Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-03-10
The DIAMOND SHIP
MAX PEMBERTON
Author of Doctor Xavier THE Hundred Days" etc.
Copyright by L. Appleton & c.

piSaSdhtlS' wen, Il DON'T UpO ]
matters much anyway. Ny mates wan
you pretty badly, and while they wan
you, l guess you'll nave to stop. Jus
step down and take another look a
Harry Johnson. will you? He's rayfn,
like a fool woman in the Doldrums
You can turn in by and by-rll Sc,
what Williams can do for you-thougi
It's forward you must swing your ham
mock, and no two opinions about that
To this / answered, in a tone as de.
4 cts!ve &c siiS own, that my comings ant
my goings would be ordered by nom
but myself, and that his friend mus
await his turn. A long acquaintance
with rogues has conceived me that any
weakness of civility Is lost upon them
and that firmnes to the point of bru.
tally Is the only weapon. woulC
have shot this man dead had he giver
me an impudent answer, and his SUR
prise when he heard me speak was
something TO see.
mo o~ffense, DOCTOR" he said quickly
I'll tell Harry you'll be along present
~. Don't think as we're not obliged tC
you for what you've done. The boys
are ready enough 20 tell you so. You
take your own time. and do what's bes,
pleasing to you. There's work enough
He spat his filthy tobacco juice into
the sea, and. turning upon his heel
went forward to join his companions
by the fo'castle.
Let me escape these decks, I re-
fiected, n how much farther was !
upon the road TO finality? / could tell
a plain tale to the government, cer-
tainly, n could open the doors of this
temple Of assassins to the worId-but
who would crush so vast a conspira cy?
! What unity of national action, what
initiative would war upon the greater
truths OF it, hunting the tigers from
their dens or Kidding the cities of their
allies? Ali that / a done, all my
planning, all my thinking a left I'M
roth a free man and sent me q prisoner
on the deck of his ship.
This was the outcome of my philos-
ophy as 1 stood by the gangway and
watched the shifting mists, here OPEN
ing n little silvered pathways to an
arbor OF delights; there beating down
again In dark clouds OF o and
shutting all the hither scene from my
view. The men had left me alone for
the time being, but their absence
seemed a greater peril. I could hear n
loud argument going on by the fo'cas-
tie and voices raised in persuasion or in
anger. The monster ship herself drift
ed helplessly, as a great stricken beast
lurching in o and seeking only a
place to n it's woes. Every faculty
that I possess told me that I was in
STEIN udESSF. lnSSe rOSueS would
cG=is 5gw@Fd presently and put some
proposition to me. So / argued, nor did
the night give me the lie. Shutting
and hesitatfng they came, some 20 or
more OF them. before another hour had
passed, all together In a deputation, n
as ready 7 wrri5 sEsaE, To cut me
down here I stool. as to drink the rum
which an obIiging purser had served
out to them
rpbas Ao,aryoon
their chief speaker, n with him was
the man called Bin Evans. Advancing
by the promenade deck in a body, they
seemed to n some little difficulty
when IL came to expressing themselves
in plain English; and had the situation
been less dangerous, IL would have been
amusing enough.
Well, my men," I cried, being careful
to have the first o at them; what
is it, now? Speak uD. 1 shall not eat
yeug
BEG pardon, SIR. we wish you to
know that VIII Rayner has been made
captain OF this ship, and that ne wishes
you TO go below"
The man named Evans spoke, and I
must say his ann was diverting
enough.
THAT is very e~onsiderate of Mr.. Will
lam Rayner." said I with a laugh. will
he not step forward-am I not to have
the pleasure of seeing him I"
Hes back there by the capstan, sir.
We're a depytashun, IL you please. Will
won't have nobody aft the gallery, and
that's his plain words. You're to go
below and to wait until you're sent for
l looked the speaker full in the face
and laughed at him CONTEMPORARY.
My, mem" + said calrais, aaasssis
Them all together. do you wish to be
afioat tomorrow morning, or is this ship
and all aboard her TO be at the bottom
OF the AtlanttcT-
They were evidently perplexee. The
gentleman by name of Bill Evans CON
tinued tor speak.
Me and my mates, Begin your par
don sir-we don't fall In with that.
YOU'RE fair ~narooned, and that's the
end OF 1t. Will says as he means we'll
by YOU, but while you're on this ship,
YOUTH obey him and nobody else. Hum
bly, representa- ii. sir. well have TO see
that you do as Will says
i took a pistol from my pocket and
deliberately cccked ii. This was touch
and go for my very life. Had I shot
ore of those men. I knew that IL would
all be over I'm an instant, and that they
would either bow the knee TO me or
murder me on the spot.
Now, see here" said L. MY yachts
lying cut yonder not a biscuit toss from
this deck. If you give me as much as
another word OF impudence, I'll send
you and every ruffiian aboard here
TO hades Is sure as this is a.
revolver. and there are cartridges
I'm il. Go and tell Mr.. VIII Rayner
what ! say, for, by the Lord above
me, I will go myself and fetch him,
IL yos do not"
I have said that the was
critical beyond any through which Z
have lived. and a truer word could
not be spoken There we stood, the
angry seamen upon one side, myself
upon the other. each party knowing
that the issue was for good and all.
and yet neither willing to bring the
instant OF 1t upon us. AS for these
wretched fellows. i do not believe that
| they would have lifted q hand osssssss
me had 1t not been for the American
who melted them. He was the ring
leader despite the newly made captain.
and his mock authority. And he was
the dangerous man with whom ! had
to deal.
IT guess your yacht may be where
you say she u.s. he remarRed with
q drawl. s"but she's got to hustle II
she wants to come UP with us this
summer weather, Don't you be too free
with yoru pistol. doctor. or some OF us
will have to take 1t from you. You're
q clove-hitch, and had better keep a