The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-03-30
CONTINUED from last Issue.)

wreck upon the lee
Down on the coast OF the high Bar
| bare-e-e."
We had entered the trades and were
making good time. | was content to
stay on deck even in my watch be-
low. The wind was strong, the waves
dashing, the sky very blue. From I'M
der our forcfoot the flying fish sped;
the monsters pursued them. A tingle
of spray was In the air. Ii was all
very pleasant. The red handkerchief
Iaround Solomon's head made pretty
spot of color against the blue of the
sky and the darker blue of the sea.
SlhoueJted over the fIawbess white Of
| the deckhogse was the suEen. polished
profile Of the niger Beneath me the
ship swervcd and leaped. yielded and
recovered. breathed deep and saw
cutlasses in harmless shadows. 1t was
two, years ago. | was young-then-
| At the mess hour stood in doubt.
However. | was informed 10y the cap
tain's falseito that | was to eat in the
cabin. As the only other officer. ate
alone after the others had finished.
helping myself from the dishes left ON
the table. 1t was Il handsome cabin.
well kept, with white woodwork spot
lessly clean. leather cushions 80 much
better than me would expect. | after
ward found that the neatneSs of this
cabin and of the three staterooIns was
maintained by the nigger-at the peril
of his neck. a rack held dozen rifles.
Give revolvers and, at last, my cutlass-
es. | examined the lot with interest.
They were modern weapons -the new
high power 1910 box magazine rifle.
shooting government ammunition-and
had been used. The revolvers were of
course the old As. This was an ex-
t1ordinary armament for n peaceahle
schooner of 100 tons burden.
The rest of the cabins fittings were
not remarkable. BY the conhguration
of the ship | guessed that two of the
statcrooms must he rather large. |
could make out voices within.
ON deck talked with Captain Sell
over.
"she's a snug craft" approached
him. Va
He nodded.
"You have armed her we'll"
He muttered something OF pirates
and the China seas.
| laughed.
You have arms enough TO give your
crew about two magazine rifles apiece.
unless you filled all your berths for
ward
I In, Calnx,r u In
the eve.
Talk straight. Mr.. Eagen." said he.
what is this ship and where is she
boundY' l asked, with equal simple
ity.
1 He considered.
AS for the ship" he replied at
length, Il don't mind saying. You're
my first officer, and on you | depend If
1t comes towel. the small arms be-
low II the ships n little under the
shade, why so are you. She's by way
of being called a manner of hard
names by some people. l do not see 1t
myself. 1t is matter of conscience.
If you would ask some Interested,
they would call her a smuggler, "A
thief. n wrecker and all the other evil
titles in the catalogue. She has taken
IN Chinks by way of Santa Cruz is
| land, If that is Smuggling. The coun-
/ try is free. and chlnk is man. Be
sides. it paid so head for the land
/ ing She has carried In cargo or So
of junk. 1t was lying on the bench
where fool master had piled It, and
n ~ a..
track of the underwriters intentions.
But the room Forward broke in.
well, you see, last season we were
pearl fishing"
But you needed only your diver
aud your crew." l objected.
There was the matter of japanese
gunboat or So" he explained.
"Poachingr cried.
$50 some call It. The shells are
there. The islands are not inhabited.
| do not see how men claim property
beyond the tidewater. / have heard II
argued
Hold on | cried. There was 4
trouble last year in the Ishigaki Jima
islands. where poacher beat off the
Oyama. 1t was a desperate fight"
Captain Selover's eye lit up.
i've commanded black brlgantlne.
name of the Petrol" he admitted sim
ply. "She was brigantine aloft, but
allow she had much the same lines as
the Laughing Lass" He whirled on
his heel to roll TO one of the covered
yachts cannon. Looks like a harm
less little toy TO burn black powder.
don't shei" he remarked. lie stripped
off the tarpaulin and the false brass
muzzle to display as pretty little
Maxim as you would care TO see.
"Now you know all about it, he said
"Look here, Captain Selover," | de-
handed, "don't you know that ! could
blow your whole shooting match high
err than Gilderoys kite? How do you
know | won't do 1t when | get backf
How do you know | won't inform the
doctor at once what kind of an outfit
he has tied TOP
He planted far apart his thick legs In
their soiled blue trousers. pushed back