The Springdale news., 1909-03-02
Have any of the crew 7"


 cigarette butt into the sea and turned l back
 Well, I wish you joy of your double wages" he moeked
 So he knew that, after all, How much more of his ignorance was pre- tended l had no means of guessing. 1 His eye gleamed sarcasticaly as lie sauntered toward the companionway. Handy Solomon was at the wheel. steering easily with one foot and an elbow Ills steel hook lay fully ex- posed, glittering in the sunlight. Oar. row glanced at It euriously and Ut the i mans headgear.
 "Well, my genial pirate he draw1- ed. If you had line to fit that hook you'd be equipped for fishing" The mans teeth barred like an animals. but i Darrow went on easily as though un- conscious of giving offense If 1 were you, I'd have it arranged so the hook would turn backwa as well as for ward. It would be handler for some i things fighting, for instance"
 He passed on down the companion Handy Solomon glared after him, then down at his hook He bent his arm this way and that, drawing the hook toward him softly as q cat does her claws His eyes cleared, and look of admiration crept Into them.
 By God, he's right he muttered, and after moment: I've wore that ten year and never thought of 1t. The little son of q guni' He remained staring for moment at the hook. Then he looked up and caught my eye His own turned quiz zieal He shifted his qud and began to hum:
 .The bos'n laid aloft. aloft laid he. Blow high. blow low. what care wei l There's 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 were making good time. was content to stay on deck, even Ill my watch be low. The wind was strong. the waves flashing, the sky very blue. From un- der our forefoot the flying fish sped, the monsters pursued them X jingle  very pleasant The red handkerchief around Solomon's head made pretty spot of color against the blue of the sky and the darker blue of the sea. Silhoaetted over the fiawess white ef the deekhouse was the sullen, polished profile of the Higger. Beneath me the ship swerved and leaped. yielded and l nyaFaH hpna hnH Hnan unH M eutlasses in harmless shadows. II WAS two years ago. I was young-then.
 At the mess hour 1 stood in doubt However, l was informed by the cap tain's falsetto that l was to eat in the cabin. As the only other officer, 1 ate alone, after the others had finished helping myself from the dishes left on the table. It was d handsome cabin, well kept, with white woodwork spot 1 lessly clean, leather cushions much 1 better than one would expect I after ward found that the neatness of this cabin and of the three staterooms was maintained by the nigger- the peril of his neck. A rack held d dozen rifles. l five revolvers and. at last, my cntlass es I examined the lot with interest. 1 They were modern weapons the new high power 3o-4o box magazine rife. shooting government ammunition-an and had been used. The revolvers were of course the old 4os. This was an ex- traordlnary armament for a peaceable l schooner of 150 tons burden
 The rest of the cabins fittings were l ,l.a l,ia n,+ ha tf.,n Ia. n of the ship guessed that two of the statefooms must be rather large. l could make out voices within
 on deck l talked with Captain Sel- over
 'She's snug craft, approached him.
 He nodded
 You have armed her well !"
 He muttered something of pirates and the China seas. l 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, Mir Eagen," said be
 What Is this ship and where is she boundf" l asked, with equal simplie- l fly.
 He considered.
 As for the ship he replied at length. T don't mind saying. You're my first officer, and on you depend if l 1t comes lowell, the small arms be- I low. If the ships little under the shade, why, so are you. She's by way of being called a manner of hard names by some people. I do not see 1t myself. It Is matter of conscience I If you would ask some interested, l they would call her smuggler, thief, wrecker and all the other evil titles in the catalogue. She has taken in Chlnks by way of Santa Cruz Is land. if that is smuggling, The eoun- 1 try Is free, and Ghink Is man. Be sides. it paid Sl0 head for the land ing She has carried in cargo or so of junk. It was lying on the bench where fool master had piled It, and took what I found I couldn't keep track of the underwriters intentions"
 But the room forward"- broke in.
 Well. you see. last season We were pearl fishing"
 But you needed only your diver and your crew." I objected.
 There was the matter of Japanese gunboat or so," he explained
 "Poaching!" cried
 ''So some call it. The shells are there. The islands are not inhabited.