Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-23

Ia a wise man. lie Will make no resist
ance against plumbers.
'Lancelot may fight, though, - cried a
voice.
"Nvhat If he does? We will wait till he's
asleep in his bunk. At daybreak we'll put
the shipper and Lancelot into a boat, with
a chart to give them their bearings. Then
we'll make for South American, run the
ship ashore and spend our well earned
money"
But how about the rest of tho crew.
asked one Of the listeners.
Billings grinned.
LET them get out as best they can, " he
said. perhaps if they behave nicely We
may leave them a boat, but not IA pound
Of the money do they get"
"And when are we to start in?'
"I'll give you the signal, - Billings re-
piled. Meanwhile turn in and get II rest.
Good night, my lads, and remember! |
shipped every man jack of you at Ports
mouth, and you're under oath to do my
bidding. Kill 'em if necessary, but get
the cash at all hazards
AYE, aye, sir Well follow YOU" cried
several Of tho ~rascally crew as their leader
sprang up the ladder. Little Dick Harley
breathed a sigh of relief as he heard Bill
ings depart, but the next moment there
flashed across his youthful mind that II
stern duty lay before him. Notwithstand-
ing the danger, notwithstanding the NOR
tai terror with which he regarded this
brutal first mate, he must endeayor to
give the captain warning of the intended
robbery.
10 stir from his hiding place at this mo-
ment would mean death at the hands Of
those desperate men, and as yet none Of
them showed any intention Of obeying
Billings advice and turning in
They examined their revolvers, for every
one of them seemed to be armed, and
talked over the coming attack upon the
Chartered company's treasure. Dick had
almost made up his mind to risk a crawl
along the floor toward the companion lad
der and a rush thence upon deck when
one of the desperadoes yawned. A yawn
Is more contagious than yellow fever.
Within five minutes every man in the fore
castle was showing evidence Of WEAKNESS.
First one and then another crawled into
their hunks and were presently heard to
slumber noisily. The example spread un-
til the last Of the band knocked the ashes
out of his pipe and retired to rest. Soon
all Of them were in the land of Nod.
Cautiously Dick Harley peered out from
under his tarpaulin. Then he ventured
| forth and set one foot on the companion
ladder.
"Who's thereS" growled a sailor drow-
silly.
Dicks only answer was to slip as quick
ly and as noiselessly as his bruises would
allow up the ladder. At the head he lis
tened intently.
"Who was it, BillS" asked a second voice.
'sIt was that blamed cat, I'm thinkin,"
replied tho first speaker, and, to Dicks re-
lief, there was no pursuit. Quickly he ran
along the deck and mounted the bridge to
where the skipper stood.
That night as the first mate of the Only
Son came up from his cabin with a re-
volver in his hip pocket and a grin on his
face he was met at the head of the stairs
by the captain and Mr.. Lanoelot. 10 his
surprise, both of those gentlemen were
armed, while behind them he observed the
despised stowaway, Dick Harley, with u
naked outlass in his hand.
"Mr. Billings said the captain, ''you
will please throw up your hands. Your
little plot has been discovered. All, thank
you''-as he drew the pistol out Of Bill
ings' pocket. you may now return to
your cabin and consider yourself a pris-
oner.'
"Why-what is the meaning of this,
sirs" spluttered the mate.
"Ihe meaning, Mr.. Billings" put In
Lancelot, "is that this boy here heard your
whole delightful scheme to rob the Char
tered company of $3.50, 900. He very
promptly informed the captain. Your 40
completes in the forecastle were captured
in their hunks, and most of them have
confessed everything"
Billings looked at the speaker and then
at Dick Harley.
"The stowawayv' no cried. "This mis-
cradle little rat Of a stowawayl'
eyes, Mr.. Billings, the stowaway has
saved the Chartered company Of South
Africa $3.50, 900, and a stanoh, seaworthy
ship. You will find that the company
knows how to be grateful"
And grateful, indeed, the company
proved itself to be. A month later, while
Billings and his gang were awaiting trial
for attempted piracy in the Cape Town
jail, Dick Harley was shaking his fathers
wasted hand in the new hospital at Sails
bury. The surveyors recovery from q
lingering fever was greatly accelerated,
you may be sure, by the news that the
Chartered company had rewarded by a po-
sitlon Of trust and honor the timely action
Of the quondam stowaway on the Only
Son. -Atlanta Constitution.