The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-11-17
A Man To
His Mate
J. ALLEN DUNN
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Irwin Myers
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Irwin Myers



had left the bar behind him In the
cabin. where 1t was used for a stove
poker.
The men filed by Rainey, their faces
flushed and their eyes unusually bright.
They seemed TO share prime joke
that wanted to bubble mp and over. yet
held restraint upon themselves that
was eased by digs in one another's
ribs, in laughs when one stumbled or
hiecoughed.
But Hansen was stolid as ever. and
the hunters had evidently not shared
the stolen liquor. Only Deming's eyes
roved over the group of men as they
gathered round for their cups and
pannikins of food. He seemed to be
calculating what advantage he could
gain out Of this unexpected happening.
Peggy Simms, under cover of pour
ing the coffee. sweetened heavily with
condensed milk, found time TO speak
to Rainey
They're all drunk" she said.
"Not all of them. Here comes Lund.
He'll handle it,
Lund seemed still bordering the
problem OF the foe. At first he did
not notice the condition OF the sailors.
Then he apparently ignored 1t. But.
after they had eaten, he talked to all
the men.
1.-TWO more days OF it. lads, and
we're through. The beach Is nigh
cleared. We can git out of the noe
to blue water easy enough, an wen
git q good start on the patrOl-ship.
wen go BACK with fun pockets an
heavy ones. The shares1l be half as
large again az we've hggered.
wouldn't wonder if they averaged six
teen or seventeen thousand dollars
apiece"
Rainey had picked ont blackboard
ed Finn as the leader Of the sailors In
their debauch. The liquor seemed to
have unclaimed In Mm n spirit Of re-
volt that bordered on insolence. he
stood with his bowed legs apart, nit
tened hands on hips, staring at Lund
with q covert grin.
Next TO Lund he was the biggest
man aboard. With the rum giving an
unusual coordination to his usually
sluggish nervous system, he promised
20 be source Of trouble.
Rainey was surprised to see him
shrug his shoulders and lead the way
to the beach. Perhaps breakfast had
sobered them, though the fumes OF
liquor stin chung cloudily on the air.
Lund went down, with Rainey be-
side him. reporting Sandy.
"Tll work, 1t out Of EN-" said Lund.
''That booze'n be an expensive luxury
to 'em. paid for In hard labor"
They found the men ranged up LIN
three groups. Deming and Beale,
against custom, had gone down to the
beach. They were supposed to help
clean the food utensils. and aid Tama!
da after meal. besides replenishing
the fires.
They stood q little away from the
hunters and Hansen and the sailors.
The Finn, talking to his comrades In
low growl, was win a separate
group.
There was an air Of defiance mani
fest, feeling Of suspense In the tiny
valley, backed by the. frowning cone.
ribbed by the two icy promontories.
Lund surveyed them sharply.
"What in his the matter with
your he barked. Hansen, send up
n man for the drills an shovels Yore
works laid out; hop TO It"
"We amt goin' to work no more"
said the Finn aggresslveiy. mot TO-
no sich wage Ike you give"
ooh, you amt, amt your" Knocked
Lund. He was standing with Rainey
in the middle OF the space they cleared
OF gravel, the seamen lower down the
beach. nearer the sea. their ranks
compacted. "why. you booze-bitten,
lousy hunky, what i'm HI do you wantf
You never saw twenty dollars in a
lump you e'u'd call yore own for
more'n ten minnits. You boardin'
house loafer an the rest Of you scum
" the seven seas, gift yore shovels an
git to diggin'. or TIL put you ashore
IN San Francisco fiat broke, an glad
to leave the ship, at that JumpT
The Finn snaried. and the rest stood
firm Not one of them knew the real
value of their promised share Money
represented only counters exchanged
for lodging, food and drink enough
TO make them sodden before they had
spent even their usual wages Then
they would wake to And the rest gone.
and throw themselves upon the selfish
bounty Of q clearinghouse keeper.
But they had seen the gold, they
had handled II, and they were inflamed
by sense of what IL ought to do for
them. Perhaps half of them could
not add q simple sum. conld not grasp
figures beyond a thousand. at most
And the sight OF so much gold had
made Il, In a manner, cheap. II was
there. heap OF 1t. and they wanted
more OF that shining heap than had
been promised them.
"You talk big" said the Finn. Look
my hands" He showed palms cal
loused. split, swollen Jumps Of chill
blamed flesh wern dewn and stiRened
AL