Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-06-15
The P1underers|
c. cUTLIFFE HYNE.

THE new and valuable steamer
which, though overinsured, is likely to
be reported lost is evidently TO have a
consignment of specie on board Five
hundred thousand pounds / fancy you
mentioned as the figure In the bllliara
room this morning. Well. If one is go
ing i'm for robbery-oT piracy, / suppose
II would turn out TO be in this instance
there's nothing like a large coup.
It's your uiggler who usually fails ana
gets laid by the heels Drive on, and
be little more explicit
Couldn't the steamer be lost some
how in the gulf Of Mexico and boat
containing the boxes of specie find it's
way through this channel OF yours IN
to the interior Of Florida?'
How lost2"
Mr.. Shelf mopped his forehead again.
Don't steamers" he asked. don't
they sometimes have sad accidents
which cause them 70 blow up?'
such things have been known But
it's rather rough on the crew, don't
you think
oh. poor fellows. yes. But a sailors
life is always hazardous. Indeed, what
can he expect with wages at their pre-
sent ruinous rate? Shipowners must
live"
"Oh, you beauty" said Patrick Cam
bel
Il must ask you to refrain from these
comments, sir But, tell me, before /
go any further in this confidence, am
/ 10 count upon your assistance
That depends upon many things. To
begin with therel have TO be modit-
cations before l dabble. I'm not obuu-
sively squeamish about human life-my
own or other peoples. on occasion /
bagged my man because he had twice
shot AT me. Still piracy, complicated
with what practically amounts 70 muir
der, is an art which haven't trafticked
I'm as yet. and, curious TO relate, /
don't intend 10 begin Your scheme is
delicious in its cold bloodedness, but it
would look better if il We're toned down
a trifle. BY the way, better help your
self 10 a drink Your nerves are In
such a joggie that | fancy you'll faint
II you don't. l notice there's no blue
ribbon on your evening dress. Humph.
That's a second mates nip--fOur fin
gers II IT'S a drop. Apparently you're
used to this BY the way, what honor
arium do you propose l should take for
engineering this piece OF rascality in
your favor2"
Il win give you $500"
Now, would you really? Not even
guneasF
Mr. Cambel, I'll make it a thousand.
There"
Mr.. Theodore Shelf. when a monkey
wants cat to pull chestuuts Tor him
out Of the fire, he first has 10 be
stronger than the cat. You don't oc-
Cupy that cuviabie position. In fact /
have the Whiphand OF you I'm every
way. We need not partiCularize but
you can sum the items for yourself
Now, I'll make YOU am offel-half ot all
the pluuder and entire control of every
My God, do YOU want to ruin me?"
Il don't care in the least if ! do.
Your welfare doesn't interest me. Ny
services are on the market with a priX
fiXe You can take en- or leave EN-.
That's final"
Shelf burst into a torrent Of expos
tulatious exciting himself more and
more as he went ON, till at last he stood
before the other, with gripped fists and
the veins ridged down mis- neck mar
ticulate with fury
Cambel heard him out with con-
temptuous smile, but when the man had
stormed himself into silence then he
spoke
when one trades in life and death.
the brokerage is heavy. You have heard
my offer. If YOU don't like il, say SO
without further palaver, and I'll leave
you noW-with your conscience, if YOU
have a rag of such a commodity left. -
You may sit where you are, replied
Shelf sulenly.
"Well and good. That means to say
my terms are accepted. III pin you to
them later. But for the present let me
observe 20 you something else, so that
there may be no misunderstanding be-
tween us. I've been rambling up and
down the world half my life. and I've
met blackguards of most descriptions
In every iniquitous place from Callao
20 Port Said-forgers, thieves, muir
derers Of nearly every grade Of pro-
ficienCy-but they say that the prime
of everything gets TO London, and
verify believe now that il does, for, by
Jove, YOU are the most pernicious
scoundrel Of all the collection
Sir" thuudered Shelf. "am / to lis
ten 10 these foul insults in my own
house?"
"Oh, I quite understand the obliga-
tions Of bread and salt, but you are be-
yond the pale Of that You are a
noXious beast who ought to be stamped
out. But you can be useful to me, so
l shall hire myself out to be useful to
you. But / have brought these un-
pleasant facts under your notice to let
you thoroughly understand that | have
summed you up from horns TO hoofs,
and TO point out TO you that | wouldn't
give q piastre for your most sacred
word OF honor. We shall be bound to
one another in this precious scheme by
community Of interests alone, and If
you can swindle me you may Only
look out for the consequences if you
do try it on. ! never yet left a score
unpaid"
Were Arcades ambo, rascals both,
only were different varieties of rascal.
! know you pretty thoroughly. and If
you don't know me as we'll possibly you
will before We've done with one an
other.
And now, If it please you. Wen go
into the minuter details Of this piece
OF Yillainy and sketch out definitely
how we are to steal this half a million
In specie and this valuable steamer
without committing more murder than