The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-06-10

one had to put 'em In a blue funk,
else they'd have shown fight.
"She was we'll up to time, and we
sighted her about six bells g p. m.)
In the afternoon watch, coming along
at 16 knots through a sea as smooth
as duck pond. As luck would have
It, there wasn't so much as a sailing
ship within 20 miles, and made sure
of them di'monds and the gold.
Between you and me. James, I
meant to retire from business II we
pulled II off, and shouldn't have been
over particular about settling up with
the syndicate"
This confession of dishonesty panied
nae, but let 1t pass. To reprove
pirate for swindung his employers
seemed. on the whole, inconsistent.
I'VE slowed down." continued Uncle
Jonah impressively, wound up all the
dummies. and stood by to give her a
couple of rounds from our a. gun. The
chap who bossed that gun had been a
navy man, and he could hit funnel at
1000 yards four times out Of six. He
got 10 quid a week from the syndicate
and he said it was a nice little addi-
ton to his service pension of 1S pence
a day.
when the Rhodes Castle closed
within about five cables gave the
word and ran up the black flag. The
navy man let rip, and the foremost
funnel went over like a candle in a
hot room. The second shot carried
away the chart house and part of the
bridge and then the captain stopped
engines.
Now, you must bear in mind that
we only had ~ hands besides the Ger
man dummies. and the mail boat car
ried big crew without reckoning the
passengers. We could have sunk her
in half an hour, but 1t was no good
doing that till I'd got the stuff out Of
her.
MY plan was this: I left the mate
and the navy man in charge of the
Falcon. and took the other none along
with me in the boat to overhaul the
mail. We was armed, of course, but
trusted more to the lurid dummies
than our revolvers. and told the mate
not to close nearer to the mail than
500 yards. At that distance our dunn
mics looked right enough, but they
seemed bit stiff in the joints at close
quarters. Perhaps l was a bit fur.
ried. Anyway, didn't notice any
thing wrong with the mate when ]
give him the orders. When we got
alongside the mail hailed the captain
and told him to send all hands for
ward except himself and the mates.
Then We boarded the ship, and had
a few words with TIE captain. l told
him we'd come for the gold and the
di'monds and the loose cash and the
wimmins jewelry, and If they gave any
trouble | should sink the ship with all
hands. l meant to sink her anyway,
but there wouldn't have been any
sense in making them desperate. My
instructions from the agent was to
sink every prize we took and spare
no lives. 1t sounds a bit harsh,
James, but a pirate can't afford to
be tender hearted nowadays, or he'd
have n dozen warships after him in
side a month. When We captured the
oceanica (she was supposed to have
struck an iceberg, you'll remember)
the navy man and that fat headed mate
of mine wanted to take their pick Of
the wimmin; but that was clean
against the contract, and l wouldn't
allow II.
"The skipper cheered up considera-
BILE when told him We hoped to get
through the job without cutting a
throat, and he handed over the keys of
from the AT had done our business,
and to look at the Falcon you'd never
have doubted she carried strong crew
of out and out murderers. See here,
captain says l. pointing to my ves-
sci, you might manage to hobble me
and my search party; but II we don't
get safe back to the Falcon in half an
hour, my mate has orders to blow this
hooker out of the water
Every WE'LL says he; I'm helpless,
and you're free to gut my ship. Since
you mean to avoid bloodshed. I'll give
you every facility
Right says l, this is n ter of
business, and the sooner we get through
with 1t the better. Tell the crew and
passengers to fork out every sixpence
they've got on them, and the wimmin
to dub up their jewelry. Let your
mate go round with bread bag and
make the collection. He's got rather
the cut of a church warden
"'You might do without the jewelry,'
said the cap'n.
"'Well, the married wimmin may
keep their weddin' rings, says I. It's
quite irregular, but I'm widower my
SELF
with that I followed the captain
down to the strong room, taking four
hands with me to carry up the gold.
My idea was to hang on TO
the dimonds myself till /
could get 'em under lock
and key in my own cabin. So you see,
James, couldn't avoid going below
to the strong room, and If that lurid