Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-11

hang it over the entrance of the
! ellison house, slithered down into the
smiling waters of the bay, Steve con-
cluded that discretion was the better
part of valor. He would steal ashore
on the quarantine tug which lay
alongside. He was willing to fight
! under ordinary circumstances, but
he must get his treasure in safety
first. They could call him a welcher
If they wanted to; devil a bit did he
care. So he pried back the boards of
his bunk wall. took out the box, eyed
1t fondly, and noted for the first time
the lettering ON 1t:
STANLEY HARGREAvE.
He wrinkled his brow in the effort
to recall a pirate by this name, but
was unsuccessful. No matter. He
Rugged the box under his coat and
made for the gangway. and mad
vertently ran into his enemy.
Dunkers caught bit of the box
peeping out from under the coat
What "a yuh got there?" he de-
manded truculently.
None o. your damn business! You
femme by; hear me?'
Amt none o. my business, huh?
Where'd yuh git a box like that?
Steal it? BY cripes, I'm goin' t have
q look at that box. my hearty. 1t
don't smell like honest onions
You lemme by!" breathed Steve,
with murder in his heart.
Suddenly the two men closed, sureed
back and forth, one determined to
take and the other to hold this mys-
terious box Dunkers struggled to
uphold his word: not that he really
wanted the box but to prove that
he was strong enough to take it il he
wanted to. The name on the box
flashed and disappeared. 1t was
kind of shock to him. He and. Bios
som went battering against the rail.
Dunlxer's grip slipped and so did
Blossoms The result was that the
box was catapulted into the sea. With
an agonized cry, Blossom leaned far
over. He saw the box oscillate for
q moment, then sink gracefully in
zigzag course, down through the blue
waters. Fainter and fainter it grew,
and at last vanished.
I'm sorry, Steve; but yeh wouldn't
let me look at it." said Dunkers, con-
tritely.
Damn you; I'm goin' t. kill v for
thati"
1t became a real fight this time,
fist and foot, tooth and nail; one
mad with the lust to kill and the
other desperately intent on living.
1t was one of those contests in which
honor and fair play nave no part.
But for the timely arrival Of the cap
tain and some of the crew Dunkers
I'll 1aad it1itt
haps fatally. They hauled back
Blossom, roaring out his oaths at
the top Of his lungs. 1t took half
an hours arguing to calm him down
Then the captain demanded to know
what 1t was all about. And blubber
ing. Steve told him.
six hundred feet of water, If I've
got my reckoning right. The anchor
lies in sixty feet, but the starboard
side drops sheer six hundred. You
swab. Why didn't you bring the box
to me? A man has right to what he
finds. I'd have taken care OF it for
you till we got back to port. l know;
you were greedy; you thought I
might want to stick my fist into your
treasure. And you'll never find it in
GOO feet OF water and tangled porous
coral. That's what you get for being
a blamed hog. AS for you" and the
captain turned to Dunkers, get your
dunnage and your pay and hunt for
another boat back. / won't have no
murder on board Captain Manners.
And the sooner you go, the better
"I'll go, sir said Dunkers readily
enough. Had the misfortune happened
to him and had Blossom been the az
gressor, he would want his life He
understood. Like the valet in
"Olivette," it was the time for dis
appearing.
AN keep out o. my way. I'll git y
yet" growled Blossom.
Keep your mouth shut" said the
mate, ''or I'll have you put in irons,
you pigl"
"Ail right, sir. I've said all I'm go
! in t. say tday;" and Blossom strobe
off.
What was the box like?, asked the
captain Of Dunkers.
Chinese contraption, sir; leastwise
1t looked that way to me. Didn't look
as IL it'd been in tn water long, sir.
Somethin' lost overheard by some
private yacht, t my thinkin' I'll
Keep out o. Steve's way. I'll lay low
on shore, SIR"
And though Steve made a perfect
range of the spot, he never came back
to find the mysterious box, never saw
! the ellison house back home, nor die
he ever see Dunkers again On the
voyage home he brooded continually
and was frequently found numbering;
and one night he skipped his watch
and went to Davy Jones's locker.
i Continued in Monday Evening Star.
---