Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-02-06

eat my belly load. an,
"Well. collar what you want to eat I'LL
you bu-s-s-s"- a,
"Yes, but whar1 we goF mn,
Mutt looked at Captain Kettle Inc
little man in the swivel chair gave his Az
rican guests full leave to go to place
considerably hotter than the engine hold
suggesting the messroom as an alter-
thonoht and alternative. Whittier they
hatook themselves, grumbling. and then
the three whites commenced their meal.
Kettle unwired champagne bottle with
a fork and poured out three long tumblers
Of dancing froth.
"Winep' said Hank. "Oh, my Jemi-
mali
"Geg-geg-got my ice'" queried the ono
Ice is off," replied the captain.
"Tbincs have been that hot this trip 1t
gave up and melted.
"You seem to get your manners on ioe,
Mfr. Billy Mutt" said his friend. Now
see a regular hotel meal in front of me,
and I'm going to make pig Of myself
and be Jolly we'll thankful. l hain't any
use for your high toned sort OF canooser.
ing. See here, stuff your silly mouth and
quit grumbling. right now. Dye hears"
His guests ate, and Kettle made small
talk for them, at the same time playing .
good knife and fork himself. The food
seemed to straighten his back and knock
the limpness out of him, but Mr.. Mutt
and his friend were tapping their cham
payne too industriously to see any signid'
canoe in the change.
The meal crept steadily through 10
courses, and the empty bottles grew on the
cabin floor. No one got drunk. Captain
Kettles own libations were sparing, and
the others had each high coefhoient OF
absorption. Still all were exhilarated and
ripe for mischief or merriment, as might
befall.
"Say, CAP" said the long man as he
dallied with his last strawberry tartlet'
.isn't 1t SO that you've got this fne steaY
boat of yours ballasted with sovereignaP
"It's SOL said Kettle, "or something
very like that"
"Your ownH :.
"Oh, Lord, no. Just freight consigned
! to New Orleans and brought here by tnas
t.blowup was telling you about. l sup
pose that you gentlemen IL have no oo]eo-
ton to bearing hand aboard o. me now
Won are heres Pm bit short manned,
and it'd be pity to let freight ike tnas
rust for want of lingering"
Hank grinned at his vis-a-vis and then
turned to the little skipper In the swivel
chair. NO." he said, Il don't see there's
ANYTHING wrong with that, but I'm afraid
II we Clipped in we couldn't sign on 90
far as Moo Orleans.
New Orleans be sugaredl" cried Cap
tain Kettle. Haven't l spoke plain
enough already Don't you understand
all this racketis u blessed swindle! The
steamers going to have the name plate on
her engine altered, and the label on her
sterp changed, and a different pattern
paipted on her smokestacks, and coat OF
gray clapped on her outside. And then
then. when she's SO bedeviled her own
builder wouldn't know her. we'll run her
round to some South American port where
the least number Of questions will DO
ssled and sell her for what she'll fetch.
But only the steamer. mark you. l reckon
she's carried the freight far enough.
Tbnt'N be struck out of her here. P"
You bet" said Mutt, rubbing his
hands "Well corral the dollars for you
right here till you come back. You shall
have our niggers to ss-stoke for you II
you can get em and can manage 'em.
But they re fair toughs. Perhaps you'd
w-w.weaken when you came to know 'em
bit.''
"Id handle" retorted Kettle, "a crew
of old Nick's fremen raw out OF the pit
# was put to it. Don't you make any
error. I've kept my end up with the worst
crowds q man ever put to sea with. BY
James" he went on, with blow at the
table, "by James, I'd handle you, Mr..
Mutt, II you were signed on board o. me
till you couldn't call your soul your own. "
You'd w.w-whichi" snarled Mutt, ris-
ing in his chair.
.Sit, you swine,' said his partner,
land be quiet. You tire me. What are
you riling the gentleman for just when
we were getting SO nice and friendly with
hint"
You femme aloneP
4 I'm smash your ugly little face In II
you don't keep it shut"
The one eyed man tried to retort, but
his infirrnity gagged him, and spasm OF
wild fury bit into all his muscles.
His friend waved q derisive finger.
'There's an image for you, cap. Look
at the creature, froze like Chinese pot
dog Look at him and don't laugh. And,
saw, Just reach me another bottle of that
wine; it will be so eood-thanks, stree.
wouldn't care If l died drinking this.
Here's our blessed health. Good old capl
You stick to me, and l II stick to you, and
If Mr. Billy Mutt can't swallow his tan
trums and join us two gentlemen like an
other gentleman, by Jemima, We'll give
him what he's got for his share and set
adrift in an empty bottle You hear me,
Billy Nuttf"
You spup-luttering fool You boosey
drunken putty head!'
I'm not drunk retorted Hank, "but
I'm merry. Have sup yourself, and then
perhaps you'll be better company" with
which advice liberal heel tap of cham
pagne splashed in Nuts face.
The man sprang to his feet, glowing like
fiend. What followed was completed be-
fore watch could tick twice. For once
the gift of speech did not desert him. The
fatal words bounced gliby off his tongue,
and Hanks vengeful hands shot out. In
an instant the pair were graphing to-
eether and scooping thumb did its hor-
rid work. Then tearing himself away,
eyeless, the lesser man ran screaming
blindly into the sideboard at the other side
Of the cabin. His friend pitched stiff1y
forward and fell face downward among
the dishes lying there without SO much as
CULVER. He was stone dead. With the
black handled knife that carved their bak-
ing of pork Mutt had stabbed him from
the shoulder down through his heart.
THAT saves my cartridges" said Cap
tain Kettle and took his cooked revolver
from where it lodged between his knee
and the under side of the table