Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-01-01
(Continued.l

(Continued.)
1t was tho first time bluejacket
had been near the place since day
or two before the admirals disappear
arcs, And at first when Shanghai saw
th3tn come in he regretted that Billy,
his best fighting man, was by now well
on his way to Portland. But for at
least ten minutes the Triumpbants be-
haved very well. Benson had good
head and had arranged matters very
neatly.
"YOu look ERE" he had said; "the
thing to look out for is the barman.
He keeps a gun, as they calls it ere.
on a shelf under the bar. Smith, Ell
ave one in his pocket. So when |
says, This rum would poison a. dog,
don't wait for no back answer, but
lay the bar-keeper out quick, with a
stone matchbox or anything andy.
And the nearest to Smith does the
same to i'm. He'll likely not be be-
ind, but If e is, bottle i'm, too. and
not a word of jaw about it first or
last" .s -.
They stood up to the bar, and Ben
son ordered drinks for himself and
three particular pals of his.
Amt this Mr.. Smith's?" he asked.
I'm Smith," said Shanghai. -
"Ere's to you. I've often heard of
you,' said Benson. And three Or four
merchant seamen sitting about the
room staggered and passed few
sneering remarks among themselves
about Liberty Jack"
Smith, who had taken enough that
night to make him rash, referred to
the admiral:
so your admiral has come back,
has he?"
He has, said the Triumphants.
And Dicky Dunn Is loolin' for the
man that played that dirty game on
him."
And Smith shrugged his shoulders
as he half turned away. 4
'"Tain't half so dirty as this rum"
said Benson; 'it would poison dog"
And as the words left his mouth the
ball opened with sudden and tremen-
dous crash. Two heavy matchboxes
went for Tom behind the bar; one
laid him out as quietly as if he had
been hocussed; the other smashed a
bottle which held liquor known on
the Barbary Coast as brandy, and
starred the mirror behind the shelves.
Thomas at the same moment stopped
and caught Shanghai Smith by the
ankles and pitched him on his head.
He never had time to reach for his
gun" The merchant seamen jumped
to their feet and made for the door.
stop them!" said Benson, and half
a dozen bluejackets hustled them back
again. ''No you don't, Johnnies; you
can stay and ave free drinks, and look
after the man behind the bar. Drag
out that Smith and get i'm in the open
air." And Thomas dragged Smith into
the darkness by his collar.
There's to be no drinkin' for u.s."
said Benson. Smash what you like,
and taste nothin'." And in less than a
minute Sanghai's place was a lament
able and CHASTITY spectacle.
"Sarves him right" said one of the
merchant seamen, as he salved a bot
tie of poison. ooh amt he a sailor
robbing swine?"
Fetch him in and let him look at
it," said Benson, with win.,.
Thomas had been primed.
"He's come to and run like billy.
OH" he cried.
But Smith was incapable of rum
ming. He was being carried by two
bluejaclets. 49,
After 'im, after 'im," said Benson;
and in another moment the whole
house was clear.
Wien Tom came to, he found the
place a wreck, and four boarders too
far gone in free liquor to offer any USE
full explanation of what had occurred
since the rum had been pronounced
fit to poison dog.
"All l know is" said the soberest,
that he fit and we fit and fit and fit,
and then e rum"
And when Tom sought for the police
1t was very odd that there was not
one to be found in the quarter of San
Francisco which most needs clubbing
to keep it In order. There was not
even ole to bear witness that crowd
OF bluejackets and an American citi-