The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1906-09-07
EVEN
BY CHARLES GREY GREY.

| Teilarnc, OF the tramp steamer Rath-
coole, when the Rathcoolc's trampinp
took her SO regularly round the Mexican
Cult ports that she almost came to mag
Inc herself liner between London, the
Wcs' Indies and the Gulf
Billy wasn't naturally dcpravcd, but
those West Indian ports were too much
Tor the virtue OF The descendant of many
generations OF Cornish smugglcrs, and
Captain Trcharne fell away from grace.
He started in quite small way, SNUG
Cling odd boxes of extra special Ha-
@anas and odd pounds of selected Vir-
fginia, which came to him via New Or
leans. Then he started playing the game
heavily, and that was where his fall hurt.
When they did get him he suffered heay-
NY, lost many pounds of excellent to-
bacco. and, as the lawyers put it, was
"mulct in heavy fine"
Captain Treharnc, of the Rathcoole,
resolved to get even, and next trip he
ran some more OF his favoritc blends
and brands, which by extra judicious
slowing in unconsidered tritles. of cargo
he got ashore safe. That paid him well
and nearly squared lip the loss on the
coniiscated cargo Still he wanted to
get his own back"-to use his own
phrase-and for that end concocted a
deep and skillfnl plot Accordingly, next
trip he carefully slowed few boxes of
cigars and few pounds of tobacco
where they would be found by the keen
! noscd customs officer These being
| found. he was fined again pro rata, but,
the quantity being small, tie fine was
small, too. He knew that now he would
be marked as a confirmed runner" and
that was where the plot came in, also
where the skipper of the Rathcoole be-
gan to feel pleased with himself
When he next visited New Orleans
Billy Trcharne expended portion of his
ill-gotten gains on buying up a few hun
drcd weight of scrap tobacco, sweepings
of the warehouses, and so on. Billy, be
ing part owner of the Ratlcoole. could
do pretty well as he liked, so he ex-
pended more wealth on a rather unneccs-
sarily large supply of coal, and coal costs
money in the Gulf ports. Then he
started for home. When the little Rath-
coole had kicked and wrigglcd herself to
within few hours of sight of England
the skipper called the crew aft, ndividu-
ally swore them to secrecy and explained
the plot. The crew saw the humor of
the situation and grnncd Then Billy
produced the scrap tobacco and sent for
the ships cook
For several hours the cook and Billy
we're busy boiling up strong solution
of nicotine, until the cooks galley recked
like lockers dirty clay pipe Then
Billy sent fer the chief engineer, and
remarked Mister Mckay, will you
kindly have few wee graves dug on
the top of all that extra coal you've got
left over this trip"
Mckay, who was in the joke, retired
to his bunkers and had the necessary
graves dug as required
Then the skipper, the cook and Nc
Kay proceeded to scientifically distribute
that nicotine solution between the graves
in the coal, so that it should pcrcolatc to
the bottommost plate in the bunkcrs.
BY this time they were nearing their
first port of call Fvcrythine was made
"shipshape aud Bristol fashion below,
and into port they went. the Rathcoole's
bunkers and galley smelling like a cut
plug factory.
AS soon as the revenue officer came
aboard Billy gratuitously declared five
hundred cigars and twelve pounds of to-
bacco, and offered duty on the same.
Now that alone, from twice con-
victed smuggler, was enough to rouse
suspicion, so off went Mr.. Revenue Off
Ger on the spy-around. He tackled
Billy's cabin first: nothing to be found
there; then the mates quarters, nothing
there; then the fo'c'sle, one man found
with two hundred cirars, nothing to do
with the skipper, though Then he
tackled the galley
"Ah," said the revenue man, there's
nothing to sec. but this smells suspi-
cious."
Cant say its pleasant replied Billy;
seems to me that dam cook has been
smoking some unholy muck in the to-
bacco line here. Sort of seems more
case for quarantine officer than reve-
nue. man. though
"That don't go here" snapped the
revenue man; you'd far better declare
the stuff right off than let us find it and
get fined yourself; though, to tell the
truth, you'll sight more likely get
jagged the third time Come, now,
where is it9 ] tell you, bluff don't go
down here"
who's bsuAing?" answered Billy.
Tive declared all the tobacco I've got
aboard, and you can turn the darned
old Rathcoole inside out. but you won't
find another ounce"
We'll see about that later" said the
revenue man.
Well, nothing was found in the galley,
and nothing elsewhere, till they came to
the stoke-hold, and thence to the bunk
ers. Here the revenue man was struck !
by the quantity of coal on hand for an
inbound ship, and his suspicious rose
like the comb on an angry cuckatoo.
Seems you've got lot of coal aboard,
Captain Treharne." he said
eyes. Good coal that" replied Billy
Never used so little coal on trip since
I've skippered the Rathcoole."
Seems to me you'd have room for a
small packing case or two under that
lot" cvrn,ised fine roven,,a man