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{{frabfp104.png}} || eagles of the sky ||

covery, Perk finally concluded to dispose of his
own person, at the same time meaning to keep in
readiness to give the intruders a hot reception,
did the occasion warrant such a course.

Then he could hear what he knew to be the
splash of oars, and squeaking sounds of the row-locks.
But he had already discounted this fact,
knowing as he did the impossibility of anyone
ever reaching the fringe of that vast wilderness
of mangrove islands in which many a fisherman
had been lost, never to find his way out of the
ocr>   myriad of _zigzag_ channels without the possession
fix>   myriad of zigzag channels without the possession
of some manner of boat.

On they came until finally Perk realized they
were just around the corner, for he could pick
up every word that was uttered as well as see
specks of foam from the working oars as it carried
past, the tide being on the ebb just then.

"Told yuh it was a steamer runnin' past thet
sent up yer smoke trail, Zeb," a harsh jeering
voice was saying, accompanying the words with a
string of oaths as though he felt more or less
"mad" because of the exertion necessitated in
ocr>   working at the oars so long and on a bootless er-rand
fix>   working at the oars so long and on a bootless errand
at that.

"Wall," came another drawling voice in which
keen disappointment could be detected. "I
judged it shore lay in this direction, but like yuh
says, it must'a ben a steamer out yonder on the

[[104]]

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