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! Roll out!" yelled Daven
port, "Roll out and see it rain! At
a thousand drops for a cent my ten
thousand would be overpaid a thous
and times!"
(Continued next week) '
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.nana fn. narhini half a minute:
ItV .V. ('- - -- r
then tlowly his eye reconcentrated.