The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-02-11
HAPTE ~.
In Which Meet NV Crew,

IN WHICH ] Meet MY Crew.
The polite hotel clerk halted me as
/ passed his desk on the way out with
Information that a drunken naval Off
cer-evidently Sanchez-had been
there twice already seeking me, had
also asked for Lord Darlington, and
would return again at ten o'clock. |
thanked him, smiling to myself, won
dering If the English nobleman was
to be challenged also, and promptly
disappeared into the night without.
The unfortunate affair with the ag-
grieved lieutenant bad become a small
matter no longer troubling me.
! / have wandered by night through
most of the seaports of the world,
knowing well the intricacies and dark
places of Port Said, Melbourne and
Calcutta, but l doubt if even the un
~speakable orient can equal for dirt,
squalor, crime and peril those narrow,
crooked alleyways where sailors most
do congregate against the Valparaiso
waterfront. Here gather in bestial
riOting the of the South seas,
and here flourish their parasites. Any
night a trip alone through those foul
lanes Is of the kind to test strong
nerves; but OF this special occasion.
the way filled with pandemonium and
drunkenness, the entire city a riot
OF noisy violence, the populace aroused
to fierce hate toward all foreigners,
the passage was n of constantly re-
curing danger. The street lights, few
and far between, were mere blotches
Of color winking feebly at the sur
rounding darkness, the rough cobble-
stone pavement underfoot was irregu-
lar and deceitful, while drunken
crowds, either quarrelsome or maui
dinghy affectionate, surged aimlessly
about, gesticulating and yelling with
Latin fervor. However. l knew the
way well, and kept myself hidden from
observation by lowering close beneath
the protecting shadows of the build
ings, drawing we'll back within door
ways to permit the noiser parties of
jewellers to pass, and then hurrying
forward along the deserted streets. l
stumbled over the body of more than
m drunken man, while sounds of
Quarreling were borne to me through
the open door of every low taproom l
passed. The scum Of Valparaiso had
come to the top, the fires of hell burn
Ing hercely.
Pedro Rodrigues' den stood some
what back from the narrow lane 1t
fr0nted, flanked and concealed by
taller buildings on either side. 1t was
ramshackle. wooden affair, sagging
sadly at one corner, the half dozen
steps leading to the open door being
only dimly lighted. AS 1t was a we'll
known resort, f%reQuented almost en-
hrely by foreign seamen who would
Dcarcely be safe on the streets such
! night rs this. 1t was no surprise to
aiscover the taproOm densely
crowded with sailor-men, and to dis
. voice singing Justify in Wig
,rous English, to an accompaniment
u glasses pounding upon the rough
Indeed, q wild, hilarious mob
me loudly as ! pressed aside
he heavy curtain and stepped within.
cast q quick. comprehensive glance
,ver the faces, upturned through the
.~nveloping haze-Swedes and Firms
the North sea-, Dutchmen OF the
Baltic, hairy Engl1shmen from the
Yankees OF the West Allan
ic. beach-combers from out Of the
South seas, with here and there q
,egro or brown-faced Kanaka to add
the variety. Faith, 1t was q choice
collection. as though the wide waters
# the world had been skinned to
ring together that rare crew Of beau
les. Perched high upon 9 table. his
ong legs encased In g boots. seated
lstride = chair, sat the singer, his
mop Of coarse red hair standing erect,
a. NV that of ! bulldog, the scar OF
resent knafe wound showing CHASTITY
leroee 800 cheek. his blue shirt open