The Lamar register., 1910-06-01


sea sbort.banded However blind the shipping
commissioner might be in other ways, he saw
to IL that the shipping laws we're obeyed as 10 the
number of men required for types and tonnage Oh
ships. man might never have seen the sea-
but IL he were not too drunk to say he was an
able seaman and to sign his name TO the ships
articles. that settled It, He would probably be an
able seaman or n dead greenhorn before mis- snip
reached port.
This official insistence on the letter of the law
sometimes caused the kings to do strange things.
Toward the end of the season they were at times
hard pushed for one or two men to NIL out
crew. Then did all men In sailortown not In the
kings special favor hunt cover and stay hid UNI
I'll the last ship out Of sight beyond the bar
For Jack and Pete were no respecters OF persons.
All men looked alike to them and they sent to
more than one who held himself too acute to
be trapped into unwilling voyage Well-edu-
Gated. welldressed and companionable. the kings
mixed with the best and worst that drifted into
their realms. and once in their clutches no man
escaped from them except by the open sea-
Jimmy Hunter Yale man and cowpuncher.
went down to the waterfront alone one day.
against the advice of the upper town. to see the
sights. He wise to the world and had a
years thirst and pay with him. He met the kings.
who were glad to him. Just one more man
was needed for the squarerigger Good Hope, then
lying in the stream waiting for a crew. with her
captain. Black. swearing at Jack and Pete for
delaying him. The kings attended to Hunters
thirst and were friendly. even confidential. No
secret was made of their trade. They told him
stories of shanghaied sailormen and of crews they
had stolen from ship for another He
much interested. Jack took him up to the ship
ping commissioners to the crew of the Good
Hope shipped. He was even asked to and did
sign his name twice "as witness" A
friend from the upper town risked broken head
to him. But the Sherman boys were also
fricnds-at least three hours od-and. anyhow.
he could take care of himself
At last he caught Pete in attempt to drug
his whisky and left the kings. with laughing
comment sailo-town ways. Well outside the
deadline he stopped in a quiet saloon. 1t was
late and he and the lonesome bartender had
nightcap together. When he came alive next
morning he at in the Good Hope and
beefy English mate was kicking him in the ribs.
OF the months that followed Hunter never
told much. He learned sailors work. he had to.
He picked up n two from the English
mates brass knuckles. Also he acquired deep
desire to kill the kings of sailortown Captain
Black aud the mate.
At last he found himself in the consuls office
at Dunkirk. France. dressed in the clothes he had
when he met the Sherman boys. For won
was in United States territory again. and. first
off. he would square yards with Captain Black.
But-the consular agent wes Frenchman who
would neither speak English understand
Hunters French unless he wanted to. Captain
Hunter told his troubles When he had finished.
spread out two papers, the ships articles and
advance note" "Ees thees votre nom?" he
asked. 1t He remembered his signing "as