The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1914-09-12

| intentions were not honorable. lie
proposed 20 desert before any fight
took place. Not that he was phys
ically afraid; no; he wanted 20 dig
his hands deep into those doubloons
and pieces-of.eight.
So the four days passed other
wise uneyentfully, amid paint pots
aud 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 gentle. The men went
about IN their underBhirtn and dun
Rarees, barefootcd. or course the
coming fight was the main topic Of
conversation. IL promised TO be a
rattling good scrap. for both men
were evenly matched. and both had
"A Kick" in either hand. Even the
captain took mild interest in the
affair. He was an old sailor. He
knew that there was no such word
AS arbitration In n sailors yocabu.
larry: his disputes could be settled
only In one manner. by his cal
loused fists.
When the old mudhook land
some day Steve was going 10 buy
II and hang II over the entrance OF
the ellison housed slithered down
into the smiling waters OF the bay.
Steve concluded that discretion was
the better part OF valor. He would
steal ashore on the quarantine tug
which lay alongside. He was will
Ing 20 fight under ordinary circum-
stances. but no must get his treas
ure in safety first. They could call
him n weicher II they wanted TO:
devil a bit did he care. so he pried
back the boards OF HIS bunk wall.
took out the box. eyed II fondly.
and noted for the first time the let
iering on II:
STANLEY HARGREAvE.
He wrinkled his brow in the ef.
fort to recall n pirate by this name.
but was unsuccessful No matter.
He Rugged the box under his coat
and made for the gangway, and In
advertently ran into his enemy.
Dunkers caught a bit OF the box
pccping out from under the coat
What n yuh got there?" he de-
manded truculeutly.
None o. your damn businessl
You femme by: hear met"
Amt none o. my business, huh?
Where'd yuh cit box like that?
Steal it7 by cripes, I'm going {
have look at that box, my hearty.
II don't smell like honest onions"
You lemme byi" breathed Steve.
with murder In his heart
Suddenly tho two men closed.
surged back and forth. one deter
mined TO take and the other to hold
this mysterious box. Dunkers
struggled TO uphold bis word: not
that he really wanted the box but
to prove that he was strong enough
TO take II II he wanted TO. The
name on tho box flashed and disap-
peared. IL was kind OF shock TO
him. He and Blossom went batter
ing against the rail. Dunkers' grip
slipped and so did blossoms. The
result was that the box was eata.
pulled into tho sea With an agoniz-
ing cry. Blossom leaned far over.
He saw the box oscillate for a mo-
ment. then sink gracefully in a zig
gag course. down through the blue
waters. Fainter and fainter It
grew. and at last vanished.
I'm sorry, Steve, but yuh
wouldn't let me look at H." said
Dunkers, contritely.
Damn you: I'm goin' { kill y
for that"
II became real fight this time,
fist and foot, tooth and nail. one
mad with the lust to kill and the
other desperately intent on living
II was one OF those contests in
which honor and fair play have no
part. But for the timely arrival OF
the captain and some OF tho crew
Dunkers would have been badly In
jured. perhaps fatally. They hauled
back Blossom. roaring out his oaths
at the top OF his lungs. II took half
an hours arguing TO calm him down.
Then the captain demanded 10
know what II was all about. And
blubbering, Steve told him.
six hundred feet OF water. II I've
got my reckoning right. The anchor
lies In sixty feet, but the starboard
side drops sheer six hundred. You
swabl Why didn't you bring the
box to me? A man has n right to
what he finds. I'd have taken care
of Il for you TIL we got back TO
port. know; you were greedy:
you thought might want 10 stick
my fist into your treasure. And
you'll never find II in 600 feet of
water and tangled. porous coral
That's what you get for being
blamed hog. AS for you" and the
captain turned 10 Dunkers, get
your dunnage and your pay and
hunt for another boat. won't have
no murder on board Captain Man
ners.' And the sooner you go. the
better"
"I'll go. sir" said Dunkers. read
fly enough Had the misfortune
happened TO him and had Blossom
been the aggressor. he would want
his life. He understood. Like the
valet I'm "Olivette." II was the time
for disappearing
"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 pig!"
"All right, sir. I've said all I'm
goin' { say t'day;" and Blossom
strobe off.
"What was the box llke7" asked
the captain of Dunkers.
Chinese contraption, sir; least
wise II looked that way to mo.
Didn't look as II it'd been In tn
water long. sir. Somethin' lost
overheard by some private yacht. t
my thinkin'. I'll keep out O. Stoves
way. I'll lay low on shore, SIR"
And though Steve made per