Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-08


these little California wind TANNERS.
l was pretty busy, but 1 heard dis
tinctry Handy Solomon's voice behind
me:
III kill you sure, you greaser, as
soon as my hands are freer'
And some muttered reply from the
Mexican.
The wind hit us hard, held on few
moments and moderated to stiff puff.
There followed the rain, so of course L
knew it would amount to nothing. l
was just STOPPING to throw the stops
off the staysail when 1 felt myself
seized from behind and forced rapidly
toward the side of the ship.
OF course 1 struggled. The Japa-
nese have q little trick to fool a man
who catches you around the waist
from behind. 1t is part of the jiu jitsu
taught the Samurai, quite different
proposition from the ordinary police
man jiu jitsu." l picked it up from
friend in the nobility. 1t came in very
handy now, and by good luck roll of
the ship helped me. In a moment
| stood free, and Perdosa was picking
himself out of the scuppers.
The expression of establishment was
fairly well done-I will say that for
him-but l was prepared for histrion-
| les.
"Senorr he gasped. ''Eet is YOU.
; Sacrosanta Maria, l thought YOU was
dat Solomon, Pardon me, senior! Par
don! Have / hurt you?
He approached me almost wheeling.
| could have laughed at the villain.
1t was all so transparent. He no more
mistook me for Handy Solomon then
| he felt any real enmity for that person
But. being angry and perhaps little
scared. beat him to his quarters with
n Delaying pin.
| On thinking the matter over, how
| ever, | failed to see all the ms and
| outs of it. l could understand a desire
| to get rid of me. There would be one
less of the afterguard, and then, too,
knew too much of the mems senti=
mcnts if not of their plans. But why
all this elaborate farce of the mock
quarrel and the alleged mistake?
Could it be to guard against possible
failure? l could hardly think it worth
while. My only theory was that they
had wished to test my strength and
determination. The whole affair, even
on that superstition. was childish
| enough, but | referred the exaggerated
cunning 10 Handy solomon and con-
siGered it quite adequately explained.
1t is minor point but subsequently
| I
rect. / was to he saved because none
of the conspirators understood naviga-
ton.
The next morning l approached Cap
tain Selover
Captain" said l, Il think it my
duty to report that there is trouble
brewing among the crew."
"There always is he replied. un-
moved
But this is serious. DR.. Schermer-
horn came aboard with a chest which
the men think hold treasure. The
other evening Robinson overheard him
tell his assistant that he could easily
fill the box with diamonds. OF course
he was merely illustrating the value
|
inson thinks and has made the others
think that the chest contains some
thing to make diamonds with. l am
sure they intend to get hold of it
The, affair is coming 10 head"
| Captain Sclover listened almost in.
differently.
Il came back from the islands last
year" he piped, with 100000 worth
of pearls. There was sixteen in the
crew, and every man of them was
blood hungry for them pearls. They
had three or four shindies and killed
one man over the proper way to divide
the loot after they had got it. They
didn't get it. Why?" He drew his
powerful figure to its height and
spread his thick arms out in the lux
ury of stretching. "Why?" he repeat.
ed. eXhaling abruptly. Because their
captain was Ezra Selover. Well. Mr.
Eagen," he went on crisply, Captain
Ezra Selover is their captain, and they
know it. They'll talk and palaver
and git into dark corners and sharpen
their knives and perhaps fight it out
as to which ones going to work the
monkey doodle business in the doc
tors chest and which ones going tC
tie up the sacks of them diamonds
but they won't git any farther as LONG
as Captain Ezra is on deck"
yes" I objected, but they NEAR
business. Last night in the suual
one of them tried to throw me over
board"
Captain Selover grinned.
''What did you do?" he asked.
''Hazed him to his quarters with 1,
Delaying PIN
well, that's all settled then, ism
it? What more do you want?"
/ stood undecided.
Il can take care of myself" he wen
, on. you ought to take care of your
, self. Then there's nothing more t,
do"
He unused a moment
You have n oIlD Of course y, ha a.,