The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-08-15

ployers who paid him q paid salary.
1t was when Cambel woke from that
dead sleep on the wheel grating OF the
upper bridge and came down TO learn
OF che tragedy of the plume hunters,
which had taken place during his un-
consciousness. that he got the first hint
OF this. The little captain received him
with cold stiffness, was wooden when
asked for any suggestion and snarled
when Cambel inquired what allied him.
II was the donkeyman who put the diff
dculty into words.
"And, captain, now" said he. how
much might yez be getting out OF all
this for yerself2"
Five hundred pounds"
"Begor. It's mighty lot OF money
and little enough, too. / wish Id IL me-
self an more. I'd like a house ashore
an wife, an an ass cart that might
dhrivesher out I'm like gentleman. be-
sides other things"
''Oh, stop that Don't tell me what q
man might do IL he'd his pick OF the
money in this ship. can figure that
out for myself without suggestions
from any blasted Irishman." l
"Ah, now, captain, dear, don't be
cross wild me, because was going on
to say that In case of trouble, In case
there was we'll say, q thrtfiing argu-
ment, I'd be on your side. Mr.. Cambel,
the captain here's my officer, an'-weil.
sor, a boy must look after himself some
times specially when there's a chance
like this ready to his fingers. 'Twon't
come again in lifetime"
Probably not" said Cambel. He lay
back In his chair, with linked fingers
behind his head. Look here. Kettle.
gun and get 1t over, Then you and
Sullivan can run the cargo where you
please and share It how you like. But
that's the only way you'll make me con-
sent to your taking what's beyond your
due. Shelf trusted me, and by jove.
I'm going to act fairly by Shelf IL he
were ten times bigger thief than I
know him to be already. Now, then.
jump Quick--lets have 1t over"
They were In the chartroom. Captain
Kettle puckered his head for a minutes
thought and then getting up, shut and
locked the srarboard door He took that
key and the key also of the other door
which gave upon the head OF the COM
panionway and handed them both to
Cambel. =
Now, SIR" said he, you lock me
and the donkeyman I'm here and go and
do as you like. But I advise you to
take your d-d gold somewhere out of
this ship, because as sure as it's there
when / next come out Of this room so
u.
bunk there, bang above the place
where it's slowed, and I've sat on top
| OF those sovereigns like hen every
watch below I've had this voyage and
heard em chinlle and wondered what
| they'd hatch out into. You perhaps
understand what / mean?"
! Cambel nodded. 81. =
Then take the cinch from me, sir.
and cart your boxes away to hell as
4 quick as you can. Poor men like me
| shouldn't have big temptations. II
| isn't healthy-for their neighbors. No.
by God. Here, get out Of this. Mr..
Cambel or shall be doing you a vio-
lence yet, and mind you lock the door.
| Donkeyman, you hound, there's whisky
In that bottom locker. Take the clean
glass yourself and give me the dirty
1 one" ~
Cambel read the little mans mind to
a comma and bowed gravely without
1 speaking. Then he did as he was bid
den with the door and the key and went
below and began the herculean task
Of bringing up the iron bound specie
boxes one by one out Of the cabin
! where they had ridden from the Mer-
sey dock: He placed them in the port
| quarter boat, which he had lowered
from Its davits flush with the bridge
deck rail, and when she was loaded he
put the boat into the river. He rowed
her Tar up stream, past lights and
bayous, TIL he found narrow canal
leading on the main river through
mangrove clumps, and held on up
that till the boat reached great round
vat or black water, walled ali round
with solemn cypress trees and rooted
to darkness by their fringingl branches.
One by one the boxes were raised on
lthe gunwale and launched with a sui
len plunge, and 1t seemed an age be-
fore the foul smelling biihhlaa canoa ,1r
to tell that they had sounded bottom
And then away back for another load
And then for q third. The inky cover
ing closed over all, and not so much as
splinter from one Of the boxes fioateC
on the surface. -
Small rear OF any one raidinR tina,
cache, Cambel thought, and two days
later, with a clear mind, he was ca
bling Right" to Theodore Shelf from
pany's office In the hotel hall at Point
Sebastian.
Now, modern science enables us Il
cry q message by wire round half tho
earth at breakfast time and have an
answer returned to us before the gonf
sounds for luncheon, and 1t was ir
anticipation OF q quick exchange O.
news like this that Cambel had com,
to the nearest outpost of civilization.
He had hidden his e500,000 of gold
released the two, men In the char
room, with instructions that when the,
felt inclined or sufficiently recovered
for work they should. with the negroes
, help set about transforming the steam
er's appearance, and afterward haC
made his way, partly overland by al
! Indians path he knew of. partly Il
dugout through lagoon and bayou, t,
Point Sebastian. -.
(Continued Next Weekly