The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-06-27

ter and hold his ground, but he had no
hackers. Il told you how ii would be
Why. I can't hardly understand the
beggar myself" said another.
IF you're undecided" suggested Cap
tain Kettle, you've got a niger
among you. Why not set him on to
talk? II you were men, wouldn't say
II, but as it is he's as much man as
any of you. and perhaps he'll throw in
q sand dance to enliven proceedings"
The negro from somewhere on the
outskirts of the crowd broke into a
loud guffaw till some one kicked hiI.
on the shins and sent him away yelp-
ing diminuendo into the farther dark
ness An angry growl went up from
the white men at the taunt, and one
of them, whiskered quartermaster in
into the circle of light. He looked
round to catch the encouraging glances
OF his mates and then lifted UP his
face toward the upper bridge.
See here, Captain Kettle, you'd bet
ter not try us too far. This isn't a
slave ship you're commanding. It's an
ordinary, common, low down British
tramp, and the law looks after the
deckhands and all the rest of u.s."
Now, that's fair speaking" said
Kettle. I've a profound respect for
the merchant shipping act and all the
rest OF the laws. My lad, IL you fancy
you've anything to complain OF, sea
lawyer like you must know the rem
4 edy. Get your witnesses and go with
them before the British consul in New
/ Orleans"
! "a fat lot Of good that would do" re-
1 torted the man. What consul ever be-
lieved an old sailor against the skip
per? No, SIR. we'd only get peniten-
tiary for our pains. Besides, what we
lxNFa M nj ylrA ia
an alteration in things, beginning now"
| "Ah, see! And what would you
like? Shall / have q hold cleared out
and fit up with four post beds for you
to mako a drawing room Of? Shall
order my steward to hand iced pop
| round to the gentlemen who are heav-
ling Goals In the stokehold? Come, now,
out with it,"
The little captain was deliberately
Irritating the men, and Cambel mar
veled at his recklessness. Once let an
outbreak start, and he and Kettle stood
not one chance in million Of living
through 1T. But Kettle knew his game
and was playing 1t well. " @
Only zone man laughed, and his
laugh closed up again in a moment like
the snap Of watch. Some scowled,
few swore; the quartermaster In the
cardigan jacket alone remained un-
| moved. or Kettles outrageous raillery
he took no notice whatever, but con-
tinued his plant in a solid monotone.
as though he had been reading it from
a book,
in the first instance it's the grub
we complains of, particularly the sugar.
| 1t amt sugar at ALL It's just a
slumph OF molasses' #a
] THAT" said Kettle, sis due to your
own laziness. The bottom of sugar
barrels always that way unless you
turn 1t end for end every day or so.
| The moiassesd settle through the
queens sugar at Windsor and spoil
half of IL unlecs the barrel was looked
to-. So that knocks in the head your
first complaint. BY James," he con-
tinued, with a first show of fury, SIS
1t for this you dogs have turned your
selves into bowling pack of mu-
tineers and let my ship drift like hem
coop toward Newfoundland"
The quartermaster was obviously
disconnected by the attack. so much so,
in fact, that he missed the next few
counts of his Indictment and came at
| once to the main head, which he had
hoped to lead up to more gently. tits
a rise of wages that we insist on prin-
| cipally," he said. I'VE take il we've
been signed on for this run to New Or
leans under false pretenses Nothing
was said about the sort of cargo we
was to carry, which naturally incites
them anarchist chaps to violence. We're
suffering undue risks. There's been
one devil machine found already, and
as like as not there is others besides.
| The blooming ole tramp may go up any
minute, and because we're standing
that risk we say we ought to be paid
according. The cargo can stand the
pull, and IL you aren't willing the hands
| here has made up their minds to br6ach
| 1t for themselves"
| You great tools!" cried Kettle, this
| isn't an ordinary cargo that you can,
help yourselves out of and let the un-
derwriters stand treat You bet the
tallyman won't wink at any yarn about
damaged in transit over the stuff we're
bringing them. IL there's so much as
miserable half sovereign missing, the
whole crowd here, cook and captains
dog, stay in a New Orleans calaboose
till it's found and then come out with
| their tickets dirtied. oh. you one
eyed, mutton headed fools!"
Cambel stared at him curiously His
/ truculent tone had left him completely.
His hands had quilted the pistol butts
and were gripped on the bridge rail.
! His elbows were beating nervously
against his ribs.
From some mouth in the blacker
shadow came deem derisive laugh.
Then a voice, presumably from the
laughter. said VINO wants to go to
| New Orleans? Who wants to go nearer
than the next key or reef or sand bank
or whatever 1t may be? Let's pile up
the blazing old tramp on that and then
boat cruise across to Cuba. There's nice
snug bays In Cuba where the guarda
| costas don't ask questions. Or, IL they
did, bit of yellow ballast out OF the
boats would stop their jaw quick
cnouEI.."
The voice laughed again and ceased.
who spoke there?" Captain Kettle de-
nianded
Out rolled into the bright circle the
massive body of the donkeyman.
"You!"
The donkeyman knuckled his greasy
cap in assent, but added that he was
no mutineer. 'Pm your man, captain"
! he said, "buc I'd be pleaseder TO help
We carrying out the crews wishes than
| going agin them. Yell be dealt by
| honestly, captain---liberally, yes, better
than ye ever have been in this world
yet or ever will be again. It's a chance
that won't come of six years of Sun
days-an-the steamer will be lost at
| say. Blowed to rivuts an oUl1 iron by
/ a conspirator's bomb. It's a most
| natural ending OF her"