The Wrangell sentinel., 1910-01-20
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John w. Harding
Copyright. 1908. by G. ". Dillins-
 ham Go.

q didn't come to see your quarters, captain. l came to-
 "I don't care what you came for, Mrs. Brooks" he declared, with mas todonian playfulness. q make it rule that everybody who drops ip here, man or woman, has got to listen to me spinring yarns. Now
 Emma was becoming more and more nervous.
 T know you will think me rude, but I can't delay" she insisted Joe is in great trouble, and some other time I'll hear the yarns"
 He rose with mock dignity.
 You're on my ship, Mrs. Brooks. Please remember every captain is mas and like it-mind you, say like it-I'u clap you In double irons for mutiny."
 Captain Williams" she pleaded, T 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, 'is ] 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 q crew who wouldn't adorn any high back rover Captain ' 4
 was any good 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:' she inquired. The bushy eyebrows came down un-
 til the lids were hidden, and his eyes,
 shining like live coals, were alone visi-
 ble as he directed his gaze upon her.
 Just how bad is that awful reputa- tion,' Mrs. Brooks:"
 They say" she returned, meeting his gaze steadily. that you have Do
 heart, no pity, in you; that you'd kill i
 man in those days with as little feel ing as I would kill a mosqutto.' Well, I 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 will bite you.
 Amt it."
 "Yes"
 T had men. Mrs. Brooks. who, if you let 'em go too far, they'd bite, and l if you let 'en bite too deep they'd kill. 1 Them were the early days of gsealers. It was a hard life, and it made hard
 men. I aint any better, but I guess l ain't no worse, than lots of others
 would be fixed just as I was at that 1 time.'
 I'm glad to hear you say that, cap tafn," she declared, seizing the oppor-
 tunity. Tt opens the way for the business I came on.' "Business:'
 "Yes. business ] But it's after business hours. Mrs.
 Brooks, and I ain't half spun my yarn.
 Now. over here I want to show you q 1 couple of spears I got from a lot of
 head hunters down in the Malay archi- l pelago. You may not know where that l 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. l was going ! ashore, seeing what was doing, when i this crew of ringers come down on Us l like a squal. We had an awful time l getting back to the boats, I tell you. 1 We were some cut up, and all got l out of the expedition was one of the 1 biz chiefs wives" l He looked into Mrs. Brooks eyes. 1 Took her back to Frisco with me- l he added. "Nomen were scarce ill l them timcs-cood locking ones"
 You took her away from where she
 belonced:" questioned Emma slowly
 and incredulously.
 i She was willing to 20. No one ever beat her about the ship. and she lived pretty much as she wantcd-thrae
 meals a day and no hard work "What became of herr"
 "Dicd-I guess from ovcrcatirg. You see them two little anchors that chairs made of:' l But she had recciled from him. shud-
 dering with horror and aversion.
 "she died from oyercating?" she in . terrogated. Have there been many l of those?"
 No; I learned lesson. put the rest on a diet"
 i Ha seemed to think that this was