The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-06-27
THE P1underers
BY c.. j. cUTLIFFE HYNE.

EIfFG 1YNEs Z
Understand that n don't waste my
time
The German seemed inclined to blus-
ter and hold his ground, but he had no
hackers. II told you how it would be
II we put the Dutchman up" said one
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? If you were men, I wouldn't say
1t, but as it is he's as much a man as
any Of you, and perhaps he'll throw in
q sand dance to eniiven 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, and one
of them, a w~hfskered 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 n 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, if you fancy
you've anything to complain of, a sea
lawyer like you must know the rem
edy. Get your witnesses and go with
them before the British consul in New
Orleans"
"A fat lot nf pon1 tbof would 10 - ~ II
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
want-and what We intend to have-is
an alteration In things. beginning now"
All, l see! And what would you
like? Shall I have a hold cleared out
and MT up with four post beds for you
TO make a drawing room of? Shall l
order my steward to hand iced pop
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 1t. But Kettle knew his game
and was playing it well.
only n man laughed, and his
laugh closed up again in a m like
the snap of a watch. Some scowled, a
few swore; the quartermaster in the
cardigan Jacket alone remained un-
moved. OF 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 at all. It's just a
Slumph of lnolasses."
THAT" said Kettle. "is due to your
own laziness. The bottom Of a sugar
barrels always hat way unless you
turn it 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-
1t for this you dogs have turned your
selves into a bowling pack of mu-
tineers and let my ship drift like a 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 h main head, which he had
hoped to lead up to more gently, Its
a rise Of wages that we insist on prin-
cipaIy," he said. I'VE take 1t we've
been signed on for this run to New Or
leans under false pr%etenses. 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
n 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 il you aren't willing the hands
| here ha g madn Yin fhoir yo;,oJe IN h~oooL
it for themselves"
you great ~tools!" cried Kettle, this
isn't an ordinary cargo that you can
help yourselves out of and let the UNI
derwriters stand treat. You bet the
tallyrnan won't 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, 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!"
Canabel stared at him curiously. His
truculent 0 had left him completely.
His hands had Quilted the pistol butts
and We're gripped on the bridge rail,
His elbows We're beating ~neryously
against his ribs.
From some mouth in the blacler
shadow came a deem derisive laugh.
Then q voice. presumably from tbs
laughter, said VINO wants to go to
Il New Orleans? Who wants to go nearer
than the next key or reef or sand bank
or ygfaateger it ma ha2 I4etss&nile M
the blazing old tramp on that ard then
boat cruise across to Cuba. There's nice
SNUG bays in Cuba where the auaraa
! costas Gon't ask questions. Or, If they
Ibid. a bit of yellow ballast out of thu
boats would stop their jaw quicI
! enough
The voice laughed again and ceased
! Who spoke thGre?" Captain Kettle de-
niaIlfed.
Out rolled into the bright circle tho
2 massive body Of the Gonkeyinan.
j, tYouis
The donkeyn,an knuckled his greasy
leap in assent, but added that hesSiyaf
no n1utinaer. SIN your man. captain
he said, but I'd be pieaseder to hell
8 We carrying out the crews Wishes thar
going agin them. Yell be dealt b
d honestly, captain-liberally, yes, better
t than We ever have been in this work
$ yet or ever will be again It's a cllancs
- 1 fhofIsyunntt nc,nn ST elk xrss;rS nfsEc.t1r,.