The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-03-12
CHAPTER vi
(COntinued)

| ing TdtneT freely, caught the 1nfec
ton. / cannot speak with certain
ty, but believe the excitement had
as much to do with my citation as
the whiskey. Anyway, between
the two my nervousness wore off
and l chatted and laughed as
though l were one of them. But
though I did not pay as much at
tention to the game as, In the ma
ture Of things, l ought, / still had
a sort of vague idea that Gupp and
the Portugee were doing little
hanky-panky on their own account
This idea presently became a Ger
tainty, and when Luz led the
king of clubs, the very card l held
in my hand, which the mate had
just dealt me, tossed it over to
f, the Portguee, saying:
Perhaps you'd like a pair OF
them, my man"
With that l rose from the table
The follow also rose, and glarine
furiously at me he cried, in his hol
low, throaty, Portuguese way:
What do you mean by that, you
dog?"
In moment l saw the drift OF
things-saw how this climax had
been Systematically led up to. But
my own boldness amazed me.
81 mean," said /, that you're a
rogue, and l refuse to play with
you"
Rogue! You cal, me rogue, you
dog!" he screamed. 81 kill you, by
God! l kill you, by Cod"
He raved and hOwled like a mad.
man, and I wondered much why he
did not fly at me.
Come, come" said Macshiel;
"this Is serious charge, Mr.. Ra-
vensford. l think you had better
apologize before it goes any fur.
Their"
That man is cheat. and re-
fuse to apologize"
"But Luiz is very excitable," he
whispered confidentially, and yet
with a meaning which l guessed.
''He may hurt you"
COR | him."
"Vat you say?" shrieked the
fellow, his horrid black eyes work
ing convulsively, his ugly face
livid with rage.
Il say that you're damned
scoundrel and for two pins I'd
kick you out of the saloon!"
His hand, which l had noticed
him slip round to his nip, was
here brought to view, and in it he
held a sailors long sheath knife
With a savage cry he leant across
| the table as if to stab me. But
had guessed his intention, and
was prepared. Drawing quickly,
had him covered.
''If you move another inch, I'll
| fire!"
The fellow stood transfixed, his
ugly eyes peering into the barrel
of the revolver, which could not
have been two feet from his fore
head.
Now, drop that knife-drop it.
or I'll put bullet through you!"
| With an angry gesture he
flung the knife on the table
where it stuck quivering.
"Now, get out of this" I said
land see that you keep out of it
while I'm here"
| The Portugee retreated step by
step, and, muttering something in
his own disgusting lingo, bolted
up the companion.
Turning to the captain, I smiled
and said:
81 must apologize. Captain Mac
shiel. But the fellow was a
rogue-a fact of which you could
have had not the least conception.
mot the least" said he, with a
dubious smile. 81 had always
thought LUZ an exceptionally hon
est fellow, as he is undoubtedly a
first class engineer"
First class" echoed the two
subordinates.
81 have no wish to question his
abilities as an engineer" said
loftily, though the frequency with
which we have broken down might
lay him open to suspicion. Fol
myself, l have no great liking fol
foreign scum, and / prefer not tc
meet it,"
Having gone so far, thought il
just as well to carry things with q
high hand. To have faltered then
would have been fatal.
LUZ must have been very
drunk" said Macshiel, an uneasy
smile Pickering across his face. 81
always knew he was inclined to be
quarrelsome, but I had no idea he
could so far forget himself. You
are sure you are not mistaken in
the cards?'
Quite. Your friend Luiz may
be an excellent specimen of the
engineer, but he is not a good card
player"
NO" said he significantly
"Tm afraid he's not. Anyway, I'm
glad he didn't hurt you"
The skipper grinned unpleasant
ly, while his two officers stared un
easily at each other, their rogues
faces lined with anxiety. One
wrong move would have set fire
to their smoldering irritation, and
wished them good night, and with
an air Of splendid composure went
to my room.
CHAPTER VII.