The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-05-07

u
orsly reaching for the bottle of Scotch,
to which he helped himself sparingly.
"You know that when / play the game
I stick to the finish, that I'm with you
from the soda card to the turn; but
the trouble is this-that I'm tired of
bein' a piker, and unless nice little
piece of money turns up pretty quick,
why, I'm goin' to turn over the box
and give up the game. !"
Captain Mcbride, better known as "Cap'n
Pete" to certain officials of the United States
government who guard its borders against
the crossing of the Chinese coolie, leaned
back in his chair, t0ok long pull at his
cigar, and with his eyes on the occupants
Of a corner table, slowly exhaled the pun
gent smoke and looked at Billy thoughtfully.
"Now listen to me for a minute" he said.
You know the MGNnkG sailed into Van
couver last week with over six hundred
Chinks aboard The State Department and
the Chinese Bureau are very properly all
worked up over the heavy increase in Chinese
emigration, because they have pretty good
idea where the Chinks eventually wind up.
Wiley and Doherty Of the Secret Service met
the ChinkS at Vancouver, trailed the whole
bunch to the plants at Ottawa and Toronto,
and at the present time they're sitting at that
corner table over there, keeping tabs on US"
eve seen the guy with the mustache be-
FORE" said Billy after pause, during which
he stealthily observed the pair of officers.
"He's bumped into me all over town for the
last two days"
@Thats Doherty," returned Captain Pete.
"He's one of Wilkes best operators"
where are the Chinks booked for, and
who gets 'em9" asked Billy.
"I'm Just coming to that" murmured
Captain Pete. "Three hundred and twenty
Of them are for you and your Uncle Dudley,
and the Six Companies have offered me three
hundred dollars head, c. o. d. at New
York City"
"Ninety-six thousand bucks" reverenty
whispered Billy after mental calculation.
"But why the three centuries per head9 We
never got more than two hundred before, ex-
oept by the wayof Vera Cruz"
It's this way" answered Captain Pete.
"This fellow Stark, who now has charge of
the entire Border Service, has tied the boys up
for fair. The Six Companies are getting
desperate and are bound to get their country
men in at any price. Moy Chu and Charlie
Sing have been up here twice to see me. They
know that if anybody can beat Stark at this
game, that can, so they sent for this batch
of yellow boys and have raised the ante to
three hundred, and I'm going to get 'em over
the line as soon as the ice goes out of the Bay
of Fundy"
"It's a big Job, )" observed Billy. "Itlooks
to me as if Uncle Sam'H call the turn on us
this deal, but I'm with you, Cap, even if we
get whspsawed and wind up at Moundsville;
but / think you'll find it a heap easier to run
down to Washington and have the Chinese
Exclusion Act suspended for thirty days"
"Don't borrow trouble, Billy" pursued the
Captain, unmindful of his companions sar.
casm. 'sSlip over to the G. P. Depot, buy q
ticket to st. John, N B., go down at g. 80 to
night, and put up at the Queens. Pay nc
attention to Wiley or Doherty, they'll prob
ably trail you to St. John. When you &c
there, wait for orders"
Anything else, Capt." questioned Billy
as he swallowed the last of his highban.
"Why-er-er, yes, /" drawled the Captain
slowly pushing back his chair. Get nj
about two tons of rice to be held subject t
call, and If you are not too busy hunting u
poker game, buy about TWO hundred YARD
of straw mating for ma"
II y
To the critical eye of the sunburnt Ameri
can who bought her at auction one bright
spring the Canadian hshing-schoone
Fire Brothers looked attractive. The FOL
mer owner had been carried out to sea on a
ice-Aoe during 8 sealing expedition. TIL
panic Of 1908 had touched good St. John, an
ready money was scarce article the mornin
of the auction, so the widow was glad indee
to accept a price for the schooner which
( Z former days would have been asked for ne
dories and fishing gear alone. Within wee
after the sale of the Fire Brothers, worE
men swarmed over her. Painters, caulkei
and riggers, spurred on by extra pay, wei
doing their best.
Looks to me like hop joint" observe
Billy Joyce to Captain Mcbride at they stoo
tween decks and surveyed the series of bunk
neatly covered with mating.
Can't sleep more than forty of the boys