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Ghe 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