Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-03-11
SCI surely am up against it good

and hard.p
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 social re-
cluse. Your abstinence has become
a matter of common gossip. You
/, should thaw out once in 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"
1 True, but not to the point I
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
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
! as to the heave of a ship. He as
cribed this to natural causes and
went to sleep. When he again awoze
| it was dark. For moment he lay
| quiet. To his ears came the splash
of waters and the grooming 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.
Awake up! We are Kidnapped by pf-
rates!"
Bender opened his eyes, blinked,
groaned, and dropped back into an
untroubled sleep. Seymour again
aroused him.
eve. are kidnapped, I tell you'll"
he said in hoarse whisper. ''Wake
| up, and prepare to die like mani
Forget itL'' 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 a brOad>shouidered
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:
ST thought 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 your he asked.
First mate" said the man.
"First mate of what? You don't
| look like. a pirate"
The man laughed with chuck1e
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. "It is hot below. Come on
deck and meet Captain Parker.
Preb'1y you know him BETTER" and
the sailor opened the door and went
away.
"Wen, what do you think of this Pr
said Seymour as he sat down on the
edge of the bunk to. collect his
thoughts. do you know anything
about it, Bender?"
Mot .thiag," said that gentle
man. 81 remember meeting some
sailor men somewhere That's all.''
They stumbled through a passage
way and up a 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 a 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 We dew, Mr.: Seymour ?s''
he said, extending a larges freekled
hand, which Mr.. Seymour 'grasped
! rather cautiously. "Haouw air We,
Mister Bender2 Did we sleep sound ?''
ct should say we dds said sey-
mour, treasured by the cordiality of
the. greeting and0hy the honest face
of the Yankee skipper. I'VE are a