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MYSTERY
By Stcwarl Edward White
And Samuel Hopkins Adams
Copyright. 1907, by McClure, Phillips & Cos.
They growled something about there
being nothing to do and explained that
the captain preferred to live aboard.
“Don't blame him," said Darrow.
“but he might give US a little of his
squeaky company occasionally. Hoys.
I’ll tell .Vou something about seals.
Tito old bull seals have long, stiff
whiskers—a foot long. Do you know
there # a market for those whiskers?
Well, there is. The Chinese mount
them in gold and use them for clean
ers for their long pipes. Kach whisker
Is worth from six bits to a dollar and
a quarter. Why don't you kill a few
bull seals for the ‘trimmings’?"
“Nothin’ to do with a voodoo?”
grunted Ilandy Solomon.
Darrow laughed amusedly. “No. this
Is the truth." he assured. ‘l'll tell you
What: I'll give you boys six bits apiece
for the whisker hairs and four bits for
the galls. I expect to sell them at a
profit.”
Next morning they shook off their
lethargy and went seal hunting.
I was practically commanded to at
tend. This attitude had been growing
of laic. Now it began®o take a defi
nite form.
“Mr. Hagen, don’t you want to go
hunting?" or “Mr. Engen. I guess I'll
just go along with yon to stretch my
legs" had given way to, "Were going
fishing. You'd better come along."
I had known for a long time that I
had lost any real control of them,
and thilt perhaps humiliated me a lit
tle. However, my Inexperience at
handling such men and tin* anomalous
character of my position to some ex
tent consoled me. In the filaments
brushed across the face of tn.v under
standing I could discover none so
strong as to support an overt act on
my part. I cannot doubt that had the
affair come to a focus I should have
warned the scientists even at the risk
of my life. In fact, as I shall have oc
casion to show you. I did my best.
But at the moment in all policy I could
see my way to little besides acquies
cence.
We killed seals by sequestrating the
Dulls, surrounding them and dubbing
them at a certain point of tho fore
ad. It was surprising to see how
hard they fought atul how quickly
they succumbed to a blow properly di
rected. Then we stripped the mask
with its bristle of long whiskers, took
the gall and dragged tlie carcass into
the surf, where it was devoured by
fish. At first the men. pleased by the
novelty, stripped the skins. The blub
ber. often two or three inches in thick
ness, had then to bo cut away from
the pelt, cube by cube. It was a long,
an oily and odoriferous job. We stunk
mightily of seal oil. Our garments
were shiny with it. The very pores
of our skins seemed to ooze it. And
even after the pelt was fairly well
cleared it had still to bo tanne 1. I’orcy
Darrow suggested the method, but the
process was long and generally unsat
isfactory. With the acquisition of the
fifth greasy, heavy and ill smelling
piece of fur the men's interest in pelt
ries waned. They confined themselves
in all strictness to tin* "trimmings.”
Percy Darrow showed us how to j
clean the whiskers. The process was
evil. The masks were quite simply to
be advanced so far in the way of pu
trefaction that tin* bristles would part
readily from their sockets. The first
We killed seals by clubbing them on the
foreheads.
batch the men bun" out on a line. A
few moments later we heard a mighty
squawking and rushed out to tlud the
I island ravens making off with the en
tire catch. Protection of netting had
to be rigged. We caught seals for a—
-
time went on xne oUiis grew warier.
Then we made expeditions to outlying
rocks.
litter Handy Solomon approached
rue on another diplomatic errand.
“The seals is getting shy, sir," said
Lie.
"They are," said I.
“i he only way to do is to shoot
them," s lid In*.
“Quite like,” I agreed.
A pause ensued.
“We’ve gut no cartridges,” he insinu
ated.
"And you've taken charge of my ri
fle,” I pointed out.
“Oh. not a hit, sir.” he cried. “Tbrac
kles, he Just took it to clean it. You
can have it whenever you want it.
.. „ ♦*
. i. •
"I have no cartridges, as you have
observed,” said I.
"There’s plenty aboard.” lie suggest
ed.
“And they’re in very good hands
there,” said I.
lb* ruminated a moment, polishing
the steel of his hook against the other
rrm of ids shirt. Suddenly he looked
up at me with a humorous twinkle.
“You’re afraid of us!” he accused.
I was silent, not knowing just how
to meet so direct an i*.ttn< k.
"No need to be,” be continued.
1 saiil nothing.
He looked at me shrewdlv, then
stood off on another lac Ti.
“Well. sir. I didn't mean just that.
I didn't mean you was really scared
of us. But we're g dtin' to know each
other, livin’ here on this old island,
brothers-like. There* ain’t no officers
and men ashore is there, now, sir?
When we gets back to the old Laugh
ing I.ass, then we drops hack into our
dooty again ail right and proper. You
can kiss the* hook on that. Old Scrubs,
he knows that, lie don't want no
shore in Ins. He knows enough to
stay aboard, where we'd ail rather
be.”
He stopped abruptly, spat and look
ed at me. I wondered whither this
devious diplomacy led us.
“Still, in one way, an officer's an
officer, and a seaman’s a seaman,
thinks you. and discipline must he
held up among mates ashore or afloat,
thinks you. Quite proper, sir. And I
can sec* you think that the arms is
for the afterguard except in ease of
trouble. Quite proper. You can do
the shooting, and you can keep the
cartridges always by you. Just for
discipline, sir.”
The man’s boldness in so fully arm
ing me was astonishing, and his care
lessness in allowing me aboard with
Captain Selover astonished me still
more. Nevertheless I promised to go
for lho desired cartridges, fully re
solved to make an appeal.
A further consideration of tlie ele
ments of ihe game convinced me, how
ever. of the fellow's shrewdness. It
was no more dangerous to allow me a
rifle under direct surveillance—for the
purposes of hunting than to leave me
my sawed off revolver, which I still
retained. The arguments he had used
against my shooting I’erdosa were
quite as cogent now. As to the sec
ond point, I, finding the sun unex
pectedly strong, returned from the
cove for my hat and so overheard the
following between Thrackles and his
leader:
“What's to keep him from staying
aboard?" cried Thrackles, protesting.
"Well, he might," acknowledged
Handy Solomon, "and then are we the
worse off? You ain't going to mak.
a boat attack against Old Scrubs, are
you ?"
Thrackles hesitated.
"You can kiss the hook on it you
ain't,” went on Handy Solomon easily.
“Nor me nor I'ulz nor the greaser nor
the nigger nor none of us all together.
We've iiad our dose of that. Well, if
lie goes aboard and stays where are
we the worse ofY? I asks you that.
But he won’t. This is w’at's goin’ to
happen. Says he to Old Scrubs. 'Sir.
the men needs you to bash in their
heads.’ 'Bash ’em in yourself.’ says
he: 'that's w’at you’re for.’ And if he
should come ashore w'at could he do?
I asks you that. We ain’t disobeyed
no orders dooly delivered. We're ready
to pull halliards at tlie word. No. let
him go aboard, and if he peaches to
the okl man. vv by. all the better, for
it just gets the old man down on him.
"How about Old Scrubs”—
“Don't you believe none in luck?”
asked Ilandy Solomon.
“Aye.”
“Well, so do I. with w’at that law
crimp used to call joodicious assist
ance."
I rowed out to the Laughing Lass
very thoughtful and a little shaken by
the plausible argument. Captain Sel
over was lying dead drunk across the
cabin table. I did my best to waken
him, but failed, took a score of car
tridges—no more—and departed sadly.
Nothing could be gained by staying
aboard. Every chance might be lost
Besides, au opening to escape in the
direction of the laboratory might of
fer. 1 as well as they believed iujuek
judiciously assisted.
In the ensuing days i learned much
of the habits of seals. We sueakeo
along the cliff tops until over the rook
eries: then lay flat on our stomachs
and peered cautiously down on out
quarry. The seals
..warv. A slight jar/** a pgb
by ourselves, were enough to send
them into the water. There they lined
up Just outside the surf, their sleek
heads glossy with the wet, their calm,
soft eyes fixed unblinking!?' on us.
It was useless to shoot them in the
water. They sank at once.
When, however, we succeeded in
gaining an advantageous position it
was necessary to' shoot with extreme
accuracy. A bullet directly through
the hack of the head would kill clean
ly. A hit anywhere else was practical
ly useless, for even in death the ani
mals seemed to retain enough blind,
instinctive vitality to (lop them into the
water. There they were lost.
Each rookery consisted of one tre
mendous hull who officiated apparent
ly as the standing army, a number of
smaller hulls, his direct descendants;
the cows and imps. The lug bull held
his position by to flee of arms. Occa
sionally otb-.-f unattached bulls would
come swimtffing b.v. On arriving op
posite the rookery the stranger would
utter a peculiar challenge. It was
never refused by the resi lent cham
pion. who i romptiy slid into the sea
and engaged battle. If '*e conquered,
the stranger went on his way. If.
however, the stranger won. the big
bull immediately struck out to sea,
abandoning his rookery, while the
newcomer swam in and attempted to
make his title good with all the young
er balls. I have seen some fierce com
bats out there in the blue water. They
gashed each other deep.
You can See by this how our hunt
ing was never at an end. On Tuesday
we would kill the boss bull of a cer
tain establishment. By Thursday at
latest another would be installed.
I learned curious facts about seals in
those days. The limiting did unt ap
peal to me particularly, becau&e it
seemed to me useless to kill so large
an animal for so small a spoil. Stiil
it was a means to my all absorbing
end, and I confess that the stalking,
the lying belly down on the sun warm
ed grass over the surge and under the
clear sky was extremely pleasant.
While awaiting the return of the big
bull often we had opportunity to
watch tDo ethers at their daily affairs,
and even the unresponsive Thrackles
was struck with their almost human
intelligence. Did you know that seals
kiss each other and weep tears when
grieved ?
The men often discussed among
themselves the narrow,dry cave. .There
the animals were practically penned
In. They agreed that a great killing
could he made there, but the impossi
bility of distinguishing 'between the
Lulls and the* flows deterred them. The
cave was quite dark.
Immersed in our own affairs thus,
the days, weeks and months went by.
Events had slipped beyond tny con
trol. I had embarked on a journalis
tic enterprise, and now that purpose
was entirely out of my reach.
I p the valley Dr. Scliermerhoru and
his assistant were engaged in some ex
periment of whose very nature I was
still ignorant; also I was likely to re
main so. The. precautions taken
against interference by the men were
equally effective against tue. As if
that were not enough, any move of
investigation on my part would be
radically misinterpreted and to my
own danger by the men. I might as
weii have been in London.
However, as to my first purpose in
this adventure I had evolved another
plan ami therefore was content. 1
made up my mind that on the voyage
home, if nothing prevented, I * would
ceil my story to I’erey Darrow and
throw m;. seif on his mercy. The re
sults of the experiment would proba
bly by then be ready for the public,
and there was no reason, as far as 1
could sec. why I should not get the
"scoop” at first hand.
Certainly my sincerity would be
without question, and I hoped that
two years or more of service such as
1 had rendered would tickle Dr. Scher
merhorn's sense of his own impor
ancc. So adequate did this plan
seem that I gave up thought on the
subject.
My whole life now lay on the shores.
I was not again permitted to board
the Laughing Lass. Captain Selover
1 saw twice at a distance. Both times
he seemed to be rather uncertain. The
men did not remark it. The days
went by. I relapsed into that state so
well known to you all when one seems
caught in the meshes of a dream ex
istence which has had no beginning
and which is destined never to have
an end.
We were to hunt seals and fisli and
pry bivalves from the rocks at low
tide and build fires and talk and al
ternate between suspicion and securi
ty, between the danger of sedition and
the insanity of men without defined
purpose, world without end forever.
To Be Continued.
Plenty of Trouble
Is caused by stagnation of the liver
and bowels. To get. rid of it and
headache and biliousness and the
poison that brings jaundice, take
Dr. King's New Life Pills, the re
liable purifiers that do the work
— -
WHAT THE KIDNEYS DO.
Their Unceasing Work Keens Is
Strong and Healthy.
All the blood in the body passes
through th>* kidmys once* every
three, minutes. The kidneys filter
the blood. They work night and
dav. When hea.thy they remove
about 500 grains of impure mat
ter daily, when unhealthy some
part of this impure matter is left
in the* blood. This brings on
many diseases and symptons —
pain in the back, headache, ner
vousness, hot, dry skin, rheuma
tism, gout, gravel, disorders of
the eyesight and hearing, dizzi
ness, irregular heart, debility,
drowsiness, dropsy, deposits in the
urine, etc. But if you keep the
filters right you will have no
trouble with your kidneys.
J. C. Seagraves, Factory’ Hill,
Winder, Ga., say,: “For any
irregularity of the kidneys or
pains in the back, I do not be
lieve there is a remedy that can
equal Doan's Kidney Pills. 1 was
troubled with my kidneys h r two
or three years and at times my
back was so lame and son-* that 1
could not turn over ip bed. Oc
casionally I had dizzy spells when
everything before me would be
come dark. I used anv number
of remedies, but nothing helped
me in the least until I took Doan’s
Kidney Pills, procured.at Turners
Pharmacy. They went at once
to the root of my trouble and it
Was not long before they com
pletely cured me. I gladly rec
ommend Doan’s Kidney pills to
any one afflicted as 1 was.
For stile by all dealers. Price
50 cents. Foster-Milburn Cos.,
Buffalo, New York, sole agents
fertile United States.
Rem- mber the name —Doan’s
—and take no other.
TAX RECEIVERS NOTICE.
SECOND ROUND.
I will be tit the following places
on dates named for the purpose of
receiving State* and County Tax for
the year 19(>S.
Tlie Tax Collector will be at these
appointments with the registration
book for the purpose of registering
voters for the coining primaries.
Chandler's Court Ground, April
V'T, 9 to 10 a. m.
Statham, April 27, 11 a. m. to 2
p. m.
j C. F. Holliday's, April 27, tit
il'ght.
( larksboro, April 28, 9 te> 10 a, m.
Shackelford's Store, April 28, 11
a. nx. to 12 noon.
1 Archer's Store, April 28, 2 to 3
p| m.
J. P. Williamson’s, April 2>, at
night.
Center, April 29, 10 to 12 a. m.
Tt ..•!*!< Gin, April 29, 1 to 2
p. i.
Hawks Store, April 29, M to 4
p. in.
Nicholson, April 80, 9 to 1 l a. m.
Brockton, April 80, 1 to 2 p. in.
Apple Valley, April 80, 8 to 4
p. m.
;C< mmerce, May 1 and 2, 9 a. m.
tol3 p. m.
Maysville, May 4,9 to 11 a. m.
Diamond Hill, May 4, 1 to 2
Pj m.
'Holly Spring, May 4, 8 to 4 p.m.
W. M. Tolbert’s, May 4, at night.
\ Miller's Court Ground, May 5,
91 to 10 a. m.
! Dry Pond, May 5, 11 to 12 a. m.
Head's Store, May 5, 1 to 2 p. m.
Porter's Store, May 5, 2 to 8 p. m.
Turner's Store, May 5,3 t<> 4
r*j. m.
i Pendergrass, May 6,9 to 10 a. m.
y.T.,hno, May 6, 11 to 12 a. m.
; High View, May 6, 1 to 2 p. m.
j C. D. Gregory’s Store, May 6, 8
to 4 p. in.
I L. Eh Sell’s, May (>, at night.
Ib -chton, May 7, s to 11 a. m.
DeLaperriere's Gin, May 7., 1 to 2
i ii. R. Niblack’s, May 7,3 to 4
pt. m.
I Winder, May 8 and 9, 9 a. m. to
3 *p. m.
j WITH P
KURFEES PAINTS 1
( Pure Ljeao and Zinc Products) ‘sj
For inside end cut, walls,
floors, barns, porches, ;
roofs, etc. A particular A
kind for each job, and |<
each kind particularly &
SOLD BY gj
Woodruff Hdw. & B
* Manufacturing Cos. |
WINDER, GEORGIA. |
PROFESSIONAL CAROS
J. F. HOLMES,
ATTORNEY-AT-LA W,
Statham, (la.
Criminal and Commercial Law a
Specialty.
SPURGEON WILLIAMS
# I) EXT/ST,
Winder - - - Georgia
Offices over Smith <fc Carithers
bank. All work done satisfac
torily,
J 7
W. H. QUARTER MAN
ATTORNEY AT. LAW
Winder, Ga.
Practice in all the courts
Commercial law a specialty.
W. L. DeLaPERRIERE
DENTAL SURGERY.
Winder - - Georgia
Fillings, Bridge and Plate-work
done in most scientific and satis
factory wav.
Offices on Broad St.
EDMOND F. S AXON, M. D.,
WiNDKr, Ga.,
Office Sugars' Building. Reside;
N. .J. Kelly s.
ALLEN'S ART STUDIO.-
All kinds of Photographs made
hy latest me thods. All work done
promptly. Office on Candler St.,
Winder, Ga
Winder Train Schedules
Arrival and Departure of Trains
Eastern Time.
Taking efleet Sunday Jan. 5, Ox.
Eastern Time is 8s minutes fas
ter than Sun Time.
SEABOARD AIR][LINE
RAILWAY.
EASTWARD.
No. 52, - - 10:03 am
No. 33, - - 2 :.">0 p m
No. 38, - - 10:3.1 p m
Westward.
No-. 41, - -5; 2h a m
No. 33*, - -3 :.')0 p m
No. 53, 7:43 p m
Above schedules are shown as infor
mation, and are not guaranteed.”
Gainesville Midland Railway
SOUTH BOUND
No. n—Lv 8:00 a. m.
No. 13 —By. 1 :15 p, n>
No. lv* —Lv. 10;3o a in: Sunday
only.
north bound
No. 12 —At. 12 :00 p. m
No. 11 —At. 4:40 p in.
No. 16— A.. 4:43 p m: Sun. only.
No. 12 will run to Wilder re
gardless of No. 18..
Yard limits at Winder are ex
tended south. to Seaboard Air
Line junction.
AH trains going through Winder