The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-09-09

the coast. When she could not pick mp enough
barges to make it pay, why, she'd 60 galavaut-
ing down to Cuba for bales Of tobacco or over
to the Bermudas for the heaven smelling
onion. Today she was an onion ship; which
precludes any idea of adventure. She was
about 1900 tons, and her engines were stern
ward and not amidship. She carried two
masts and a half dozen hoist booms. and the
only visible sign of anything new on her was
her bowsprit. This was new doubtless because
she had poked her nose too far into her last
slip.
Her crew was orderly and tractable. There
were shore drunks, to be sure, because they
were sailors; but they were a peaceful lot
withal. At this moment they were at work.
There was a sailor among this crew, and
he went by the name of Steve Blossom; and
he was one of his kind. A grimy dime novel
protruded rakishly from his hip pocket, and
his right cheek was swollen as with the tooth
ache, due, probably, to a generous " chaw Of
Seaman's Delight He was a real tobacco
chewer, for he rarely spat. He was ~ peace
full as a backwater bay in summer; nom
areumentative and passive, he stood his watch
in fair weather and foul
No one gave the anchor any more atten
ton after it came to rest The great city
over the way was fairy-like in its haziness
and transparity. 1t was the poetry of angles,
IF shafts and spars of stone: and Steve
Blossom, having a moment to himself, leaned
against the rail and stared regretfully. He
had been generously drunk the night before,
and it was a pleasant recollection. Chance
lid his glance to trail down the cutwater. His
from its shell.
Well, I'll be hornswoggled! he MUIR
INJURED. shifting his cud from starboard to port
Caught on the fiuke of the anchor was the
ttrangest looking box he had ever laid eyes ON.
There was leather and steel bands and dia-
mond-shaped ivory and mother of pearl and it
hung jauntily on the point of the rusty Auke.
Treasure!
And Steve was destined never to be passive
again. His first impulse was to call his COM
panions; his second impulse was to say moth
ing at all, and wait for an opportunity to get
the box to his bunk without being detected.
Treasure! Diamonds and rubies and pearls
aud old Spanish gold all hanging to the Huke
Of the anchor.
Hornswoseled! in a kind Of awesome
WulSQcT tu10 txme. An we 0-nc001u' Tor tn
Eahamas!" For under his feet he could hear
the rhythm of the engines. "WLat'l do? If
Ileave it. some one else1l see it." He scratched
his chin perplexedly; and the cud went back
to stAr6oard. II GOT it!"' tuo1D 80,
He took OF his coat and carefully. dropped
It down over the mysterious box. 1t was
growing darker and darker all the time, and
shortly neither coat nor anchor would be Wis
ible without close scrutiny. Treasure: greed,
curidity crime. Steve saw only the treasure
and not its camp followers. What did they
call them?-doubloons and pieces-of-eight?
He ate his supper with his messmates, and
LIE ate heartily AZ usual. 1t would have taken
something more vital than mere treasure to
disturb Steve Blossoms appetite. He was
one Of those enviable individuals whose imagi-
nation and gastric juices work at the same
time. And while he ate he planned. In the
first place, he would buy that home at Bed
ford then he would take over the ellison
house and live like lord. II he wanted q
drink, all he would have to do would b.. to
turn the spigot or tip a bottle; and more
than that, he'd have a bartender to do it.
Onions! He swore he would not have an
onion within q mile of the ellison house.
"Onions!" Quite unconsciously he spoke
this word aloud.
"Huh? Well, if We don't like onions, find
hooker that packs violets in her hold" was
the cheerful advice Of the man at Steve's
elbow.
Who's talkin' { your" grunted Steve.
Wha' did I say?"
Onions, We lubber! Don't we know whut
onions is? Amt We smelt 'em long that
y. could stick yer nose in tn starboard light
an never smell no kerosene? Onions! Pass
tn cavity"
Steve helped himself first. The man who
spoke bunked over him, and they were not ON
the best Of terms. There was no real reason
for this frank antagonism simply, they did
net splice any more efectually than cotton
rope and hemp splice. Sailors are moody and
superstitious; at least they generally are on
hookers OF the Captain Manners" breed
Steve was superstitious and Jim Dunkers was
moody and had no thumb on his left hand
Spanish doubloons and pearls and diamonds
and rubies! 1t was mighty hard not to say
these words out loud, too; blare them into
the sullen faces grouped about the table. He
was Oh watch till midnight: and he was won