San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-10

you tell me?" he cried, making hid
eous face at Captain Trollope, with q
sneer of vehement scorn that opened
his lips and almost eclipsed his famil-
lar countenance with wrinkles and ter
rifying looks. 81 suppose, as a passen-
ger, you have an interest in the safety
of the vessel? take it," he began to
roar, looking with real fury around
him, but always at the gentlemen, THAT
you must wish, equally with myself
and your fellow passengers, to discover
the thieves, that we may judge of their
motives. Apologies I'd sooner sink the
ship"
"Oh, gentlemen, shrieked Mrs. Pea
cock, what are you exciting the cap
tain like this for?''
"For mercy's sake don't talk of sink
ing the ship" whined Mrs. Holroyd,
clutching her daughter by the arm, and
both their faces were as white as any
sail above them.
eff you don't apologize. said Cap
tain Trollope, "you will hear of us
again on your arrival"
eff you persist in this conduct, sir, +"
exclaimed Captain Benson, scowling up
heroically into Trollope's face, "Tll
have you laid by the heels. I'll have
you in irons as a mutineer. You shall
know my power as commander, by"-
| And this little man who never swore
| made his speech awful to the ladies
with an oath.
Captain Trollope turned deep scar
let He stood motionless, but speechless
Also Others of the ten men bit their
lips and looked toward the bows. Cald-
we'll drew closer to the captain by a
stealthy pace and face that made Mr..
Storr feel sick. The crew were watch
ing and listening. They had gradually
drifted in body to abreast of the main
hatchway and were still coming aft.
No man in his senses could have mis-
taken their attitude. Was it this or
quite another reason that caused Cap
tain Trollope to walk suddenly over to
leeward, where he overhung the rail,
gazing seward and swinging one foot
in hard kicks against stanchion?
The skip er stood watching him for
minute o: So His lips worked. 1t
looked as though he would be unable to
restrain some command that ragged like
choking fire in his throat. Then he
suddenly exclaimed: "Mr Matthews,
turn the men to, sir. Let the business of
the ship go ON. Then attend me in my
cabin. Mr.. Poole, you'll keep the look
out. And he stepped to the companion
way and vanished
The mate, having turned the men to
and taken look at the ships course,
entered the captains cabin. The old
skipper, reverend with white hair and
comedy with the look of sailorly hearth
ness and manliness which his hat half
hid when it clothed his forehead to the
white line of his eyebrows, stood at his
little table with hand upon it, lost in
thought. He started when the mate en-
tered, and instantly looked stern and
full of business.
"You found nothing forward, of
course, sir? l can judge by the deport-
ment of the crew that they are to be
trusted. Some one aft has robbed the
ship; more than one perhaps. What has
he done with the weapons? What was
his object in stealing them?"
1--WE have the powder and ball, sir"
said the mate. IF they're aboard, the
things are as useless as if they were over
the side"
"Who is that Captain Trollope? Who
are these ten passengers? They are a
confederacy, sir. They threaten mis-
chief. What do they intendi"
II believe, SIR" said the slow and
practical mate, viewing his captain s
inflamed face with steadfast, thought
full eyes, THAT you will discover this
business is nothing more than a practi-
cal joke, poor and vulgar, but some
thing to make bankrupt of its author
if he's to be come at. Mr.. Poole in the
forecastle told me tbis"-recollecting
the matter with sudden surprise-"he
said the gentleman named Hankey, dur
ing his visit to the ship the night before
we sailed, asked, among other questions,
about the arms chest and burst into a
laugh when the box was shown him
and the contents stated"
"Stated-stated, blew the little
man in great fit of passion. "What
right had the second officer to state the
contents, as you call ito receive a
visitor, to talk to him, say? Was he
drunk?'
Looks to me, sir, as if Mr.. Hankey
was the prime joker in this job.
who's to prove it?" Missed the fiery
skipper. His cabin was searched, I sup.
poser"
"No man of the ten is fool enough to
hide two or three hundredweight of old
iron and steel in his cabin with the
stewards in and out and the stuff itself
plumber, sir. :"
SIS the second officer to be trustedf
Give me reason to doubt him, and I'll
break him out of hand. He shall be I'M
der lock and key for the rest of the voy-
age"