Evening journal., 1904-06-11


broke forth now. unheard by Charlie.
1--WE just been thinking. Have we got
a right TO this ambergrls after all2 The
beachcombers found the whale. It was
theirs. How have we the right 10 take
the ambergris away from them any
more than the sperm and the oil and
the boney It's theirs, if you come to
that don't know as we've the right
to it,"
Darn you" shouted Moran i'm blaze
OF fury. Right to IL; right TO it, If /
haven't who has2 Who found itf
Those dirty monkeys might have stood
some show TO a claim if they'd held to
the one-thrd bargain and offered tc
divvy with ms when they got me where
couldn't help myself ! don't say ia
give in now If they had-give in 10 let
'em walk of with a hundred thousand
dollars that I've got as good a claim TO
as they have But they've saved me
the Trouble OF arguing the question.
They've taken 1t all-all-and there's
no bargain in the game at all now.
Now. the stuff belongs to the strongest
OF u.s. and I'm glad OF it. They
thought they were the strongest. and
now they're going to find out We're
dumped down here on this God for
saken sand, ana there's no law and no
policemen. The strongest of us are
going to live and the weakest ce go
ing TO die. I'm going to live, and I'm
going to have my loot too, and I'm not
going TO split fine hairs with these
robbers at this time Of day. I'm going
TO have it all, ana that's the law you're
under in this case, my righteous
friendw
She turned her back upon him, spin
ming around upon her heel. and Wilbur
felt ashamed of himself and proud Of
her.
81 go talkce-talls TO China boy" said
Charlie, coming up.
For about lvo minutes the Cbinamen
conferred together, squattlng in "a cir.
| Gle on the beach. Moran paced uD and
down by the stranded dory. Wilbur
leaned against the bleached whale
skull. his hands in his pockets.
"All light" said Charlie, coming out
from the group at last Him fight
plenty.H
"Now," exclaimed Moran, we've no
time to wastel What arms have we
got?'
We've the cutting-in spades" said
Wilbur. "Thereare hveof them. They re
nearly ten feet long, and the blades are
as sharp as raaors. You couldn't want
better pixies"
That's an idea" returned Moran
evidently willing to forget her out
burst OF moment before, perhaps AL
ready sorry for IT, The party took stock
OF their weapons. and five huge cutting.
i'm spades, a heavy knife from the gal.
ley and Il revolver Of doubtful effec-
tiyeness were divided among them
The crew took the spades. Charlie the
knife and Wilbur the revolver. Moran
! had her own knife, a huftess dirk,
such as is affected by all Norwegians,
whether lnndsmen or sailors. They
were examining this armament and
Moran was suggesting a plan Of at
tack when Hoang. the leader Of the
beachcombers, and one other China.
man appeared some little distance be.
low them on the beach. The moon was
low, and there was no great light. but
the two beachcombers caught the fash
OF the points Of the spades. They halt
ed and glanced narrowly and suspi
ciously at the group.
"Beastsw muttercd Moran. "They
are up TO tho game. There's no sur
prising them now. Talk to him
Charlie. See what he wants"
Moran, Wilbur ana Charlie came
part Of the way toward Hoang and his
fellow and paused some fifteen feet
distant and a long colloquy ensued
IL soon became evident. however. that
in reality Hoang wanted nothing oi
them. though with great earnestness
he asserted his willingness to charter
the Bertha Millner back to San Fran
cisco.
THAT'S not his game at ALL" said
Moran TO Wilbur In a low tone. hei
eyes never leaving those Of the beach
: comber. Hes pretty sure he could
seize the Bertha and never pay us d
silver. They've come down TO spy on
us and they're doing it too. There,
no good trying to rush their camp now
They'll so back and tell the crew thai
we know their lay"
lt was still very dark. Near th,
hulk of the heached Bertha Nfllncl
were grouped her crew. each armcf
I with q long and lancclike cutting-h
spade. watching and listening 10 tn,
conference Of the chiefs The moon
almost down. had flushed blood req
violently streaklng the gray. smootl
surface OF the bay with her reflection
The tide was far out. ripping quietly
along the reaches of wof sand. In IN,
pauses Of the conference the vast. lnuf
ding silence shut down with the alb
ruptness OF valve suddenly closed.
How it happened, just who made thi
first move, in precisely what manner
the action had been planned OF wha
led up 10 il Wilbur could not after
ward satisfactorily explain There
was n rush forward-he remembers,
that much-a dun thuddlng Of fee
over the resounding beach surface,
, moments writing struggle with
half naked brown figure that use,
p knife and nail and tooth, and then tn
mufiing silence again. broken only b,
> the sound of their own painting Ii
:. that whirl Of swift action Wilbu
: could reconstruct but two brief pic
tures-the Chinaman, Hoang's CON
/. panion flying like one possessed sion
" the shore; IIoang himself flung head
long into the arms OF the Rcrtha'