knew nothing of the value of jewels, the gems which the women at the big house were wearing at dinner and in the drawing-room must be worth an enormous sum. As far as he knew, Mr. Lovering did aot even keep a night watchman on duty, and if there were any weapons he had not seen them. The yacht, of course, would be a protection, but she was in New York. He had a revolver; he had always owned one during his seagoing days, and had brought it in his luggage as a matter of course. IS mind sharpened by these H thoughts, his eyes were fixed upon the black lagoon, and he saw, all of a sudden, half a dozen flashes of phosphorescence away out on the bay. He watched. They ap- peared again in a different position. A fish leaping out of the water would cause stich a flash, but not several flashes. They might be made by oars. A pang of jealousy. Was Mildred out rowing with Forbes? He saw the flashes again. If this was a boat there were at least three oars on each side. He listened for row- locks, but heard nothing. They might be muffled. And then he remembered the fancied chugs of a gas engine. That was nothing, but, combined with the phosphorescence which might be caused by oars, it was something. Suppose, just suppose, some beach- combers had heard of Lovering’s house party and the wealth it possessed. They might approach the island in a motor boat, shift to a small boat, and row ashore. It would be easy to take the house, and they could be aware of it. Should he wake the house? He walked to the corner of the porch and glanced up. The last bedroom light had been extinguished. If he waked them up and alarmed them unneces- up to the house. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. sarily they would be furious, and, after all—no, there were the oar flashes again. The boat was approaching the shore at the right. He darted into his chamber, opened his trunk, and drew out his gun, loaded it, and thrust 4 handful of cartridges into his trousers pocket. still doubtful of what he had seen and heard, he walked rapidly down to the beach and followed it toward the right. The white sand beach ended | after a quarter of a mile, and trees and - underbrush grew down to the water’s edge. He moved inland a few rods and struck a bridle path which Lovering had had cut to enable his guests to ride around the island to where the reef began. Knowing his road, he moved swiftly for some distance, then stopped in his tracks, for he saw a flash light play across the path some distance ahead of him. A. moment later he heard voices and the tramp of feet on the gravel. Men were coming down the path. That their purpose was hostile was obvious by their method of landing, and they were going to come upon a sleeping household. Should he run back and alarm his employer? ‘These fellows would be on his heels. As he hesitated he saw a dark form a little distance ahead of him, and he dived into the bushes. The flash shone again and went out. “Tt’s a bridle path, bv heck,” said a harsh voice. “ We can follow this right Come on, boys.” A row of men passed him so near _that he could have touched them by stretching out his hand. He counted. There were nine of them. ‘Iwo were carrying heavy packages. One or two whose feet were bare swore at the con- tact of the sharp gravel with the soles of their feet. They had passed. In ten minutes, at the latest, they would be at the house. He lifted his gun and fired fy shots A ee: eco mmen eat! com