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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 1928)
HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JAN. 5, 1928. PAGE THREE RflMIMON TIPTOE m mi z a m ; mm Stewart Edward White Illustrations by Henry Jay Le Copyright Stwayrt Edward Whit Released thru. Publisher Au.toca.rter Service) WHO'S WHO IN THE STORY s GRIMSTEAD. the "Bucsanmr" of this swashbuckling story, la stranded among the California redwood in hia "private craft," a high-powered ear, when Ita gasoline tank ia broken. ' BURTON GRIMSTEAD, hia ".polled" daughter, la with him against her will, es pecially so as she perceives her father's object in insisting on her going on the trip is to throw her into the company of ROSS GARDINER, Grimstead's sinister "Second In Command," a capable, good looking young man. SIHMINS, chauffeur and house man, of gay spirits, repressed because of his ultra English-butler dignity. He is sent after help and returns with a young man in a small car. CHAPTER III A Prophecy Simmina' agile mind taw the point, and he realized that if this young man were supposed to have offered his services in going for help, there would Ijave been no earthly object in returning to the fire. He would simp ly have turned around and headed for Tecolote and its garage. "Yea, sir, certainly, sir," he an swered Mr. Grimstead's remark. "But, sir, although our tank is ruined, sir, it occurred to me that by filling the vacuum tank by hand every few miles wo would be able to work our car to Tecolote, sir, in not over two hours. We would have to borrow from this gentleman only about two and a half gallons of gasoline. I hope I have done right, sir," ended Simmins vir tuously. "Quite right, Simmins,"' Grimstead said. But Miss Burton stirred. "I suppose this gentleman has that much gasoline to spare," the threw in, apparently idly. That was the weak point. Simmins did not know. "It's too bad, but I have no gas," tne stranger announced calmly. "Well, distillate, alcohol, kerosene, whatever it in," said Grimstead a lit tle impatiently. "My car will run on them, at a pinch." "Not a single drop," repeated the man; "I run on well, electricity." "Electricity!" cried Grimstead and Gardiner in unison. "Where do you " But the technical discussion was sidetracked.' The Irish terrier, who had been sitting atop the pack, ri veted his gaze on Punketty-Sniwles and went into action, seized that per sonage in his mouth and deposited his burden in hit master's hand. "Come here, you old idiot," order ed his master. "Thit it a dog. I t know it doesn't took it; but smell of it. You see," he explained, looking up, "I am naturally of a lazy but curious disposition, so I have trained Rapscallion to bring me in anything strange he runt across in the woods as long as it isn't skunks. But he ought to know a dog when he smells itl" "Oh, shut up!" the young man addressed him, and cuffed the atom smartly. Never before had Punketty-Sniwles felt the hand of authority. But now Punketty-Snivvlet did thut up. "If you have quite finished pun ishing my dog, will you kindly return me my property?" Burton asked cold ly, after a moment "Why, certainly," acquiesced the young man. "Do you really care for it?" And then a queer thing happened. Burton opened her mouth, intending to squelch this upstart, but as she looked up straight into hit laughing eyes tomething ingenuously expect ant in the depths of them caused her to say: "No, I despise itl" "I thought you would," responded the young man in sympathetic tones. "Well, great is the power of fashion! Here, Simmins," he ordered, "take thit nuisance away somewhere. You ought to get a real dog. Here, Rap scallion j yflVve got to apologize to the lady. First ehow her your paws are clean." Rapscallion extended his right paw keeping the other rigidly elevated Nobody could have resisted him. Bur inn Ain nnt. "You darling!" she cried, dropping on her kneet before him. At thit moment Grimstead's boom Inv tntioa hrnlcA in. "Young man," he eald, "It's an im nosition. I know, but you tee how we are situated. Could you drive back to Tecolote and get us help?" "Surely; I'll do anything I can," agreed the young man heartily. "My nama is Davennort.' ' "Grimstead is mine. That's fine! Rat them to send a touring car to night; and then tomorrow we can make arrangements for repaira." But Davenport shook his head dnnhtfullv. "Not toni(rht." ha decided. "To morrow." "It would be rather a hardship on my daughter" he began stiniy Dnvnnnort lauirhed aloud. "It's irntno- to rain: and it's going tn rnin hard I I nrobably wouldn't make Tecolote, and you'd all be wet and uncomfortable. "Rain I" cried Gardiner contemp ttimmlv. "The wind's due north, and has been all day," Grimstead pointed out, 'am) hoairina. it's the drv season." "Look at the stars! It't a heavenly night," contributed Burton. "Annarnntlv that la SO." Smiled Davenport "Nevertheless we are in tar a atnrm and a very heavy one, I think it would be better for me to wait here until morning and help make you comfortable. I have a camp outfit; and plenty of supplies." "I aunnose." laid Gardiner sarcast ically, "that you can tell us just when it's going to rain and how many inchet we will have." " "I might," replied Davenport unex pectedly. "Wait a minute." Ua at.nnri unrifrhti and ttared off In "It will begin to rain about 1 or 1:30," he ttated quietly, "and will continue for 8 hourt and 20 minutet or five minutet either way. I could not tell you exactly how many inches will fall; but it will be a very heavy and continuous downpour with high wind a tempest. On a guest for that tort of a storm, lasting that long, five inchet." "Five inches! A cloudburst!" Gar diner snorted. "Yes, thit it a bad storm," agreed Davenport seriously. "Another thing: that tree -just beyond your car, the one near the edge of the road, will be blown down, so we'd better move the car, and be careful where we pitch camp," , Gardiner muttered contemptuously to himself. "How do you claim to know these things so accurately?" demanded Burton bluntly. "Suppose we wait until morning and see if I do know them," smiled Davenport "Yes, that's a good idea," approved Grimstead drily. "And if we really are to stay here all night, suppose we tee what we can do toward mak ing ourselves comfortable." CHAPTER IV Put up or Shut up!" Davenport unleashed the camping outfit from his car and they made their way to the lower end of the meadow, where Simmins built a fire. The shelters up, Davenport started Simmint to digging semi-circular ditches around their upgrade sides. This wat, he explained, to carry aside the flood waters; at which Gardiner, unable to contain himself further, uttered an exclamation of impatience. "I beg your pardon?" said Daven port "I said nothing," Gardiner told him, "but I'd as soon say now that it would be well to drop thit childish foolishness and get down to business. It's getting late." "By childish foolishness you re fer?" "All this heavy digging and elab orate buffoonery. There's about as much chance of rain as there is of snow. You must take us for eastern ers or fools. We know tomething of the California climate!" Davenport sauntered carelessly over to where Gardiner stood. Gar diner drew himself up. When within hand distance Davenport came to a halt. The men ttared each other in the eye. "You are not overly polite,' 're marked Davenprt, "and I don't believe I like you anyway. But I'll just lay you a little bet that it does rain and that the redwood yonder falls." Gardiner's face flushed at the oth er's tone. He made his decision to teach thit upstart a lesson. "I'll take you," he said suddenly, "on condition that I name the bet." "All right." "All right" "Very well, then. Ten thousand dol lars!" Burton uttered a little cry of re proach. Grimstead, who had been listening, amusedly, interposed. "That's beyond a joke, beyond all reason, Gardiner," he objected. "Have some sense of proportion " "Thank you, Mr. Grimstead, but don't bother," Davenport cut in,. "I'll take that bet I'll just get it down in writing and get you to witness it, if you will; to we'll have a little rec ord of the transaction," "I expect to collect this bet," warned Gardiner, etung by the sug gestion of this precaution. "If you win," amended Davenport. "and I expect to collect it, if I win." "Mr. Grimstead can vouch for my solvency. Where are your guaran tees?" The young man looked a trifle puz zled. "I have none for the moment, of course, but the instant we go to a town" Gardinef laughed. "You'll mortgage the garage to pay up of course," he sneered. "No. Put up or thut up!' ' Davenport shook hit head at him, and laughed. "You're a quibbler, Gardiner! I'll bet you're a legal adviser to a preda tory corporation." Gardiner laughed, a nasty, sneer ing, walk-the-plank laugh. "Bet's off," said he. "I thought it would be!" "The bet is not off," spoke up Bur ton suddenly. "I will guarantee Mr. Davenport." . 1 At this the silent wood gods uttered three rousing but silent cheen. CHAPTER V On Time. By the time this bet was all ar ranged, one good-sized storm had broken and cleared, anyway. Burton had told her father plainly that the was m are and mistress of her own fortune. Gardiner had appealed to Davenport's better nature not to take advantage of an "emotional young girl." Davenport had winked shamelessly at Burton and proclaimed himself a Shylock when it came to money. The terms of the bet had been re stated, and the men's watches syn chronised. Davenport and Simmins cut a num ber of willow poles which they laid on the ground to form a sort of plat form, or rather floor. On this they ran the two cars. "Now when we want to go out we can lay more poles to form a cordu roy," the young man said. "I say, sir," said Simmins, "I have a few quid laid by. I'd- like it jolly well if you could cut me in on that bet for a tenner or so." Davenport stared. "Aren't you taking big chances?" he inquired. "What do you know about the weather?" "Not a thing, sir!" replied Simmins cheerfully. "But I do know a tidy bit about sportsmen, sir; and I'd back you, sir, against Mr. Gardiner any day in the week." "Thank you, Simmins. You're in for a tenspot, as you say." All matters being settled, Daven port suggested it would be a good idea to turn in. "Turn in!" cried Burton. "I could n't sleep a wink. I'm going to sit right here until 2 o'clock and greet that rain storm! How could you even suggest sleep?" "Well," replied Davenport, "auit yourself, of course. But f you'll pardon me, I'll just snatch a few winks. I've been driving all day, and I expect we won't any of us get much sleep after the thing hits." He crawled under the lean-to shel ter, and wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. "Before you leave us," said Grim stead, "I would like to ask what you meant when you said we were likely to be together for the next week or so?" "Knowledge of California mud," re plied Davenport; and was apparently at once asleep. In a few minutes the dying fire was deserted. The lean-to covered four TecumbentJ forms. Inside the little tent Miss Burton Grimstead lay on the cot staring up ward at the' flicker of the flames cast across the wall. She would wait thus until the zero hour had passed. It wat inunderttandable how the men could sleep in the face of thrill ing suspense. She lay for some time, flat on her back, watching the flicker of the fire against the canvas. Several times her eyes blurred into a staring, and the leaping shadows became mon strous. Then-they faded; and she slept. Some time later the came to her self with a start, lighted a match and glanced at her wrist watch. One-fifteen! Fifteen minutet re mained before the conclusion of thit fantastic bet; and there, through a slit in the tent thone a star in its patch of heaven. A profound disappointment seized her. Never had the experienced tuch ab solute stillness. Burton became acutely conscious of the beat ftf her pulses, the singing of her ears. By holding herself quiet the could even hear faintly the roar of the tea; and that was over a mountain range and many miles away. She struck another match. One-twenty-twol Some one stirred in the other shelter; arose; and poked the embers of the dying fire to a flame. Burton thought it must be Ross Gardiner. She turned her head im patiently. How near the surf sound ed! Overhead a tiny twig struck the canvas with a sharp spat. After an interval another; and another. Sud denly Burton thrust open the flap and thrust her head and shoulders through. The roar of. the surf was now even more plainly to be heard. A warm drop splashed her forehead; another her cheek. Airs were stirring, toft as velvet. The man at the fire was not Gar diner, but Davenport.-The young man had on a yellow slicker and sou'west er hat. He looked up and caught her eye. "She's coming," said he cheerfully. "Listen to her!" And then Burton tuddenly realized that the roar was not of the surf, but of the tempest hurtling through the forest She stepped to the fire, glancing curiously at the recumbent figures under the other shelter. "Once a man't asleep, he's hard to awaken until after 3 o'clock," Daven port answered her unspoken wonder, "unless he's been brought up in the open and so is sensitive to outside things. But they'll awaken quickly enough in a few minutes!" "Oughtn't you to awaken Mr. Gar diner to witnesB he's lost his bet?" she asked. "He probably wouldn't acknowl edge these few drops as rain," said Davenport easily. ( "He's a natural quibbler." ; Davenport glanced at his own wrist watch. "Three," taid he composedly. "Gar diner and I set our watches alike, you recall." "Oh, dear!" cried Burton. "Don't worry; it will be here in less than two. Listen." The roaring was louder. "It frightens me," Bhe confessed, "it's like the approach of a ravening wild beast" "You are safe," he told her con fidently. "I'll answer for it. Be lieve that and enjoy it as the great and fearful spectacle it will be. But get into the tent now. You must not get wet, for there will be no chance to dry off; and when this hits it will come in buckets." They turned together to the tent. One of the figures under the shel ter stirred uneasily, some faint echoet of the turmoil penetrating his dreams. "When the wind comes before the rain, Hoist your topsails up again. When the rain comes before the wind, Topsails dowse and halliards mind!" chanted Davenport in a full voice. Overhead Burton heard a hurried pat ter aft though many little feet acur ried across the canvas; then suc ceeded a drumming. "Roll out! 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