Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-08-09

our guns, what must he turn to {: d do ooe load With stone-and look is that lag Riddlsl, mates. I'll not s,9eals If 1t as spilled, though prettjeI. a,,d . better bit of bunting vas never reast. headed. Spilled amt the verd. Dis graced 1t is D -7 voice. - @ 09sP
 a1y, and degraded, 2" cried ola Joe. WAth q sasly, dangerous Bed. That there little tailor has degraded the hon. or cf our flag Whats to be done to
 After a pause Plum said; Bring him U ? and s3t lil examination on him. Trv him fairly and convict him.
 Aaey opened tho hatch and pulled httle SIaper off the Thames ballast into daylight. He was exceedingly white and tremblc@l violently, and cut. in- decd, ve1y pitiful figure as he stood CD the quarterdcck of the Tom Bowling. surveyed ty Ter owner and crew. He was short man and spare, and Tom luck gf1nhed as lie looked at him.
 l suppose you're aweer, D said old Joe, that in shooting at ny flag and Woundhlg her you've degraded the hon. or of it? Are you aWeer of that?a
 You came i'll my way. [ was sheot- ing fer my hentertainmont, :" answered Mr. Slcper
 You're . retired tailor, ain't you?o said Joe.
 S1oper sulkily answered yes.
 Have you any acquaintance with the laws which are made and purwided for British seamen when 1t happens that their flags degraded by the haetion of a retired tailor: said old Joe.
 Mr. Sloper, instead of answering, cast langaishing eye at the river banks, which were fast sliding past, and re- QUested to be set ashore
 It don't answer his purpose to speak to the pint, said Plum.
 Listen TOW, said old Joe, shaking his forefngcr close into the face of little Sloper. ''When retired taller degrades tie honor of 8 seaInan's flag by a.shoot- ing at it and a-riddling of it, the law as made and pulwided sets forth this, that the insulted sailor shall collect his crew and i'll the presence of all hands pass sentence after giving an impartial hearing to what the culprit may have to say in his defense. Now, you durned little powder burner, speak up and own what made you do it, and then I'll pass judgment. ,,
 Whats your game? What d'you mean to do with me? Where are you carrying me to?,' cried the owner of La bor's Retreat. None of your nonsense, you know. This is what's called kid mapping. It's indictable. You may find yourself in very unpleasant predica- ment over this business, can tell you. You profess to know who l am. D'you want to know what I'm worth? You'd better put me ashore, say, and stop this nonsense. I don { mind joke, but this is carrying lark too far. Why, ; he shrieked, "here we are a-drawing on to Northfeet! You'd better let me go. , And so he went on.
 Old Joe and the others listened tc him with stern faces. In fact, they re- eeived his protests and threats as his de fense. When he had made all end, Joe Westlake spoke thus:
 ''Sloper -I dunno your Christian name and I won't demean myself hy asking of it-four of your eountrymen and sorry they are that you should be a countryman of their 'n-haye patiently listened to what you've had to say. And all that you've said amounts to noth- ing at all. The haccusation made az in you is one of the very gravest as can be brought ag'in retired tailor. You re charged with degrading the honor of my flag, and you 'ye been found guilty, and my sentence is that after a suffi- cient time s been granted you for prayer and meditation, you be brought Up to the place of hexecution, aboard this here cuttez, the Tom Bowling, and hanged by the neck till you're dead ;
 sMurder!'' screamed Sloper. And here (so he afterward swore ill court) the unhappy little tailor fell down on his knees and begged Joe Westlake to grant him his life.
 4Clap him under matches, ; exclaimed the old man-of-War'S man. And Plum and another, lifting the hatch cover, popped Mr. sloper down among the bal last again.
 By this time the afternoon had very considerably advanced, the wind had dropped and it was already dark when the Tom Bowling let go her anchor off Gravesend. The cabin lamp was light ed, and old Joe and Plum sat down to a hearty meal. after which they smoked their pipes and dipped ladle into sil- yer bowl of rum punch of Westlake' $ own brewing.
 D'you mean, captain, said Plum, that the little chap i'll the hold shall havo any super
 Well, Peter answered old Joe, Eve bin--a-turning of it over i'll my mind, and spite of his 'rageous conduct I dunno, after all. that it would be right to let him lie all night without 3 bite of something. Call Bob.
 This man, whose surname was Rob- | ;ns arri,-ed Joe told him to get a Ian