The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-09-08
EVEN
BY GRAPHS Gay GREY.


. Tx her so rrguAriy round the Mexican
T Iu.f p-rt- that ,he almost came to imag-
| Iue herself q irr~ ht,weeu London, the
We indies and the Gulf.
Billy wasn't naturally dcpr1ved, but
| tn--. West Indian pprt- were too much
| ilr the virtue oi he descendant OF many
generations OF Cornish smuggers. and
| { -tain Ireharue fell away from grace
| lie started in quite q small way. snug
| cling odd boxes Of extra special Ha-
vanas and odd pounds IT selected Nir-
onia. 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 heav-
ily. los, many pounds of excellent to-
bacco. and, as the lawyers put it, was
'mulct in heavy fine
Captain Trcharne Of the Rathcoolc.
resolved TO get even. and next trip he
ran some more Of his favorite blends
and brands. which by extra judicious
slowing in unconsidercd trincs of cargo
he got ashore safe That paid him we'll
and nearly squared up the loss on the
coniscated cargo. Still he wanted to
get his own blck'-to use his own
phrase-and for that end concocted a
deep and skillful plot Accordingly, next
trip he carefully slowed a few boxes of
cigars and few pounds OF tobacco
where they would be found by the keen
n0-ed customs oficcra These being
found, he was fine! arain pro rata, but.
The quantity being SMALL tie fine was
small. too He knew t''et t1w he would
be marked as A confirmed runner" and
that was where tire plot came in. also
where the skipper Of the Rathceole be-
gan TO feel pleased with himself
When he next visited New Orleans,
Billy Treharnc expended portion Of his
ill-eotten gains on buying up a few hun
dred weight Of scr p tobacco, swcepngs
of the warehouses, ard so on Billy. be
ing part owner Of the Rathcoole, could
do pretty well as he liked, so he ex-
pended more wealth on rather unneces-
sarly 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 wriglled herself 10
within few hours Of sight OF England
the skipper called the crew aft individu
ally swore them to secrecy and explained
the plot. The crew saw the humor OF
the sirultion and frinr'ei, Then Billy
produced the scrap tobacco and sent for
the ships cook.
For several hours the cook and Billy
were busy boiling up strong solution
Of nicotine until the cooks galley reeked
like a docker's dry clay pipe Then
Billy sent for the chief engineer. and
remarked: Mister Mckay, win 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.
1hcn the skipper the cook and Me
Kay proceeded to scientifically distribute
that nicotine solution between the graves
in the coal, so that it should percolate to
the borommost plate i'll the bankers,
By this time they were nearing their
first port OF c1ll Fverythtnr was made
"shipshapc and Bristol fashion, below.
and into por, they went the Rathcooie's
bunkers and galley smelling ]liie a cut
plug factory.
As soon as the revenue officer came
aboard Billy gratuitously declared five
Lundred cigars and twelve pounds of to-
bacco, and offered duty on the same.
Now that alone, from twice con-
victcd smuggler, was enough to rouse
suspicion, so of 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 foe Sic, one man found
with two hundred ci"7rs. nothing to do
with the skipper, taou2h Then he
tackled the galley,
"th." said the revenue man. there's
nothing to see, but this smells suspi-
cious,"
Can't say it's 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 a reve-
nue. man, though"
That don't go here" snapped the
revenue man; you'd FIR better declare
the stuff right off than let us find i. and
get fined yourself; though, to tell the
truth. you'll a sight more likely get
jugged the third time Come. now,
where is it, l tell you. bluff don't go
down here"
Who's b'uflirg2" answered Billy.
1--WE 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
well 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. anA his suspicious rose
like the comb on an angry cuckatoo.
Seems you've got let Of coal aboard,
Captain Treharne.' he said
"Yes Good coal that" replied Billy
Never used so little coal on trip since
I've skippered the Rathcoole"