San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-07

SAs ho wa ~ ~ A"AhOA "a AaSoHi
tipsy.
'There's something happened, sale
Masters, (which Burn and OF all tn,
fellows know nothing about. / insis
ON my rights as one Of you. What's thi
secret?"
"Ahi Whatf' rejoined Davenir,
with slow, exasperating smile.
"Was Miss Mansel made away will
by any Of your"
The rousing chorus Of "Cheer Up
Sam" swept through the skylights ant
died out over the sea In the wind.
what right have you to question
me in this fashion. pray?" said Dave
nire. with a dull fash in the glaze Of
his eye like q signal of lightning anG
storm in a hot corner of heaven. "What
ever happened benefited you anyhow
left you with free conscience and the
privilege of finding your share of the
booty without any rust Of blood upon it.
Heyl Amt that enough for your"
He rolled his big form as though he
was going to throw himself into fight.
ing posture.
"Did Caldwell do it?''
go and ask him. YOU But what.
ever the ugly word was to have been
Davenire swallowed it down, oontented
himself with looking 1t and strolled of
to windward with naughty gait Of
conscious booziness. Then, lurching aft,
he planted himself alongside William,
OH legs wide apart, and seemed to listen
to tho singing in the ouddy.
Masters watched him. Presently he
walked to the foremost skylight and
looked down at the fellows sitting at
the table. His face was deadly white
with passion, but it was not fear. The
first man his eyes fell upon sitting i'm
mediately under the open frame was
Mr.. Dixie Caldwell. They were singing
some other chorus just then, and Oald-
well. with wine Redeemed eyes lifted to
the skylight and red lips stretching
and gaping as he sang, was keeping
time to the air with an empty glass.
When he saw Masters looking down, he
nudged Weston, and both stared up,
continuing to sing and grinning. Mas
tiers walked to the companion hatch.
"What do you want with me that
you stare like that?' said Caldwell,
looking up at Masters, who had walked
to his side. Then turning to Weston,
he said very audibly. "Has he gone
mad?"
1T was understood" said Masters
in voice so strained as to be pain to
the ear with its tension of nerve and
stretch Of passion, "when we engaged
in this adventure that there was to be
no bloodshed. Caldwell, you murdered
girl. Burn" he almost shrieked, 81
have found it out from Davenire. That's
the secret. The rest Of 'em know it.
This villain murdered q poor helpless
girl.
In silence Caldwell sprang to his feet
and, lurohiug back, aimed a blow at
Masters. The heavy fist caught the
young fellow on the side of the head
and knocked him, with a stupid look ON
his white face, against cabin bulkhead.
But for the swing of the ship at the in
slant of that blow it would have been
fair between the eyes and crusher.
None Of that; not among gentle
men; not in this time of luck" yelled
Trollope, seeing Masters pull off his
coat. There's wine in this. Sleep over
1t. Turn In, Masters. You're no match
for that man whose soul in wrath is a
fiend's Turn In"
Breathing hard and fast, with look
of hellish malice in his scowling black
face, Caldwell was waiting to plant a
second blow, waiting till the other had
freed his arms The rest, seeing what
was to happen. sprang from their seats,
and, olamorous with wine and good in
tentions, tumbled between the two.
"This isn't the highway. Dixie, "
shouted Cavendish.
'Clear out, Masters, and cool your
blood at the head pump" bawled Shan
non.
IF it's to be business between you,
let rs remember that we are gentle
men," said Hankey.
isn't he little particular for a
man who left his knife In a baker body
at Ballarat and forgot to call for itr'
roared Davenire in thunder through the
skylight.
'.He was in love with the girl, F" said
Burn, heavily elbowing Caldwell
against the table to keep him of his
friend. "You can't fight in this way.
He's no match for you, Dixie. D'you
know that-that you keep all on squar-
ing9 He'll give you satisfaction-hey.
Samf We're all men of honor.
"I'll fight him with my fists. I'll
fight him with handspikes, with pistols
I'll kill that savage beast with any
weapon he chooses to name," screamed
Masters, whose ear was bleeding.
This was sudden tragic reality. II
struck into the fumes in the mems
brains and cleared them as blast Of
wind shoots smoke from a room.
"Who says Sam was in love with the
girls' exclaimed Captain Trollope.
"He didn't know her before we sailed,
| and ha NAV hava crokas, IN har <,y;<<