The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-06-17
to get out his yard stick and lay it

10 SGI QUIZ ulS SdIO SUCK uAu .HH i I
A clear and triumphant call from The
lady interrupted our count and we
broke into a run. She was executing a
Spanish dance around a small washed
out heap of sand and smells. We
bawled at Emilio to bring the tools and
in the meantime attacked h hum
mock with hand and foot.
Two minutes hard digging and We
had unearthed a b~rass-bound camphor
wood chest, about two feet by one by
one. A sudden silence fell upon us
all.
Lets open it," whispered our Pan
dora.
mol" said Boles, Tets get it aboard
and get out as quick as we cam"
Staggering under h weight of the
little chest, which was delightfully."-
heavy, we hurried back to the beach
then paused in CONSERVATION.
why, where's the boat?" cried Mrs.
Hunter.
In silence we made our way to where
We had left the dinghy. Not a race OF
her was visible.
Jordan Knapp can tell the rest of the
yarn better than l can.
After the rest OF the people had
showed off 10 so ashore and look fol the
watched them until they had landed
and disappeared around the point. |
was all alone aboard except for a little
Tagal hat we'd shipped as cook, but
ALL that he could cook was rice and fish,
and he couldn't cook that without burn
ing it, SO we'd just put him at odd jobs.
scraping and cleaning and painting
and the like.
Take this glass, you scrub said I,
land shin up topside and keep your
lamps glued on that beach, and if you
see anything but sand and water Sing
out. If you drop that glass;" said /, as
1 stood in the companionWay, I'm hang
we by Your feet from the croSstrees,
and leave We there till they drop off,
It's always a good plan to be firm with
these natives.
1t was mighty tiresome for me, so l
went down below and read a book
called Lured Away" but it didn't in
terest me much, and pretty soon l
closed my. yes and just rested a bit.
The next thing | heard was the Filipino
kid squalling out from the top. l got
up and went on deck.
What is it?' said i, sort of put out
at being disturbed.
He jabbered way and pointed to the
shore. | looked over there and saw that
the people had got in the boat and
were pulling down the beach. a ways
down they landed and began TO haul
The boat up into the bushes. l could
O. j uol .t.- oat Va At&ai ~ -
Judged tina Emilio was on lookout.
That brought me up all standing, for
/ guessed they'd run up against some
thing they hadn't counted on, but l
reckoned they were In no danger, as
otherwise they'd have pulled right off
aboard; still, / didn't like it for Il cent.
1 waited and waited. but nothing
came in sight, so after about an hour
l went below again, telling the kid up
aloft to keep his eyes peeled or I'd
peel them for him with my jack-knife.
In q little While he sings out again,
and on going on deck l saw that all
four of them lao come back to where
they had first landed off. They walked
around a bit, and then went up and sat
down in the shade of the bushes
That puzzled me some, but l r%eclloned
that they Were waiting for lark for
some reason before them came off. The
sun was setting then, n as l judged
they'd be hungry when they came
aboard ] started to get supper.
! gloomy, and still they didn't come
aboard. I hated to leave the schooner
unprotected, so pretty soon l called the
cub aft told him to get in the gig
and pull in and see what was UP. We
could see the island shining in the star
light, and l had no fear of his clearing
out. as he was too homesick for the
Pasig.
After he'd gone | got the blues so bad
that L began TO set the supper table
in the cabin. n While l was doing it
l heard the boat come UP alongside.
Although l was naturally dying to
know if they had got the loot all right,
by that time L was too put out with
them to let on, so l just kept OH what
l was doing in a dignitied sort of Way.
l heard them walking around on deck,
and wondered Why in thunder they
didn't come below. Finally l couldn't
stand it any longer, and started up to
tell them what l thought of the whole
business.
l came up or the jump, and then as
I struck the deck stopped short. In
the glinmer of the riding light three
rifles We're covering me; two showed
almost in my face and one pointed at
my stomach.
Throw up your hands!' said "a sharp
voice.
There wasn't anything else much 10
do, so up went my paws, and for a min
ute L stood paralyzed with surprise.
Who in -- are you?" said l., when
l got my breath back.
Never YOU mind, my man. said the
same voice, which | made out to come
from a tall chap dressed in khakis,
YOU just keep your hands UP and Your
mouth shut, and you'll save us both
trouble"
Somehow l suspicioned who the fell
low was, although where he came from
beat me. so l chirped out:
III you're Lieutenant Durand, there's
no call to get so peeVish about it all
We're calculating to give YOU your
share
He interrupted me with a short,
snappy laugh.
"Ho." said he, my share. That's
damn sood-why, you bloomin' pirate,
what's the matter with it all being my
share? What business have YOU got
prowlin' around my loot, anyway?"
"Oh, | don't know said /. its pref
ty much the same business with you
and the padre and the presidente and
the rest of the crowd have been pro-
noting
The little fellow who corded me UP
knew his business all right, and when
he got through wit hme / could hardly
wiggle my shoulders. Pretty soon the
little stout chap dropped over the side
and handed a big bundle up to one of
the others. AS they dropped it on the
deck l saw that it was my Filipino
brat. gagged and bound.
The little man stayed in the boat
and in a moment showed off and start
ed to pull in toward the shore, and as
he got clear of the side | noticed that
he was towing a BOAT. That startled
me, and I returned to Durand.
Look here, mister" said I, do you
mind telling a fellow whether hic