The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-04-15
The Firm Of GirdIeStOne
BY "
A. CONAN DO YLE

graveIy. You must consider the In
terests Of the firm, Miggs We can't
afford to have a good port blocked
against our ships In this fashion. Did
they serve this writ on your"
Another niger brought 1t aboard"
''Did you read it?"
NO; / threw 1t oberboard."
"And what became of the negroY"
WELL" said Miggs with a grin.
when | threw the writ overheard he
happened to be a holdin' on to It.
SO, ye see, he went over, too. Then
UP anchor and scooted"
'"There are sharks about there"
"a few"
Really, Miggs," the merchant said,
you must restrain your sinful pas
sions. You have broken the Sixth
Commandment and closed the trade
sof Freetown to the Black Eagle"
ut never was worth a rap" the
sailor answered. 'T wouldn't give A.
cuss for any Of the British settle
ments. Give me real niggers, chaps
as knows nothing of law or civilizing
or any rot of the sort. 1 can pull
along with them"
II have often wondered how Won
managed it," Girdlestone said curl
ously. "You succeed in picking up a
cargo where the steadiest and best
men can't get as much as a bag of
nuts. How do you work it?"
There's many would like to know
that" Miggs answered with an ex-
pressive wink.
ut is secret then?
| We'll, it amt a secret to you, be-
cause you amt skipper and it don't
matter If you knows it or not. I
don't want to have 'em all at the same
game"
How is it. then?
''I'll tell ye," said Miggs. He SEEM
ed to have recovered his serenity by
this time, and his eyes twinkled as
he spoke of his own exploits. 81 gets
drunk with them. That's how does
| it."
"Oh, indeed"
"Yes, that's how it's worked. Lord
love ye, when these fust class certifl-
c1'ed, second cousin to an earl mer-
chant shippers comes out they move
about among the chiefs and talks
down to them as If they was tin Meth
uselahs on wheels. The Almighty's
great coat wouldn't make waistcoat
! for some o. these blokes Now when
| 7 InY,a oil inf n
the cabin, though they're black am
, naked, an the smell amt over an
above pleasant. Then l out with the
rum and it's help yourself an pass
the bottle, Pretty soon, dye see,
their tongues get loosened and as l
good idea o what's in the market
Then when l knows what's to be got
J It's queer If l don't manage to get
! it. Besides. they like little notice
| just as Christians does, and they
! remembers me because l treat them
we'll"
"An excellent plan. Miggs-a capt
tai plant" said the senior partner.
"You are an invaluable servant"
WELL" the captain said, rising
from his chair, I'm getting great
deal too dry with all this palaver
don't mind gettin' drunk with mig
ger chiefs, but I'm darned If I'll" =
He paused, but the grim smile on his
] companions face showed that he ap-
| preciated the compliment.
Il say" he continued, giving his
employer a confidential nudge with
his elbow, suppose we'd gone down
in the bay this last time, you'd
ha' been bit out in your reckoning
-eh, what?"
"Why so?"
We'll, we were over-insured on ouI
outward passage. An accident then
might ha' put thousands In youl
pocket, know. Coming back, though
the cargo was worth more than the
insurance, l reckon. You'd ha' beer
out o. pocket If we'd foundered. II
would ha' been case o. the engineer
hoisted on his own Peter. as Shake
speare says"
1--WE take our chance with thost
things" the merchant said with dig.
nifty.
''Well. good morning, guv'nor,'
Captain Hamilton Miggs said brus,
quely. when you wants me you can
lay your hands on me at the ole
crib, the Cock and Cowslip, Rother-
hithe."
AS he passed out through the once
Ezra rejoined his father.
He's a rum chap" he remarked
jerking n.s head In the direction
which Mlggs had taken. "I heard hin
believing like a bull, so l though
I had best listen to what he had Il
say. He's useful servant though"
"The fellows half q savage him
SELF" HIS father said. Hes in his
element among them. That's why h'
gets on so well with them"
''He doesn't seem much the worse
for the climate, either"
''His body does not, but his ideai
are shockingly immoral However
to return to business. l wish you b
see the underwriters and pay thu
premiums of the Black Eagle. II yoJ
see your way to 1t, increase the policy
but do 1t carefully, Ezra. and will
tact. She will start about the time o.
the equinoctial gales. If anything
should happen to her 1t would be al
well that the firm should have mar