Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-06-21
The P1underers
BY C. j. cuTLIFFE HYNE.

'AA@S
you get the stuff undeTwritten slap vi
to the strongroom of the bank?"
"To save 500. If you aren't going
past the middle of the Mexican gulf
what is the use of wasting money by
insuring further?"
Five hundred pounds in a deal OF
500. 600 A mere straw in a cart
load!'
That, my dear Mr.. Cambel, is bust
ness. AS | often assure my young
friends commencing life, If n takes
care OF the pennies, the pounds take
care of themselves. 1t is by looking
after what o are pleased to consider
trivial sums like these that the firm of
Marmaduke Rivers 81 Shelf has risen
to it's present eminence."
"Oh, wind!" retorted Cambek. Don't
tell me-"
Sir" exclaime~ Shelf.
We'll, II you will have 1t, the emil
fence appears to be uncommon lottery,
and because of your internal mean
ness you're doing YOU best to bring
ii over. It's just trifles like this that
tell. Consider what'll happen after the
catastrophe. There'l be al inquiry
that'u lay everything bare down to the
very bed plates. Do you think they
won't jump OF this point at once? The
stuff's fully insured on UP to New
Orleans. 1t isn't insured on the levee
and in the streets where the thefts are
notorious. Doesn't this drop an in
Simultaneous hint that it was never in
Tended to get so far?"
NO" said Shelf sourly. Il don't
see that it does"
Then" retorted Cambel, Il differ
from you entirely, and as I'm to be the
active agent in this affair and have TO
take the first and gravest physical risk
| do not choose to have my retreat UNI
necessarily hampered. l must insist
upon your recalling Fairfax for adj
ditional instructions. That extra in
surance has got TO be paid"
Then pay it yourself"
That's outside the bargain. Work.
ing expenses are your contribution TO
the partnership. And besides, for an
other thing l couldn't plank down that
money If | wished. | haven't it in the
world"
MI. Cambel, / believe you. Will you
extend the same courtesy to me when |
tell you that If | were to attempt rails
ing even such a trivial sun as 500
today it would precipitate me into
bankruptcy tomorrow"
"Whew! Are you nipped as badly as
all that?"
II have a remorseless drain on me
which drinks up the profits of this
business like a great sponge. 1t is a
domestic drain, and l cannot resist it,"
Iou poor devil" said Cambel, with
he first scrap Of sympathy he had yet
shown TO his partner. Il believe l I'M
derstand, and it tones down your dingy
color. You aren't quite all black. l be-
lieVe by your own painting you're
among a moderate sort of gray. And if
I've been beastly ude and hard with
you. because I've considered you a
soapy scoundrel playing entirely for
your own hand, I'll apologize to you.
That isn't In the least polite, but l
get on together better now. But about
his bankruptcy. It'll be rather a mess
If you go smash before our Florida
operation realize its profits it will
thicken the inquiry down TO a very I'M
pleasant keenness."
II think l shall keep On my feet, Mr..
Cambel, l trust, l pray, l shall, and,
moreover, l hank you for what you
have said. l do confess hat your man
ner of speech has wounded me much
at times"
"Oh, as to that" returned Cambel,
Il say spade when / mean 1t, and
l don't are to mix religion with theft
when I'm talking with a conspirator,
But l fancy we understand m another
more comfortably now, and I'll leave
you to make the rest of the arrange
ca AANAS Ia iSOlluoils Va allCil NUN
I'll pick up Kettle and run down
to Liverpool and get things in hand
there. They'll require care. To begin
with, there's a suitable armament to
be struggled on board without adver-
tisement. And there are the nefarious
preparations to be made. Piracy on
the high seas As not a thing to be un-
dertaken lightly nowadays. Nor is a
murder!"
"Oh, my God" cried Shelf. Don't
speak of these horrors"
Il speak OF them" replied Cambel
grimly, because 1t is right that you
should understand what will probably
be done. / don't intend to redden my
fingers If 1t can be avoided. but as
l put my neck in jeopardy, failure OF
no failure, I naturally don't intend to
hesitate at any action which will bring
unqualified success.
"Only understand fully, Mr.. Theodore
Shelf, that piracy you are already ar
active sharer in, and If there's muir
der done to boot you will be as guilty
as the worst, even though you sit here
in your snug london offices while othe,
rougher men are handling pistol anC
knife in the gulf or in a Florida man.
grove swamp"