The Springdale news., 1909-03-09

1 blows, HuI II uld CotHe tp bidtk i0oha on meeting muttered oaths growls of enmiry every time they happened to 1 pa each other on the deck Perdosa was not so bad. His Mexican blood inclined him to the histrlonic, and his Mexican cast lent itself well to evil 1 looAS But Handy Solomon for the first time in my acquaintance with him was ridiculous.
 About this time we crossed into ire aucnt thunders. One evening just at dark We made out heavy black squall. Not knowing exactly what weight lay behind it. 1 called up all hands We tucked the staysail and fofesail. lowered the peak of the main sail and waited 10 feel of if. rough and ready seamanship often used fn these little California wind tanners. 1 was pretty busy. but l heard dis tinetly Handy Solomons voice behind me:
 I'll kill you sure, you greaser, as soon as my hands are ffee."
 And some muttered reply from the Mexican.
 The wind hit us hard. held on few moments and moderated to q stih pull 1 There followed the rain so of course l knew it would amount to nothing. l was just stepping to throw the stops off the staysail when felt myself seized from behind and forced rapidly toward tine side of the ship.
 Of course I struggled The Japa- nese have little trick 10 fool man who catches you around the waist from behind. It Is part Of the jiu 1ttsh taught the Samurai, quite different proposition from the ordinary police man iiu iitsue 1 picked It up from q friend in the nobility. 1t came in very 1 handy now, and by good luck rott of the ship helped me. III moment I l stood free. and Perdosa WAS picking himself out of the seuppers.
 The expression of astouishment was fairly well done-I will say that for hm-but WAS prepared for histfion= 1 ies.
 "Senor..e he gasped "Eet is you. Sacrosanta Maria, l thought you was dat Solomon. Pardon me, senor, Par don, Have I hurt your
 He approached me almost wheedling. I could have laughed at the villain. 1 It 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. I beat him to his quarters with Il belaying pin.
 On thinking the matter over. how eyer failed to see all the ins and outs of f. could understand desire to get rid of me There would he ole less of the afterguard. and then, too, l knew too much of tile men'S senti. ments if not of their plans. But why all this elaborate farce of the mock quarrel and the alleged mistake3 Could it be to guard against possible failureG I could hardly think it wortl while. Ny only theory WAS that they had wished to test ny strength and determination The whole affair, exen oh that suppoSition. was childisf enough. hut referred the exaggerated cunning to Handy Solomon and cot sidered it quite adequately explained It is a minor point. but subsequently I learned that this snrmise was cor rect I WIS tt be saved because naai of the eonsplrators understood nayiga ton.
 The next morning I approached cap tain SeleSer.
 Captain. said I, "i think it ma | I,,f, fpnHh1, brewing among the crew"
 "There always is," he replied. un moved
 But this is serious pr. Schermer horn came aboard with a chest whcl the men think hold treasure. I'm other evening Robinson overheard hin tell his assistant that he could easily fill the box with diamoads. Of coars, he was merely Illustrating the yau, of some scientific experiment., but Rob inson thinks and has made the other think that the chest contains some thing to make diamonds with. l an sure they intend to get hold Of it The affair is coming to head"
 Captain seloyer listened almost in differently.
 "I came back from the islands last year he piBed. with S3oo,000 worti 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 10 divide the loot after they had got It. They 3f l. |. powerful figure to it's height an5 spread his thick arms out in the lux ury of stretching Why" he repeat ed. eXhaling abruptly Because theil captain was Ezra Seloyer. Well, Mir Eagen.' he went on erisply, "Captaif Ezra Selover is their captain, and they know 1t. They'll talk and palavel and git into dark corners and sharper 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 pusiAess Last HtSut III tue suHdl one of them tried to throw me over board"
 Captain Selover grinned.
 "What did you dof" he asked.
 "Hazed him to his quarters with 2 belaying pin
 Well. that's all settled then. ism 1t? What more do you want?'
 I stood undecided.
 "I can take care of myself" he went