The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-02-09

Are you going to let them do it? Are
you going to let them have our schoon-
er?'
II tink no can have"
'Look here" she went on, with sud-
den energy "There are only nine of
them now to our eight We're about
even. We can fight those swine. l
know we can. If we jumped their camp
and rushed them hard, believe me we
she cried, suddenly facing Wilbur, "are
you game? Have you got blood in you?
Those beachcombers are going to at
tack us tomorrow before high tide;
that's fiat. There's going to be a fight
anyway. We can't let them have the
schooner It's starvation for us if we
do.
''They mean to make dash for the
Bertha, and we've got to fight them off,
If there's any attacking to be done, l
propose to do it! 1 propose we jump
/ their camp before it gets light-now,
tonight, right away, run in on them
there, take them by surprise, do for one
or two Of them if we have to and get
that ambergris, then cut back to the
schooner, up our sails and wait for the
tide to float us off. We can do it; I
know we can. Mate, will you back me
up?"
"Back you up? You bet I'll back you
| up, Moran! But Wilbur hesitated.
1--WE could fight them so much more to
advantage from the deck of the schoon-
er. Why not wait for them aboard?
We could have our sails up anyhow,
and we could keep the beachcombers
off till the tide rose high enough to
drive them back. Why not do that?'
II tink bes' wait topside boat" as
sented Charlie.
eyes; why not, Moran:''
| ''Because,' shouted the girl, 'they've
got our loot! I don't propose to be
plundered Of $4,000 if I can help it."
*Wassa dat?" demanded Charlie.
"Hunder fftee thousand you hab got?"
Il did have tive had it, the mate
and I. We triced a sperm whale for
the beachcombers, and when they
thought they had everything out of him
we found a lump Of ambergris in him
that will weigh close to 200 pounds.
Now look here, Charlie. The beach
combers have got the stuff. It's mine;
I'm going to have it back. Here's the
lay: Your men can fight; you can fight
yourself. Well make it a business
proposition. Help me to get that am
bergris, and if we get it I'll give each
one of the men 81 900 and I'll give you
$1,000. You can take that up and be
independent rich the rest of your life
You can chuck it and rot on this beach;
for it's fight or lose the schooner. You
know that as we'll as I do. If you've
got to fight anyhow, why not fight
where it's going to pay the most?'
Charlie hesitated, pursuing his lips.
"HoW about this, Moran?' Wilbur
broke forth now, unheard by Charlie.
1--WE just been thinking. Have we got
a right to this ambergris after all? The
beachcombers found the whale. It was
theirs. How have we the right to take
the ambergris away from them any
more than the sperm and the oil and
the bone? It's theirs, if you come to
| that. I don't know as we've the right
! to it,
"Darn your shouted Moran in a blaze
of fury. Right to it; right to it! If
haven't, who has? Who found it?
Those dirty monkeys might have stood
some show to claim if they'd held to
the one-third bargain and offered to
divvy with us when they got me where
I couldn't help myself. 1 don't say I'd
give in now it they. had-give in to LET
'em walk off 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 it all-all-and there's
| no bargain in the game at all now.
| Now, the stuff belongs to the strongest
| Of us, 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, and there's no law and no
policemen. The strongest of us are
going to live and the weakest are 60
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, and that's the law you're
under in this case, my righteous
| friendr'
She turned her back upon him, spin
ming around upon her heel, and Wilbur
felt ashamed Of himself and proud OF
her.
Il go tall1ee-talk to China boy" said
Charlie, coming up
For about five minutes the Cinnamon
conferred together, squatting in a cir
Gle on the beach. Moran paced up 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
"Now,' exclaimed Moran, we've no
time to waste! What arms have we
got?"
We've the cutting-in spades,'' said