Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-06-15

I torted the sailor. But" he added,
with the sudden recollection that IL Is
| never wise Of a master mariner TO ir-
ritate any shipowner but, sir, wasn't
talking TO you. | fancied II was Mr..
| Cambel here who was wanting to deal
| with me-
Then your fancy carried you astray
captain" said Shelf. Come, come.
don't let us get angry with one another.
AS | repeatedly impress on all who
| come in contact with me, there is never
any good born out OF words voiced In
| anger Mr.. Cambel has seen fit to
mention a few OF your-shall | say
| eccentricities, just to show-er-that
We understand one another"
ITO show he's got his knife in me,
| Mr.. Shelf, and can wraggle 1t II he
| chooses"
What a fractious pepper box 1t is"
| said Cambel, with laugh. Man, dear,
| If I've got to be shipmates with you
| for a solid month, dye think I'd put
| your back more up than is necessary?
| II you remember me at ALL you must
| know I'm the deuce Of a stickler for
| my own personal comfort and conven-
| fence. You can bet / haven't been
| talking at you through gratuitouS
cruelty. But Mr.. Shelf and l have got
yarn to bring out directly which is
a bit of n coarse, tough tibered yarn,
and we didn't want you 10 give it
top dressing of varnish. SO, by way OF
safeguard. l pointed out to you that II
we show ourselves to be sinners you
needn't sing out that you find yourself
IN evil company for the first time"
Mr.. Theodore Shelf had been Snuff
ling his feet uueesily for some time.
Cambcls method of speech Jared him
10 the verge Of profanity. His own
saintliness was a garb which he never
threw entirely away at any moment.
His voice had always the oily drone OF
the conventicle His SNUG hypocrisy
was a perennial source OF pride and
comfort to him, without which he
would have felt very lonely and aban-
doned.
At this point he drew the conversa-
tion into his own hands. 1t had been
said Of him that he always addressed
the house Of commons as though IL
were the congregation of his own tin
| Il bernacle, and he preached out his
scheme Of plunder violence and other
moral uncleanness with similar fervent,
uuction. CaTbel was openly amused
ana once broke out into a mocbing
laugh. He was never at any pain to,
conceal his contempt for Mr.. Theodore
Shelf, which was more honest than\
ludicious on his part. Kettle, on the
other hand, wore the puckered face Of
a puzzled man. The combination Of
cant and Crimiuality was not alto
Eether new 10 him. Men OF his own
profession are very apt to behave like
devils unbooted at sea and then groyel
in clamorous piety among the pews of
some obscure dissenting chapel the mo-
mcnt they get ashore. II is a peculiar
trait but the average sea captain be-
lieycs that he can lay up stock of
| fire insurance Of this sort which will
comfortably see him through future ef-
forts. But I'm Kettles mind ship
owners were a vastly different class OF
/ beings, and so il never occurred TO him
that the same might apply to them,
In this attitude Captain Kettle listen
| "a 70 the sermon which was reeled
cut TO him and rather gathered that the
IloJcCt he was eNhCrtcd to take part
iu was I'm some obscure manner a mis-
sjonary enterprise promoted solely in
the honor and glory of Mr., Theodore
ShCifs own particular narrow little
deity and had Mr.. Shelf made any APP
prCCiable pause between his sOnOTous
periods Kettle would have felt 1t his
respectful duty TO slip in a humble
amen But the dictator Of the great
shipping firm was too fearful of in
ttIrupGCns from his partner to give
any opening for a syllable Of comment
But if Captain owen Kettle was un-
Vg.scd In the finer niccJies Of the art
OF hyprOCrisy he was a man of angular
common sense. and by degrees it dawn
ed upon him that Mr.. ShclTs project
hen removed Of it's top dressing Of
religion, was ia its naked self some
thing very different from what he had
az first been drawn to believe. AS this
idea grew upon him the devotional
drcop faded from the corners of his
lips and his mouth drew to a hard
slrdigh line scarcely TO be distinguished
among the curving bristles OF hair
which surrounded it. But he made no
interruption and drank in every word
til the speaker had delivered the whole
OF his say. Then he uttered his deci-
sion.
so, gentlemen, you are standing in
partners over this precious business?
And because YOU know me TO be a
poor, broke man, with wife and family
you naturally think you can buy me to'
work FOR you off the straight. Wei,
perhaps that's possible, but there are
two ways Of doing it, and OF the two
| like Mr.. CambeIs best. When a mans
blackguard, IL don't make him swal-
low any sWeeter for setting up TO be a
little tin saint. And | don't mind who
l say that to-"
you mean to threaten me2-
My good man. snarled Shelf, "d0
NO, don't. l just gave you my
own opinion, as from man 10 man, just
because ! respect myself But I'm not
going round to your chapel to shout il
~
They wouldn't believe ne If | did not
now at any rate Besides 1t wouldn'N
do me any good, and | couldn't afford
IT, I'm a needy man, Mr.. Shelf as you
have guessed, and that's why / am
going TO accept your offer But don't
let us have any misunderstanding be-
tween ourselves as to what it foots up
to.
What I'm going to sign on for di-
rectly, when you hand me the papers. is
u spell of piracy on the high seas,
neither more nor less And I'm going
to have money all paid down in ad-
vance before l ring an engine bell on
your blasted tramp of a steamer.
CUES that's fair enough My family'n
want something to go on with if I'm
caught. and if ones found out at this
game It's just common ordinary
hanging matter-yes, sir swing by the
neck till I'm dead as an AK, and may the
Lord have mercy on your miserable tag
of a soul. That's what this tea party
means and for your dirty G 500 you're
buying a live human man."
Continued Next Week)