Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-16

about two maya zine rifles apiece-unless
you filled all your berths forwa dr', -.
Capt Selover looked me direct in the eye
Talk straight, Mr.. Eagen.'' said he.
What Is this ship, and where is she
bolfndr' asked, with equal simplicity.
He considered.
"As for the ship he replied at length.
II don't mind saying You're my first Off
Ger. and on you l depend If it comes to-
well. the small arms below. If the ships
little under the shade, why, so are you
She's by way Of being called a manner of
hard names by some people. 1 do not see II
myself. 1t is a matter of conscience. II
you would ask some interested, they would
call her a smuggler, thief. wrecker. and
all the other evil titles In the catalogue
She has taken in Chinks by way of Santa
Cruz Island-if that is smuggling. The
country is free and Chink is man. Be-
sides. 1t paid $40 head for the landing
She has carried in a cargo or so of junk; II
was lying on the beach where a fool master
had piled 1t. and l took what I found.
| couldn't keep track of the underwriters in
| tentions."
But the room forward-"' I broke in
"Well. you see, last season We were pearl
| fishing
But you needed only your diver and your
crew." 1 objected.
There was the matter of Japanese gun
boat or So" he explained.
"Poaching?' 1 cried.
$50 some call it. The shells are there. The
islands are not inhabited. / do not see how
men claim property beyond the tide water
1 have heard it argued"
Hold on!' l cried. There was trouble
last year in the Ishigaki Jima Islands
where a poacher beat off the Oyama. 1t
was a desperate fight"
Capt. Selover's eye lit up.
1--WE commanded a black brgantne name
of The Petrol" he admitted simply. "She
was a brigantine aloft, but allow she had
much the same lines as the Laughing Lass. -
He whirled on his heel to roll to one of the
harmless little toy to burn black powder.
don't she?" he remarked. He stripped off
the tarpaulin and the false brass muzzle to
display pretty little Maxim as you
would care to see. Now you know all
about it," he said.
Look here, Capt. Selover," l demanded,
don't you know that l could blow your
whole shooting match higher than Glide
when 1 get back? How do you know 1
won't inform the doctor at once what kind
of an outfit he has tied toy
He planted far apart his thick lips in
their Soiled blue trousers, pushed back his
greasy linen boating hat and stared at me
with some amusement.
How do you know won't blow on Lieut..
or Ensign Ralph Slade, L.. S. N, when 1
get back?" he demanded. 1 blessed that il
fusion. anyway. Besides know my man.
You won't do anything of the sort" He
walked to the rail and spat carefully over
the side.
AS LOT the uoctOI, lie went oH, lie
knows all about it. He told me all about
myself. and everything had ever done from
the time I'd. licked Buck Jones until last
seasons little diversion. Then he told me
that was why he wanted me to ship for this
cruise" The captain eyed me quizZically.
I threw out my hands in comic gesture
of surrender.
well where are We bound, anyway"
The dirty, unkempt, disheveled figure stiff
fened.
Mr. Eagen." it's fafsetto shrilled. you
are mate of this vessel. Your duty is to
see that my orders as to sailing are carried
out. Beyond that you do not go. AS to
navigation and latitude and longitude and
where the - we are. that is outside your
line of duty AS to where we are bound
you are getting double wages not to get too
= curious. Remember to earn your wages,
Mr.. Eagen!"
He turned away to the pinnacle. In spite
of his personal filth, in spite of the lawless.
almost piratical, character of the man, in
that moment I could not but admire. him.
If Percy barrow was ignorant of the pur-
poses of this expedition, how much more so
Capt Selover. Yet he accepted his trust
blindly, and as far I could then see. in
tended to fulfill it faithfully l liked him
none the worse for snubbing me. 1t indi-
Gated a streak in his moral nature akin to
and quite as curious his excessive neat
ness regarding his immediate surroundings
ITO be Continued Tomorrow