The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-09-07

Stoves bunk was almost In darkness.
Very deity he rolled back the bed
ding and secreted the box under his
pillows. and then stretched himself
out with the pretense OF SHOCKING III
-the-bel called him TO duty
He was rich; and the moment
man has money he has troubles.
there Is always some one who wants
to take II 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 intended to loosen three or four
planks, and then when the time came,
slip the box behind them. Some time
during the morning the forecastle
would be empty, and then would De
his time.
But he suffered the agonies Of dam
nation during his four hours watch.
Surprising some fool should go rum
maging about his bunk and discover
the box9 suppose But ne
dared not suppose. There was moth
ing to do but wait. II he created any
curiosity on the part OF his mates he
was lost. He would have TO divide
with them all. from the captain down
to the cooks boy. Il was heart
rending thought. From being the
most open and frank man aboard, he
became the most cunning. From be-
ing a man without enemies, he saw
an enemy even In his shadow.
At 4 o'clock he turned In and slept
like log. a.
In the morning he found his oppor
tunity. For half an hour the forecas
tie was empty of all save himself
Feverishly he pried back the boards
found the brace beam. and gently laid
the box there. II was a mighty Gu
rious looking box. Once he had stok
ed up the Chinese coast from the
Philippines, and he judged II to be
Chinese in origin. He tried to pry
open the cover and feast his eyes
upon the treasure; but under the
leather and ivory and mother OF pearl
was impervious steel. II would take
an ak or crowbar to stir that lid. He
sighed He replaced the boards. and
became to all appearances his stoifd
self again.
But all the way down to the Ba-
hamas he was moody, and when he
answered any question II was with
words spoken testify and jerkily.
81 know whut's tn matter" said
Dunkers. .Ha,s I'm love-"
"Shut your mouth"
Didn't I tell yuh!" laughed the
tantalixer. dancing toward the com
panionway. "Steve's In love, r he
didn't git drunk enough on shore {
satisfy his whales belly!"
A boot thudded spitefully against
the door jamb.
You fellahs let me alone. r II
bash In q couple o. heads!"
20, you will, will yuh?" cried Dun
kers from the deck. 'Tf yuh want q
little exercise, yuh can begin on me
yuh moonsick swab! Whut's tn
matter with yuh. anyhow! Where'd
yuh git this grouchf Whut've we
done Z yuh? Huh?"
you keep out o. my way. that's
all. I'm mindin' my watches. an don't
ask no odds Of you buffers. What II
have q crouch? Is II any o. your
blame business? All right. Wher
we step ashore at tn Bahams, Mister
Jim Dunkers, I'll tear the ropes out
o. your pulley blocks. But till we Gil
there, you Z tn upper bunk an me Z
I mine"
Leave tn Oh Crouch alone. Jim
TIL mate won't stand for no scrappin
aboard. Well have tn thing don,
right In tn custom sheds. Wen have
Q fnish fight. Queensberry rules. an
may the best man win"
"I'm willin'." said Jim.
som l." agreed Steve. But his in
tentions were not honorable. He pro
posed to desert before any fight tool
place. Not that he was physically
afraid; no; he wanted to dig hi
hands deep into those doubloons and
pieces-of-eight
So the four days down passed other
wise uneventful. amid paint pots and
iron rust and three meals a day OF
pork, onion soup, potatoes. and strong
bitter coffee. The winds became light
and balmy and the sea blue and gen
tie. The men went about In their un
dershirts and dungarees. barefooted
or course the coming fight was the
main topic of conversation. II prom
ised to be a rafting good scrap, for
both men were evenly matched, and
both had a kick" In either hand.
Even the captain took a mild interest
in the affair. He was IN old sailer.