FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131  
132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>  
expansive than ever as he takes another look around. Next he's introduced proper to everybody, and inside of ten minutes we're all sitting down to breakfast together, while J. Dudley explains how him and Folly has been lifelong chums. So we didn't get pinched, after all. "Although," says the lieutenant commander, as he starts back towards the _Petrel_, "I suppose I ought to fine you for exceeding the speed limit." The _Agnes_ has got under way again, and we'd stopped wavin' good-by to the jackies, when I catches a glimpse of a head bein' poked cautious out from under the canvas cover of one of our lifeboats. Nudgin' Vee to look, I steps up to Mr. Ellins, who's talkin' with Auntie and Mrs. Mumford, and points out my discovery. By that time the head has been followed by a pair of shoulders. Old Hickory just narrows his eyes and stares. "Why!" gasps Mrs. Mumford, "it--it's Captain Killam!" "Yep!" says I. "Rupert the Reckless. Only this trip he seems to be playin' it safe, eh?" "In hiding!" says Auntie. "All the time, too!" "Huh!" grunts Old Hickory, watchin' Killam crawl out and slip around a corner. But say, Mr. Ellins can make that "Huh!" of his mean a lot. He knows when he's been buffaloed, take it from me. My guess is that Rupert's stock is in for a bad slump. I'd quote him about thirty off and no bids. CHAPTER XIV AUNTIE TAKES A NIGHT OFF It looked like a case of watchin' out for the stick to come down. Uh-huh! The good yacht _Agnes_ had been tied to her anchor less than half a day when this grand treasure-hunting expedition of ours showed symptoms of collapse. It was weak in the knees, groggy in its motions, and had fur on its tongue. If there'd ever been any stock issued by the Ellins-Hemmingway Exploration and Development Company, I'll bet you could have bought in a controllin' interest for two stacks of cigarette coupons and a handful of assorted campaign buttons. You see, Old Hickory and Auntie had hung all their bright hopes on this Captain Rupert Killam. They'd listened to his tale about a secret mangrove island with a gold and jewel stuffed mound in the middle, and they'd taken it right off the fork. His mysterious and romantic motions had them completely buffaloed--at first. But on the way down here Rupert's reputation as a bold, bad adventurer had gradually been oozin' away, like a slow air leak from a tire. His last play of hidin' his head when the _Agnes
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131  
132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   >>  



Top keywords:
Rupert
 

Hickory

 

Ellins

 

Killam

 

Auntie

 
motions
 
buffaloed
 

Mumford

 
Captain
 

watchin


groggy

 

collapse

 
tongue
 

anchor

 
looked
 

CHAPTER

 
AUNTIE
 
hunting
 

treasure

 

expedition


showed

 

symptoms

 

interest

 

mysterious

 

romantic

 

completely

 

island

 

stuffed

 

middle

 

reputation


adventurer

 
gradually
 

mangrove

 

secret

 

bought

 
controllin
 

stacks

 
Hemmingway
 

issued

 
Exploration

Development
 

Company

 
cigarette
 
coupons
 

bright

 

listened

 
assorted
 

handful

 
campaign
 

buttons