Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-08-03
The Plunderers|
sYc.J cuTLiFFE HYNE

OF all the quintet the man at the
tllcr was the only one who showed
signs OF lergy. and his energy had
sulphurous anger mixed with IL. He
was a bowed, shambling creature, with
one eye red and the other missing with
long, hairy. ape-like arms, with an i'm
pediment of speech which threw him
into paroNysms Of temper every second
| bme he opened his lips once or twice
when his malady stuck him voiceless in
he middle of Il sentence the other whit
man laughed and then when his tongue
served him again he would break OFF
from the text and rap out stream of
poisonous cursngs
At last ne climaXed these by the only
gitupci alton which no American can
listern 70 unmoved and the man on the
coach roof dropped his Incidence like
a flash and was on him before he could
resist The aggrCSsoI was lusty, and
ne shook the steerSman as a big dog
shakes rat, with ponderous wrenches,
and because the sloop carried a strong
weather helm when the tiller was let
so she ran up INTO the wind, with her
canvas slltting wildly.
You snake mouthed little skunk,
you'd say that to me, would you?
thought / learned you once how far
you might 90. You've had one eye
gouged for this game loss'n month
back, and if YOU fling your twisted
suffering tongue at me any more by
gum, I'll pocket the other
The blacks on the foredeck chucbhed
and spluttered but the big man hove
IN iron bucket at them, with the curt
command. Quit that yehawin!" which
hey did with a yen and a sudden veil
ng of ivory. Then with an indolent
sprawling of arms and legs he gained
MS 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
silence, save for the creaking of the
gear when she went about, and then
he one eyed man broke out again
You're sure it wasn't a government
oo-o-o-at, Hank?"
Government be sugared! She wasn't
he right build to start with Besides
I the government knew this channel at
all YOU bet it'd be said SO in ali the
papers. And she did know it, or she
wouldn't have gone buzing past at six
Hnots without a leaGsman. Seems TO me
some ones split, and she's some darned
Britishcr come 10 cut out our game
for themselves"
You tire me. Plume huntings IL
.egal by these bub-b blessed bird
avs, and SOS selling whisky to Injuns
As ii is we've trouble enough 10 sneak
in and out Of the 'Glades in this sus-
sus -sus-s-sslip of a sloop, so how in
sades d'you expect they'd do in a / 900
on Here the mans infirmity
blocked his speech for a full minute.
tie snarled out, "Oh, I'VE no use Tor a
blank putty hear like you"
Hank laughed and put tobacco into
MS mouth Go it," he said, 60 it,
light close TO the end if YOU ike, but
JrIng up short Of that, or LII guugc
you, sure's death"
The SteerSman grinned a spasm of
Jury lie lOnged much TO use again
he objectionable phrase, but he fore
core He felt that his friend would be
as good as his word SO he ceased from
speech altogether, and a negro on the
toredeck enliveneu the silence with the
Jordan hymn, giving full value to every
possible shake and turn
\ porpCise surged past them making
Tor the open after a days fresh water
lshing. and once or twice an alligator's
eyebrows and snout showed like knots
IF blaCkwood floating up against the
current for this was territory where
ihe skin hunters rife had not scared
hem 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
black pines stood up like soldiers on
paIaut around the waters edge and
%" e,ie @ SIc was GROUNDED
ay with two foot list away from the
s' Isll' Sol uh.ii Ihey were ciose
epo%Lu ., VI iS' Coul1 t1ose on the sloop
''lV 9oiu ieIVel tIs on IitI counter
-, oo'ii Hieood's gone say thal
I'm, N. "a,
Or :, 51ues 1i LoIldol' fiahk read.
~ E4eS seem 10 KNOW that
'ii9 w, ~ IN, Nu'I "a, 7 wrong
~ -, ou looA aS 'IouS n l Saio your
; y ~, ~ u'i,,' hIu Solie @ ue'1u'
~ one eyto man Iace was III up
win ah uil1oly JOY. Don you know Z?