Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-03-16

|
Indian, | did not know you were
| down here. What are you doing I?
Who are you doing?"
Nothing and nobody" said Mr..
Dick Bender. Mr.. Bender was a news
paper man, whose natural ability was
obscured by habits more congenial
| than regular. An excellent writer.
he seldom held position more than
three months. He was the journals
tic prototype of the tramp printer.
up against it, eh?'' asked Sey-
mour.
81 surely am up against it good
and hard"
Dick Bender tossed off 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
a matter of common gossip. You
should thaw out once in while and
become a 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. 1
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
fuence 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 a narrow
bunk, which seemed to rise and fall
rs to the heave of ship. He as
cribed this to natural causes and
went to sleep. When he again awoke
1T was dark. For a moment he Law
quiet. TO his ears came the splash
of waters and the groaning and NUT
tering of a ship. BY the smoky light
of 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 p1-
rates!"
Bender opened his eyes. blinked,
groaned. and dropped back into an
untroubled sleep. Seymour again
aroused him.
eve 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 a weapon, but
there was none in sight. The man
surveyed them calmly for a moment
and said:
81 thought 1 would come and wake
you-all up. When you gets on your
toys, come on deck. You must be
hungry by this time"
Seymour looked at him doubt
fully.
''Who are you?" he asked.
First mate" said the man.
First mate of what? You don't
look like a pirate"
The man laughed with a chuckle
which rumbled from the depths of a
massive chest.
Guess you gents is bit mixed,''
he said. Forgotten me, hev We? I'm
first mate of the schooner Sam Wal
kerr You knew me last night all
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. 1T 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
| 70