The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-07-05
CHAPTER VIII.
GROUND BAIT.
For reasons the Port Edes II

fot reasons lhe Port EdeS tool the
north about course-that is, she
headed across south Of the banks of
Newfoundland nearly to Cape Eatteras
ana 1hen braved the three knot current
OF the gulf stream by passing down the
the Bahamas. They had carried good
weather with then-light head breezes
or calms-all the way, and although
coals We're dear, owing to a strike, and
the days outlay was limited to twen-
ty-eight tons by order, the steamer
usually averaged 1Oh knots despite the
uns~k1llfulness of the engine room staff.
In a canvas chair on the bridge deck
under the lee of the fiddle sat Patrick
CanAbel with q pipe between his teeth
and Pierre Lofts baritone d'Orient"
IN his lap. He was distinctly idling.
FOR the momen he was wondering
Y from so transparently blue sea,
the spray which jumped from the wave
srests could be colorless and opaque.
Then by following with the eye a
tangle of yellow gulf weed which float
Cd just 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
lighthouses with which the United
States government has fringed the
Florida shoal, and on the far horizon
the wind thrashcd tops of some
scattered cabbage palms, which told
that there at least the shallow sea was
sea 40 more. At the back of these
palms lay the mysterious shelter of the
Everglades.
A thought passed through Patrick
Gamblers mind, 4 though: Of tho drama
TO be played under. shelter of those re-
cesses within the next few days, and he
fromned. He thrust the thought from
nm as an i~mpertinence II turned
asala TO ms rove. But he was des-
llned Just then to read no more from
that dainty vignette Of Stampool.
Through the grating OF the fiddle
sDove his head came a frightened
shout, tnen & chorus. tnen a prolonged
gathering ss iron tools were thrown on
the floor plates y the boots OF
scared men smote the n Of the
ladders.
Canbel gave a quick smile to him.
self as though he understood some
thing. then mounted a lock Of concern
his face. and getting up from his
chair crossed TO port and strobe UP to
break Of the bridge deck The
c;',pta!n, coming out OF the c%!,arthouse,
joined him. From the door Of the al
leyNyay beneath them rushed a crowd
of frightened mrn-trimmers, stokers,
stripped to the waist; engineers in
uungaree, all the hu,ncn contents OF
the lowest hold. Kettle singled out
the chief with his eye and addressed
him with III Irony.
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 have they
induced the other watch to go below
and give them a spell?"
s(1i,tJ God e;~ Jf,-. i.-A,y r
the chief. "Ye remember what o
scoun.fel 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
any minute"
Sea whisky! Sea grandmotherl"
Man. sir, see with your own Gen..
BY Gods guild mercy the donkeyman
picked 1t 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 d~onkeyman, half grinnine.
III afraid, came up the iron steps and
handed the captain a box painted to
o like a knob of coal. TT was
when l picked it up, SIR" he
said, but when l handled 1t the tick
ing stopped"
The captain took the thing in his
1t started on a fresh cluck,
luck. 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
"Oh. it may be something dam
gerous." said Captain Kettle and hove
his burden owe the side, "or it mayn't.
Looked to me like a toy to brighten
fats. There's only one man with the !
pluck Of a roach among you,a and here's
half a crown for him."
The d~cnkeyman's black %rorefnger
his greasy cap.
AS for the rest, your mothers must
nave sucked you on pigeons milk and
then sent you to a girls school to dry
nurse. You pack of beauties. Oh, YOU
White lvered bobby hunted gems! II
the thing was found-well, found it
was. and the donkeyman brought it on
deck. What do you want to foul the
clean air with your foul. sinking car
casses before the watch was out? I'll
log every man of you for this-yes.
Mr.: McF,ee and Mr.. Second and Mr.