Page:Raymond Spears--Diamond Tolls.djvu/93

 of the river sneak thieves had slipped into the stern of Mrs. Haney's boat and cut loose the dangling skiff, thinking it was unoccupied. The pirate had no idea any one was in the skiff. The situation struck Murdong as humorous. Yet it had its serious side, too. A river pirate, no less than one of the bounding main, dislikes being cheated of his loot, and kills on slight provocation.

Murdong, with infinite caution, divested himself of his blankets, and buckled his belt. He listened for sounds to help him discover the exact location of the craft alongside. Little by little, the pirate lengthened his stroke and put noisier vigour into it.

This helped Murdong in his own scheme, now rapidly forming in his mind. He imitated a worm as nearly as possible, crawling toward the stern, glad of the counterbalance of his luggage in the bow of the skiff. The canoe was on the starboard side, and occasional jerks on the canvas indicated that the canoe was lashed bow and stern to the skiff by twine or hooks.

Murdong cautiously raised the overhang of the canvas, covered the back of the pirate with his automatic, and then pulled the slip nooses to throw the canvas forward, leaving him sitting in the stern seat, in the open air. When Murdong was all ready, he carefully pushed the canvas covering clear, and turning on his electric flash, remarked: