East Oregonian : E.O., May 12, 1915, DAILY EVENING EDITION, Page PAGE SEVEN, Image 7

EIGHT PAGES DAILY EAST OREGONIAN, PENDLETON, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1915. PAGE 8F.VKN
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CoprrlfM, IMS, by Serial Publication Corporation
SYHOPSIS.
June, the bride of Ned Warner, Impulsively leaves her
husband on their honeymoon became ehe beglne to real
Ih that ehe mutt be entirely dependent on him for
money. Bhe deelree to be Independent
June la punued by Gilbert Blye, a weelthy married
man. Bhe eecapee from hie clulchea with difficulty. Ned
earchtt) distractedly for June, and, learning of BIyes
dealfna, vows vengeance on him.
ELEVENTH EPISODE
la the Clutch oi the River Thieves. '
CHAPTER I.
asesjasUEIlE was a wild dunging of hells on the
I yacbt Hilarity as the sun pushed Its scar
I let rim up Into the edge of dawn. At the
foot of the landing stairs beautiful June
Warner, her big, lustrous eyes widened In terror,
bad cast off the swift little motor tender, end tbe
dark, handsome face of the black Vandyked man,
peering over the deck rail, was distorted with rage.
He shouted again his Impatient commands to the
officer on the quarterdeck.
Sleepy sailors were on dock now, fumbling with
the davits on each side. From one swung a little
covered cutler and from the other a long, narrow
racer. Blje sprang to assist the sailors lowering fie
racer.
On the dw-k as the sun pushed Its scarlet rim up
Into the edge of the dawn stood the well known and
Justly famous private detective. 13111 Wolf, who at
once called up" Honorla Blye.
"Well, I got blm!" came the hoarse voice of Bill
Wolf, "ne'e on board the yacht Hilarity, and, say,
with the glrlT
Immediately nonorla moved very swiftly.
Th .loor.e vih! steward stcpned out upon the
deck of the Hilarity with his uniform Jacket but
toned askew,
"Beg your pardon, sir," he said. "Don't lower tbe
boats for a moment."
"Wbatr shouted Gilbert Blye.
"The gasoline, sir. it did uot arrive untjl an hour
ago."
-Ton Infernal Idiot!" yelled Orln Cunningham.
"Lower those boats r shouted Gilbert Blye. "Wll
kins, get downstairs. You can Oil those boats In
the water." And he looked out across the waves.
Tbe escaping beauty was rounding the point.
In the pretty apartments which Ned and June
Warner had fitted up to be their nest Ned rose from
the couch where he had fallen asleep with the min
iature of June In his baud and recognized the rasp
ing Tolce of Honorla,
"Well, we've located your dnrllng!" And there
was a shrill cackle. "She's on board the Hilarity
with my husband. And the yacht Is anchored out
skle tbe bay. Good morning."
Ned wasted no time. Bobble Blethering had a
stanch little boat, and Bobble was routed out of bed
Immediately, yawning and wondering why the world
could never be at peace. But he was ready, though
It took his agitated wife. Iris, seven minutes to make
him comprehend that the Hilarity was a boat She
had to suppress all ber ebullient emotions to do It.
but she relieved herself somewhat by telephoning
June's mother and father at their beautiful home In
Brynport
As the sun pushed Its scarlet rim up Into the edge
of the dawn and stared in pleased surprise at the
beautiful girl who was speeding toward the marshy
shore a low, gray skiff with a portable motor at-.
tached to Its stern skipped In and out of the dimness
among the black hulls st the river's edge. In the
skiff were three rough looking men and a roughly
dressed woman, who sat huddled In the bow. All
four were silent, but their furtive eyes roved con
stantly over every vessel around which fhey crept.
In the bottom of tho bout were a huge bundle of
celery and a loosely piled tarpaulin.
Suddenly the woman leaned forward and touched
the nearest mnn on the knee. He was a big, raw
boned man with a bronied face and a deep senr on
his chin. The woman pointed, and the mnn turned
his evil eyes In that direction. Surrounded by black
coal barges was a shining houseboat with brass
rails, mahogany cabin and all the fittings and ap
pointments which extravagance could devise.
The man at the stern, a lean, wiry fellow with a
hooked nose and a lean Jaw which ended In a big
' knob on each cheek, slowed down tho endue until
K was noiseless. They completely circled the two
adjoining docks before they camo back to the slip
where coal barges lay; then the skiff glided In be
neath the overhung of the barges, and tho hlg man
with the scar on his chin knocked on the bull. No
noise from within. The man picked up a club and
...iindcd. No stirring.
ri,ere was not a living creature In sight except
e four early morning birds of prey.
All right. Babe," growled the man with the scar
-i his chin.
The woman looked op at the houseboat as If she
,ere estimating for herself Its plan, arrangement
and all the mysteries which It might contain. She
slowly rose and cast aside her shawl. She had been
beautiful once. She still bore traces of It. would
bar shown more traces bad sht not been unkempt
and In frowsy clothing.
"It's a wonder Jake wouldn't take a chance on tbe
break-In once In awhile." she complained. "He's aa
light on bis feet as I am."
"But I ain't so quick In the head," hastily compli
mented Jake.
That'll dol" growled the leader of tha party, up
with you, Babe."
The woman shrugged her shoulders and put her
roughly shod foot Into the big man's outstretched
palm. He raised slowly snd lifted the woman
' straight up so that she could draw herself on board.
8ha disappeared. The three men sat silent .
"All right, Ben." The woman's face peered over
the rail. "Say, It's a nesselrode!"
t Th Imi Jaks stepped forward prompUf and
climbed up over the big man'e back, perfectly con
Un tad now that be knew tbe silken bang houseboat
to be empty. Tbe third man with little patches of
belt formed beard on his face took the rudder; then
tbe huge Ben Jumped up, caught tbe-deck rail and
drew himself upward.
For the hundredth time Ned put hie bead out of
the window. At last tbey were coming! He seized
his coat and hat, hurried down to the street and
Jumped Into the mechanic's seat of Bobble Bletber
lng's roadster before It had come to a full stop; then
they turned and whirled away toward the docks.
Honorla Itlye, In ber electric coupe, was beaded for
that destination too, and on the yacbt Gilbert Blye
was superintending with Impatient energy the load
ing of the gHBollne tanks In the two small boats.
The thoughts of all these people were bent upon
the poor llrtle runaway bride, who was at that mo
ment skirting the marshy shore and hunting a place,
no matter bow desolnte, In which to hide.
There was an Inlet among the marshes. She ven
tured Into It a short distance, hut It led to nowhere,
and she hurried out again to tbe open water. A
small botit rounded the point, and for a moment
June' eyes distended. Involuntarily she crouched.
CHAPTER II.
THE three river thieves In the exquisitely
furnished houseboat worked with deft ra
pidity. It was the woman's swift, Intui
tive part to discover hidiug pluces- the lean
Jake's to discriminate " values; Big Ben's, with
nippers and hammer and screwdriver, to rip off
brasswork, to open drawers, to rend and tear and
splinter If need be. Within an Incredibly short space
of lime they had the skiff piled high with the rich
est and the best which the houseboat had contained;
then they spread the turpnulln over their plunder
and disposed their bunche of celery so that the
green leaves protruded In a fringe from under the
edge of the tarpaulin; then the' heavily laden skiff,
with Its four passengers and Its loot, wormed Its
way clumsily from amid the barges, looking like an
Innocent farmer bout
The sun.-now a golden ball In the eastern mist,
looked down iixu a harborage busy with the pur
suers of the Utile runaway bride. Henri and Marie
were swishing swiftly; Ned and Bobble and Iris
were leaving thedVk In Bobble's speedy little cruiser-
Honorla Hive and the well known and Justly fa
mous private detective Bill Wolf were putting out
into the river In the Eagle Eye Detective agency's
steam vawl. Us stove;le stack rolling black smoke
and cinders and hot spnrks buck over the already
blackening passengers; Gilbert Blye and the heavy
lidded Edwards were Just leaving the Hilarity in
the keen Utile racer; Cunningham had been slow
and Mow decks wheu they put off, but be followed
now In the cutter. 7 he racer and the cutter speed
ed straight for the point around which June had dis
appeared. Tommy Thomas waved a scarf after
them and shouted absurd Instructions to them, but
Mrs. Villard stood quietly by the rail, her eyes fixed
somberly on that distant point
Slowly June raided from her crouching position.
Tbe cling of the small boat which she had sighted
seemed to be fainter rather than more distinct It
was fading Into the distance when she looked, and
from Its red stern she knew that It was not one of
the Hilarity's boats. Once more she breathed a sigb
of relief, but even as she did so she heard a familiar
sonnd-the siren whistle of the Hilarity's cutterl
And It was near!
Frantically now she scanned the shore. There
was another Inlet Just ahead of her, and In despera
tion she steered Into It It was a narrow but dis
tinct channel, winding about amid a tangle of shrub
bery and marsh grass and stunted trees, with here
and there a larger tree rising from a mound of
solid earth. There were high banks presently and
then a tiny Island, In the center of which was a de
crepit hut June was about to step ashore when
she heard the low purring of a motor. The cutterl
From the sudden shut-in ness of the sound It had
entered, the Inlet In terror June Jumped back Into
the boat The hut seemed deserted. There was no
smoke rising from the chimney and no one to protect
her If she were found there alone. She was away
In a flush, circling the Islnnd. From the other side
she saw that the channel led away Into the marshes,
probably to another Inlet, nnd she had started to
dart down this lonely waterway when suddenly she
spied a rope trailing out Into the water from under
some hushes mntted with marsh weeds. Tho whir
of the motor was rapidly advancing. She could
scarcely hope to escape unseen. Her wits sharp
ened by her peril, she steered with swift decision
toward the overhanging hushes. Tbey pnrted as her
prow run Into them. nnd. bending low, she found
herself shot Into entire concealment The whir of
the approaching motor grew loud. Quick as a flush
June reached for the telltale rope which had be
trayed this hiding place uud drew It under cover of
the mntted bushes.
Louder and lauder grew the whir. It was Just
upon her. With her henrt beating so that ber ears
were full of the sound of It June peered out through
her leafy sewn. Orln Cunningham! He circled the
Islnnd In his swift little cutter, his keen eyes search
ing everywhere. He passed within ten feet of her!
She held her breath lest he might hear It. and once,
as his eyes turned full In her direction and she
thought he had certainly detected ber hidiug place,
she almost screamed.
He passed on. however, and. running his light lit
tle boat ashore, stepped out and went up to the hut,
the only possible place of concenlment on the Islnnd
June held a swift debate with herself Should she
leave her concealment Rnd. running her motor at Its
mitotnst sneed. slln away down that other channel
while Cunningham was In the hut? That debate
was settled In an Instant, for tip the other channel
slipped the swift little seed boat carrying Edwards
and Gilbert Blye! Blye's dark, handsome face was
without Its usual suave smile, snd It wore a look of
concern as, mnklng a quick landing, he hurried up
to the but, followed by the plodding Edwards
It seemed ages before they enme away, and they
hnd apparently made a thorough search, for they
even stooped down as they came outside to ieer
under the stilted foundation amid the rubbish which
hnd accumulated there. When they had gone away
June remained for a long time In her hiding place,
but finally she steped from her boat and crept from
her concenlment Thirst. Inspired by the fever of
her excitement, had drln her forth In search of
drinkable water.
Thra was cask of water In the but brackish
and stale, but It waa water, and she drank of It
from a rusty old tin cup which bung to It She bad
Just set down tbe cup when ber quick ears detected
a low, steady bum. She stepped to the door, ready
to make a dash for her boat, but as she set her foot
upon tbe threshold she saw the dark gray prow of
a skiff protruding Its point around the bend of the
lower channel! She darted back out of sight and.
looking through a crack In the board wall, aaw In
the skiff three rough looking men and a rough look
ing woman. The skiff rode low In the water, and
from nnder Ita tarpaulin there flaunted a fringe of
celery leaves.
June laughed In relief. It was good to see human
beings who were not In pursuit of her, who would
befriend and protect ber, and she bad almost run
down to meet them when suddenly loud, angry
voices came from the frail little craft There was
a bitter quarrel, In which the woman took a shrill
part, and as the boat landed the woman Jumped out
and stooped awlftly. The man with the scraggly
mustache and the scattered tufts of beard on his
face Jumped ashore, cursing. The woman raised up
swiftly and, with a shriek like a cat. Jumped for
the man with a long knife glittering In her hand.
The knife flashed down, and tha man staggered
back. The gleaming blade was raised again, but be
fore it could descend again the huge, rawboned
man, who had Jumped from the boat caught the
woman's arm.
June saw no more. She ran wildly around tbe lit
i
tsKafns
THE HARBOR
tie but, looking vainly for some place of conceal
ment A rusty stove, a rickety tabic, some rude
benches, two straw pallets that was all. There
was no other room, not even a cupboard. In the
celling June's frantically roving eyes found n trap
door, one of Its boards loose. On the wooden wall
beneath It was a series of cross slicks, and without
hesltution June ran up this rude ladder, shoved the
trapdoor aside and scrambled Into the attic.
There were voices below. The quarrel, whatever
It had been about, had evidently been settled, for
the woman wns laughing, and so was the big. raw
boned mnn. June peered down through a crack In
the celling boards. These two and the leno fellow
with the hook nose were londed with all they could
carry. The big mnn with the scar- on his chin
dropped his heavy bags on the floor with a clntter.
and the brass stocock of a washbasin rolled out
of one of them. The woman carried silks and fine
linens In her bundles, and the lean lit t le fellow was
loaded with silverware As they de"oslted their
burdens on the floor the other man came In and sat
heavily on a bench
"Well. Bat, you sliced me. all right." he grinned,
and. throwing off his eoat. he loosened his shirt at
the neck nnd bared his left shoulder. There was an
tnzl.v wo,!nd near his armpit, and It was bleeding
profusely
The woman made a laughing reply, and after the
people exhibited tlirfcrcnt article of jewelry, cloth
Iti!'. etc. Ihev started cooking s me'tl
The men were at the table nn Incredibly short time
Tbey giilK-d tiielr f""il. and then. Itie.l and sievpr.
t.h
1 X Cm -,WiJ
JUNE ESCAPES A. J r A' 'MM-I
jtftW&k -r V ri! jf RESCUED
rir .. '
: . . - . .. w- -f-i -,v
tbey lay down on straw pallet for a few minute
of honest rest, while tbe cold and starred little
runaway bride In tbe attic looked down with raven
ous eyes on what they bad left Tbe odor of the
hot coffee made ber feel faint Only terror kept
ber on tbe alert
CHAPTER III.
T
i HE woman below was acting strangely aa
she cleared away the remains of the oreaa-
fast and washed the dlsbea. From time to
elms h passed near ber husband, bend
ing over slightly, and finally she stopped beside blm
and listened to bis breathing, but she shook ber
bead and went away. Big Ben was quite plainly
fast asleep, sprawled In complete relaxation, while
lean Jake was snoring with great energy. The
woman stopped and touched ber husband's shoul
der. He moved slightly, and she went back to her
dlBhes. The next time she came be did not even
twitch at the touch, and with deft fingers she reach
ed into his vest pocket and extracted a little chamois
bag!
So that was how one woman solved her money
problem, and ber burning eyes told with what bit
terness she had resorted to this bold step. Of more
value than her husband, even In bis low profession,
she waa still bis supine Inferior In the rights of
possession. What she had was a gift from him,
and, as June had heard him put It himself, be gave
her what was good for her.
The woman! She was coming np tbe ladder! The
rV
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3
THIEVES LAND
fugitive hidden In the attic waa stunned by this un
expected action.
Nearer and nearer came the woman's bead, and
nearer and nearer to the edge of the trapdoor ex
tended June's strong young hands!
"Babe!" Flub stirred uneasily. "Oh, Babel"
The woman was down tbe ladder like a cat
"Wbatr
No answer. The man was sill! sound asleep. The
woman stood over h'.tu for awhile, to make sure of
this, and started for the ladder again. Halfway
across the room she hesitated, turned, walked swift
ly to the end of the hut and hid the little chamois
bag beneath a loose stone behind the stove.
She was putting away the lust of the dishes when
suddenly she stopped, turned, and a slow smile
spread uism her lips Her eyes burned with a som
ber fire She went over to Big IVn and deftly se
cured a long, slender cigarette holder. She cms -'d
swiftly to her husband and Inserted the holder m
bis top vest p'i ket. so (hat Its shining tip protrudetL
The waier cask stmnl by Big Ben's head. With a
gleam in her eye the woman went over, filled the
rusty tin cup and deliberately poured a fourth of Its
contents over Big Ben's face.
"Excuse me." she touched as he sat up, startled,
nnd with the same motion jerked a revolver from
his pocket
lie grinned at her sheep'shly as he saw thepark'e
of mischief in ber eye. and he wiped his face with
hl sleeve
"You done It o' purpose." be speculated, chuckling.
"Think so?" she dtinp'cd
, . .... . V
Big Ben's eyes brightened.
"I believe you're after that shawl"
"Flub'd sell it" And she glanced arross at U
sleeping msn with vindictive hatred.
"Take it" urged Big Ben. rising. "If Flub sella It
tell me," He picked np the shawl and clumsily
threw It around the woman's shoulders. 8he looked
down at the shawl snd toyed with lta long, delicate
fringe. She took it off slowly and gave It back to
the man.
"Nothing doing," she sadly decided; then she slow
ly turned and looked at her husband and walked
away. There was a softening In Big Ben's eyes as
she walked away, and then he, too, glanced at the
sleeping Flub. He strolled to the door and came
back. Suddenly be stopped. The gleam of some
thing yellow had caught his gaze. He walked close
and bent low. no palled the cigarette holder out
far enough to Identify It and pushed It back; then
be gave tbe sleeper a kick.
"Get up, you tblef!" be roared.
Flub sprang up, dazed.
"What's thatr
"I said get up, yon tblef V roared Big Ben as lean
Jake abruptly stopped snoring and Jumped np. He
was halfway to the ladder before be realized that
this was not a raid, and June, divining his Inten
tion, rose awlftly and put her bands on tbe loose
clapboards of the root Ben Jerked the cigarette -holder
from Flub's pocket "You stole ttr
"Ah, no, Ben!" protested the woman. "I wasn't
out of the house Ave minutes. Flub was asleep
when I went out, and he was asleep when I come
back."
Flub seemed dajted by tbe accusation, but sudden
ly be let out a yelL Mechanically he had reached
In his vest pocket, as was his habit when the
chamois bag was there, and bad discovered his loss.
"My diamond!" be yelled. "It's gonef And his
face turned white aa he looked around the tense
group. Slowly comprehension came to him. "You
framed me!" he auddenly shouted, pointing a trem
bling finger at Big Ben. "You copped my diamond;
then you planted this cigareJta holder so you
could"
"You're a llarr bellowed Big Ben and sprang for
his accuser.
A knife gleamed In Flue's hand, and he slashed
savagely at his onrushlng opponent With a roar
of rage Big Ben caught the descending wrist, wrest
ed the weapon from It and plunged ft to the hilt 1
Flub's breast!
There was a piercing shriek from the attic and a,
tearing of boards. The woman, quick of mind aa
she was of body, was the first to comprehend what
that might mean. She sprang to the ladder, but aa
she went she cast a backward glance at tbe lifeless
man on the floor. There was no shudder In ber,
only cold triumph.
"It's a girl! She's on the roofr cried the woman
aa she gained tbe attic
Lean Jake was the first out of the door and Big
Ben Just after blm, Tbey rounded the corner of
the hut Just In time to see June Jump from the roof
and dart for her boat It was tbe woman who
caught her.
"Let me go!" Implored June. "1 won't tell!"
Those last three words would seal her fate In the
mind of any murderous thief. Big Ben had caught
her roughly by the arm, and now be looked Inquir
ingly at tbe others.
"Drown ber," advised Lean Jake, who was more
full of fear than a thief should be. "She knows too
much."
All three of them looked at the water. It spread
far Into the marshes, and It held Its secrets well
and long. Without a word Big Ben swung June up
In bis arms and started with her to the water's
edge, while she uttered shriek upon shriek,
A shot and then another answered June's piercing
shrieks, and down the channel from the Inlet swift
ly sped the little cutter, with Orln Cunningham at
the wheel, revolver In hand!
"Hands upr yelled a strong voice, and another
shot startled the air of the marshes. Gilbert Blye!
He stood up In his racer, and over the wheel bent
heavy Edwards, his eyes narrowed and his thick
lips firmly set
Big Ben had dropped June at the flrt shot snd
had reached for his revolver. Lean Jake bad dropped
fiat on the ground behind a bowlder, but before Big
Ben could return tbe fire of the oncoming boats
from the Hilarity he wns confused by a shot from
another quarter, and through the reels of the marsh
there pushed a narrow steel gray motorboat in
which stood a tall man with a soft hat and a loose
ly knotted cravat
A stranger! And be was nearer to the helpless
June than ber pursuers from the Hilarity! She ran
toward him like a deer, and as his driver drew close
Inshore June sprang Into the boat
"Hurry!" she cried. 'Tlease hurry r
The man, evidently an artist, from the canvases
and folding easel In his boat, followed her terrified
gaze as she glanced back, her terror divided be
tween the murderers on the Island and the men lu
tbe bouts. The artist lowered June to a seat beside
him. and, with a word to tbe driver, they darted
away toward the channel. A shot whizzed over
their heads as tbey started, and shot after shot re
sounded from the upper channel.
The man with the white mustache rmld no attri
tion to Big Ben as be steered his swift little cutter
around the Island ami struck Into the lower channel
after the artist and the beautiful young gtrl who
had escaped from the attic. Nor did the man with
the black Vandyke waste any time upou the aston
ished thieves as b"ls boat. t"o. whl.w.d around the
curve, Iau Jake raised up from behind bis bowlder
as the boat shot ly. and the three--Ha be. lilg Ben
nnd Jake-looked at each other In bewilderment.
Another boat came swishing down past the lUint
It was driven by a bl.ulng eyed little chauffeur with
a tiny mustache, and he was shouting at the top of
his voh-e tvhlnd him sat stiffly a wonsn with
high cheek bone-t and a wlldvruv-ts of gums, slid
she. too, was shouting:
"Volla! Volla! Viia.
Another tout! In It were two men and s womsn.
the driver a plump faced little mnn with deep cosy
cern u is n his brow, the woman hysterical and the
other man with his tceiti dud fists climbed.
K"r ten minutes l'.n'e nnd Big Ben and f.enn Jake
stood there In dumb stupefaction, waiting for sn
ot ber boat
ro hi costisi so J