The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1915-03-10

that there was no such cri a. arbi.
tration In a sailors vocabulary; his
disputes could be settled only in one
manner, by his calloused fists
When the old mudhook land some
day Steve was going to buy II and
hang IL over the entrance of the Gil.
son house) slithered down into the
smiling waters of the bay, Steve con-
Guided that discretion was the better
part of valor. He would steal ashore
on the quarantine tug which lay along.
side. He was willing to fight under
ordinary circumstances, but he must
get his treasure in safety first. They
could call him a welcher II they
wanted to; devil bit did he care. SO
he pried back the boards of his bunk
wall, took out the box. eyed it fondly,
and noted for the first time the let
tering on it:
STANLEY HARGREAvE.
He wrinkled his brow in the effort
to recall a pirate by this name, but
WIS unsuccessful. No matter. He
Rugged the box under his coat and
made for the gangway, and inadver-
tently ran into his enemy.
Dunkers caught a bit of the box
peeping from under the coat
What "a yuh got there?" he de-
manded truculently.
None O. your damn business! You
lsmme by; hear me?"
"Ain't none o. my business, huh?
Where'd yuh git box like that? Steal
it? By cripes, I'm goin' t have a
look at that box, my hearty. 1t don't
smell like honest onions"
You femme BY" breathed Steve,
with murder in his heart.
Suddenly the two men closed. surged
back and forth, one determined to
take and the other to hold this mys-
terious box Dunkers struggled to up
hold his word: not that he really
wanted the box but to prove that he
was strong enough to take it If he
wanted to. The name on the box
flashed and disappeared 1t was kind
of shock to him. He and Blossom went
battering against the rail. Dunkers'
grip slipped and so did Blossoms. The
result was that the box was catapulted
into the sea. With an agonizing cry,
Blossom leaned far over. He saw the
box oscillate for moment, then sink
gracefully in a zigzag course, down
the blue waters. Fainter and
fainter it grew, and at last vanished.
I'm sorry, Steve; but yuh wouldn't
let me look at it," said Dunkers, con.
tritely.
Damn you; I'm goin' t. kill y for
that"
1t became real fight this time, fist
and foot, tooth and nail; one mad with
the lust to kill and the other desper-
ately intent on living. 1t was one of
hose contests in which honor and
lair play have no part. But for the
timely arrival of the captain and some
4 the crew Dunkers would have been
badly injured, perhaps fatally. They
!auled back Blossom, roaring out his
,aths at the top of his lungs 1t took
lalf an hours arguing to calm him
~N"hs hSh thC NdPtdlh uCnldHutu "
know what it was all about And
Steve told him.
six hundred feet of water, if I've
cot my reckoning right. The anchor
les in go feet, but the starboard side
lrops sheer 600 You swab! Why
lidn't you bring the box to me? A
nan has right to what he finds. I'd
lave taken care of it for you till we
,ot back to port. | know; you were
greedy; you thought l might want to
tick my fist into your treasure. And
'ou'll never find it in 600 feet of water
md tangled, porous coral. That's what
'ou get for being a blamed hog. AS
or you," and the captain turned to
get your dunnage and your
Jay and hunt for another boat back.
won't have no murder on board Cap