Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-18

here on THIS spot LOT long tiiHe.
"a year and five months" reckoned
Thrackles.
"a man can do a lot in that time"
"If he's busy"
They've been busy"
Eyes"
"Wonder what they've done?"
There was no answer to this. and
the sea lawyer took a new tack.
81 suppose we're all getting double
wages?'
That's so.''
"And that's say four hunder' for us
and Mr.. Eagen here. suppose the old
man don't let the schooner go for moth
ing"
1.-TWO hundred and fifty a month"
words back.
They cried out in prolonged aston
ishment.
Seventeen months" pursued the To-
gician after few moments. He scratch
ed with a stub of lead. That makes
over $1,000 since we've been out How
much do you suppose bis outfit stands
lim?" he appealed to me.
I'm sure can't tell you" l replied
shortly.
"Well, it's pile of money anyway"
Nobody said anything fer some time.
"Wonder what they've done?' Pull
| asked again.
Something that pays big" Thrac-
kles supplied the desired answer.
Dat CHS - suggested Perdosa.
"Voodoo"- muttered the niger.
That's to scare us out" said Handy
solomon. with vast contempt. That's
what makes me sure it is the chest"
Pulz muttered some of the jargon Of
| alchemy.
That's it." approved Handy Solo,
mon. of we could GET
1--WE wouldn't know how to use it"
interrupted Pull.
| The book said Thrackles.
| We'll. the book asserted Pulz
pugnaciously. How do you know
what it will be? 1t may he the philos-
| ophers stone and it may be one Of
these other things. And then where'd
we beT'
| 1t was astounding to hear this non
sense banded about SO seriously. And
yet they more than half believed, for
| they were deep sea men of the old
school, and this was in print. Thrac-
kles voiced approximately the general
attitude.
philosophers stone or not, some
things up. The old boy took too good
care of that box, and he's spending too
much money to be doing it for his
health"
"You know wat tink?' smiled Per
dosa. HE max dimons. He say
dat"
The niger had entered one of Aiis
black. brooding moods from which
these men expected oracles.
Get him ches'." he muttered. Il see
him FULFILL of dfmon's."
They listened to him with vast re-
spect and were visibly impressed. SC
deep was the sense of awe that Handy
Solomon unbent enough to whisper tC
me:
81 don't take any stock in the mig
gers talk ordinarily. He's fool mig
ger But when his eye looks like thai
then you want to listen close. He sees
things then Lots of times he's seer
things. Even last year-the Oyama-
he told about her three days ahead
That's why we were so ready for her.
be chuckled.
Nothing more developed for lons
time except savage fight between
Pulz and PerdoSa l hunted sheep
fished, wandered about, always witt
an escort tired to death before hC
started. The thought came to me e
kill this man and so to escape anC
make cause with the scientists. My
common sense forbade me. | begir
to think that common sense is a yer,
foolish faculty indeed
1t taught me the obvious-that al
this idle, vaporing talk was common
enough among men of this class, 81
common that it would hardly justify ;
murder. would hardly explain an un
warranted intrusion on those who EN-
ployed me. How would it look 70
me to go to them with these words il
my mouth:
The captain has taken to drinkin,
| W uull nc SIcW thihl
you are an alchemist and are maxim;
diamonds. Their interest in this fac
seemed to me excessive, so I kille'
one of them, and here / am"
"And who are your they could ask
Il am a reporter" would be my onl
truthful reply.
You can see the false difficulties o
my position. I do not defend my al
titude. Undoubtedly Born leader O
! men, like Captain Selover at his bes
would have known how to act wit
> the proper decision both now and i
the inception of the first mutiny. A
heart l never doubted the reality G
' the crisis.
Even Percy Darrow saw the SUI
liness of the mems attitudes and wit
his usual good sense OWNED the caus
you chaps are getting lazy" sal
he. "Why don't you do something
= Where's the captain?'
They growled something about Their
z being nothing to do and explained tina
: the paDtain prefprred tO live aboard