Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-02
American Sunday Monthly Magazine Section
The Leopard Skin Bag
Continued from preceding bage)

to accept those terms or go under.
Come aboard!' he reared will
play you! 49,, ,:..,
climbed aboard, big grin on his ugly face
The little bag was thrust in the bosom of his
shirt, and he carried a knife in his left hand
so that he would be prepared for any tricks.
But the crew stood back and smiled at him
to let him see that they were mighty pleased
with the arrangement he had made and the
mate smiled back at them. Lopez was the
only one who was not in good mood. He
scowled at the mate and ordered the men to
get about their work.
Well settle this matter in the cabin,
he cried, then we will let you know what is
coming to you. 1t is nothing to do with you
which of us VIM
After while one of the crew crawled to
the open skylight and looked into the cabin.
Another crept after him, and then another.
And they peeped down as if they had been
turned to bronze by the sight that met their
eyes. HimmeN the looks of those men
dragged me to the skylight, and | peeped.
Lopez and Miguel we're playing, and they
were so intent on their game that they could
see nothing or hear nothing. Neiml They
could only see the cards and the thing that
lay between them. That thing was lying
on top of the leopard-skin bag, and when |
saw it | swallowed like bullfrog. 1t was
larger than an egg, and my lips got dry as
| watched And | muttered to myself as
| looked down into that stufy little cabin,
'Hochdorf,' said, someone has told you
St. Petersburg, but | think that the person
who told you that story is wrong That is
what said to myself.
Il must have stared at that thing for
five minutes, then something upset the quiet
of that place. Lopez flung down a card,
and the mate laughed as he slammed an
other on top of it. The Shark played again,
and the big mate laughed again as he
thumped another card down.
You're beat!' roared Miguel. You
get nothing, my captain! The spoils belong
to me and the crew.
The mate reached out his hand to the
object that | was watching, but Lopez
sprang. He whipped knife from his hip
and buried it in the throat of the big man,
and it was done so quick that we had not
time to vel, out warning. Lopez was as
quick as hungry lynx.
miguel fell back in his chair, and Lopez
crouched back and watched him. He did
not see us at the skylight. He saw nothing,
but the green object resting on the bag, and
his blindness was mighty unlucky for him,
just then. 1t was the worst thing that could
happen to The Shark at that moment. AS
he reached for the prize, bare brown arm
was thrust over my shoulder, wriggling
horror was held for one moment in front OF
my face, then the thin fingers were un-
loosed, and the fat-headed viper fell upon
the shoulders of Lopez
II was the first man into that cabin, my
friend. The Shark had collapsed into a chair
and his face muscles we're working like the
muscles of the cook that had been bitten the
day before. ia, that thing had bitten him on
the neck when it fell upon him, and when
ran into that cabin that Internal snake had
wound himself round the object that was
resting on the leopard-skin bag!
"'GotH' | cried, you are too smart, my
friend and snatched scimitar from the
wall and when he lifted his head to strike
at me Topped it off with one stroke. He
was an intelligent snake, but he was little
too active. Just little bit too active.
picked up the thing that Lopez and
Miguel had played for, and looked at 1t
for one moment. Did | ever tell you that
worked for jeweler at Frankfort when
was a young man? ia, | did tell you
Well, looked at that thing for one moment,
and then laughed. could not help laugh
ing although there were two dead men IN
the cabin. | could not help it. What !
thought was great emerald when looked
dou,r, from, tho Skv1iQht was thing more