Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-02-12

'I surely am up against 1t good
and hard"
Dick Bender tossed off a big drink,
and grinned as if his hard luck were
something to be contemplated with
joy.
You don't drink enough Dick"
said Seymour. You are a social re-
cluse. Your abstinence has become
matter of common gossip. You
should thaw out once in a while and
become mixer"
"Never mind my failings. An
swer me some questions" said Mr..
Bender, resting his foot on the rail,
and swinging his arm in an easy posi-
ton across the mahogany. What
are you doing in New Orleans?'
"None of your business"
True, but not to the point. /
know what you are doing. You are
on the kidnapped millionaire case"
Some one must have told you. The
witness refuses to commit himself.
Will you have another drink?"
They had several. Under their in
fluence Seymour told Dick Bender
his mission, but was too discreet to
reveal any information which had
been received from New York. He
invited Mr.. Bender to take dinner
with him, and that gentleman was
too polite to refuse.
When Mr.. Seymour awoke the fol.
lowing afternoon he was in narrow
bunk, which seemed to rise and fall
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cribed this to natural causes and
went to sleep. When he again awoke
it was dark. For moment - lay
quiet. TO his ears came the Splash
of waters and the groaning and NUT
tering of a ship. BY the smoky light
of a lantern he found his clothes
scattered on the floor. He put them
on as fast as possible, but the opera
ton was delayed by the swaying of
the room. The heavy breathing of a
sleeper in an opposite bunk seemed
to beat time to the motion of the
ship. Seymour opened the curtains
and peered in. 1t was Mr.. Dick Ben
der. Seymour shook him savagely.
''Wake up, Bender!" he said as he
clawed the sleeper around the bunk
wake up! We are kidnapped by pl-
rates!"
Bender opened his eyes, blinked,
groaned, and dropped back into an
untroubled sleep. Seymour again
aroused him.
I'VE are kidnapped, I tell you!"
he said in hoarse whisper. wake
up, and prepare to die like a mani"
Forget it," said Mr.. Bender, and
he again closed his eyes. But Sey-
mour was persistent, and finally sue
ceeded in arousing the drowsy Ben
der. While he was dressing the
door opened and broad-shouldered
sailor stepped into the apartment
Seymour looked for weapon, but
there was none in eight. The man
surveyed them calmly for moment
and said:
81 thought l would come and wake
you-all up. When you gets on your
togs, come on deck. You must be
hungry by this time"
Seymour looked at him doubt
fully.
''Who are you?" he asked.
TlISJ Hale, Salu IHe man.
First mate of what? You don't
look like a pirate"
The man laughed with a chuckle
which rumbled from the depths of
massive chest.
Guess you gents is a bit Mixed"
he said. Forgotten me, hev ye? I'm
first mate of the schooner Sam Wal
|
right"
You have slipped my memory
SINCE" said Seymour. "Where are
we, and where are we supposed to
be going?"
Come on deck" said the first
mate. "It is hot below. Come on
deck and meet Captain Parker
Prob'ly you know him better" and
the sailor opened the door and went
away.
'Well, what do you think of this ?"
said Seymour as he sat down on the
edge of the bunk to collect his
thoughts. 'Do you know anything
about it, Bender?"
''Not thing" said that gentle
man. Il remember meeting some
sailor men somewhere. That's ALL"
They stumbled through a passage
way and up n narrow fight of stairs.
a draught of fresh night air struck
their faces and was delightfully."- cool
and refreshing. The outline of a
short, stocky seaman, with n CLEAN
of gold braid on shoulders and cap,
was silhouetted at the head of the
winding stairs. He stepped forward
as Seymour and Bender came in
sight.
'Haouw de ye dew, Mr.. Seymour?"
he said, extending a large, freckled
hand, which Mr.. Seymour grasped
rather cautiously. "Ilaouw air we,
Mister Bender? Did ye sleep sound p"
II should say we did" said Sey-
mour, reassured by the cordiality of
the greeting and by the honest face
of the Yankee skipper 1--WE are a
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