Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-06-29

I
the white men at the taunt, and one
\ of them, a whiskered quartermaster in
a cardigan Jacket, stepped out and spat
1 into the circle Of light He looked
round TO catch the encouraging glauces
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 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, sea
lawyer like you must know the rem
edN. Get your witnesses and go with
them before the British consul in New
Orleans"
"A fat lot OF good that would do" re-
tortcd the man. What consul ever be-
IeNed an old sailor against the skip
per- No sir we'd only get peniten-
uary for our pains. Besides, what we
Want-and what we intend to haVe-is
an alteration I'm things beginning now"
An, / sec, And what would YOU
Ike shall ! have a hold cleared out
and NJ up with four post beds for YOU
To make drawing room Of? shall !
order my steward 20 hand iced pop
round 10 the gentlemen who are heav-
ing Goals in The stolehold? Come, now.
out with it,"
The Iittlc captain was deliberately
Irritating the men, and Cumbc mar
veled at his recklessuess. once let an
outbreak start and he and Kettle stood
not one chance In million Uf living
through IT, But Kettle knew his game
and was playing il Well
only one man laughed and his
laugh closed up again In moment Ike
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-
tinucd his plaiat In a solid monotone.
as though he had been reading il from
book
In the first instance. it's the grub
We complains of, particularly the sugar
II amt sugar at all. It's just
slumph Of mOlasses
That" said Kettle, is due to your
own laziness The bottom of a sugar
barrels always that way unless YOU
turn IT end for end every DAY or So
Tho molasses'd settle through the
queens sugar at Windsor and spoil
half of IL unless 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. "is
fl for this you dog have turned your
selves into a howiug pack Of mu-
tineers and let my ship drift ike hen
coop toward Newfoundland"
The quartermastcr 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 70 lead up 20 more gently. It's
rise Of wages that we insist on prin-
cipally" he said we take il we've
been signed on for this run 10 New or
leans under false protenses. Nothing
was said about the sort Of cargo we
was 10 carry which naturally incites
them anarchist chaps to violence We're
suffering undue risks. There's been
one devil machine found already, and
as Ike as not there is others besides
The blooming ole tramp may 20 up anv
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 broach
ii for themselves"
You great tools," cried Kettle. this
isn't an ordinary cargo that YOU can
help yourselves out OF and let the nm
derWriters stand treat You bet the
taliyman won't wink at any yarn about
damaged In transit over tho stuff We're
bringing them. II there's SO much as
a miserable half sovereign missing. the
whole crowd here cook and captain's
dog, stay I'm a New Orleans calaDoose
TN it's found and then come cut with
their tickets diTtied on, you one
eyed. mutton headed fools"
Cambel stared at him curiously. His
truculent tone had left him completely. I
His hands had quilted tho pistol butts I
and were gripped on The bridge rail- |
His elbows were beating neryousIy I
against his ribs.
From some mouth in the hlacker
shadow came a deem derisive laugh I
THen voice, presumably from the I.
laughter said w no wants to 10 10 [.
New orleans? Who wants to 20 nearer |
than the next key or reef or sand bank /
or whatever IL may be Let's pile up 4
the blazing old tramp on that and then (
boat cruise across 20 Cuba. There's nice /
snug bays in cuba where the guarda /
costas don't ask questions. or If they /
did, bit of yellow ballast out OF the \
boats would stop their jaw quick /
enough"
The voice laughed again ana ceased. /
Who spoke there" Captain Kettle de- /
nand q.
out rolled into the bright circle the
massive body Of the donkeyman.
The donkeyman knucked his greasy
cap in assent, but added that he was
no mutineer I'm your man. captain"
he said, but I'd be pltasedcr to help
We carrying out the crews wishes than
going gin them. Yen be dealt by
honestly, aptaiu--liberally. yes better
than ye ever have been in this world
yet or ever wiz be again It's q chance
that won't come OF six years Of sun
days-an-the steamer viii be lost at
say Bowed 10 rivuts an ould iron by
a COnspiratOr's bomb. It's a most
natural ending Of her"
Kettle stared AZ the doukeynan with
his mouth agape and his eyes standing
out Of his head. His face was thrust
out az fun neck's length his fingers
beat a vague tattoo on the white iron
rail OF the bridge.
Then the crews original spokesman
lifted up his unlucky voice for the
second time "ACh friends we're
Wasting minutes. We haf made up our
miudts. Why should we not go and
tiyi3e ter cold without fur3er pother?
Good ole man, Ia his; gsr!chring youu
come ana scramble for share like ter
rest of rs, Won't you. ?'
Slowly Car l.aiu Kettle stiffenel. His
eyes lost their tare and C!iutea un-
pleasant tre in their more proper or
bits. his llWer jlW closed up with "A
snap: his fists sli5 20 his Jacket pockets
and eriIped there
You painted Dutchman," The words
came snarled through cl.nched teeth
The crew ruatlad uneasily.