The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-07-19
CHAPTER Kill
THREE FOR TwENTy-sEyEN

THREE FOR TWENTY-SEyEN.
Nov, my lads said Kettle, you've
got TO hump yourselves, or ven have
lhe steamer ~swanping beneath US It1z
be touch and &C anyway Mp. CaHsbez.
you'll have the deck ali to yourself. az
ter you We lone your job on the fxsrps-
hold, of course. and you'd better jump
lively after that at once. Every gin sH
water tells now, and 1t strikes ire *
gulf on board the decks will blow IN
and she'll go down like kentledge hal
last"
Cambel darted through the doorway.
And now. Mr.. Sullivan, understand
that, although I still continue to rata
as Skipper Of this craft, for the present
I'm going to work as fireman and cosl
trimmer. You will be chief engineer.
and I'm the sum total Of your crew,
and between us we've got to do 1he
work OF seven horses and one mule
Yes. sor."
And has she still a GOOD head OF
steam?"
She has. None's been blown off,
n pick up your feet and let's go
to your hardware shop and stars ia.
WORK."
wait a bit. sor," aid the donkey
man. There's things here 1 don't IN
d%ersetand. Aren't the lives of us In
beastly danger? Didn't them boats gu
off because the steamers sinking1-
DO You retorted Kettle, CONSIDER
me II OF those fancy sort Of maniac
who have no wish to survive the loss
of a ship? tell you I should have been
drowned eight times already if that
had been my lay. No. Mr. Chief. Fair
tights right enough, and I'd stand Up
to Nick in that and value my life at
less than a rice mat. but at other times
you bet I'm no fool to chuck it away
But said the d~onkeynan. what
gets mes this: If the blooming steam
er's bottoms shot out, what's the fun in
messing with it? The Mexican guH
viii circulate through that hole boagrr
than our bilge pumps will rum"
You tire me-" said the little n,an~
Who said she'd her bottom blown outr
l tell you this steamer was sunk a few
plates below her usual trim-for rea-
sons-and now we are going to pun her
take the cinch from me and ask mo-
more questions, and you'll get told no
lies. It'll pay you. If you do as YOU'RE
bid abroad of me, you'n have sover-
eigns enough given you to work
through the biggest spree tina was
ever spread out in a seaport town"
The big donkeyman appreciatively
drew the back of a hand across his
muzzle. eAh, captain, DEAR" he safa
eoaxingly. I'd just like to hear ys
nlelllOn q 1Sure."
Call it two $40 notes."
Then. be Christopher, I'm yer ma
for n piece of devilment in the ca
endar. Come along, captain, dear. 'T
a melodious little man We are, for
they say against yez."
Meanwhile the steamer was becc
ing more and more water logged 7
every plunge and roll, and Pat
Cambel feared that his DANCE
strategem for driving away the
had been carried too far. 1t seem
him impossible that they could So
her now: True, she was brought !
the wind by the after canvas, a i
rollings We're not of such sic "a
strength, but the stern doomed 10,
the wild night air. and the bows -
deep into every successive &xu
rolled up from the stormy so, ser 4
ing the green water over the + b. &
head in masses which scouret :1Esce:
and windlass to the naked ir ISEnc1l
Tho wash found it's W ON.
through that Jagged gap in ~ Bsa
deck in crashing waterfalls, .1he lop
moment, too, the opened fand eve
her keel was gushing in f fatYer 5sssi
to her swapping holds. A sestsa gallo
Which swept up now mig ~ lav5se.- $
over her solidly and lar " Well .s.St
bursted decks onto thu zen Der WI
the coral growths 100 + .lsa<on9ea az
Some men. in the fs sNfon.s below
less. physically inc So arnazsd, fsesp
enee OF thai soil .ss.abls nres
do a desperate g it is oness2sfsp s ~ !
when the de ng crowd and t neo aye
preciative. ~ below is your ONO nno' ne
beer osIa,g ,ooker. 1t would ap
Z, cain fssttle. The capabilities Of t aaR'
ever, Wa5 the beF d 5nst7 1nea caabel. how.
TO whoEl nhe adventure ~ sae million
and drink. If he succeeded 81 as, sE'ssa'
pront wa his. If he failsd saien 1hs
1be,ia be be useful to him, md and ,n des.tt
meTSs5,s a wb 5he wild lid excitement Of I ths
joyads a55a 1a ana was a meal to be enc
snatch aWaN - M5gsn nothing could
Continued Next Week.g