The Washington times., 1908-12-24
CHAPTER XVIII.
AN ASTOUNDING DECISION.


TX THiLE Jim sat huddled and
N/ desolate on the deck OF his
v v lonely shallop, stricken with
the greatest disappointment
OF his life, he was the subject OF a
lively discussion on board the Terre
Haute.
Shortly before {. message concerning
him had flashed into the wireless room,
and been promptly transmitted 10 the
captain.
BIZ. BIZ. click click. click it had
come Hold J. d. Harrison, now
aboard your ship. for delivery TO Ameri-
can authorities at Manila Wanted on
serious Federal charge of sw1ndling. -
OF course. the news soon penetrated
to the ward room. and there formed
the subject for a wealth Of argument
and speculation.
Some one happened to have an old
newspaper which he hunted out. and
thus the details OF the Santa Teresa
scandal we're refreshed in their mem
cries
1T certainly looks black for him.
admitted the lieutenant who had
headed the rescue party IN the fog, as
he glanced up from the printed ac-
count; yet somehow I can't believe
that bluf and breezy chap is the oily
sCounorel this makes him out"
No. chhned in the one who had
gone out TO the sIoop. 1t takes a
pretty big spot Of yellow in a man
TO stand for that sort of a game, and
this Harrison, I'm here 10 tell you, is
grit clean through"
'Pshawl' sneered an ensign, more
youthful, and consequently less Ieni-
ent in his judgments. You fellows
class a mere show OF reckless au-
dacity as pluck. This sailing OF in
an open boat, or standing of a bunch
Of sIvages, for that matter, is all very
fine; but compare it with the other side
Of the picture and he thumped down
his fist upon the open newspaper
Here are undeniable facts Widows
and orphans have been feeCed 20 their
last penny by lying promises and
every resource Of rotten fraud, and II
is plainly proven that this man Har-
rison was the responsible agent ]
say he IL a scoundreI, and it viii take
more than his putting of to sea in
that sloOp 10 make me change my opin-
ion.
BY love" he added. mo wonder he
was so insistent on taking her in
charge He knew undoubtedly that
the officers would be waiting for him
at Manila"
Sure assented the wag OF the
coterio, removing his cigar. Prob
ably had the whole thing fixed I'm ad-
vance, so that we would run into his
boat just at the point we did. Shouldn't
doubt, either. that her captain COM
mitted suicide just TO obIige him"
oh, OF course. finding his boat that
way was an accident" snapped the en-
sign, reddening under the storm or
laughter at his expense; but 1 notice
he wasn't slow in taking advantage
OF 1t. II was the Old Man. wouldn't
let him slip through my fingers so
easily I'd s'our these seas for a month
but what I found him
The old Msn'," rebuked one Of his
elders, probably thinks like most OF
the rest OF US. that the civilian author
tiles can attend to their own knitting. -
Aren't we all working for the same
Government Isn't it our emitting
too, TO see that a criminal is handed
over 10 the law"
Certainly, and IL the man we're on
the ship, he would be held and de-
livered all right TO the people that want
him. But since he- got away without
our connivance and before the news
reached US that he was wanted, II is
their business, not ours, to hunt hin,
up again We might be a year poking
around these various islands and chan
nels- No, thank you; the Terre Haute
has more important matters to attend
to-"
The ensign started to make a heated
response; but one Of the older men
broke in TO pour oil upon the troubled
waters by reverting TO the earlier argu-
ment
Without passing on the question as
to whether he should go after our late
he smiled, "or, indeed as i
TO whether or not he may be guilt. I
must say that our young friend wonder
Is right about one thing. Mere nb,sI-
cal bravery is no proof OF honesty or
I saw a vicious little New
York pickpocket once dive into river
floating with ice to rescue a woman
fallen from a Eerryboat, and the most
gallant action I saw in all the, Spanish
war was performed by a wife-beater.