The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-12-11
Copyright. 1914. By Harold MacGrathl

! IVA. IL W aS 6AOWAA5 ddA hOA cAhd doA n
er all the time, and shortly neither
coat nor anchor would be visible with
out close scrutiny. Treasure: greed
| cupidity, crime Steve saw only the
treasure and not its camp followers.
What did they call observation-disclosures
| and pieces of-eight?
He ate his supper with his mess.
mates, and he ate heartily as usual
! 1t would have taken something more
/ vital than mere treasure to disturb
Steve Blossoms appetite. He was
/ one of those enviable individuals whose
| imagination and gastric juices work
| at he same time And while he ate
he planned. In the first place, he
would buy that home at Bedford; then
he would take over the ellison house
| and live like lord If he wanted a
drink, all he would have to do would
be to turn the spigot or tip bottle;
and more than that, he'd have bar
tender to do it. Onions! He swore
he would not have an onion within a
mile Of the Gilsen house. "Onions!"
Quite unconsciously he spoke this word
aloud.
Huh? Well. If We don't like onions.
find a hooker that packs violets in
her hold" was the cheerful advice
of the man at Steve's elbow.
who's talkin' t your" grunted
Steve. "Wha' did say?"
Onions. We lubber! Don't we know
whut onions Is? Amt we smelt 'em
SO long that We 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 not splice
any more effectually than cotton rope
and hemp splice. Sailors are moody
and superstitious; at least they gener-
ally are on hookers of the Captain
Manners" breed Steve was supersti-
tious and Jim Dunkers was moody and
had no thumb on his left hand. Steve
hated the sight Of that red nubbin.
He was quite certain that 1t had been
a whole thumb once. on the way to
gouge out somebody's eye, and had
inadvertently connected with some
body's teeth.
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 around the table. He was off
watch till midnight; and he was won
dering If he could get the box without
attracting the attention of the lookout,
who had devilish keen eye for every
thing that stirred on deck or on water
Well, he would have to risk it; but he
would wait till full darkness had fallen
over the sea and the lookout would be
+ compelled to keep his eyes off the
deck. The boys wanted him to play
cards.
Not for me. Busted. How long d.
y thing $40 II last in New York, any
how?" And he stalked out of the fore
castle and went down into the waist
to enjoy his evening pipe, all the
while keeping weather eye forward,
at the ratty old pilot house.
1t was ten o'clock, land time, when
he rammed his Guilty into a pocket
and resolutely walked forward. If
any one watched him they would think
he was only looking down the cut
water. The thought of money and
the pleasures it will buy makes cum
ming the stupidest of dolts; and Steve
was ordinarily a dolt. But tonight his
brain was keen enough for all pur-
| poses. 1t was a hazardous job to get
the box off the fluke without letting
it slip back into the sea. Steve, how
ever, accomplished the feat, climbed
| back on the rail and sat down, wait
, ing. A quarter Of an hour passed. No
one had seen him. With his coat Sc
curely wrapped about his precious
| find he made for the forecastle. His
mates, save those who were doing
| their watch, were all in their hunks.
An oil lamp dimly illuminated the for
ward partition. Steve's bunk was al
most in darkness. Very deftly he rolled
back the bedding and secreted the
box under his pillows, and then
stretched himself out with the pre-
tense of snoozing till the bell called
him to duty.
He was rich; and the moment a
man has money he has troubles:
there is always some one who wants
to take it away from you. His bunk
was on the port side, and there was
plenty of hiding space between the
iron plates and the wooden partition.
He intented to loosen three or four
| planks. and then when the time came,
The American government, through