The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-02-23
NJ O q n
Of the
Lady Lefty

"Ao uttu IollON gu nllu. r we've SOC IT,
Moran! Over 100000! We're rich
rich as boodlers, you and I! Oh, it was
worth fighting for, after all, wasn't it?
Now We'll get out of here-now we'll
cut for home"
cts only Charlie I'm thinking
about" answered Moran, hesitating.
IF it wasn't for that we'd be all
right. I don't know whether we did
right, after all, in jumping the camp
here. I wouldn't like to feel that I'd
got Charlie into our quarrel only to
have him killed."
Wilbur stared at this new Moran in
no little amaZement. Where was the
reckless, untamed girl of the previous
night, who had sworn at him and de-
nounced his niggling misgivings as to
right and wrong?
"Hoh! he retorted impatiently,
'Charlie's right enough. And, besides,
I didn't force him to anything I've
that is, we took the same chances. IF
I hadn't done for my man there behind
the cabin, he would have done for me.
At all events, we carried our point.
We got the loot. They took it from
us, and we were strong enough to get
it back"
Moran merely nodded, as though sat
isfed with his decision, and added:
well, what next, mate?'
We'll get back to the Bertha now
and put to sea as soon rs we can catch
the tide. I'll send Jim and two of the
other men across in the dory with
Charlie. The rest of us will go around
by the shore. We've got to have a chin
chin with Hoang, if he don't get loose
aboard there and fire the boat before
we can get back. don't propose tax
ing these beachcombers back to Frisco
with u.s.
"What will we do with the two pris-
oners?' she asked.
LET them go. We've got their
arms"
The positions Of the two were re-
versed. It was Wilbur who assumed
control and direction of what went for
ward, Moran taking his advice and re-
lying upon his Judgment.
In accordance with Wilbur's orders.
Charlie was carried aboard the dory.
which, with two Cinnamon at the oars,
and the ambergris slowed again into
the cuddy, at once set off for the
schooner. Wilbur himself cut the
ropes on the two prisoners and babe
them shift for themselves. The rest of
the party returned to the Bertha Mill
her around the wide sweep of the
beach.
1t was only by high noon, under the
f1ogging Of merciless sun, that the
entire crew Of the little schooner once
more reasscmbled under the shadow
of her stranded hulk. They were quite
Worn out, and as soon as Charlie was
lifted aboard and the ambergris-or.
as they spoke of it now, the foot
was safely slowed in the cabin, Will
bur allowed the Cinnamon three or
four hours rest. They had had neither
breakfast nor dinner, but their exhaus-
ton was greater than their hunger.
and in few moments the entire half
dozen We're stretched out alseep on the
forward deck in the shadow of the
foresail, raised for the purpose of shell
tering them. However, Wilbur and
Moran sought out Hoang, whom they
found as they had left him, bound
upon the floor of the cabin.
Nov we have q talk-savvy?' VIII
bur told him as he loosed the ropes
our loot back from you, old man, and
we got one Of your men into the bar
gain. You woke up the wrong crowd,
tloang, when you went up against this
outfit. You're in a bad way, my friend
Your junk is wrecked, all your Oil and
blubber from the whale is lost. four Of
your men have run away, one is killed,
another one we caught and let go, an
other one has been hamstrung. and YOU
yourself are our prisoner, with your
teeth filed down to your gums. Now,'
continued Wilbur, with the profound
est gravity, II hope this will be les
son to you. Don't try and get too much
the next time. Just be content with
what is yours by right or what you
are strong enough to keep, and don't
try to fight white people. Other
coolies, don't say. But when you try
to get the better of white people you
are out of your Glass;
The little beachcomber Che was
scarcely above five feet rubbed his
chafed wrists and fixed Wilbur with
his tiny, twinkling eyes.
"What you do now?''
eve go home. I'm going to maroon
you and your people here on this
beach. You deserve that l should let
you eat your fists by way of table
board, but I'm no such dirt as you.
When our men left the schooner they
brought off with them a good share
of our provisions. I'll leave them here
for you, and there's plenty of turtle
and abalone to be had for the catch
ing. Some Of the American men-of-
war, believe, come down to this bay
for target practice twice a year, and
if we speak any on the way up Wen