24

XVI

ON THE way to the movies,the lights were bright andthe narrow s t r e e t s

crowded. Past the low, shut-tered buildings with second-story balconies filled with fernsand potted flowers as in Cantonwent sailors and Filipinos andChinese women in black trou-sers. On the cornera were bareand cheap restaurants, and downthe dim alleys men were mak-ing brooms by hand and mold-ing candles. The slow thud ofa gong in a Buddhist templemingled with the music of anorchestra playing in a taxi dancehall. There was a smell of fishÍD the air, and incense, and thebitter odor from tubs of sourhorse-radish called daikori. thatthe Japanese love.

Ricky paused in front of theJapanese movie on Aaala Street.His eyes roved up and down thestreet. In the journey fromWaikiki he had used a cab anda bus successively, and walkedaround a couple of blocks. Asfar as he could tell, he wasn'tbeing tailed.

He bought a ticket and wentinside. The show was alreadyon. He picked a seat in the mid-dle of an empty row toward therear and sat down. On thescreen, things were pretty bad.The hero of the picture wore akimono and a derby hat, andthe heroine had on glasses. Thesound was bad and the smellfrom the customers awful. Peo-ple were eating rice cakes andblowing their noses. A couple ofrows away a woman nursed ababy.

Ricky sat for a long time, oc-casionally shifting position; theautomatic in his hip pocketgouged him. Japanese dialoguerattled endlessly on the soundtrack. Then a small man rosefrom across tbe aisle and tookthe next Beat to him. Rickystole a glance at him. In thelight reflected from the aereen,his profile waa Asiatic. He re-mained quiet for a couple ofminutes, watching the picture.Ricky kept his eyes straightahead. Suddenly he was awarethat the man had turned. His lips were almostbrushing Ricky's ear. '

"What you want at Bountiful Island," he whis-pered. "More better you get there before morningwith many men."

Ricky did not move, but bis heart was leaping.All the tension, uncertainty and confusion in hismind was miraculously dissolved. The jumble ofDoctor Barca, Oki and Joe, Alberta and Dan Mar-low, sorted itself out. Bountiful Island was the key,and A. V. Smith had been WTong. Everything fitted.Where could the ring have wanted a better place towork from? \Vhere could they have more secrecyand the protection of an unimpeachable name?What was going to happen would start from there.Dan Marlow waa a traitor. So was Alberta. ButRicky couldn't think of her now. His thoughts wereracing ahead to the things he had to do and the sur-prise he would presently spring on A. V. Smith.

The man beside him was watching the pictureagain. He said no more. Presently he got up andwalked slowly out. Ricky fought down the impulseto follow him and ask questions. He let five minutespass, trying to focus hia attention on the picture.When he left, it was without haste, his hands in hiapockets.

They fited out one at a time, Joe and JJIberta in the lead. In the daih

He stopped on the aidewalk to light a cigarette,apparently aimless and unconcerned. What ab-ruptly bothered him, he couldn't tell; there was afaint prickling on hia shoulders and some long-dormant sixth sense flashed obscure danger signals.No stars Bhowed in the black and humid sky and afine spray of rain was falling.

He walked warily along the block and rounded thecorner. A cab was handy. He got in and gave theaddress of the house in Nuuanu Valley.

"Turn a lot of corners," he said. "Wikiwiki!"The driver stepped on it. As they followed a de-

vious way into the valley, Ricky unraveled a fewmore threads. Dan Marlow's visit to the Haleka-hala had been for hia benefit. The queer coldnessbetween him and his niece was designed to throwRicky off the scent. For a second. Alberta's imagefloated before him, rain and tears on it, and the fa-miliar aick feeling lodged in the pit of his stomach.He banished the vision impatiently. He had been atraitor himself in giving her a fair chance. If she hadsense enough to heed his warning, she'd be safe.

The skin on Ricky's face waa burning and his jawmuscles tightened. He shifted the automatic fromhis hip to his right-hand coat pocket. Vision was

through the rain-smeared windows of the

cab, but he was sure no trailing headlights gleamedbehind them. His fingers wrapped themselvesaround the butt of the pistol as he settled low in theseat. Barca's boys were too late anyhow.

He thought with growing excitement of the islandin the photograph he had found in Alberta's room-squat and dark and ominoua, aurrounded by a slate-colored sea. Then the cab lurched to a stop.

Ricky climbed out into the soft rain and paidthe driver. The cab whirled and went off down thedeserted road. Ricky headed for the house. Thenight waa very deep in the banyan grove, but alight ahone at the rear of the house in A. V. Smith'sbedroom. Ricky stepped up on the porch andknocked lightly. He heard the shuflie of feet inside,and a key turning in the lock. The door opened.

He walked quickly in. The room was pitch-black.As he stopped uncertainly, the door shut behindhim. A little metal circle bored into hia back.

"Stick 'em up," a voice said.He hesitated. He could hear other men close to

him, moving softly. His hands climbed into the air. ^The man behind him spoke in Japanese. A bridge

lamp clicked on, partially illuminating the room.Ricky blinked in the light, looking at the Japanesestanding three or four feet to his left with a pistol in

up in a laat agony, A hroad redstain had spread across the un-carpeted floor. There waa still arevolver clutched in his righthand. He looked little and in-finitely pitiful in death, and en-tirely out of place; a strange,bald bookkeeper in old-fashionedclothing who had died incom-prehensibly with a gxm in hiaband instead of in bed.

Cold anger filled Ricky, andsudden hope as be thought ofA, V. Smith's Chinese house-keeper. Then he recalled thatsbe had a family down the roadand went home at night. Heglanced at Oki and saw hia headcocked in a listening attitude.

A car was coming. Old movedbehind Ricky and the pistol bar-rel jammed into his back again.The lamp went off,

" Don't speak," Oki said, "andstand perfectly still."

The sound of the car ended infront of the house, A door bangedand then there was silence. Rainwater gurgled softly in a spout.Kicky felt sweat seeping downhia face. Feet shuffled on theporch. A voice spoke quiet Japa-nese,

The lamp went on once more.The gun muzzle left Ricky'sbody aa Oki went to open thedoor, Ricky wheeled.

Alberta came in first, followedby Sam Wing On. Behind themwere Joe Totsuiko and anotherJapanese. Sam's eyes were low-ered and his face expressionlesa.Ricky stared from him to Al-berta, who wore her short whitecoat and a pair of slacks. Hercheeks were as white as her coat,and her eyes looked bigger thanusual. They went past him toA. V, Smith's body and be heardher sickened gasp.

" Nice line of work you're in,"Ricky aaid harehly. He noticedSam being prodded with a gunby the man with Joe. Sam was aprisoner like himself. He hadn'tsold him out,

Joe closed the door and turnedto Ricky, showing an expanse of

25

big, gleaming teeth. The light glinted on his spec-tacles. "Hello, chum," he said. Then he saw A. V.Smith. "Oh-oh!"

"Unfortunately, Mr. Leiand's superior resiated,"Old said.

"I hope you didn't make too much noise.""It was a knife,""Swell," Joe said. " I guesa the party's all to-

gether. We might as well go on the tour." Hepocketed his gun and took a silk cord from hispocket, "Stick your hands behind your back,Ricky."

Ricky did as he was told. Alberta's eyes were onhim. They seemed to be trying to tell him some-thing. He looked away. Tbe cord tightened on hiswrists.

"You, too, Sam," Joe said.They all waited while Sam was tied. The old

Chinaman kept patiently looking at the floor." I hope any of you don't start hollering on the

trip," Joe said. "What you'll get for it will hurt."A man shoved Ricky forward. Sam fell in behind

him. Alberta put a hand on a chair to steady her-self. She appeared on the verge of fainting.

"You can come the way you are," Joe told her."Let's have the light cut before we go."

Ricky's head jerked in Alberta's direction. Atthat moment the room went dark. He could hearthe blood singing in his ears. A gun nudged his ribsand he scarcely felt it. It was nice to be happy fora change.

There was a scrambling in the darkness and thenoise of a piece of furniture going over. A hammerclicked back at Ricky's side and he froze. Joecalled urgently for light.

"It's the girl," he said. "Don't shoot."Her feet were pounding along the hallway as the

lamp flashed on. Joe sprang after her. Kickyrealized she'd be trapped in the bedroom. He knewthe layout of the house.

The running feet stopped, Ricky listened to hercry out sharply and his fists clenched, fingernailsbiting into palms. Tbey came back from the hall-way, stepping over A. V. Smith's body. Albertawas panting and color had come in her cheeks. Shetried to wrench away from Joe when he pulled herhands behind her, and he twiated her wrists. Shebit her lips to keep from crying. Joe knotted a cord.Then he jammed a handkerchief in her mouth andtied it. ^

"Next time I'll get rough, Al," he said.The light snapped off. They filed out one at a

time, Joe and Alberta in the lead.In the darkness of the banyan grove was a big

sedan, Joe and Oki got in front, the latter at«thewheel. The rest of them piled in the rear. Joetwisted around in the seat so he could watch them,a gun in his lap. {CantlnueH on Page S7I

aedan.

his hand. The man who had switched on the lampwas to hiB right, another Japanese, The man in hisrear removed the muzzle from his back and circledhim cautiously. He was smiling faintly.

"I imagine you recognize the phrase I used," hesaid.

"Hello, Oki," Ricky said, remembering DoctorBarca's servant,

" You were quite clever that day on the boat.""You're quite clever tonight,"Oki hissed politely at the compliment. "I'm fa-

miliar with your saying: ' He who laugha last laughabest,' . . . Please don't attempt to seize me when Isearch you, Mr. Leiand. My men would have nocompunctions about shooting both of ua if neces-sary." He atppped forward, running his left hand ex-pertly over Ricky'a body. The automatic was dulyextracted from Ricky's coat pocket. Oki took threesteps backward. "Thank you. You may lower yourhanda now, but remain where you are,"

Ricky's eyes shifted, looking for an opening, whenhe dropped hia arms. The breath caught in hiathroat. Tbe three brown men around him stood likeblank-faced statues.

In the hall doorway lay A. V. Smith, crumpled onhis face, his legs doubled under him as though drawn

"Don't make me go with you*" Marlow gasped. "I'vegot togetaway! They'll kill mel"

THE SATURDAY EVENING POST 57

ALOHA MEANS GOOD-BY(Continued from Page 25)

They went up the twisting NuuanuValley, climbing fast on a sparselytraveled road. At the crest of the Pali,where the warriors of King Kame-hameha had pushed the Oahuans overa thousand-foot cliff long ago, the windwas roaring in strong guäts, hammeringthe rain ahead of it. The car's head-lights poked twin white fingers into thehlurry dark. Far below, Ricky eouldglimpse the flickering lights of Kaneohe.Then they dipped down, grinding insecond gear around abrupt curves.

Ricky was sitting on a jump seat,turned sidewiBe to ease his houndhands. Behind him was Alberta. Oneof her feet slipped forward and for aninstant pressed on his. He smiled inthe darkness.

They turned left at the foot of thePali and raced along a road that ranheside the water, the tires whining onthe many turns. On the landward aidethe tall, precipitous, monolithic moun-tains marched against the black sky.Joe turned on the radio. Music camefrom the dining room of the RoyalPalms Hotel, soft and languorous.

After a while they ran out of therain, and Oki increased speed. Littlehouses elevated from the damp groundflashed by, and papaya groves and oc-casionally a Bmall settlement. Joeswitched off the radio. Ricky had beenworking his honda against the steelframe of the jump seat, hut theywouldn't come loose.

Rain began falling again, and Rickycaught a flash of white in a grove oftreea and recognized the Mormontemple. They were at Laie. The carroared through one end of the villagewhere the Samoans lived.

Oki slackened speed, looking for anopening in the treea on the seawardside. He apun the wheel suddenly, go-ingdownanarrowpavedroad. Itendedon a wooden pier. The car lurched toa atop.

They got out atifily, and Ricky sawthat Alberta had aomehow managed torid herself of the gag. Joe couldn't havetied it as carefully as he had the cordsabout hia wrists, Ricky thought. Okibacked the car into a big garage whichstood among the trees.

The whole party marched out to theend of the pier, where there was a smallhouse. They huddled inside, steamingand damp. Joe picked up a phone andrang the island. He spoke briefly inJapanese.

Ricky stared through a streaky pane,listening, to the beat of the storm. Samstood beaide him. The old man's shoul-ders wefe alumped and his eyes slits,but he seemed entirely unconcerned.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Ricky said."Waate time," Sam aaid.Red and green lights appeared, and

a searchlight glowed on the water. Theyheard the muflled drumming oí am^torhoat. Ricky looked at a aquatblack maaa againBt the lighter sky. Intwo or three places there were glows ofillumination.• That waa Bountiful Island. Thename rang like u gong in his mind.

xvu

THE launch pounded through thewind-chopped sea, plowing up

showers of Bpmy. Ahead, the search-light picked up the buoys that marked

.the way through the reefs.Ricky »at behind the Japanese at

the wheel, wriggling hi» numbed fingersto keep the circulation going. The boat

was moving very fast, and it pave asickening lurch when they swung intoward the island. Ricky rememberedthat Dan Marlow was noted for hisfast boats. He waa reputed to havetwo cabin cruisers that would do betterthan thirty-five miles an hour.

The heimaman closed the throttleand then reversed. Ricky peered out.They were entering a narrow channel,with a big wooden dock on the left andboat sheds and ways on the right. Twoblue sampans were tied up at the dock,big fifty-five-footers which Dan Mar-low used for his offshore fishing expe-"ditions. Pulled up on the ways were acouple of cahin cruisers, pretty thor-oughly taken apart. Ricky saw thechains and pulleys ahove them andknew why. 'The engines had been re-moved.

he knew. The torpedoes had been firedin practice by American shipa, loat,and picked up by members of theJapanese fishing fleet, as they oftenwere. These had not been returned forthe usual reward. The war heads muathave been fitted by Oki, who probablywas an expert at that. 'The tubes werevarious castings undoubtedly boughtTrom a varietj' of foundries and assem-bled on the island.

"Turn left," Joe said.They ascended a curving asphalt

driveway, flanked on either side bydense shrubbery. The lowering skypressed down, shedding fine rain, andthe air was moist and breathless andsticky.

Figuring out the rest waa aimple,Ricky thought. At dawn the sampanswould be on their way, passing the

" Why not bring that biacuitdough in here? My feetaren 't doing anything."

Silent yellow men on the dock caughtthe line Oki threw Co them and pulledthe launch against the pilings. Joeatood up, wiping the salt spray off hiaglasses.

"Alt ashore that's going ashore," hesaid.

They climbed out one hy one, as-sisted by the men on the dock. Lightsglared down, glittering in the rain. Acompres3ed-air pump was thumping in-aide a building on the dock. Hoses ranfrom it to both the aampans.

Ricky was still asking himself whythey were running air into the boutswhen he got his answer. The foredeckof the first sampan was covered by apile of nets which rose in a mound, butthe second was bare aa yet. Rickyswallowed hard ÜB he looked. A crude,homemade torpedo tube was bolted tothe deck, and lying beneath it, not yetput in its cradle, was the long outlineof a torpedo. He could see the mark-ings on the cigar-shaped engine ofdeath aa he passed the second sampan,and they were American. But its warhead was foreign.

Ricky's mind raced, fitting the piecestogether, almoat with elation, now that

fleet. They'd look Innocent and slow,chugging along, flying Dun Marlow'awell-known flag. And then suddenlythesampana would wheel, the powerfulmotors roaring, and dash for the war-«hipa—with a good chance of gettingin at close enough range to fire theirtorpedoes before guns could he broughtto beiir. Thiit close they couldn't miaa.

His forehead was wet, not only fromrain, and he took a deep breath. Theyentered a gateway of ¡lowering shrubs,and before them was the long, low whitehouse with a patio enclosed on threeaides. Tho walls were inset with glasstanks housing atrange and rare fish.Part of the patio was roofed over, andtables were there, and chairs and ahuge couch. A wide door led into theliWng room. Joe walked in advanceand opened it for them. ^

The room waa startlingly handsome,'all in white, with sptaahea of vivid red.French doora revealed a vista of closelycropped lawn on the far side. Againstone wall was a huge aibinet containinga collection of carved ivory that repre-sented a fortune.

Dan Marlow was sitting in a chairwith a glass in his hand. He stood up

when they entered, his brown faceturning the color of old parchment. Theclinking of the ice in his glass told howhis hands were shaking. He atared atAlberta, wetting his lips with histongue.

"Hello, Dan," Alberta said, but hedid not reply. There was stark terrorin his eyea.

Standing in a comer was a Japanesein the short white coat of a houseboy.Around his waist was a belt and holster.

Joe removed Alberta's bonds, thenSam's and Ricky's. " I hope you ap-preciate thia," he said to Ricky.

"Thanks," Ricky said, ruhbing hiatingling hands.

"Just ait down and reat easy, boysand girlB," Joe said. "We have somework to do right now, but we'll beback." He indicated the houaeboy."Kano here'll take care of you. It willbe with a bullet if you move aroundtoo much. And I wouldn't make a runfor it and try to swim if I were you.The reefs are full of aharks."

" What happens to us ?" Rickyasked.

Joe grinned. "What do you think,sweetheart?" ,

"Alherta can't hurt you any," Rîpkysaid.

"She'd make Doctor Barca nervous."Ricky looked at Joe. He was no

longer the braah schoolboy with thefunny face. His features had set in theimmemorial way of hia fathers, and hiseyes were blank and implacable.

" You muat have seen a lot of gang-ster pictures," Ricky said.

Joe grinned again. "No hard feel-ings. Kicky."

"None with me. I think you'renuts. You'll be blown out of the waterbefore you ever get close to them."

"Maybe."" Even if you don't.^u'U never live

to see what happens.""I know it," Joe replied quietly.

"But I belong to the Black DragonSociety. We don't expect to live."

Ricky took a cigarette from a boxand lit it. "Why do you have to atarta war?"

"You're standing in our way. Youalways have. We must destroy you.The old men ait in Tokyo and talk, butthey haven't the courage to fight.We'll make them fight!"

"I'll bet," Ricky said, "that a lot ofguya in Japan won't like you by to-morrow night."

"By tomorrow night there will betwo less big shipa in your fleet."

"I suppose you got Mori," DanMarlow said. Hia voice waa unsteady.

"We got him," Joe aaid. "He waagood at moving around dark alleys.He's in a very dark one now."

"Mori?" Ricky said. "Anybody Iahould know?"

"The man who talked to you in thetheater. He was with Marlow for along time before we came here. DoctorBarca thought he'd be a good man farua. That was Doctor Barca's mistake.Mori was a Korean. He smuggled outthe letter from Marlow that broughtAlberta, and he talked to you. Any-thing else you want to know, Ricky?"

"That's all."Oki apoke to Joe in Japanese, and

Joe nodded. Then he turned to thehouseboy and addressed him in thesame language. The man answeredsmartly.

Joe paused in the doorway andgrinned at Alherta.

58 THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

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"Remember the Haiku, Al?" heaaid, " Moritake had a good one for allof us. It's called the death verse:

"Alas, my lifciime may appearA vioming-iflory's hour today!"

Alberta watched him steadily. " Verypretty," ahe said.

Joe and Oki went out. There was si-lence for a while. They sat listening tothe soft munnur oí the rain. Rickycrushed hie cigarette in an ash trayand glanced at his watch. It was oneo'clock. He did a little rapid calculat-ing. To get to where the fleet unitswere anchored off Waikiki at thecrack of dawn without hitting a sus-piciously fast clip would take a goodtwo hours. That meant they'd have toleave by two-thirty; three at the latest.Not more than two hours yet. Heyawned and flexed his arms.

"Can this guy who'a with us under-stand English?" he asked Marlow.

"I don't know."Ricky's words woke them up. They

were all looking at him, even Sam.Marlow gulped the rest of his drink.

"How did this happen to you?"Ricky said.

" I was making improvements on theisland, and I hired a good many men.Somehow they all turned out to beJapanese, And I was drinking a greatdeal and needed somebody to take careof me. I wouldn't allow my friends tovisit. Suddenly I discovered that myhelp were running my life. I got scaredand tried to leave the island, but theywouldn't let me."

"When did you Bend the letter toAlberta?"

"Aiter I firat grew worried," Marlowsaid, "The letter waan't very clear be-cause I didn't realize then what wasreally up, I never had a chance tosend another. Mori wouldn't take therisk,"

"You should have made a break forit when you came to the Halekahala."

"They were with me all the time.They'd have killed me."

"I don't think this guy with us canunderstand English," Ricky said, " I'vebeen watching him while we talked.Is he your regular houBeboy, Mar-low?"

"No, he came only a couple of daysago—but they never show anything,"

" Can understand," Sam aaid."I'll find out," Ricky said, "Watch

him." He continued in a low voice,"In a minute I'm going to jump forthe door. Throw something at theguard when I do."

The man in the white jacket stoodstolidly, his face uninterested. Hishand did not move toward the gun inhis holster.

"I'll always think he didn't under-stand," Ricky said, "even if he shootsme,"

"It 's no use," Marlow said. "Whatcould you do if you did get out ofhere? They're all armed and there'sno place for you to go. They'd huntyou down,"

"I'm going to try it. Give me a handif I need one."

" Don't, Ricky," Alberta said,"Please, He can understand,"

Ricky shook his head and rose, hishanda In hia pockets. He strolled upand down the room, working nearerthe guard, who paid no attention tohim, Sam gazed at the floor and Mar-iow nervously averted his head. OnlyAlberta kept her eyes on Ricky.

It took quite a while, but finally hewua in striking distance. Then the manin the white coat looked at him. Hishand dropped to the butt of his gun.

July 26,1941

"Sit down," he said,Ricky walked back and sat down.

There was a long period of quiet—theponderous, threatening quiet thatfilled their ears like the roaring of thesea. Marlow gazed at Alberta withweak tears brimming in hia eyes.

"Why did I get you into this?" hesaid.

" Don't think aboutit," Alberta said."I'm trying not to,"

Then, abruptly, Bhe began to cry.She rose and walked blindly towardthe guard, wringing her hands. DanMarlow stretched out his arms and letthem drop helplessly. Ricky got upquickly and headed her oil. He caughther and shook her,

"Hey," hesaid, "this isn't like you.Take it easy!"

She dropped her head on his cheat,sobbing. He patted her shoulder.

"I can't help it," she aaid. "I'mafraid, Ricky. . . . Put your armsaround me,"

He circled her with his arms, mur-muring, " I love you. I'll get you outof this,"

"Hold me tighter."His arms tightened and a queer ex-

pression came on his face as he felt therevolver tucked in the waistband atthe back of her slacks. She lifted herface to him and he gazed deep into thebig, tear-stained blue eyes. It was likegazing into the Elysian fields. Hebeamed at her, raising his hands undeineath her white coat.

"Why, bless your heart, child," hesaid, "there's not a thing to worryabout."

She shifted obligingly, so that herback was to the guard, and he easedthe gun up, careful that the front aightdidn't hook on her waistband.

Then Alberta wailed again, " I don'twant to die, Ricky! Save me!"

He flashed the revolver, his thumbwhipping the hammer up, and sprangat the guard. The man stepped awayfrom him, sensing he wouldn't shoot.Ricky hit him very hard with hia lefthand high on the side of the head andthe man dropped to the floor, clawingat his holater. Something shot paatRicky, sailing on soundless feet. It waaSam, and he had a hea\'y ash tray Inhis hand. He flnished the job.

For a moment none of them moved.They listened witb aching ears. Therewas no sound but the falling rain.

Behind Ricky, Alberta said un-steadily, " Is—ia that what you wanted,Ricky?"

No one paid any attention to her.Sam stooped and took the guard's gun,Dan Marlow reared up from his chair-Ricky was looking around. He spottedthe silk cords Joe had taken off themand tossed them to Sam. His handkepchief followed,

"Tie him up, Sam," Ricky aajd-"Gag him,"

" Maybe we can make a raft," DjinMarlow said, "There's some lumberdown by "

"Where'd you get the gun?" Rickyasked Alberta. "From the dead manin the house?"

Alberta leaned against a table. Herface was as white as the walls of,theroom. "Yes. I thought you mightneed it."

"You're the kind of a girl," Riekysaid, " I always wanted to bring hometo mother. Listen, you deserve to getaway from here. I wish I could takeyou, but I can't. Those boat« are goingout in a little while to blow up our war-ships. I've got to stop them if I can.Do you understand?"

"I understand,"(COttflnued on Pag* 60)

60 THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

vu, TELL r c ABOOT FLEAS1 Tlr fíen lu n wo«TicfnuH bcjipillc—iinil ifrrji onreiw«snrv. BesWivilh' Inrtiirr n' \M liltc, tie cnrrlc:" ivl' liim III"t f i s o ' worrmul A vcrm In«- ehnmclerl

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They stared at each other for a sec-ond, the unspoken words they had tosay to each other in their eyes. Samhad finished with the guard and rolledhim in a comer.

" The first thing to do," Ricky said,"is to put the lights out on this islandfor keepa." He turned to Dan Mar-low. " Does your electricity come fromOahu or do you have your own gen-erator?"

"My own generator.""Where?""Near the greenhouses.""That doesn't mean anything to

me," Ricky said. " You'll have to comewith me. . . . Sam, you go with Al-berta. Head for tbe far end of theisland and hide. . . . No, wait a min-ute. I'll have to try to get a boat andpick you up. . . . Where's anotherplace on the island I can come close in-shore, Marlow?" The man was lookingat him, licking his lips. He seemed aaflaccid as warm butter. "Answer me!"

Marlow's voice shook. "On the eastend there's a point. I was planning tohuild a sea-water swimming pool, andI dredged. It's deep."

"Tell Sam how to get there."He looked at Alberta. Marlow's tm-

even voice was beginning to explain toSam how to reach the point.

"I'm glad you weren't one of them,Ricky," Alberta said. " I had to lie toyou because I didn't know what I wasgetting into. I was playing simple-minded so nobody would suspect me.It'abeen a long time since I was in Medi-cine Hat. I'm a fashion designer fromMontreal and "

" I know, darling. We'll be all right."" I don't mind. I'm sorry I couldn't

have seen more of Hawaii, that's all.""If I don't show up ¡nside of a half

hour," Ricky said, "you and Sam findsomething that will float. Be carefulnot to head out to Bea."

"If you didn't get killed," Albertasaid hopefully, "maybe we could getmarried."

Ricky moved quickly away from her.He saw a flashlight in the hip pocketof the guard, got it and gave it to Sam,who had digested Marlon-'s instruc-tions.

"When I come by the point in myhoat," Ricky said, "signal me. Threeshort flashes. Then I won't be sur-prised by some of these guys on theisland." He cleared his throat, avoid-ing Sam's calm brown eyea. "It 's SamL*land from now on. I'll adopt you incourt, so help me."

"Waste time," Sam said gruffly."IVikiiviki."

"We'll leave by the French doors,"Ricky said. "Alberta and Sam first.Go on your hands and knees. The min-ute you're outside, hug the wall of thehouse until you get In the bu&hes. Ifsomebody is out there, let me shoothim."

They all knelt by the door. Rickyopened it a crack and took a look. Afme spray of rain blew in on them.

"Come on," Ricky said.Sam went out first, then Alberta.

She glanced over her shoulder for aninstant at Ricky and Marlow. "Goodluck, Dan," she whiapered. "Aloha."She disappeared.

Marlow started to follow. Clutchinghis shoulder, Ricky jerked him back.

"Give 'em a chance to bre:ik loose,"he said.

There was li\'id fear in Marlow'sface and he waa panting. Ricky re-alized panic waa not far off in him. Heremembered the bottle of brandy onthe table heside the chair Marlow hadoccupied. Watching him, he got it.

Here, he said, handing him thebottle. " What're you worried about?"

Marlow held the bottle in both liiashaking hands and pried out the corkwith his teeth. He took a long drink.Then he set the bottle down and noddedto Ricky.

"You first," Ricky said.Marlow crawled through the door-

way.xvm

THEY traversed seemingly endlessareas of shrubbery, part of the

time bent double and the rest on allfours. The soggy earth covered themwith mud, and wet branches whippedin their faces. The occasional openspaces they negotiated on their bellies.

Minute by minute tbe beat of thegasoline engine in the power-plant shedgrew louder. They passed the long bulkof tbe greenhouses, their glass roofsgleaming with the diamonds of therain. Then, in a quick dash, they wereinside the shed, standing in pitch black-ness und smelling the oil fumea.

Ricky rubbed his hands dry on hispants and found a packet of matches inhis coat. He handed them to Marlow.

" Give me some light," he said."Hold it below the level of thewindow."

The tiny wavering fiame sent shad-ows dancing on the walls. Ricky saw apile of tools on a shelf and picked outa heavy pipe wrench. The match wentout. Another oneflared. Ricky searchedfor a vital point and struck it, so hardthat pain shot from his wrist to hisshoulder. As darkness came again, themotor coughed and died.

"Now," Ricky said. But Dan Mar-low wasn't there. He plunged out thedoor. Marlow was heading into thebushes. Ricky caught him, grabbedhim by the collar and forced him to hisknees. He bent over him fiercely.

"Don't make me go with you!"Marlow gasped. "I'vegot to get away!They'll kill me!"

Ricky shook him, rocking his head."You're going to take me to the dock,a back way. I'll shoot you as quicklyaa any of them will. See?"

Marlow nodded.Ricky let him up. " Get going," hesaid.They cut across the breadth of the

island, faster this time, becauae Rickyforced Marlow to remain upright.Men's voices sounded thinly in thenight. They saw the slender beams offlashlights poking in the dark. Afterthey had crossed a paved driveway,Ricky caught a glimpse of the house.Lights were flickering in it. Their breakhad been discovered.

Marlow led him down a precipitousincline. Both of them lost their footingand ended up on the seats of theirpants. They crawled under deneebushes, by wide concrete pools wherelive fish were kept. A atorehotjse withoverhan^ng eaves afïorded them mo-mentary shelter. A man ran by themthere, his heels ringing on the pave-ment, bound for the house. Rickywatchedhim disappear, hifl finger curledaround the trigger of the revolver.

They weaved through boxes andbales and piles of lumber. Ahead oftbem was a black patch of a building.Marlow hoisted himself up where the*pier began and turned to lend a handto Ricky.

"You're a good guide," Kicky said.It was tricky work finding the rear

entrance to the dock building. Theyfell repeatedly. Finally a door creakedunder Marlow's hands. Ricky smelledfish and dried salt and the wet pun-gency of nets. He held Marlow'strouser leg as they crawled across thefloor of thi! big room.

July 26,1941

The moment he was in the doorway,be forgot Marlow. Searchlights fromthe two sampans and the launch wereshining. A man held a lantern high.Somebody Was calling in shrill Japanesefrom the driveway, and several menstarted up toward the house.

Ricky stared at the scene, dry-throated. He discarded the idea of try.ing to get the latuich. It had to be oneof the sampans. He dared not thinkany farther ahead. He'd straiü hisluck.

Marlow waa whispering in his ear,"There's a fire ax above the door.Which boat do you want?"

"Are you'willing to help me?""I'm all right now.""Get the fire ax."Marlow rose, fumbled in the dark-

ness, unfastened the ax and crouchedbeside him again. Ricky looked at thesecond sampan. The torpedo was in thetube now, but the covering of fish netswasn't on yet. There were men on theboat, and a light was gleaming in thepilothouse.

"f want the sampan nearest us,"Ricky said.

"Wouldn't the launch be better?"Marlow asked, his voice steady.

" I need the sampan. Can you startthe engine and handle i t?"

"Yes.""Sure you want to?""Yes," Marlow said."All right," Ricky said. " I'll make a

run for it and start a commotion.When I'm on the boat, you cut thecables. She's moored bow and stem.I'll cover you." He tried to see Mar-low's face. "I'm a dead duck if youdon't follow me out there."

"I'll follow you."Ricky rose, "See you in a minut«."Unnoticed in the dark confusion, he

reached the edge of the dock andsprang aboard the sampan. A man waaon the foredeck, bending over, a flash*light in his hand. Ricky lunged intohim, blocking low. The man went overthe side. He let out a startled yell aahe hit tbe water. Ricky ran towardthe stem.

A second man blundered from theshadow of the pilothouse. Rickysmashed him into the water while hewas still off balance. Then he turnedand raced to the port side of the boat.There was a thumping noise from thedirection of the bow. The sampanground against the dock, slowly swing-ing with the current. Marlow had al-ready severed the bow line.

Men stumbled through the wet dark-ness, calling to one another in Japanese.The ax was thumping again. A pencilof light Hashed on the blade as it rosein the air. The searchlight of the firstsampan swiveled down on the dock.In its white glare Ricky saw Oki run-ning with a pistol in his hand towardwhere Marlow worked. He made a per-fect target.

The revolver leaped in Rick>''s handand Oki spun part way around andsprawled awkwardly. Ricky firedtwice at the searchlight, and there wasdarkness again except for the feebleprobing fingers of the band torches.He emptied the pistol at random onthe dock. The stern cable twanged asit parted and the sampan moved.

A mun landed on the deck and rose,panting hard. "Marlow?" Ricky said.

"Yea!""Get the engine started. Reverse.

Bring us past the other sampan."Marlow dived for the pilothouse.

Dropping his useless revolver, Rickyran forward. The light from the launchswung on them and there were jets of

(Continued on Page 63)

62 THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

WILLARD STORAGE BAnERY CO. • CLEVELAND, LOS ANGELES, DALLAS, TORONTO

(Conllnutd from Page 60)bright flame on the dock. Reports fromthe guna merged with the grinding ofthe starter on Ricky'a sampan. The en-gine backfired, caught and roared withb!aating power. The boat shook an thepropeller bit the water.

Ricky pushed with all hia strengthon the turpbdo tube, swinging it. Thenhe fumbltd frantically in the darkneaa,searching fur the air-releaae valve. Theguns still lashed from the blackneaa ofthe dock. A bullet ricocheted off thearnootb metal above him and tiny par-ticles üf lead pocked hia face. He heardthe pilothüUöe windows ahatltr.

The searchlight from their aampanskewered the launch and he saw Joecrouching on the búw with a rifle in hiahanda. Men were jumping aboard it.The line had already been cast off. Thesampan was muving faster now, and ina moment it would be too late. Aiidthen Ricky Tound the valve.

Air hiased from the mouth of thetube. Ricky caught a flash of the tor-pedu glittering in flight, free of theaampan and falling flatly. Spray flewaa it hit the water.

The next instant there waa a tower-ing red wall of flame where the othersampan had been. A gigantic thunder-clap of nearly intolerable sound seernedto shatter the night to bits. In a whirl-ing bell of disinttdgrating wood, metal,tlesh and water melted the sampan, thelaunch and most of the dock. Rickybowed and shielded his face with hishands. He clutched a hatch cover asthe deck beneath him tilted so sharplyhe thought the boat was going to cap-size.

Debris rained down and he felt seawater foaming over him. He hung oninstinctively, dazed and blinded.

The column of fire vanished andthere was night again. The thunder ofthe explosion faded more slowly,traveling off into tbe distance, leavingthe roiled air to subside. On land aman was screaming his agony.

The sampan cleared the channel and, the bow swung. The motor drummedinto forward speed. The searchlightraked the white lace of waves breakingon a reef and went ofT.

Ricky staggered to hia feet andwalked aft, feeling the roll of the boat.His ears rang and his eyeballs burned.His feet crunched on broken glass ashe entered the pilothouse. Marlow hadhia back to him, standing at the wheel.

"You did all right, Dan," Rickysaid.

"Take the wheel," Marlow eaid."Don't drive her. I think that ex-plosion sprung her seama."

Ricky took his place. " Tell me whereto go."

Marlow hacked againat the wall oíthe pilothouse. "Use the light if youhave to," he said, his breath raspingout of him. "You can come in prettyclose. These sampans don't draw muchwater."

Suddenly be crumpled and slid to thefioor. "Are you hit?" Ricky aaked.

"Leave me alone!" Marlow said."Get around to the point!"

"If you're bleeding ""Leave me alone!"Ricky opened tbe throttle wider.

"Don't push her too much," Marlowwhispered. Ricky'a ears were still ring-ing, but he could hear Marlow's harshbreathing.

The point loomed ahead, a tracery ofblack shrubberj' againat the lightershade of the night sky. A warm windwaa blowing into the pilothouae andthe rain had stopped. Ricky reducedspeed until the sampan barely had

ateerageway and crept toward theisland. The hull scraped on coral andhe swung hard over and then backaiiain, gunning tbe niotur briefly; andthe obstruction fell behind.

He reversed, the propeller churningup u white wake under the stern. Therewaa a dull achm in bis chest, but he keptstraining bis eyea iiitu the darkneaa ofthe island, trying not to hupe too muchor tu think that if they'd got her noth-ing would matter u great deal everagain. The strength went out of himand hia handa trembled as they restedsweatily on the apokes of the wheel.

Three aputa uf white flicked close tothe ground. Sam and Alberta rosefrom the dim void and aplashed intothe sea. Ricky haatenied to the aide ofthe boat, hia heart hammering, waitingfur the rattle of gunfire. It never came.

They awam up to the side and hepulled them aboard. Alberta fírst. Shewent into his urms. Furan inatanttimestopped, and Ricky knew he had neverbeen ao glad before. He kissed her,tasting sea wuter on lier lips; they werebittersweet, as always.

"E liek kaua!" Sam aaid. Becrouched, the gun in his hand. Rickyreleaaed Alberta, and Sam pulled herdown beside him.

"Where's my uncle?" Alberta said."He wua a very bnive guy," Ricky

said. " Don't come in the wheelhouae,"When he was clear of the island,

Ricky considered making the run toKaneohe Bay and the yacht club there,but the sampan was steering hadlynow and getting logy. He decided notto take a chance and continued onaround, using the searchlight to htintfor the huoys which marked the waythrough the reefs.

Finally he picked them up, and therest was easy. Sam walked forwardwhen the pier came in view. He leapedwith what was left of the cable andcinched it around a bight. The enginestopped.

Ricky took off his coat, dropped onone knee and gently covered Dan Mar-low. When he rose, he noticed Albertastanding in the doorway of the wheel-house. A sob choked in her throat andshe turned. Ricky swept her into hiBarms and jumped to the pier. She heldhim tightly, like a child, her wet cheekagainst his. He set her carefully on herfeet. She atood bravely, her ahoulderethrown back. But her head was down.Out in the Pacific, the eastern sky wasbeginning to lighten.

" I think I can get Honolulu onthe phone in there," Ricky said. "Waita minute."

He went in the little house at theend of the pier and began ringing.After a moment an operator answered.While he waited, and then talked,Ricky looked toward Bountiful Island.It was as dark and silent as a tomb,still a squat, sable mass, inert: and help-less in the path of the coming dawn.Ricky wondered if he had been dream-

He left the telephone with a grimsmile, and the other two looked at himas they tramped along the pier.

"The Manila Clipper didn't leavetonight," Ricky said.

There was a car coming down theroad. They flattened themselves in thedeep darkness beside the garage andSam handed Ricky his pistol. The carscreeched to a quick atop and the lefhand front door was flung open. A manclimbed hastily out. Ricky moved upto him and jammed the gun in hu

" "Aloha, doc," he said. "Welcomehome!"

(THE END)