Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-08-02
The Plunderers
BY c. cuTLiFFE HyNE.

or all the quintet the man at the
tilier was the only one who showed
signs OF energy, and his energy had
snlphurous anger mixed with IL. He
WAS a bowed. stumbling creature, with
one eye red and the other missing, with
long, hairy, ape-like arms. with an I'M
pedirnent of speech which threw him
kntn paroxysms Of temper every second
6mc he opened his lips. Once or twice
when his malady stuck him voiceless In
the middle OF a sentence the other white
man laughed, and then when his tongue
served him again he would break on
from the text and rap out a stream OF
poisonous cursings.
All last he climaxed these by the only
.ritupeT alton which no American can
NSfern to move and the man on the
.aach ROOT dropped his Incidence like
. fash and was on him before he coul
resist. The aggressor was lusty, and
&e shook the steersman as a big dog
shakes a rat, with ponderous wrenches,
and because the sloop carried a strong
@eather helm when the tiller was let
go she ran UP into the wind, With her
snvas Stating wildly.
You snake mouthed little skunk,
gau'd say that TO me. would you? j
thought / learned you once how far
Fou might go. You've had one eye
gouged for this game less'n a month
zach. n IL you fling your twisted
suffering tongue at me n more, by
gum, I'll pocket the other"
The blacks on the foredeck chuckled
and spluttered. but the big man hove
Rn iron bucket at them. with the curt
command, "Quit that yehawini" which
they did with a yell and a sudden veil
nag of ivory. Then with al indolent
sprawling OF arms and legs he gained
sis basking place again on the top OF
.he cabin roof, and once more the
steersman got the sloop under COM
nand.
The next three boards were made in
'skfance. save for the creaking OF the
gear when she went about. and then
2he one eyed man broke out again.
You're sure IT wasn't a government
'A0-o-o-at, Hank?"
Government be sugared! She wasn't
the right build to start with. Besides,
n the government knew this channel at
sn. you bet It'd be said so In all the
papers. And she did know 1t, or she
wouldn't have gone buzing past at six
xnots without a leadsman. Seems 10 me
come ones split, and she's some darned
8Fitisher come TO cut out our game
tor themselves
You tire me. Plume huntlng's IL
legal by these nj bub blessed bird
1aGg. and SOS selling whisky TO Intuns.
AZ Ii is, we've trouble enough to sneak
in and out OF the 'Glades in this sus-
sls-sus-s-s-slip OF a sloop, SO how in
Aades d'you expect they'd do In a 1000
snnf'- Here the mans infirmity
hlocked his speech for a full minute.
He snarled out, "Oh, I've no use for a
flank putty hear like YOU"
sIank laughed and put tobacco into
mis- mouth. Go it," he said, Go II,
right close to the end IL you like. but
bring up short OF that, or LII gouge
got, sure's death"
The steersman grinned a spasm OF
fury. He longed much to use again
the objectionable phrase. but he fore
bore. He felt that his friend would be
zs good as his word. So he ceased from
sspsocl altogether. n a negr on the
fsoredeck enlivenea the silence with the
Jordan hymn, giving full value to every
possible shake and turn.
a porpoise surged past them making
for the open after a days fresh water
fishing, and ono or twice an alligator's
eyebrows and snout showed like knots
pf hlackwood floating up against the
current, for this was territory where
the kin hunters rife had not scared
shem altogether into night work. The
sloop's pace UP stream was small. and
IL was not till just before night fall
that she rounded a cape where high
.olark pines stood up like soldiers on
a1asade around the waters edge and
Sam the steamer. She was grounded
IN "a sandbank athwart the stream and
lay with a two foot list away from the
-urrent. Not until they were close
ABOARD or her could those on the sloop
see the gold lettering on her counter.
: R-b-both iifeboats gone. Say, that's
v-tssas7
Port Edes OF London Hank read.
Port Edes? / seem to know that
name. Hullo, Mutt! What's wrong
now You look as though I'd said your
rich uncle had gone dead"
The one eyed mans face was lit up
nish an unholy JOY. Don't you know p
4 NJ saut1ered out. THE big was In all
ing out $500, 900 In soyereigns. Her
gorf was New Orleans, and she's got
hire. By gum. / suppose they think
they're going TO steal Ii all by them
selves
Who's they inquired the other.
II guess we shall know hat SOON
returned the one eyed man grimly.'Hi,
vom nIsgers there forward. s'pose
YOU gof razors hid somewhere In yer
-Sav.~ drawred his friend. you'd
mebbe better go slow, Billy Mutt. That
-ateanaer does look asleep. but IL you
sfarf making yourself ugly too soon
somebody may wake up and pull on
gums at us"
shoot or no shoot retorted the mar
vi the tilier, I'm going to have sorne oi
their plumber before a dozen hours are
over. or else be a deader " never had
II chance II this In all my life before
and I'll Fever geg-geg-get another
You bet not agreed the other
s~Nov'II /. That's why I'll stand In with
you over this dea dow to the last
xhip. I reckon he added in a lower
soice. I'VE can count well on the niggers
ton. They're not exactly a camp meet
ting crowd. They're toughs that a rae
ket like this'Il suit as natral as chicken
stealing"