Show j r r. r 1 K f i- i I Ij j THE PROMOTION OF O F FT THE T H ADMIRAL A AND OTHER E t i SEA COMEDIES ES ESBy I By Bv Morley Roberts Author of The Tha Colas Colos Colossus us us The Tho Fugitives I 00 Copyright gl t 1902 1901 1908 1908 b oy by V Tin u Our Curtis t Publishing II II ng 00 Company mpa nv i Copyright 1808 1908 by bV L. L C C. C Pago I cb Company Incorporated rat d. d i Continued t It was the first time a bluejacket had been near the place since a day e or two before the admirals admiral's disappear disappear- ance And at first when Shanghai saw them come In he regretted that Billy his best fighting man was by now well wellon F l. l on his way to Portland But for at jj l least ast ten f ft minutes the behaved bei be be- i haved very well Benson had a good goodhead L 4 W- W head and had arranged matters very J v neatly x You look ere he had said the thing to look out for Is the barman jj- jj 0 He keeps a gun as they calls It ereon ereon ere e. e 0 on a shelf shelt under the bar Smith ell ave aTe one In his pocket So when I v says This rum would poison polson a dog u. u 7 dont don't wait walt for no back answer but l lay the keeper bar-keeper out quick with a fi stone atone matchbox or anything andy 1 And the nearest to Smith does the 1 same to im Hell He'll likely not be be- be Ind but if It e is bottle im too and andri ri x V y not a word of jaw about it first or C last They stood up to the bar and Benson Benson Ben- Ben r. r son ordered drinks for himself and 1 1 three particular pals of his Aint this Mr Smiths Smith's he asked r f Im Smith said Shanghai Eres to you Ive I've often heard of off f 1 4 1 you said Benson And three or four s merchant seamen sitting about the J room sniggered and passed a few sn sneering ering remarks among themselves e f about Liberty Jack Jacle r M Smith who had taken enough that j 1 night to make him rash referred to V I the admiral c J fi t So your admiral has come back P G j has he He has said the I j And Dicky Dunn is lookIn for the theman ma man that played that dirty game on I him b i And hd Smith shrugged his shoulders as he half turned away i TaInt half so dirty as this rum said laId Benson it would poison polson a dog And as the words left his mouth the ther r ball bull opened with a sudden and tremendous 1 f dous crash Two heavy matchboxes r went for Tom behind the bar one laid him out as quietly as if he had been the other smashed a 2 f bottle which held a liquor known on the Barbary Coast as brandy and starred the mirror behind the shelves T Thomas at the same moment stooped 1 and aM caught Shanghai Smith by the thea a ankles and pitched him on his head J He lie never had time to reach for his I 0 t Jt i I t l j G ought Caught Shanghai Smith by the ankles ankle i gun n. n The merchant seamen Jumped to their feet and made for the doorStop doorStop door I Stop them said Benson and half halfa a 1 dozen hustled them back backa backi i a stain aln No you dont don't Johnnies you youcan youcan can stay and ave free drinks and look l' l j I alter after the man behind the bar Drag out cut that Smith and get in the open air And Thomas dragged Smith Into tHe tae darkness by his collar i I Theres to be no drinkIn for us I said aId Benson Smash what you like and taste And in less than a minute place was a lamentable lamentable lamentable lament lament- able and ghastly spectacle him right said one of the merchant seamen as he salved a bottIe bottle bottle bot bot- tle tIe of poison polson Oh aint he a sailor sailor- robbing swine Fetch him in and let him look at atIt atit atit it said Benson with a wink Thomas had been primed J Hes come to and run like billy billy- oh he cried But Smith was incapable of run run- ning He was being carried by two After im after im said Benson and in another moment the whole house was clear When Tom came to he found the place a wreck and and four bo boarders too far gone in free liquor to offer any useful useful useful use use- ful explanation of what had occurred since the rum had been pronounced fit to poison polson a dog All AIl I know is said the soberest that he fit and we fit and ana fit and fit and then e run And when Tom sought for the police it was very odd that there was not one to be found In the quarter of San Francisco which most needs clubbing to keep it in order There was not even one to bear witness that a crowd of and an American citizen citizen citi citi- zen had come along the water front at midnight But five minutes after midnight a British lieutenant could have taken taleen his oath that both crews were In their boats and at least moderately moderately mod mod- sober Ive seen the admiral Benson said Selwyn as he stepped Into his boat and sat down and he may may be later than he said Very well sir replied Benson And nd as soon as Selwyn had dIsappeared disappeared disappeared into the darkness the boat with Mr Shanghai Smith In followed suit And the Bay of San Francisco is not so well policed that they had any anyone any anyone anyone one Inquiring what they were doing as they pulled across to Saucelito and laid up quietly till three He aint dead we hopes said the crew of the boat I Not e said Benson Benson is is eart cart beats all to rights and is head is per per- sound bar a lump the size of a ens egg That end up-end up In dodge of or Thomas' Thomas is very fatal in a row row row-oh oh Its It's very fatal It was nearly two o'clock before Shanghai made any motion But when he did begin to get conscious he found his mind and his tongue with surprising rapidity That ead of yourn must be made of five-eighths five plate boiler-plate Mr Ir Smith said Benson as Smith sat us us sudden sudden- ly What What am am I doIn doln here asked Smith Ow do we know asked the delighted delighted delighted de de- lighted crew You would come It no good of ourselves Smith put his hand to his he head d. d Who hit me he demanded sav sav- No one said the crew unanimously unanimous unanImous- ly you tried to stand on your ead Put me ashore said Smith What are you goIn to do Were waltin to see the Arvester yonder eave leave er anchor up replied Benson Were in the sailor line we are same as you was He dont don't like to hear that said gald Billings were cutting him out of a job And this time we aint admirals No we aint Yah you man sailor robbin swine And you dared touch our admiral Oh you dog you I They all took a turn at him and Smith saw he was in the tightest cono cor- cor o 1 f. f r P ner he had ever occupied This w was as satisfactorily expressed for him Say Shanghai did you ever hear hea r of Barneys Barney's bull And when Smith refused to answer r they answered for him He was jammed in a clinch an anso and d so are you Youre You're goin to ave th the e finest time of all your life Did you jou OU ever eyer hear of Sant of the the Arvester And Smith for all his brutal courage courage courage cour cour- age shook in his boots Ill give you chaps a hundred dollars dollars dollars dol dol- lars to put me ashore he cried I never touched Sir Richard Dunn Dry up said Benson and dont don't lie He We wouldn't part with you my Jew jewel el not for a thousand What made mad e you desert from the Arvester a comfortable comfortable comfortable com com- ship like that with sich a duck of a skipper Ill give you a thousand said Smith desperately At four o'clock youre you're goIn on the and Arvester Arvester Arvester- and Us night on three now sT ED EDO O Jammed in a running bowline Sant wouldn't miss a man like you so smart and andy for all the gold in Own up as you shanghaied the admiral Smith grasped at any chance of avoIdIng a the Harvester For Sant had hada a dreadful name and both is mates were terrors If I own I put him away will you take me ashore and hand me over to He was almost in a state of collapse Benson looked at the man and nd Inthe in inthe inthe the faint light of off far-off day still below below below be be- low the horizon the boats boat's crew saw saw him wink Well vote on it If you owns up What dye say chaps Aye well we'll vote said the men Say did you do it But Smith saw how the voting would go and refused to speak They heard six bells come across the water from many ships And then they heard seven There was a a grey glint in the east The sand-dunes sand on the verge of the Ocean Park whitened as they pulled for the Harvester They heard the clank of her windlass brakes and the bull voice of her mate as ashe ashe ashe he encouraged his men to do their best by threatening them with three months of hell afloat Smith offered Benson two thousand dollars I wouldn't part with you except to Sant for all you ever robbed men of said Benson Benson and and what this is ony only you knows Pull b boys ys her cables cable's up and down No hold on a moment must he be wet of course In spite of his struggles they put him over the side and soused him thor thor- When they pulled him onboard onboard on board again he sat cursing Now boys bos bend your backs I And when he came up alongside the i Harv Harvester ster she was just moving under t the e draught of her loosed topsails Harvester ahoy cried Benson Hallo HaIlo said Sant Santo What is It You dont don't happen to have lost one of your crew to desert by sir Have you picked him up What's his name does he say Its Smith sir the man saId eald Sant I want him ba t J But Smith cried outs out I This is Sant I refuse refuse refuse re re- fuse to go Oh Smith said Sant Ill take all the chances of Its It's bean beIn any thIn you like Threw them a rope And the towed along along- side Up you go said BensonI Benson I wont won't said Smith Wont you asked Benson Well Wellsee see about that Hook on there Bil Bil- lings lings And the next moment Smith was was- jammed in a running bowline round his waist Sway him up said Benson and the crew of the Harvester hoisted the the- notorious robber with about the only feelings of pleasure they were likely to know till they reached New York And the pushed off as they heard the mate address Mr Smith in language which did his reputation reputation reputation tation and the reputation of the ship most ample Justice Theres talk talk and and- theres there's a fore- fore yard topsaIl voice for you said Benson Oh Mr Smith will be looked look looked ed after he will Now chaps pull for it It for the admiral will be waltin and if that twill be Stand from under To be continued |