The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-18

Four of the five men who sat around the
card table in the cabin of the Merry Witch
regarded the fifth man with steady, I'M
placable look of scorn. He could not face
that terrible glance. His head dropped,
and his gaze rested upon some cards which
he idly fumbled as he waited, numbed and
istless, to hear his sentence.
The more masterful one of the four made
disdainfCl gesture toward the craven one
and thus addressed the others:
Gentlemen, none of us can have forgot
ten the terms of our compact. 1t was
agreed at the beginning of this perilous
expedition that only men OF unf1inching
integrity should be permitted to participate
in its known dangers and possible rewards.
To find and secure the magnificent treas
ure which we are seeking with sure pros
pect of discovering it, we must run the
risk of encounters with savage Mexican
soldiers and marines, and take all the other
dangerous chances of which you are aware.
AS the charterer of this vessel and the
leader of the expedition l exercised extra
ordinary care in selecting my asso-
ciates. We have been and still are equals,
and my leadership as the outftter of the
expedition gives me no advantage IN the
sharing of the treasure. As such leader,
however, have employed, unsupported by
you, many devices to test the manhood of
each of you. Were it not for the fact that
/ have exhausted all reasonable resources
to this end, and have found all of you
trustworthy except one, l would not now
be disclosing the plan which have been
pursuing"
The three others, who had been gazing
at the crestfallen one, now stared at their
leader with startled interest.
"The final test of a mans character"
calmly pursued the leader, 'is the card
table. Whatever there may be in him Of
weakness, whether it be a mean avarice,
cowardice or a deceitful disposition, will
there inevitably appear. If I were the
president of bank, the general OF an army
or the leader of any other great enterprise
I would make it q point to test the char
acter of my subordinates in a series of
games at cards, preferably played for
money. 1t is the only sure test of char
acter that the wisdom of the ages has been
able to DEVISE"
He paused and then turned his scornful
glance upon the cringing man, who mean
while had mustered courage to look up,
and was employing his eyes as well as his
ears to comprehend the strange philosophy
of his Judge. Terror and dismay were ele-
ments of the expression which curiously
wrinkled his white face, as though he
found himself standing before court OF
inscrutable wisdom and relentless JUS
tice. But his glance fell instantly when it
encountered that of his Judge and his weak
lower lip hung trembling.
eve have all agreed" impressively con-
tinued the leader, "that the one found
guilty of deceiving or betraying the others
TO the very smallest extent should pay the
penalty which we are all sworn to exact.
A part of this agreement, as we all remem-
Der, is that the one found dereliot shall be
the first to insist on the visitation of the
penalty, and that should he fail to do So
but trust that it is unnecessary to men
ton the alternative"
There was another pause, and the cul-
prit sat still, hardly breathing, and permit
ting the cards to slipfro his fingers to the
floor.
"Mr. Rossiter," said the leader, address
cold that it CONCEALED the marrow which
it pierced, "have you forgotten?"
The doomed man made such pitiful
struggle for self-mastery as the gallows
often reveals. If there was momentary
flash of hope based on transient deter
mination to plead, it faded instantly before
the stern and implacable eyes that greeted
him from all sides of the table. Certainly
there was a fierce struggle under which his
soul writhed and which showed in pass
ing flush that crimsoned his face. That
went by, and an acceptance of doom sat
upon him. He raised his head and looked
firmly at the leader, and as he did so his
chest expanded and his shoulders squared
bravely.
"Captain," said he, with very good
voice, whatever else l may be, l am not
coward. VIII you kindly summon the
skipper"
Without any change of countenance, the
leader complied.
tMr. Rossiter," he said to the skipper,
"has request to make of you, and what
ever it may be I authorize you to comply
with it."
II wish" asked Mr.. Rossiter of the
skipper, "that you would lower boat and
put me aboard and that you would furnish
the boat with one oar and nothing else
whatever"
"Why," exclaimed the skipper, aghast
looking in dismay from one to another of
the men, "the man is insanel There is no
land within 500 miles. We are in the
tropics, and man couldn't live four days
without food or water, and the sea is alive
with sharks. Why, this is suicideP'
The leaders, face darkened, but before he
could speak Mr.. Rossiter calmly remarked:
''That is my own affair, sir" and there
was fine ring in his voice.
The man in the boat, bareheaded and
stripped nearly naked in the broiling sun,
was thus addressing something which he
saw in the water close at hand:
"Let NE see. Yes, think it is about
four days now that we have travelled to-
gether, but am not very positive about
that. You see, if it hadn't been for you 1
should have died of loneliness. -. 1. Say |!
aren't you hungry, too2 was few days
ago, but Pm only thirsty now. You've
got the advantage of me, you see, because
Il f~--~ -