The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-10

/ 1f1D 10 the Dedcn lie DdlItu Iefeg dEt
| calling him to him, said:
! "Peleg. I've got a job for you.
! want you to git out that dynamite
we've got in the hold for'ard and tax,
! it ashore some'eres.
| Now. that dynamite was Mr.. Myrick
particular dread. He was more afraie
of it than he was of anything else OIL
earth The captain knew this, ane
that was why he always selected Pele;
to bring up a stick of the stuff wheI
the latter was needed Its the scared
man that's always careful" said the
skipper .Peleg hangs to them sticks
like a sucker to a barn door. He won't
drop 'em unless his knee j'ints rattle
loose altogether from nervousness
When the weather prophet heard
the captains order the visible parts OF
his countenance turned white.
ooh. my soul and body" he gasped
"You don't want me to tech them
pesky things. do you, Cap'n E,z: Git
somebody else. do"'
"No." replied the skipper gravely
81 wouldn't trust nobody else. Tum-
BILE 'em out"'
Tumble 'em out! Don't talk in that
careless kind of way, Cap'n Ez.
What'll do with emp
"Oh, dig hole and bury EN-; put
Fem under your bunk in the shanty;
feed 'em to Skeezicks, only git 'em out
of the schooner some time pretty soon"
..'Will-will Sunday do?"
Eyes, yes. Whenever you have the
time. Hi. Sam Hammond, What arc
you settin' there for? Git back to
your engine"
Mr.. Hammond was still with them,
although his usefulness as a diver was
gone owing to the temporary abandon
ment of the tar venture. But because
they anticipated returning to this work
if the Freedom should be foated he
was retained at his old wages and was
now running one of the hosting en-
gines. a labor with which he was more
or less familiar although he considered
it beneath him and shirked whenever
he could.
This Sinking irritated Captain Tit
comb.
"Consarn him. he growled. LET
him either fish or cut bait, one OF
tother. If he's too good for the job
why, then, the jobs too good for him.
If | had my way we'd come to a set
Element in about ha'fa shake
The majority of the men hired by
the partners were intensely loyal and
optimistic. They knew the
under which the con-
tract had been taken and would not
consider the possibility of failure for
p,1t To
of little coterie of pessimists, among
whom were Henry Simmons and a few
others from Orham and Lon Clark and
Ike Bodkin from Harniss. These croak-
ers sneered at Captain Ezra when his
back was turned and pretended to pity
Bradley. When the pay envelopes
We're distributed they congratulated
themselves loudly and wondered if this
time was the last.
Bradley was aware of all this, be-
cause Barney told him, but he would
not permit his partner to call Ham
nond to account. Sam should not have
The opportunity of telling Gus that he
was the victim of persecution by an
rival-not il Bradley could
lelp it. he shouldn't. Captain Titcomb
proved and grew more and more in
olerable.
All day long the Freedoms deck was |
| whirl of industry. The captain and |
Bradley were always in the thick of it |
md We're dog tired when 6 o'clock |
anne. Then the cable was frightened |
ind checked, the watch was set and |
most of the crews were transferred in |
elays to the beach to eat supper in the /
hanty and shout. sing and play cards |
Until bedtime. The partners, with /
Bearse and a few others, /
vent up to Orham in the Diving Belle
The old maids had been very solemn |
f late. When Bradley first told them
hat his firm had secured the biggest
contract ever handled by Or
am men they We're jubilant. But then
anne Miss Busted, trimming over
Ike sort of living ''extra"-with ex-
ggerated reports OF village opinion
oncerning that contract, and the sis
ers began to worry. Other callers, Il
those views were more weighty than
1elissa's, came also, and now even
1iss Prissy was nervously anxious.
Bradley went to bed early nowadays.
IN the night following the converse
ion with Peleg he took his lamp from
he shelf soon after supper was cleared
way. Captain Titcomb called, but re-
lained only little while.
As the young man rose from his chair
lisS Prissy. who had been watching
i'm over her glasses while pretending
, mend some stockings, dropped the
-ork in her lap and asked. Bradley.
ow are you gettin' on down at the
oints-
''Tiptop," was the reply
Yes. you always say that, but are
ou .gainin' as fast as you ought to?
on don't think there's any-any
nance of your not bein' able TO git
lat vessel of, do you? Folks seem
think
Bradley laughed. Has Melissa been
ere today" he interrupted
NO, she hasn't. but Mr. Langworthy
as. Oh. Bradley. we hear such dread
IL things, Mr.. Langworthy came here
most ON purpose to try to git US to
,ax you TO give it I'D fore it's too