Danny Orlis on Superstition Mountain

Danny Orlis on Superstition Mountain

by

Bernard Palmer

Illustrated by David Miles

P. O. Box 1099 • Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37133

(800) 251-4100 • (615) 893-6700 • FAX (615) 848-6943

www.SwordoftheLord.com

Copyright 1955 by

The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago

Reprinted 2011 with

Permission of Marge Palmer by

Sword of the Lord Publishers

Distributed by Smashwords

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (printed, written, photocopied, electronic, audio or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher.

All Scripture quotations are from the King James Bible.

CONTENTS

Chapter One - HOME AGAIN

Chapter Two - INVITATION TO SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN

Chapter Three - MISSION BEGUN

Chapter Four - ARRIVAL IN MEXICO

Chapter Five - MEETING A MOB

Chapter Six - THE SECRET

Chapter Seven - THE OPPOSITION GROWS

Chapter Eight - PRECIOUS CARGO

Chapter Nine - KAY TAKES A RISK

Chapter Ten - UNWANTED GUESTS

Chapter Eleven - CONCHITA UNDERSTANDS

Chapter Twelve - THE FLIGHT

Chapter Thirteen - CONCHITA’S MESSAGE

Chapter Fourteen - NEBRASKA BOUND

Chapter Fifteen - A DANGEROUS PASSENGER

Chapter Sixteen - PROOF OF OWNERSHIP

ILLUSTRATIONS

Danny and Aunt Mable stood together in the stern of the Island Queen.

Aunt Mable unfolded the dirty piece of paper and read aloud.

Stop! Danny shouted.

The three of the rode out of the village and up the narrow, winding trail.

They were following us to see whether we had the manuscript, Danny whispered.

There stood the man who had stopped and talked with them earlier in the day.

Slowly and carefully, they made their way down the trail to the edge of town.

The next thing he knew, Conchita was shaking him.

Look! It’s him!

Do you want us to search until we find it?

Stop! Stop or I’ll shoot!

Chapter One

Home Again

IT was early morning, and the sun was just beginning to peek its fiery head over the muskeg to chase away the last traces of fog from the mirrored surface of the Lake of the Woods.

Danny Orlis opened the screen door quietly and slipped outside. For a moment or two, he stood there, looking hungrily at the slowly awakening forest. It had been a long, long time since he had watched the Angle come to life after a night of sleeping. From somewhere in the muskeg behind the house came the strident call of a timber wolf. And just to the left of the Island Queen, which was moored to the Orlis dock, a muskrat slid into the water and swam away.

Boy! Danny said softly to himself, it’s good to be back home. It sure is good to be back home!

By this time, his dog Laddie had joined him, wagging his big, bushy tail and pushing his moist nose into Danny’s hand.

Yeah, Danny said, kneeling to hug his shaggy part-collie companion, it’s good to see you too, old boy. You act as if you sort of missed me while I was away at school. Did you? Huh?

Laddie probably didn’t understand what Danny was saying, but he acted as though he did, nuzzling close to the young woodsman and affectionately licking his hand. For a moment or two, Danny just held him tightly, digging his fingers into the dog’s shaggy hair and talking softly to him.

Come on, Laddie, he said at last. Let’s see how things look around here.

Together they walked down to the tourist cabins that Danny and his dad had built, then back to the barn where he kept his rabbits, and across the drainage ditch and into the forest toward their nearest neighbors. It seemed to him that he had been gone only a couple of minutes or so when his mother called for him as only she could call.

Danny! she called, her voice crescendoing until it echoed through the trees. Danny, come to breakfast!

His pet crow, who had been sitting on the garden fence, took up the cry. Danny! he mimicked. Come to breakfast! Come to breakfast!

When Danny finally got back to the house, everybody was up and sitting around the breakfast table—the twins, Ron and Roxie; Cap Martin, who ran the Island Queen; Cap’s grandson, Jim; and Danny’s mother and dad.

I was just looking things over, he said sheepishly, pulling up a chair. I didn’t know a guy could get so lonesome for a place as I have for home. He glanced at Jim Martin, who was about his own age and the best pal he had. I didn’t think you guys’d be up for a long time yet, he said.

Don’t you know that Jimmy and I have to keep our schedule, Danny? Cap asked, his faded blue eyes gleaming. You haven’t been away for so long that you’ve forgotten that, have you?

Maybe I just didn’t get up as early as I thought I did, Cap, he laughed.

Jim tells me he’d like to stay over for a couple of days, Danny, Cap went on, and see if you and he could get into a little mischief. Got any objections?

Boy, no! Danny said, looking over at Jim and grinning. That’ll be swell. He didn’t tell Cap that he and Jim had been making plans for that for at least two months by mail.

He began to eat hurriedly. He could scarcely wait to get out in his boat, the Scappoose, with Jim and Laddie and get to fishing again. It had been months since he had felt the tug of a walleye on a Lazy Ike.

I was just telling Cap and Jim about the letter we got yesterday from Aunt Mabel, Danny, Carl Orlis said. That girl who was going back to Mexico with her was in an automobile accident and got both legs broken. It’ll be months before she’ll be able to go back.

Say, now, somebody said, that is too bad.

And, Danny’s dad went on, she doesn’t know what to do about getting back to her station. That district where she’s been working is so bad that the mission board doesn’t like to have the girls travel alone.

Danny looked over at his mother and saw the concern that flashed across her face. He didn’t blame her for worrying. Aunt Mabel was her only sister and just about his favorite aunt. She was a dozen years or so younger than his mother and almost as pretty, and she had been on the mission field in Mexico for at least two terms.

They say, Mr. Orlis continued, that the bandits still roam those remote mountains as they did when Pancho Villa was on the rampage before World War I.

Danny’s mother set down her cup of coffee. And the worst of it is, she said, her voice quavering, Mabel will go down there alone if somebody doesn’t go along. She always was the kind who felt she could take care of herself any place. I can’t help it. I’m terribly worried about her.

Now, Mother, Mr. Orlis said reproachfully, we have to put things like that in the hands of the Lord. She won’t be going down there alone. Christ will be with her.

Nevertheless, the shadow still clouded Mrs. Orlis’ eyes as they bowed their heads at the close of their family devotions to pray.

After breakfast, Danny and Jim did the chores and carried Danny’s somewhat ancient outboard motor down to the Scappoose and filled it with gasoline.

You ought to get one of those new tens, Danny, Jim said as they headed out toward the bay. "One of them would really shove the Scappoose over the water."

Maybe I will if I make enough money guiding this summer, the young woodsman said, cutting the motor down to trolling speed and dropping his plug into the water.

Your mother’s pretty worried about your aunt, isn’t she? Jim asked presently.

Danny nodded. I don’t blame her. You ought to hear some of the stories she tells of her experiences down there. Man, it’s enough to make a guy’s hair curl!

She wouldn’t go back alone, would she? Jim wondered.

She doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything, Danny answered. And besides, she’s got to get down there. She’s got a lot of work to do.

There was a long silence.

It sort of makes a fellow feel like he ought to go along with her, doesn’t it, Danny? Jim said at last.

Danny caught a fish just then and began to play it expertly.

"I’ve been gone