West Paris High School - Nautilus Yearbook (West Paris, ME)

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It was close to midnight when Laine arrived at Andre's home, but the light was still burning in his study window. He carefulb' opened the window aid silently entered. The startled teacher looked up to seo who it was but Laine kept well in the shadows, for he was taking no chances. Maybe if the man knew who he was h wouldn't tell him anything. Laine's arm went around the French- man's neck and his other pushed a shive into his ribs. His angry voice broke the silence. WI got a note here, and if you don't read it I'll twist this knim into your hide.n UL-e-let, let me see it,N came the reply. Laine released the hold he had on the manfs neck and reached into his pocket, his eyes glistened, at last after so many days of waiting he would know. The light soon vanished, he broke into a cold sweat as he dug frantically through his pockets. The mes- sage was gone. Vaino Oja '47 BEJNGJ A DETEC',VJVE DOESNT MY Detective Bill Winters stalked out of the Water Front Police Station and headed swiftly for Pier 15. The cold, darkness and knowledge of the coming storm put a gloomy effect in the atmos- phere. Only ten thirty at night? It already seemed much later. A slight S7ad0W broke the constant glow from the foglight of an incoming ship, A dull thud was heard, padded footsteps along the wooden docxs, then silence. Bill Winters came to with a splitting headache. The floor seemed to rock and roll beneath his feet. nHuh,N Ee said to himself, NI must be in some kind of a cel- lar.n Voices could be heard overhead. nYeah,n said one voice, nbut we can't do that with these smallarms, boss.n A nYou don't think so eh! Don't worry, the old pirates did it with just swordsg we ought to take this one with rif1es.n uOkay, boss, but Ifm still skeptical,u nRemember, 12:50 tomorrow night.n - Then Bill understood. The floor beneath him really was roll ing. he was on a ship whose officers were planning piracy. It was twelve o'clock the night after Bill's capture. He could hear the clanking aboard another ship which seemed very close. The throttle of Bill's ship was opened up and it moved swiftly forward. Suddenly the firing of guns was heard and the ship slackened its speed.

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THE ME. SSAQE Bos'n Laine rolled into the Bar Wing Bar on the Barbary Coasq his hand reached out and tipped back his hat as he leaned up a- gainst the bar. He ordered his drink and as he slowly downed it he turned to look at the other occupants seated at the various tables. His searching eyes finally settled on a young fFrenhh woman, obviouslv a refugee who had been watching him for quite, some time. Placing his glass back upon the bar, Laine slowly am- bled over to where she was seated and asked, nBur rou a drink?H She looked up at him for a moment. Reaching into her hand- bag, she took out a slip of paper upon which she wrote something, then placing it in Bos'n's hand she got up and walked out. Laine looked after her for a moment and then started to read the .mess sage, but it was written in French. He turned to the bartender and asked, URaad French?n Hhais Oui, let me look,U was his prompt reply. He carefullr scrutinized the message and his eyes burned with sudden rage, crimson color slowly crept up around his ears as he whirled around to glare at Laine. t xGet out you dirty scum,H he growled,-norlllllhhnteyggnthnhgg OU. ' Laine snatched the message out of the hartendcr's hand, glared at him a second, but exptrierce told him it was best to leave for he wasn't in the mood to he mauled be three or four huskylbounoens The next day Laine was more curious then over. As he strode down the street he carefully read each sign on the doors until he came to one that said: HFrench Speaking Law3er.n He went up the stairs two at a bound. Vithout stopping for any formalities Lain burst into the office, stuck the note in the lawyer's startled face and muttered in not too certain tones. Q HRead this.n The lawyer glanced through the message and his face changed color rapidly as he Jumped to his feet and roared. UGet out.H Laine hadn't been out of his room for two weeks, the bottles and butts strewed around showed how his time was spent. If only there were someone whom he knew that he could depend on to tell him what that damn message said. He had it! Andre, his old high school teacher.

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Bill could hear the men climbing aboard the other ship, his guard also went away. Picking up a chair he heaved it at the porthole. There was a shattering of glass and improvised wooden bars. Taking a short run he leaped for the high porthole and slipped through into the ocean ten feet below. He took a piece d' wet rope from his pocket. With the aid of his life belt Bill swan to the other ship. Stretching out the rope as far as possible he wound it round and round the other shipfs propeller then swam bad: to his own ship. Quickly climbing aboard by means of a net he found himself in the doorway of the pilot's cabin. He grabbed tm wheel and stepped up the throttle. There was the pulsing of the engines as the great ship slowly started forward.- A shout went1p from the other ship but of course with the many feet of half inch rope around the propeller it wouldn't move. ' Running to the radio room he met with stiff opposition in tlfe form of a billy club descending towards his head. Bill ducked ani let him have an uppercut to the jaw. Using his own small know- ledgg of dot-dits he sent the two ships' positions to the Coast Guar . One hour later Bill Winters was in the Water Front P5l1C6 Station calmly reading a newspaper. nBy the way,n said the desk 5er5e3nt, Uwhat kind of crooks were those anyway?U WThey were smugglers.U nwhat did they smuggle.n nThey robbed freighters, then smuggled the goods into South America.n NDid you get a reward for uncovering them?n Noh sure,N he said sarcasticallyf HI got a ticket to appear in court for parking in front of a fire hydrant,n QSStU6Q7dQZy Francis Slattery '49 ff QQ, X ': f? farm- Q .1---Tr' ,J A l' ' :Et 5mYffhlU' 2: Ijjy? Q' J Rf KA. 'Q fdixs f:ed5'fi' 'NQT K --X. wwf, x