Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-26
West Wind Drift
By GEORGE BARR McCUTCHEON


TINS STARTS THE STORY
CootoIw TRIGGER, IN command Of tAs
.,sarssr Dorolws, fAe dtsappedrunos Of
gsieS Satls bound !. q, 'rH~. y,w...s s..,.. soytA
nrssisd porld. After the vessei leaves
sb,f IIcsrnom Adonts Psrctvei, an
xr,r,iodn, 10 bepN0At before Captain
! TWoosr by the chief engineer a.
stospo,poy. Ths copfdf~ questions hirt
az to Ao,o he boarded fAe Oesset ond 70
sc.sf .r.GfTw p"sssr. Re seo~ts 70 rsfSr~ to me
TrttM Stotss ard erpt0tns that rob-
S,rs Navs taken all hts money. The
cantoin also teorns that fsDo deck
Snnds havs iedped from, the shtp. and
no sssysofs Z. plot. Perotval 70 ordered
e oss w. s.dsr .. 'ssSrs sSns az H sssi S"Tdoss ss
"iaced As ,oas soh0t Ne rsprcsentsd
, S;ysssiy to b and tAot thsy hod ~oth-
ing to fear from Mrr.'
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
TITS long hasardous journey by horse
II through the passes down into the
forests and junGles. out upon the endless.
,parsely settled pampas. and eventually
into the remote VILLAGE that witnessed
the passing every second day Of = prim-
{, ,tiye and far from dependable railway
rain, was presented with agreeable sim
nlicity and conciseness. He passed
briefly over what might have been ex.
banded into grave experiences, and at
last came, so to speak. to the gates
of the city, unharmed, resolute and full
Of tho FIRE that knows no auenching.
by tho way" observed the captain.
still wary, has It occurred to you We
may be justified in suspecting that you
deserted your post UP there In the hills.
and that you have betrayed the conf
dencs Of your smployers" Percival had
completed what he evidently believed TO
b a full and satisfactory account Of
himself.
II was In. full charge up there, Capt
Trigger My contract had but a month
moro to run. appointed my own sue
, cessor, and the company will not be any
tho worse of for the change. My letter
to headquarters, announcing my decision
not 10 renew the contrat. went forward
two weeks before left the camp.
merely anticipated the actual termina-
tlon of my contract by q month or So.
and az handed my resignation at once
to my own newly appointed superin-
tendent, submit that acted in absolute
gooN faith. may say that he accepted
It without a word Of protest, sir. As o
matter Of fact. told him in advance
that I wouldn't appoint him unless he
agreed to accept r1y resignation."
The captain smiled ut this ingenious
explanation.
guard, Mr., Percivai" no said. my duty
Is very plain. A stowaway 10 q stow
away, no matter how you look at him.
The regulations do not leave mo any
choice. Maritime Justice Is rarely tenn
pered by mercy. However, under the
oiTSusts1oes oau liam am Inclined to "a, sSceo; @
violate your parole X I refrain from put.
ting you in irons. Have I your word ot
honor that you will not leave this ship
until hand you over to the proper au-
thorities in the United states7"
You have. sir
young man. You will not jump over.
board and try to beat US into port under
your own steamT'
up the ship"
And yoa will kill as many aermana
|
Yes. sir" said A. A. Percival sub.
missively.
Capt trigger arose and extended hi.
hand
i've never done anything like thi.
before In all my years as ships master
You ought to be fosgsd and slowed
away In the brig until you show q prop.
erly subdued spirit, young man. sup.
tailsr'
my reading up to the ago Of fifteen
was confined almost exclusively to the
genteel histories Of pirates. buccaneers
nouncsd A. A. Peroival. taking the mas.
ttr's hand In a flrm grip II wonder II
you know what blacksnake whip is
or a cattle adder7 Well, they're bott
painful and convincing. As director oi
morals In the camp I have Just left be-
hind me. It was my official duty on fre:
Offenders had from fifteen to fifty ap-
plcations Of the blacksnake In a public
sort Of way. The hlacksnake. I may ex,
plain, could be welded by q strong bu,
unskllled arm. It was different, how
ever. with the cattle adder. That had to
stand on twenty PAGES. more or less,
and crack the long lash with such as
tonishing precision that the tip end Of II
barely touched tho back Of the culprit.
The result being q nobby assortment Of
splotehes that looked for all the world
them again. You see. was chief mag.
lstrate. executioner ex officio. chief OF
polioe. jury commissioner--in fact, an
al round potentate. Sort of Pooh-baii,
you know. For serious offenses. such "a
wife beating, wife stealing. or having
not 10 lenient. The offender. on con.
viotion. was strung UP by the thumbs
ana used as target by amateurs who
desired to become proficient In the use
Or the cattle adder Murderers were At
Thsd Tssma"d to q trlfe more expeditiously
ihey were strung up by the neck"
Good God. man, do you mean to say
you hung men in that offhand fashion,
cried Capt. Trigger. aghast
Not without a fair trial, sir. No in
nocent man was ever hung. There was
no such thing as circumstantial evi-
was always taken red-handed. We had
GOOD laws and they were rigidly en-
Iorced. There was no other way, sir
snort, sharp and decisive. IT'S the best
way Men understand that sort of thing
Snu Vn honest men approve of the method
OF characters to deal with. I wish to
add, however. that before I had been uu
mere ak months We had O slnEularly
HMw-abiding and self-respecting camp
~ t,hne was not tolerated. not even by
ne Ifss men who had once been crimina,s
II two men quarrelsd they were allowed
70 nsht II out fairly and squarely In any
way they could agree upon. Knives
natchets. and all other messy weapons
were barred. It wns either fists. pistols
vi rlnes at q fairly long range. and
snuer the strictest rules. Duels were
,ought according to Hoyle and were wit.
Sessed by practically every one in camp
. lou VIII perceive that Copperhead camr
vas no place for a coward or q buffer
q hnly; 1t takes a brave man to fight
uuel with chap who may be only
Se ne me devil. So. you see Capt Trig,
sser' the cat o nine tails has no terror
s0s me;