Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-06-28

Understand that and don't waste my
time"
The German seemed inclined to blus-
=, ter and hold his ground, but he had nc
t hackers. Il told you how it woul be
if we put the Dutchman up" said one
2 Why, | 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 a maj as
any of you, and perhaps he'll throw in
o San dance TO enliVen proceedings.
The negro from somewhere on the
outskirts Of the crowd broke into a
loud guffaw till some one kicked him
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, n one
Of them, a whiskered quartermaster in
a cardigan jacket, stepped out and spat
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
d~eckhands and all the rest Of us
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, If YOU fancy
you've anything to complain Of, a sea
lawyer like you must know the rem
edy. Get you witnesses and go with
them before the British consul in New
Orleans"
"A fat lot of good that would do" re-
] t4Vta1 tho man ssNUhat anr,S,,l ,,-a,. Ia-
lieved an old sailor against the skip
per? No, sir, we'd only get peniten-
tiary for our pains. Besides, what we
want-and What we intend to have-is
an alteration in things, beginning now"
"Ah, | see! And what would you
like? Shall | have a hold cleared out
and fit up with four post beds for you
TO make a drawing room Of? Shall |
order my steward to hand iced pop
round to the gentlemen who are heav-
ing 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 a million of living
through it. But Kettle knew his game
and was playing it well.
Only one man laughed, and his
laugh closed up again in a moment like
the snap Of a watch. some sCowled, a
few sWOre; the quartermaster in the
cardigan jacket alone remained I'M
moved. or Kettles outrageous raiilery
he took no notice whatever, but con-
tinued his plant In a solid monotone,
as though he had been reading it from
a book.
I'm 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."
That" said Kettle, "is due to your
own l~aziness. The bottom of a sugar
barrels always that way unless you
turn 1t end for end every day or so.
The molasses'd settle through the
queens sugar at Windsor and spoil
half of it unless the barrel was looked
to. SO that knocks in the head your
first complaint. BY James," he con-
tinued, with q first show of fury, lis
1t for this you dogs have turned your
selves into a bowling pack of mu-
t~ineers and let my ship drift like a hen-
coop toward Newfoundland"
The quartermaster was obviously
disconnected by the attack, so much so,
in fact, nat 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. It's
a rise of wages that we insist on prin-
cipally," he said. I'VE take ii 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, n because we're standing
that risk we say we ought to be paid
according. The cargo can stand the
pull, and if you aren't willing the hands
here has made up their mind TO breach
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 ont wink at any yarn about
damaged in transit over the stuff we're
bringing them. If there's so much as
a miserable half sovereign missing. the
whole crowd here, o 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
t%ruculent tone had left him completely.
His hands had quilted the pistol butts
His elbows were beating nervously
against his ribs.
From some mouth in the blacker
shadow came a deep, 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 il 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 Cont ask questions. Or, If they
did, a bit of yellow ballast out OF the
boats would stop their jaw quick
enough"
The voice laughed again and ceased
WIG spoke there%' Captain Kettle de-
manded.
Out rolled into the bright circle the
massive body of the donkeyman.
;, "You!"
The d~onkeyman knuckled his greasy
cap in assent, but added that he was
no mutineer. Tn your man, captain
he, said, but I'd be pleaseder to help
: We carrying out the crews wishes than
. going agin them. Yell be dealt by
honestly, alphabetically, yes, better
I than We ever have been in this world
5 yet or ever will be again. It's a chance
that won't come of six years OF Sun
i days-an-the steamer will be lost al
| say. Blowed to rivut an ould iron bJ
a conspirator's bomb. It's a mos,
natural ending OF her."
) Kettle stared at the donkeyman witt
. biS mouth aganp and his pyaS standing