Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-07-06
CHAPTER VIII
GROUND BAIT.

( 4 VI lftAHollS Nitt I'blA E4GtS LOOK lIf
north about course that is. she
I headed across south Of the banks Of
Newfoundland nearly TO Game Hatteras
and then brayed the three knot current
of the gulf stream by passing down the
/ Florida channel on the western side Of
the Bahamas They had carried good
weather with them light head breozcs
or calms-all the way and although
Goals We're dear, owing 20 a strike, and
the days outlay was limited TO TWEEN
ty-eight tons by order the steamer
usually averaged 10ln knots despite the
unskllfulnees Of the engine room stan
In a canvas chair on the bridge deck
under III lee of thn fiddle sat Patrick
CmDel with pipe between his teeth
and Pierre Lofts "Faltome d'Oricnt'
! IN his lap. He was distinctly idung
For the moment he was wondering
how, from 50 transp sparently blue sea,
the spray which jumped from the wave
Crcsts could be COlorless and opaque.
Then by following with the eye a
tanglc of yellow gulf weed which float
ed 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
eve fell upon one of the screw pile
lighthouses with which the United
States government mas friuged tn"
Florida shoal. and on the far horizon
spouted the wilma thrashcd tops OF some
scattered cabbage palms which told
that there at least the shallow sea was
sea no more. At the back OF these
palms lay the mysterious shelter of the
Everglades.
a thought passed through Patrick
CambCls mind, a thought Of tho drama
10 be played under shelter Of those re-
ccsScs within the next few days and he
fruWned. He thrust the thought from
him as an impertincnCe and turned
again 10 his novel But he was des-
tined just tlen TO read no more from
that dainty Vignette Of Stampool
Through the grating of the fiddle
GDOVe his head came q frightened
shout, tnen chorus, then a prolonged
gathering IS iron tools were thrown on
the floor plates and the boots of
scared men smote the rungs OF the
Canlbel gave a quick smile to him
self as though he understood some
thing tnen mounted a lock of concern
on his face and getting IN from his
chair crossed to port and strode up TO
the break of the bridge deck The
captain, coming out of the cIarth0uSc
Joined him From the door Of the al
leyway beneath them rushed crowd
Of fright ned mcn-triGncrs, st0kcrs
stripped TO Il e waist; ,Ugirecrs i'm
dungar"c. all the hU,oe contents of
the lowest hold Kettle singled out
The chief With his eye and addressed
him with sour irony
Afternoon Mr.. McFee. Fine, isn't
II, for the time Of the year? Have your
ours forgotten they're paid to work this
steamboat up Mississippi river to n
city called New Orleans, or have they
induced the other watch to go below
and give them a spell?'
"Guid God, sir, dinna JEST replied
the chief 'Ye remember what Won
scOundrcl 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 he blCwed to the sea
floor any minute
sea whisky Sea graadmother,"
Man, sir, see with your own cen
BY Gods gudd mercy the donkeyman
picked il 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 donkeyman, half grinning.
half afraid, came up the iron steps ana
handed the captain a box painted to
look Ike a knob OF coal 1T was
ticking when l picked il up, sir" he
said. but when / handled it the lick
ing stopped"
The captain took the thing in his
hand. 1t started on a fresh cluck,
cluck, and the grimy men on the iron
decks below bumped their shoulders
as though TO better receive blow
and began to shuttle away toward the
bows. "Oh, II may be something dan
gerous," said Captain Kettle and hove
his burden over the side "or it mayn't.
Looked 10 me like a toy to frighten
fats, There's only one man with the
pluck Of a roach among you, and here's
hale crown for him"
The donkeyman's black forefinger
knuckled his greasy cap.
As FOR the rest, your mothers must
have sucked you on pigeons milk and
then sent you TO a girls school to dry
nurse. You pack OF beauties oh. YOU
white liyered bobby hunted gems! II
the thing was found well found il
was. and the dOnkeyman brought ii on
deck What do YOU want 10 foul the
clean air with your foul. sinking car
casscs before the watch WAS out? Til
log cycry man Of you for this--ycs.
MIR. McFee and Mr.. Second and Mr..
Third III dirty your tickets for you
as We'll and il you give me another
ounce of bother III take YOU none OF
YOU never get another berth so long
as the universe holds water to carry