El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-14

me donkeyman knuckled his greasy
cap in assent, but added that he was no
mutineer. I'm your man, captain he
said, but I'd be pleaseder to help ye car
rying out the crews wishes than going
agin them. Yell be dealt by honestly,
captain-liberally, yes, better than ye ever
have been in this world yet or ever Will be
again. It's chance that won't come of
six years of Sundays-an-the steamer
will be lost at say. Bowed to rivut is an
Guild iron by a conspirator's bomb. It's a
most natural ending for her"
Kettle stared at the donkeyman with
his mouth agape and the eyes standing
out of his head. His face was thrust out
at full neck length; his fingers beat a
vague tattoo on the white iron rail of the
bridge.
Then the crews original spokesman lift
ed up his unlucky voice for the second
time: "Ach, friends, we're Wasting min
utes. We hat made up our mindts. Why
should we not go and tivide ter cold with
out furder pother? Good ole man, du Dist
gerichring you'll come and scramble for q
share like ter rest of us, won't you?''
Slowly Captain Kettle stiffened. His
eyes lost their stare and glinted unpleas-
ant fire in their more proper orbits; his
lower jaw closed up with snap; his fists
slid to his jacket pockets and gripped
there.
You painted DutchmanI" The words
came snarled through olinched teeth.
The crew rustled uneasily.
do live to hear set of dogs like you
debating to me? Does any man here
think he's going to have an inch of his
own way aboard of me?"
sCome, Captain KETTLE said the quar-
termaster who had talked before, "don't
be unreasonable. The Dutchman means
we'll, though he didn't put it Bristol fash
ion. And besides we've made up our
minds to share in that gold, and you'd
better chip in and share, too, without
dust. It'll be a deal comfortabler for all
hands, and besides it's got to be done
anyway. We're all determined, and we're
too many for you, even if Mr.. Cambel
does stand in on your side"
Kettles face lit up with the joy of bat
tie. Are you, by james, he snapped
''We'n see about that. I'd handle twice
your number to my own cheek any day.
I've done it before on a dashed sight
uglier lot than you and came out topside,
and I'm going to do it again now. Mr..
Cambels with me, too, this time, and
we've got 20 bullets among us that'u all
go home in somebody's ribs before any of
you get at hand grips with us. Now, just
play on that, you scum. There's not
one of you got pistol"
''Oh, haven't we?' commented a nasal
voice on the outskirts of the crowd. Il
guess you re out there, mister. I'm heeled
for one.''
"CrackI"
The man shrieked and fell in a limp
heap on the deck. His weapon clattered
down beside him. Kettle kept his smoking
pistol muzzle raised steady as an iron
wrist could hold it.
The others instinctively drew at first
away from the fallen man, but one ordi-
nary seaman, younger and more plucky
than the rest, darted forward to regain the
fallen revolver. As his fingers closed over
it his eyes instinctively sought the bridge.
Cambel had his revolver sighted over the
crook of an elbow, Kettle his at arms
length. Both were covering him.
Filing that thing overheard, or you'll
be dead before you can winkl''
The crews only revolver spun through
the air and hi6 the water with a tinkling
splash.
Now, stand forward, the two fools who
have been your spokesman.
The crowd stood like men petrified.
Quick, or I'll make practice into the
brown of you'll
The quartermaster in the cardigan jack
ct stepped out of his own accord, unde-
faint now and white. The German was
hustled to his side.
"Have you got q coin, quartermasterf''
"No, SIR
'Have you-sausagei''
Eyes, herr"
''Then spin it out and do you, quarter
master, call to him. And mind you call
right, because I'm going to shoot the loser,
and perhaps your the least useless of the
two. Spin, confound you. Spin, sausage,
or, by James, I'll shoot you where you
stand and settle it that way
The German put something between his
dished palms and shook it violently, then