The San Francisco call., 1908-08-30
REVE NGE,Ay~ Rsr.cese,z Gbbore

clerk answered him. He wants to, in
s fact wouldn't miss it for anything"
The captain frowned little
Not quite so much talk, ne said
You can take 1t from me enat sou am
got a voice like nightingale
And isn't that 1ucky? asked the
c1arL sweetIv Because II wouldn't be
wasted on you If had
The captain let the retort pass and
entered the consufs private room
The consul looked I'D as ne came
Ia and ceased to write. For a moment
his look brought back the captains old
uneasiness- 80.
matter OF shipping You back TO the
states. captain" said the consul
meant you to sail by the mai DOdt' Out
there was difficulty
..Fuu up I suppose" suggested the
captain. But this amt the passenger
season. is itT'
The consul shook his head. 1T
wasn't that, he said Bue her cap
tain was here Just now. and he said he
wouldn't carry you. Wouldn't have
you aboard his ship at any price, and
Trncle Sans consul could go TO To-
phet. What do you think of that?'
The captain stared The others face
was impassive, but the lronlcai look IN
his eyes had given way to something
care to meet
That's queer" he said. with dry
throat -Did-did he say why2s
The consul nodded. Yes, he an
swered, 'he said why.
There was a space of silence In that
pleasant room. while the captains
brain raced The mate must have told
the tale, he thought, and yet"
Why, them he asked.
The consul rose. Look here, he
~
dow. He pointed over the garden to
the bright water of the harbor below
them. The captain shaded his eyes
and looked.
Battered, with buIwarks preached
and her jury rig ragged and desperate.
the ship that was anchored below was
still the Croquil1-
He knew her at once. with leap OF
the heart that flushed his face with
blood For the moment terror slack
ened his features and his lower lip
dropped. The consul turned his eyes
away, not to see the mans struggle
to command himself. 4.
'Who-who brought her in?" asked
the captain at last. He breathed as
though he had been running His last
hope was that the men had left her on
a raft and the ship been salvaged by
some passing vessel. The consul read
the hope as though 1t had been spoken.
He shook his head and reached across
his desk to the bell push.
They did," he answered. Captain,
I'm sorry for any man that gets found
out in a business like this because
it's the end of him. But I can't help
you; you've gone out Of my reach"
His thumb descended on the button;
the bell tinkled outside.
IF you'd just robbed or murdered
there's places you could live and hold
your head up among others OF your
kind" the consul went on But you
can't; the worst toughs in the ports
would join to lynch you tell you this
for your own sake"
He paused; there was a sound OF
heavy feet shutting in the passage
outside. The captain stood like a
man on the drop.
And can tell you more" added the
consul IF you'd been only a coward
it wouldn't have happened. But you
bulldozed your crew till they were
ready to die to be rid Of you They
put this up for YOU"
The door was opening now. you
were trapped, concluded the consul
And. on his word. there entered the
carpenter and the men OF the CroquilI
They trOd the clean floor gingerly,
grotesque figures in that pleasant
apartment in their stained rags with
the smirch and scars of labor and
peril upon them The white haired
q
indomitable veteran. in whose years
was nothing venerable. The shyuess Of
sailors ashore constrained them. but
they all looked to the smart. kindly
consul and none of them to the man
who had shrunk back upon their en-
try.
Well men," said the consul. lets
get this over. You've done well by the
ship; it'll not be forgotten. And now
for the other matter He waved a
hand to where the captain stood
You all know Captain Table" he OBJ
served.
The white haired sailor raised his
head and looked at the captain. He
smiled family but in his eyes his un-
forgiving hate shone herceiy. He shook
his head slowly.
mo. sir" he answered. with DELHI
crate significance. There's none OF US
knows hinl-to speak to-"
'Ahl" The consul shrugged his
shoulders
They made no way. He had to go
around them as he passed to the still
open door, and not a man turned his
head as he went by. The last thing
he saw as he left the room was their
backs; their sober silence daunted him
like a jeering crowd. The clerk in
the outer Office was whistling as he
strode by the door; the tune followed
him into the sunlight 1t was Rio
Grande."