Evening star., 1912-11-10
THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE

rupted Quincy, ito bring this man back for
trial. And-1 want hlm!"
"And I've come from Manitoba, added
Benson, "where he's wanted for murder"
The skipper turned to Rogers and said
calmly, "By your own admission you are a
fugitive from justice; hence, entitled to no
sympathy from me-" Then he turned to the
two others and said, "You men put up
plausible story of being shanghaied. If you
told it at the dock where could get two men
to replace you, | might put you ashore AS
| it is, fifty miles outside of Sandy Hook can
do nothing of the kind. This ships time is
valuable, worth about a hundred dollars
| day. and can't stop to signal and put you
aboard an inbound craft. You re signed on
my articles, John Quincy and Walter Ben
son; though l don't know which is which.
But the fact is that here you stay, and you
work, and earn your grub and what pay
choose to put you on"
"But we did not agree" yelled Quincy.
| "You have no warrant in law for this pro-
| cedure."
Il have my articles. | did not ship you,
| as [ was not in the shipping office; but bar
gained with crimp for sixteen men, and he
gave me fourteen and you two"
"Well," said Quincy quietly, "you seem
to be in power here, and responsible to no
one that we can reach. But IL tell you that
| the State of Arizona will swarm about your
ears, and that you'll sweat, big as you are!'
"And III tell you," spoke up Benson "that
the Secretary of State at Washington will
hear from the Governor General at Ottawa!"
Get out O. this" exploded the Captain.
3Get off the poop, you four-legged farmers!
Sweat, will 1? All right; but you'll sweat,
| the both of you, before you see your friends
again! Here, Mr.. Billings" he roared to the
first mate amidships, "and Mr. Smelling!
Come up here, and turn these men to!'
| The two mates answered and appeared.
@Turn them to-" said the Captain speak
ing slowly and softly "Take the starch out
of 'em, and make 'em sweat"
The scene that enSued was too painful
even for Rogers to witness or describe, ex-
cept in its salient points. Billings and Smell
| ing pounced upon the two insurgents, struck,
buffeted, kicked, and vilifed them with foul
mouthed abuse, until they had borne them
off the poop, forward along the main deck,
and to the vicinity of the forecastle where
the two victims, subdued and quiescent,
were willing to dart for cover, when the two
mates gave over and went att.
Rogers at the wheel had watched the
scene, at first with smile; but the smile
grew less as he saw the battered men hurled
| right and left under the blows of the mates,
and when at last the punishment was ended
his face was serious and resentful. Some
criminals do not lose the qualities of forgive
ness and mercy. His mood was increased
when the big skipper faced him and said:
"A fugitive from justice, are you? Well,
I'll see that the Consul at Melbourne gets
you. l want no jailbirds in my ship
Which gave Rogers occasion to think.
D OGERS was relieved at one bell (half-
- past twelve), and went forward to his
dinner. As he descended the poop steps he
met the big first mate, coming out of the
forward companion picking his teeth.
49, he said to Rogers, you're bad
man from the West, hear. Held up stage
and then killed the man you robbed
you've got things wrong Sir answered
Rogers respectfully.
"None o your lip" thundered the officer.
"You may be bad man from the West; but
I'm bad man from the East, and I'm here
to take the badness out O bad men!"
Then, before Rogers could dodge, he
launched forth his fist and struck him. The
blow knocked him off his feet and he rose
with nose bleeding and eyes closing.
| "Just to show you, commented the mate,
@that I'm Bladder man than YOU"
Rogers did not answer; in fact, no answer
was necessary or wise. He walked forward,
and, partly from his half blindness, partly
/ fro,,, tafa IF mind racca6