Show S v VV v iy V iv-V- Ji r P L cli i r t hJ b Douglas N d m i r I r his bis I t Pete Peter l f 1 t 1 l 1 little w to h hi w saw f more E The sadden udden Iud L T U 1 N f t. t r I IU Ae A. A H at he He lie lieAs the man shout lihou shouted As tl P I 4 Petel Peters Peter's u r huc knuckles knuckle almost almo 9 puncHer punch J l He Her 1 r p claw w I r r eye ere dl cus arm w bodily L back Do Both Doth I third shout j r caught tIC a n mh mischief got t f 1 i 1 Peter Petel t to rr gr He was cruelly big and strong He was absolutely of lire hil f o or direct and merciless in his big methods devil il q r lil f l I P kJ I f Rev John st stood d In the J. J Games Room Boom of the British Seafarers' Seafarers Institute San Francisco trying to be charitable In spite of dire provocation He lie was eras u watching bins his assistant new p Peter t r Key Beg Peter Key had that effect on the thee mind He lIe was wan undoubtedly n fl nice young fellow with a a. high soul Hed He'd probably be very sery useful In a mild mUd country parish and a tower of lJ strength during the wild and strenuous er crises ses of the local rummage sale but John could not help regarding him with mth Just that spirit with which one greets goods sold under tinder false pretense Several months ago when a nose blue 1 mate of a he hell bell ship had bad broken up a very very useful rueful teak teak bunt built specimen of a lay worker John rohn had se sent a strong not Dotto not to to 8 letter to the home borne ties He had bad made It plain h ha thought that San an Francisco was no place for tor fragile assistants as as' f and that even the ordinary stock r. r muscular Christian however redoubtable he hek k might be at school treats or even in the gymnasium t of f settlements for resting murf murderers mur mur- f could not be said to endure in the San Francisco atmosphere He did not mince matters His facts were ere very shocking but he be had had a string of assistants tants out from home whose good m will l though undoubted had not been robust enough for San Francisco John waa WM quite quit robust himself or had been In his day he lad had many times tackled man man- r breaking roasters masters on their poops in their own poops poop's manner as Browning might have said cald for the sake of some poor wretch of an used ill seaman But he felt he was re getting ting old and he knew that he was a arick r sick rick man Inan and that i If the good work of the institute was to continue something special In the tho way Vay of lay assistants must be sent 1 out to him He wanted a good churchman if it possible but a lad who packed an rr p punch certainly Having made all this plain he had eat sat r back and waited for some sort of evangelical evan evan- 3 sack Jack ack Dempsey i if I A ND the they had sent him Peter Key Bey John watched Peter Key Bey f being distinctly everything be he did not want Peter was Wat a It tallish loose-looking loose young man manY manin manin Y a I in a neat neat but ill-fitting ill garments and a definitely diffident manner Just now ie ae le 4 was was standing by a mob of husky young apprentices ap nD apprentices prentices from the Glasgow grain clippers looking like an embarrassed hen among a alot alot lot of hI big and militant geese The Tho apprentices were Indulging in a lea ice chantey chantey alter after their own method and man man- v nero ner That Is la they sang eang Blow mow t the e Man Mant t Down wn and hauled on a 11 rope But at atthe atthe the other end of the rope was was- not a 11 yard d of 1 a Ball ean there was wal a 11 Dutchman is A d T very large thick belligerent Slav BlaT every enry everyone t C one OM not British or dago is Dutch on th thi sea lea who flue five minutes ago had bad settled himself him cc tell self Jt down to an evenings evening's mild mUd reading r o The noose that had caught him round the tho was well and truly suppo supporting him 4 hall hI way WAr up op to the roof timbers root timbers of th the tho Hs He was cursing curler In is all 11 the elo elo- qi c of his bis native land land and and still mI going up VP Tho Teo genial rental young roune hoodlums were merely g letting rid of ot surplus high spirits but there then Va wu a about them that told they were beading for trouble John g q new knew that must mutt be checkmated Ho lIe walked up to tit Peter K KeT Bey y as that young man hOen ho hOe n Indeterminately on tho the fringes of tho the 1 scene C e. e bl his his' rather pale fa face o almost tally 1 bewildered The lads lade are getting va 8 a bit bit fresh ho be hofA fA raid c.- c. They are rather boisterous said Peter Im sure suro they dont don't me mean n any t teal al harm though What a hel helper 1 What an en answer I John AI glared at the long scraggy figure and nd nd was j just st about to say JaT ay that thai it woul would 1 k not be a bad thing If Peter Jeter did let let himself 1 t lv betrayed into human exercise when hen h ho 1 1 t f e r c ii f l checked himself It wouldn't do The ap apprentices ap- ap apprentices prentices and the big rough neck seamen were ere already beginning to titter at Peter Key Rey and a grotesque exhibition in the rin ring might rob him of the little authority that vet vet et remained Just at that moment there was a 0 roar a yell of laughter and the big Dutchman Dutchman Dutch Dutch- min man bumped to the ground demanding blood The apprentices primed for anything bunched together jeering waiting for the roughhouse and the huge victim nothing l loath ath charged at the biggest of them In the that followed Peter Key Bey J jale life and distinctly out of place was found to tc G be the one who stood chest to chest with the ferocious and glaring Slav How he there nobody knew but it was the sort o of ci thing that in inevitably happened to tho rho Peter Keys and other prize asses anes of this world The Tho apprentices screamed aloud at this thia new and joyous turn of their joke The Thelie Hg lie Slav stopped trying to believe that this was really happening Then ho bellowed Oud of my way your she sheman I go for tear tear all all dero dere livers out He lie put up clawing fists as though he thought Peter Pete needed careful coaching alit Mit my two hands see Do be calm bleated Peter Beally Really dobl doby do dob b by bl calm The big Slav breathed deeply At As that did not blow Peter a away way he pushed deeply Peter Ieter not being nimble enough to fall through the floor he stopped considered t the e shambling young lay worker with a a ferocious pity and slowly lifted a huge hUie left handI hand lland I shove my InY fist fiat tro your nead neild see tee 7 Right Bight t tro he he said solemnly BUT B UT John tot got there first Hs He did not desire the slaughter of Innocents Inno inao cents also he was alert to make the most nOlt of the occasion He lie pushed his hi great ireat ders between the men and with a Quick smile cried Slow up Ivan If It you rOU want a a. mill well we'll bave have it In form Get Into tho the ring He lie turned to the apprentices selected elected the tho largest and most moet redoubtable Here Ar Ar- you rou put the gloves on with Ivan and end see if It you can get as III much t out of that as you got out of ot the chantey Ivan Inn see if ff you can get the laugh lauh this time It was wa a real mill that followed but then John had to deal in reality That was Will why the mere sight of Peter l y Ki-y y made him feel bad He Ho had teen seen an almost almot fearful fear ful relief creep into his hi lay workers worker's vety very bright eyes bright lr from m sheer funk was WAi Joohn l s 's reading as al ho intervened and even before the furious furlou and quite sanguinary sanguinary san lIan battle load find started the tho fellow tellow had hl slunk clunk away fro from frond the horrid sight of tho the ring It was Vas not until the apprentice Buchan went missing however that John Magd ferys fery's stock dock of patience II KaT a. a as Te out and he arrived at the point when he knew anew that Peter Key must go RO Buchan was Vas of a dangerous type of ap up prentice prentice dangerous dangerous to him himself Il He lie suffered from a not uncommon but alto also quite com coat parentage That Is hl hw his fath father r wa waa Will was Willa wasa a who insisted that his bis eon son should learn the business from Irom th the very vory bottom up sir but who at the same time aw saw to It that the boy bor should be applied with money becoming the status statue of ot 00 so wealthy a 0 parent Die Dick Dict Buchan had bad been shipped as an nn an ordinary apprentice on a R four mast barque and had been given riven a 11 letter of credit that a 0 rich trotter globe lobe trotter would have thought f was Will not not n a bad baa boy even it If U h he h. was a n. bored seaman but the strain of so much money had bad been too great leat Ho lIe had come ashore drawn heavily on hi letter of credit and nd Imm Immediately launched Into most roost voluminous out a spree For Eor Ale a oriel brief le th three ee days day be ho hid had scattered dollars dollar 1 1 like confetti Then hen he be had vanished vanished vanished-an and d nobody was In tho the eart bit surprised John went Vent out for fur n R day an ana and anda d a ni night ht and was back bacil in a Il motor with a a broken shoulder a high f fever over and an ana d a raging sense of impotence fu lu u hi hie strop keen soul That was then heu he bad had Pel Peter Key Bey n n that was when i he lie rotted coked upon him with stern eyes and felt lie 1141 would serer do But he kept that back He lie hail the youth Buchan to think of and to save SIlVO and thou though h Peter Key seemed hopeless there was no other help He must try to key by the spine spineless less young worker up to it It if only for tor this i once Peter he said laid you yon know Ive I've been looking for that young apprentice Dick Buchan 7 Yes Yea said Mid the scraggy young man his eyes so eo bright in his bis pale fuco fuce that he seemed to be the one with the fever Yes I know I heard A sailor allor told me that he wa was Vas s dead that his body had been found floating float ing jag in the Coffin Gut Its It's horrible Its horrible enough said John fery fiercely for ho he thought he be understood the connection between his assistants assistant feverish fever feverish ish hh eyes and that word horrible Its t horrible enough but that story Is not not ot true Ive I've found Dick Buchan but hes he's not dead ret yet Youve got ot him Oh Mr Ir I didn't say Boy Id I'd got him snapped mapped d I said I found him So that you ou may appreciate the difference let metell mo me motell motell tell you that this dose dOlo of ot fever came to mo me while hile I was finding him and tho the broken shoulder while I was wa trying to get him Heavens Heaven Mr I t You dont don't mean your you run were violently handled 1 Very said laid John dryly ret Let Letus Let Letus us 1 get let it straight Peter I trailed down this boy Buchan to what I knoW to be bo tho the vilest boarding house bouse In the jungle o of f streets and passages are about the tho Coffin Gut lies lie there in tho the power ofa of ofa a and dangerous scoundrel called Gospel Joe You horrify me Ine gasped Peter Key I knew I would said veld John with a 0 tired sigh Still Id I'd better finish the story Gospel Joe Toe 1 is 11 a 11 big cunning bull of a 11 scoundrel He has a terrible reputation reputation tation for cruelty and evil lIe He Is la a power in tho the underworld of ot dock town Men of ot otLis his bis own kidney are in absolute terror of him They say he has hu battered the tho life out of more than one ODe of ot them with his hill own hand hands And woe to the who fall falls into his hl clutches He lie is Ii always alayo stripped of every penny He lie Is sometimes stripped even of ot hi his hI clothe clothes and end sometimes sometime be ho disappears disappear abruptly I dont don't quite follow this said Peter Key in hi his hll dUMont diffident way Perhaps there 1 Is an explanation Mr If It this Gospel Goepel Joe carried the boy off oft to hi liis 1111 den with hi his hi money of ot course why Is he be keeping keep keep- why lag ing why i is ho- ho still there them 7 Why 1 is II he be still alive youre you're trying to toray toray ray Well that that's a queer thing about the ha business Dick B Buchan for all hi his hi wild ways has hilI an instinctive Scotch thrift and caution and lt it Its It's almost Ironic it is to the thin thing that is I. 1 saving him Oh good for tor Buchan laid said Peter Key in such luch a It brisk voice that John McGaffery stared Yes Yel It is la he answered But Dut I fear tear it tt only puts off matters matter Gospel Joe Toe 1 is II facing tae fee lag ing a pour poser but h he i is II used to posers Hell He'll bit on a solution presently Meanwhile he be is fa playing hi his hi game rams well He lIe i Is h supplying sup plying the boy with horrible amusement lI end ond d worse drink drink playing playing In up to hl him all the time and keeping him under his bis thumb until he hit can get the rest of ot that money Then John looked firmly at lit Peter Pete Key be lie wanted to screw him up then the hell he'll be dropped through a 0 trapdoor Into Coffin Gut or be he will be found dead slugged luned over tho the head bead by a Ii footpad in footpad In Ina a n dark alley mile miles away from Gospel Goepel roe Joe Joei Its It's bound to come Oh no said lAid Peter Key we wo cant can't t that I can bo be done dono Im I'm m 1 Well well wellI I I n might try something Ill I'll go along there What can you do I Oh I dont don't know I know you think thin k Im I'm not very good Mr but a aa at ata t a Ii pinch I might do something They are big brutal dangerous ruffian rut ruf finn fian I had lied to fi fight ht them DICK BUCHAN slightly maudlin after r several days of intensive carousing o obad on a bad spirits was Wall sitting in the plush and and ancl 1 gilt saloon saloon lounge lounge of Gospel Joes Joe's boarding g gs house bouse Ho lie was rapidly ripening to th the tho s state when Gospel Joe felt ho he could pluck him On the arm arms arms' of his chair sat lilt tw two 0 brilliant but Impossible women omen and about abort t them were three men They were all earnestly and even eTen poets tally cully discussing the scheme by which whit h Buchan wa was to be relieved of every cent Buchan did not quite see Bee it in th this light naturally What he saw was romance romance He lie HoVal was Val being offered tho the of going off In io a natty little schooner t ta to toa a 0 glorious island in the South Seas Sens with h boon companions Generous companions too for one ono of ot them was willing to offer r him a n full fuU third share in tho the plunder of a e fabulous pearl oyster bed of which h halone ho he e alone possessed the secret in lu the Tel very lagoon la lagoon la goon of tho the glorious Island All that he was asked to do was wa t to o join in footing the tho necel necessary ary expenses Let Le him put down a certain sum and It would make Inake up the total needed to to fit out th the e expedition Curiously the sum ruin sum required was wai exactly tho the sum that remained to Buchan Under his letter of ot credit I as a n fascinating and absorbing offer The ladies dilated on the charm and beauty of ot it the coral strand the glorious sunlight sunlight sun sun- light 1 I the the arcadian glamour Buchan was wu warming up to it He lie was already half halt halfWay halfway way toward hi his hi final promise when Peter Key ley walked into the tho saloon It was a strange way for tor a n man of or his bis apparent disposition and temper to behave be behave behave be- be have but in la hIs bia watermans waterman's get up h be he e teemed seemed rather unlike the Peter Key Bey of ot th the tho a Institute In fact tact it was with a n certain n calmness that be Jle went Vent in through ugh th the e doors of ot what proved to bo be a bar and after aCter that had |