Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-10-21


and ike it-mind You, l say like It'll
clap you in double irons for mutiny"
Captain Williams" she pleaded, Il
am sure that you would not dis
please
"This little fore and after, Mrs
Brooks he broke in, picking up the
model Of the ship on the mantel, sis
model of the Sally Moran my first
command out Of Frisco. That's her
wheel up there over the door. She
laid the cornerstone of my fortune, but
she taught me how to fight and have
nerve. Took her up into the north Pa
cific sealing and then down on the Jap
anese coast. Had crew who wouldn't
adorn any high back rover Captain
Kidd ever could wish for. If there
was any gsod In that schooner God
must "a saw It first and hit It,"
To humor him she had advanced to
the mantel.
And is that where you got your
awful reputation p she inquired
The bushy eyebrows came down IN
I'll the lids were hidden, and his eyes,
shining like live Goals, were alone visi-
BILE as he directed his gaze upon her.
Just how bad Is that awful reputa-
ton, Mrs Brooks?p
They say" she returned, meeting
his gaze steadily, that you have no
heart, no pity. in you; that you'd kill
man in those days with as little feel
Ing as / would kill mosquito"
well, l guess the reason you'd kill a
mosquito isn't because it's just mos
quito and that you'd like to kill it, but
because you're afraid it win bite you.
Amt it?"
Eyes"
Il had men, Mrs Brooks, who, If
you let em go too far, they'd bite, and
if you let 'em bite too deep they'd kill.
Them were the early days Of sealers.
1t was a hard life, and 1t made hard
men. l amt any better, but / guess /
amt no worse, than lots of others
would be fixed just as was at that
time"
Pm glad to hear you say that, cap
TAIN" she declared, seizing the oppor-
tunity. 1T opens the way for the
business came on"
Business p
Yes, business"
but it's after business hours, Mrs.
Brooks, and / amt half spun my yarn.
Now, over here / want to show you a
couple OF spears l got from a lot Of
head hunters down in the Malay archi-
pelago. You may not know where that
Is, but I've always had an idea it's
where God battened down the devil
after that first big row they had you
read about in the Bible / was going
ashore, seeing what was doing when
this crew Of niggers come down on us
like a squall We had an awful time
getting back to the boats. 1 tell you.
We were some cut up, and all 1 got
out Of the expedition was one OF the
big chiefs wives"
He looked into Mrs. Brooks eyes.
''Took her back to Frisco with me-"
he added. women were scarce In
them times-good looking ones"
You took her away from where she
belongedT' questioned Emma slowly
and incredulously
"she was willing to go. No one ever
beat her about the ship, and she lived
pretty much as she wanted-three
meals day and no hard work"
'What became Of herY
"Died-I guess from overeating. You
see them two little anchors that chairs
made OFT"
But she had recoiled from him, shud-
dering with horror and aversion.
"She died from overeatingT' she in
terrogated. Have there been many
of those?'
"No; l learned a lesson. I put the
rest on a diet'
He seemed to think that this was
particularly clever and humorous, for
he burst into a loud guffaw.
Emma did not laugh. She was more
disguised and apprehensive than ever.
The clock struck II.
Did you hear that?" she said. Il
must insist that you let me talk over
what l came here for"
''Elevenl 1t amt late" be replied
coaxingly. Would you like little
something to drink? It's hot tonight"
mo, / thank YOU"
You can have it just as well as not"
Il don't care for it,
"An right. only thought l might
get it for you. You see, when heard
you were coming here / sent my Jap
away"
''Whygv
What he don't know won't hurt
him"
rs there anything, captain. you're
afraid he'll find outY she demanded
frigidly.
sit down-there, opposite me. was
only thinking Of you"
Joe has stolen some money from
you"
TOO bad Too badr'
How much is it?'
What do you want to know forr'
II am his wife. 1t is my business to
know"
"Tbere Won 90. talking business