Audubon Republican., 1897-10-07
WHEN THIEVES FALL OUT.
BY LUKE SHARp.

THE freight steamer Russian Bear
was thrashing along down the Pa
ecific ocean with her blunt prov facing
south, and the captain reckoned he was
somewhere off the Queen Charlotte
islands. The Bear was an iron ship of
,old-fashioned build and as slow as they
make 'em; any old thing on the ocean
could pass her; yet, pro tenn, she was a
passenger boat and was bringing down
the last of the seasons crop of Klon-
dixie miners. She was reputed to have
over $5,OOO,OOO worth of gold dust and
nuggets on board and her coming was
watched for with some anxiety.
On the morning of the 7th the cap
tain noticed on the western horizon
what appeared to be steamer coming
towards him. AS craft are scarce on
these waters, except in the sealing sea-
,son, the captain watched the strangers
approach with interest not unmiXed
with anxiety, because of the valuable
cargo he had aboard. The sea was
calm for the time of year, and the
steamer seemed to be making for across
the bows of the Bear. The captain or
.dcred the flag hoisted, but the oncomer
showed no answering colors, which did
not tend to make the captain feel less
uneasy. She was trim craft, looking
like private yacht, painted black with
two slim, tapering masts set at a rakish
slope in line with her one funnel. She
came swiftly through the water and
turned her broadside toward the Rus
sSio wi Mt hp haa aa1
calculated that she was as near as was
;safe, and her engines slowed down so
that the strangers speed more nearly
accorded with the slow progress the
lar ger ship was making. A man on the
bridge came to the edge nearest the
slower vessel and placing his hands to
his mouth, shouted:
ship ahoy. Is that the Russian
Bear?''
"Who are your roared the captain;
sand what do you want?"
II want an answer to my question;
then I'll tell you what more / want"
After speaking, however, the new
conner did not wait for an answer, but
gave a command to the man at the
wheel, who promptly signaled for the
engines to stop, whereupon the yacht
dropped to the rear, Notwithstanding
the slowness of the old Bear. The name
was plainly painted on the stern, and
the captain of the yacht having seen
that this was the ship he was after,
moved quickly alongside again, this
time with only a couple of hundred feet
of water between the two ships. Dur
ing the slight interval the crew of the
yacht had been busy, and now a for
bidding looking cannon pointed its
oominous muzzle towards the Bear.
I'm after the gold, captain" said the
first speaker, nonchalantly, "as no
doubt you are aware. I'm going to have
1t quietly or I'm going to sink your
ship. Which is it to beP"
"Whatever gold we have on board, if
we have any, isn't mine. l don't see
what good the sinking ofithe ship will
do you, and it would be very incon-
vcnient to me. Better sheer off and we'll
SAY no more about it. a can take q
Joke as well as the next man"
For time it looked asif the stranger
Needed the good advice given him. The
captain of the yacht rang full speed
ahead and the sharp prowlc cut the water
like a knife. The yacht described a
large circle and seemed to be showing
off its PAGES, but this, as the captain of
the Bear remarked, was unnecessary,
fer he already knew that any scow on