Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-07-05
CHAPTER VIII.
GROUND BAIT.

For reasons the Port Edes took the
north about" course-that is, she
headed .lcross south Of the banks Of
Newfoundland nearly to Cape Hatteras
and then braved the three knot current
OF the gulf stream by passing down the
Florida channel on the western side Of
the Bahamas. They had carried good
weather with them-light head breezes
or calms-all the way, and although
Goals were dear, owing to a strike, n
the days outlay was limited to TWEEN
ty-eight tons by order, the steamer
usually averaged 10h knots despite the
unskillfulnass of the engine room staff.
In a canvas chair on the bridge deck
under the lee Of the fiddle sat Patrick
Clnlbel with a pipe between his teeth
and Pierre Lofts "Fantome d'Orient"
in his lap. He vas distinctly idling.
For the he was wondering
how, from so transparency blue sea,
the spray which jumped from the wave
Crests could be Colorless and Opaque.
Then by following with the eye a
tangle of yellow gulf weed which float
sd pSt past mis- attention was carried
away to some little gray spouts Of fog
which told of whales and their calves
taking a summer outing in the milk
warm waters OF the south. Beyond his
eye fell upon one of the screw pile
lighthouses with which the United
States government has fringeG the
Florida shoal, and on the far horizon
spouted the wilma thrashed tops of some
scattered cabbage palms, which told
that there at least the shallow sea was
sea no more. At the back of these
palms lay the mysterious shelter of the
Everglades.
A thought passed through Patrick
Cambcl's mind, a thought OF the drama
TO be played under shelter of those re-
cesses within the next few days, and ne
frowned. He thrust the thought from
him as an lmpertinerce and turned
again to his novel. But he was des-
tined just then TO read no more from
that dainty ~vignette of Stampool.
Through the grating of the fiddle
cOove his head came a frightened
shout, then a chorus, then a prolonged
Gathering as iron tools were thrown on
the ioo plates and the boots Of
scared men smote the II OF the
ladders.
Cambcl gave a quick smile TO him
self as though he understood some
thing, then a lock of concern
on his face, and getting up from his
chair crossed 10 port and strobe up To
the break of the bridge deck The
C; captain, coming out OF the c~harthousc,
joined Tim. From the door OF the al
leyWay beneath them rushed a crowd
| "a LIE III tltd Ilfll-tIllIkiittIS, SlkkpTS
striped to tie waist; engineers In
dungarcc. all the hu'osn contents of
the lowest hold. Kettle singled out
the chief with his eye and addressed
him with sour irony.
Afternoon, Mr.. McFee. Fine. isn't
1t. for the time of the year? Have your
ours forgotten they're paid to work this
steamboat up Mississippi river TO a
city called New Orleans, or ave they
induced the other watch to go below
and give them a spell?"
"Guid God, sir. dinna JEST" replied
the chief. "Ye remember what yon
scoundrel said on Liverpool dock wall?
Weel, he's been as guild as his words,
SIR. We've found an Internal machine
already"
"well?" drawled Kettle.
Man we may be blowed to the sea
floor any minute"
"Sea whisky! Sea grandmother"
Man. sir, see with your own cen.
BY Gods guild mercy the donkeyman
picked II from among the Goals, or
we'd be with him this moment-or with
the deevil."
Hand it up here" the skipper COM
manded shortly.
The burly donkeyman, half grinning
half afraid, came up the iron steps and
handed the captain a box painted to
look like a knob OF coal. 1T was
ticking When L picked III up, SIR, ne
said, but Then ! handled 1t the tick
ing stopped"
The captain took the thing In his
hand. 1t started on a fresh cluck
cluck. and the grimy men on the iron
decks below bumped their shoulders
as though to better receive a blow
and began TO shuttle away toward the
bows. "Oh. 1t may be something dan
gerous." said Captain Kettle and hove
his burden over the side. "or 1t mayn't
Looked to m like a toy to frighter
flats. There's only one man with thu
pluck OF a roach among you, and here's
half a crown for him.
The donkeyman.s black forefingel
knuckled his greasy cap.
"As for the rest. your mothers mus,
have sucked o oil pigeons milk and
then sent you to a girls school to dry
nurse. You pack OF beauties. oh, you
white uvered bobby hunted gems! II
the thing was found-well, found II
was. and the donkeyman brought 1t or
deck. What do you want TO foul ths
clean air with your foul. sinking car
casses before the watch was out? ri
log every man OF you for this-yes
Mr.. McFee and Mr.. Second and Mr.
Third. III dirty your tickets for yox