The Little River news., 1920-09-01

] nfm. examined his tickets and punched them.
 "Where Is the other man?" he asked. "You have two tickets here"
 "Oh, that blamed valet of mine, Y" { Webster answered, and glanced around as if in search of that mythical func- tionary. "It would be like the stupid fellow to miss the boat" he added. 'When he comes-' Webster ceased speaking abruptly. He was looking straight into the malevoent orbs of Pucker-eye, who was standing just behind the clerk at the foot of the gangplank.
 "I wonder if Pop-eye's around, also," Webster thought, and he faced about. Pop-eye was standing in back of him. leaning over the railing of the gang way
 (Which is the valet? the purser's clerk asked, scanning the names on the tickets.
 Andrew Bowers"
 "All right, MT. Webster" the other answered, with that genial camaraderie
 
 calling. "When Andrew comes I'll send him aboard" He started to pass the tickets back to Webster, but a detaining hand rest l ed on his arm, while dark thumb and forefnger lifted the trailing strips of tickets. Pucker-eye was examining them also
 The purser's clerk drove his elbow backward violently into Pucker-eye's midriff and shook him off roughly.
 "What do you mean, you black-and- tan hound?' he demanded. since when did you begin to o. K. my work?'
 Pucker-eye made no reply to this stern reproof. He accepted the elbow with equanimity and faced Webster with an evil smile that indicated mu- tual recognition
 "Bueno," he said. "The senor he ees sail on La Estrellita for San Bue- naventura, no?'s
 "So you came nOsing around to see about it, eh? Doing little plain gum shoe work, I sec"
 Pucker-eye bowed. By the simple ex- ercise of courage and bad manners he had looked at John Stuart Webster's ticket and was now familiar with his name and destination.
 Webster glowered darlly at Fucker eye and said:
 "Well, you scoundrelly cutthroat, what are you going to do about it? Try little of your knife work on me, I suppose?"
 The fellow grinned-the kind of grin that is composed of equal parts of ferocity and knowledge of superior strength. That grin did more to dis i concert Webster than the knowledge that he had earned for himself two bloodthirsty and implacable enemies, for Pucker-eye was the first of his breed that Webster had ever seen smile under insult. That cool smile infuriated him. ] Pucker-eye took out cigarette case, selected a cigarette and presented the case to Webster. His bad manners in selecting his own cigarette first was deliberate, as Webster knew. It was the Latin-American's method of show ing his contempt.
 "We shall meet again, Meester Web staire," he said May I offer cig- arette for the-what you Americans call--the keepsake? No?" He smiled brightly and closed his puckered eye in knowing wink.
 Webster took his tickets from the purser, folded them, placed them in his pocket and for few seconds regarded Pucker-eye contemptuOusly.
 "When we meet again, you scum" he retorted quietly, you shall have no difficulty in remembering me. You may keep your cigarette
 His long, powerful right arm shot out like forceps his thumb and fore finger closed over Pucker-eye's rather flat nose; he squeezed, and with a shrill scream of agony Pucker-eye went 10 his knees.
 Still holding the wretch by his proboscis, Webster turned quickly in order that his face might be toward Pop-eye.
 "Pop-eye," he said, If you take a hand in this I'll twist your nose, too, and afterward I'll throw you in the river"
 He turned to Pucker-eye.
 'Up, thou curious little one," he said in Spanish. and ierked the unhappy