Evening star., 1924-06-15

or cut up with whips to keep the
others quiet They used to howl. /
guess-they mostly will. Member
how that stoker on the steamer yelled
when you caught him through the
ribs. Charlie? He was nigger.
And the one Chris got jumpin' from
the pilot house? What's bitin' you
now" Dibdin had drawn back from
the foul exhalation of the bilge.
Lost your nerve"
You can search the cursed ship,
for all o me-" said Charlie irritab bly,
And stow your CAB. can't you?"
Brewer stood aside for Chrispim
but the fiabby fellow showed no
eagerness about entering
You CO." he offered.
Brewer himself shook his head
with twisted hint of a smile
I'm just as willin' to leave il to
anybody else. None of us seems to
care if he never sees the place or
anythin in it
They climbed back to the deck and
hunted forward. The main hatch,
drifted with dead vegetation, had
plainly not been disturbed for years
And when they came to the tiny hood
to the focs'le the only remaining spot
for possible hiding place, they
found its doors barred fast without
latch or key Whereat Brewer. with
a stray freak of fantasy that now
and then caught him, was moved to
knock.
'Hello-below" he called.
hollow reverberation under their
feet was the answer that drove home
the mystery upon them, and while
they turned aft again they had each
an odd impulse to go tiptoe, with
rowing glance. And again, and rather
differently, they were aware of the
vessel as an entity, as presence.
with the curious air Of personality
can take, somehow suspect and
doubtful. She had secrets. She had
known men like them and crimes
like theirs in her wicked past-had
outlived them all. Beneath her scars
ana tatters they sensed something
malevolent and mysterious-a spirit
perslsting on the memory of old
wrongs still uncanceled, unsatisfied.
Well said Brewer at length as
they stood by the transom, Il guess
well every one take his own share
to keep by him, won't we? Too bad
George should ha' dropped his biz
ain't it,"
Careless OF him. 1 call it, said
Dibdin
They settled the incident on that
basis.
The second night gave them some
nours of starlight, by which they
made all speed. with a pair of clumsy
sweeps, so that dawn saw them cross
ing the river bar thirty-five miles be-
low Guayaquil. Before they slept
again they were comfortably headed
to open sea.
The second day Charlie Dibdin
awoke poorer man by some $4,000.
Sing about it," advised Chrispim.
grinning like an ape. 1T dom sound
SO good wen you talk"
Dibdin cursed him in a spurt of
acid fury until Brewer cut across and
drew the fire.
will you make me quit? Will you
check me?" Even then Dibdin had a
manner with him. a military set to
his thin shoulders. DO you hear me
say my gold is stolen-the price of
my wading in this ruddy mess?
Faith, there'll be more than a word
to it before the pair of you rob me
SO easy.'
But here Chrispim set up a diver
sion. This thief would not be called
thief; he came lurching to the as
sault The other drew out to meet
him. Weapons glttered in the sum
Brewer tripped them both on a long
roll of the ship as the neatest way
of enforcing attention. Stolen or
banked, I tell you. You're a rude
little man, Charlie. Here's your dust
back. And now apologize and cool
off,
Dibdin stared at the bag that had
been thrust into his hands.
This isn't mine"'
NO said Brewer, sneering. "it's
mine; but this is no time for scrap
pin. I'm satisfied to keep the bank
with all deposits, you see. Why, you
poor. blame fools, how would you
guess anybody could get away with
anything out here?'
They had only to blink over the
rail to know what he meant. The
coast was no more than a line in the
east; the Jorguina swung to the
broad rhythm of the Pacific. Their
Mr. 4