Ralph D. Paine

“ Now tell me about your troubles.”
“They have all flown away,” said Eudora, with a low, happy laugh. “I feel as though you had taken command.”
“That’s my humble intention, as soon as I get my bearings,” he declared, not in a boasting manner. “You see, my dear, Leonard and I have come too far to loaf and look on. He is strong for kidnaping this swab of a Mannice and dumping him where the walking is poor. Would that help?”
“I don’t know, Dan. He deserves it, but the mischief is done. My father is determined to stay here. ”

“ CHAPTER VII. A black shadow of foreboding enveloped William Marmaduke Mannice. It might be possible to postpone the crisis, but sooner or later the implacable and muscular lover of Eudora would get him if he didn’t watch out. As a profitable holiday season, life on the island had lost its charms. ”

“ The sailor stopped to prod him in the ribs with the handle of the potato masher, suggesting that he set his engines going as they must be starting for the beach.
“Me? Go with you? What the——” Mannice expostulated.
“Not so loud, my boy. Please don’t give me an excuse to put your friends in mourning.”
Mightily jerked to his feet, Mr. Mannice tottered in the direction indicated by the grip of calloused fingers which were using his left ear in the fashion of a rudder. A twinge more acute, and he obediently veered to starboard, the fear of death in his heart. It was far worse than humiliating. ”

“ It’s discouragin’ enough now.”
“A squabble over a treasure they haven’t found?” grinned Dan. “It’s high time I took a hand and discouraged them some more. And so you can’t take a message to Miss Eudora?”
“I can call her over here,” answered the cook, groping for a wooden potato masher beside the cot. “She hung a tin pan close by me, so I could whack it when I needed her. A clever girl, and kind as can be.”
“The wisest ever,” promptly agreed the infatuated young man. “And wisdom seems to be at a premium in this ship’s company. Sound the alarm, Harvey. I’m pressed for time.” ”

“ Go back to your camp, Tom Fallon, or parade up and down and earn your pay. This is no business of yours.”
“Tom is neutral, fourteen dollars’ worth,” said the gunner. “And he loves this Mannice.”
“I’m a cross-eyed Finn if I don’t hope you murder him,” devoutly exclaimed Fallon, with which he showed a nice tact and withdrew from the scene.
“Forward march!” commanded Dan. “Give me a lift, Max. His knees have begun to sag, the big kettle of mush! We’ll throw him into the dory.”
“Aye, aye, admiral. Do we tie a weight to his feet, or does he walk the plank?” ”

“ It’s to your interest to keep ’em all here as long as you can. S’posin’ we call it an understandin’ by which you use your influence to patch up the quarrel between ’em, so as all hands go on diggin’ a few weeks longer. ”