Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-06

caught my eye. His own turned quiz
zical. He shifted his guild and begaa !,
to hum:
'"rhe bos'n laid aloft, aloft laid he,
Blow high blow low. what care we! II
There's a ship upon the wind'ard,
wreck upon the lee
Down on the coast of the high Bar
bare-e-e."
We had entered the trades and We're
making good time. l 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 fOrefOot the flying fish sped; /
the monsters pursued them. A tingle 4
of spray was in the air. 1t was all I
! very pleasant The red handkerchief |
around Solomon's head made a pretty |
spot of color against the blue of the |
sky and the darker blue of the sea.
Silhouetted over the fiawless white of |
the deckhOuse was the sullen, polished |
profile of the niger. Beneath me the |
ship swerved and leaped, yielded and |
recovered. / breathed deep and saw !
cutlasseS in harmless shadows. 1t was |
two years ago. l was yOung-then.
At the mess hour l stood in doubt. |
However, l was informed by the cap
tain's falsetto that | was to eat in the
cabin. AS the only other officer, l ate
alone, after the others had finished.
helping myself from the dishes left on
the table. 1t was a handsome cabin,
we'll kept, with white woodwork spot
lessly clean, leather cushions - much
better than one would expect. / after
ward found that the neatness of this
cabin and of the three staterooms was
maintained by the nigger-at the peril
of his neck. A rack held a dozen rifles,
five revolvers and, at last, my cutlass-
es. | examined the lot with interest.
They We're modern weapons-the new
high power 1910 box magazine rifle,
shooting government ammunition-and
had been used. The revolverS were of
course the old 45s. This was an ex-
traOrdinary armament for a peaceable
schooner Of 100 tons burden.
The rest of the cabins fittings were
not remarkable. BY the configuration
of the ship l guessed that two of the
staterooms must be rather large.
could make out voices within.
On deck l talked with Captain Sell
over.
shes a snug craft" approached
him.
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"
Captain Selover looked me direct in
: the eye.
"Talk straight, Mr.. Eagen,' said he.
d What is this ship and where is she
: bound!' 1 asked, with equal simple
ity.
: He considered.
las for the ship" he replied at
) length, Il don't mind saying. You're
my first officer, and on you l depend if
it comes lowell the small arms be-
q low. If the ships little under the
Il shade, why, SO are you. She's by way
of being called a manner of hard
J. names by some people. l do not see it
II myself. 1t is n matter of conscience.
If you would ask some interested,
L they would call her a smuggler, a
l thief, 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-
u try is free, and a Chink is a man. Be
e sides, it paid $40 head for the land
Z Ing. She has carried in a cargo or so
q | of innly lUinO tho hanch
where a fool master had piled it, and
l took what l found. l couldn't keep
II track OF Gle underwriters intentions"
e But the room forward broke in.
u well, you see, last season we were
Is pearl fishing"
- But you needed only your diver
9, and your crew. objected.
- There was the matter of japanese
II gunboat or So" he explained.
= "Poachingr' cried.
'e so some call it. The shells are
y there. The islands are not inhabited
l do not see how men claim property
beyond the tidewater. l have heard il
argued
, Hold on 1 cried. There was q
!, trouble last year in the Ishigaki Jims
n islands, where a poacher beat off the
NJ Oyama. 1t was a desperate fight
Captain Selover's eye lit up.
1--WE commanded a black brigantine
name of the Petrel," he admitted sim
=, ply. "She was a brigantine aloft, bu
40 allow she had much the same lines a:
al the Laughing Lass" He whirled OF
his heel to roll to one of the covered
10 yachts cannon. Looks like harm
less little toy to burn black powder
-, don't she?" he remarked. He stripped
O. off the tarpaulin and the false bras:
q muZzle to display as pretty LITTLE
ho Maxim as you would care to see
Now you know all about it," he said.
n Look here, Caatain Selover," 1 de
N manded, don't you know that I coulC
" blow your whole shooting match high
r. err than Gilderoy's kite? How do yol
no know l won't do it when l get back
How do you know / won't inform tn