Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-07-04
The P1underers
BY c.. j. cUTLiFFE HYNE.


! the pit why they had dared TO leave
their duties and their kennel end come
to sully his bridge deck. The harangue
was brief and beautifully to the point.
An ordinary seaman stood out into the
niiddle OF the circle of light and made
reply.
You gall us toys. und yon dreat us
as toys. und we're nod going y. schtandt
it 40 longer. Dis grew ;a:.S:.ts its
rechtS."
Hello" said Kettle, got a bloom
ing Dutchman to speak for you. Well.
you must be d hard up crowd See
mere, now. If you do wan to talk. have
your say and be done with 1t. English
is the official language on his ship.
Understand that and don't waste my
time"
The German seemed inclined to blus-
ter and hold his ground, but he had no
hackers. Il told you how it would be
if we put the Dutchman up" said one
Why, l 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? Ii you were men. l wouldn't say
it. but as it is he's as much a mar as
any of you. and perhaps he'll throw in
d sand dance to cmliven proceedings"
The negro from somewhere on the
outskirts of the crowd broke into Il
loud guffaw till some enc 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 n
of them, a whiskered 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 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 u
slave ship you're commanding. It's an
ordinary, common. low down British
tramp, n the law looks after the
deckhands and all the rest of u.s."
Now. that's fair speaking" said
Kettle. 1--WE Il profound respect for
tho merchant shipping act-and-a all
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 our witnesses and go with
them before the British consul in New
Orleans"
"A fat lot of good that would do" re-
torted the nan 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 liberation in things, beginning now
All, l see! And what would you
like? Shall l LAY u hold cleared out
and fit up with four post beds for you
to make a drawing room of? Shall l
order my steward to hand iced pop
round to he gentlemen who are heav-
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 q million of living
through it. But Kettle knew his game
and was playing it well.
Only one man laughed. and his
laugh closed up again In a moment 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 o no notice whatever, but con-
tinued his plant in a solid monotone,
as though he had beer reading 1t from
a book.
I'm the first instance. it's the grub
we complains of, particularly the sugar.
1t amt sugar at all. It's just a
slumph of molasses."
That" said Kettle. "is due to youl'
own laziness. The bottom Of a sugar
turn 1t end for n every day or so.
The molasses'd settle through the
queens sugar at Windsor and spoil
half OF 1t unless the barrel was looked
to. So that knocks in the head your
first complaint. BY James," he con-
inued with a first show of fury, "is
1t for this you dogs nave 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, hat he missed the next few
counts of his indictment and came at
once to the main head, which he had
hoped to lead up to more gently. Its
a rise OF wages that we insist on prin-
cipally." he said. I'VE take It we've
been signed on for this run to New Or
leans under false pretenses. 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. and because we're standing
that risk we say we ought to be paid
according. The cargo can stand the
pull. and II you aren't willing the hands
here has made up their minds to breach
1t for themselves"
you great tools!" cried Kettle, this
isn't an ordinary cargo that you can
help yourselves out of and let the un-
derwriters stand treat. You bet the
tallyman won't wink at any yarn about
damaged In transit over the stun we're
bringing them. II there's so much as
a miserable half sovereign missing, the
whole crowd here. ook 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!"
Cambel stared at him curiously. His
%truculent tone had left him completely.
His hands had quilted the pistol butts
and were gripped or the bridge rail.