The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-08-11

There IS a street in Liverpool called
Neptune Court u o. unlt fouf blocks
in length. ffming iho short vide OF 81
triangle and one must pass through il
TO reach certain docks ltisa marrow.
illpaycd and dirty lhoroughftc given
up to ship chambers and Others con
nccicd with the oulhuine Of vessels.
One OF the streets crossing Neptune
Court is called Turk, and ON the south.
west corner Of these streets there was
for many years an old thrcc-story brick
building occupied 10y man named
Losing, He was a queer old man,
and among sailors he went by the name
Of "No. 49," How he got this nick.
name cannot tell you, but he had
carried it for twenty years when first
entered his place. His was a queer
business. He dealt in second hand
watches, chronometers, quadranls, sex
tants, charts and the like. He had
oilskins, sea boots, sou'wcstcrs and
sheath knives. He had playing cards
and Bibles He had sailors songs and
tracts in the same pile. He bought
shells, monkeys, parrots, corals and
other Curiosties. He would lend the
sum of five shrllings to any sailor who
asked for it, and that without security.
He would not buy of landsman, but
would sell to him in a grudging way.
He had never been to sea, but knew
the rig of every sort of vessel, and he
kept a log wherein he recorded every
change of weather and the particulars
of every marine disaster.
One certain afternoon in midwinter
in the year 1867 | called in at Losing S
to make an exchange of watches.
found him busy with three or four Gus
toners and went away. That evening
at about 8 o'clock / left the ship and
made another call on him. found
him sitting by the stove in the dim
light of his single DIP, and after he had
examined my watch he went to an old
iron safe and brought out half dozen
from his own stock for my inspection.
We had them on the counter before US
when the door opened and three men
entered. They were dressed as sailors
and at once inquired for articles Of
sailors use, but | felt certain from the
start that they were not mariners. A
second glance told me that they were
the same men | had seen in the place
in the afternoon. 1t was probably the
storm and the lonlness of the situation
which made me jump to the conclusion
that they had come to rob the old
man. He could have entertained no
such suspicion, for he received them
cordially and calmly set about getting
out the articles they I'D asked for,
While continuing to inspect the watches
/ kept an eye on the movements
of the trio. | thought / observed signs
of chagrin that they had found me in
the place, and three or four times
within five minutes | detected signals
passing between them. | made up
my mind that it would be good move
for me to go quietly out and find a
policeman and tell him of my sus-
picions. Therefore, after a bit, | said
to the old man;
81 think one of these will suit me,
but will not make a choice to night
You can keep my watch till | come in
tomorrow"
"All right" he replied, as he looked
up, and left the watches on the
counter and started for the door, whist
ling in careless way as | went
| had been sitting about the center
of the store, at least forty feet from the
front door Two of the men stood al
the counter, only fifteen feet away
while the third was looking at some
oiskins hanging up near the door
Owing to the poor light | could hardly
make him out. | had passed the two
men, when the third one turned the
key in the door, and at the same mo
ment one of the others drew plsto
and commanded me to return to the
chair | had just vacated. His com
panion menaced old Losing at the
same time, while the third man came
down to US and quietly said:
"There is no use kicking up Dol
over this. If everything goes quie
nobody1l be hurt, but if you are mast,
about it we'll serve you out in no time
Young Teller, you sit down, and, Bill
you keep an eye on him. Old chap
you sit down over here, and, Jem, yor
keep him quiet. I'll 90 through tn
old rookery and gather up what's wort
taking away"
/ was not a bit surprised at the move
ment for reasons already given you, bu
"No. 40" was c implicitly dumfounde'
for time You would have though
that a weak old man doing business il
such a rough locality would have beef
somewhat prepared for surprises, blu
his demeanor proved that he had neve
entertained the idea that he would b.
robbed. He turned very pale as h
sat and stared about him and was ev
IDENTITY in great fear of bodily harm
As | had little or nothing to lose m
anxieties were not SO great, and ye
when | looked into the evil faces {
the robbers | found myself tremblin