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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 17, 1904)
TUB ILLUSTRATED DEE. ' July IT, 1004, men aboard tier. Ho man, If he eotiM TteTp It, ever aalled In her after the first time. It waa to thla man and to this ship that the young gentlemen with numbers and without names had consigned the uncon scious form of Mr. Bill I rig ton O'Keefe. Aad ahe waa a tramp boat, bound for everywhere In general and nowhere In par ticular, and ahe would not return for a year and a day or bo, or more, aa circum stances might direct. A week later In Monro a stranger en tered town and made Ms way to police headquarters. He asked for the chief. The chief saw him. 'I'm from New York." explained the stranger, "and I'm reckoning up a chap that everybody's looking for. He's wanted on any number of charges. I've traced the fellow here and I want a little local help to find him." The chief nodded. "Let's see your pa pers," he said. He looked them over. "We keep pretty close tab on things here," he said, "and I'll try and find out whether anybody's seen him. Aa It la, It's pretty late to do anything today. I'm going down to the hotel. You're from New York. You might as well come along, and I can show vou a bit f the town. We've quite a place Here, if I do say It myself." They sauntered down to the hotel. After some slight refreshment they sat for a few minutes In the large front lounging window that overlooked the street. They engaged In a desultory conversation about nothing In particular. Suddenly the New York man caught tha chief by the coat sleeve. He pointed Into the street "By George, man," he exclaimed, "there's my man! That's Constitutional Smith of New York, as sure as guns!" He rose from his chair and started out excitedly. The chief pulled him back and burst Into a roar of laughter. "Sit down," exclaimed the chief; "what's tho matter with you, anyway? That ain't Constitutional Smith of New York. That's Bllllngton O'Keefe of the city of Monroe." "Bllllngton O'Keefe," echoed the other man. "In course," replied the chief. "I know Mm like a book, - and so does everybody ebe. That's Bllllngton O'Keefe, the Klon dike king that's all." , . CHAPTER III. Captain Jenks of the Merchant Marine Bllllngton O'Keefe slept for soma eighteen hours. Art Is an Improvement upon nature. Mr. Smith's little saturated rag was re sponsible for this somnolence. The process of awakening waa a gradual one, and be yond the fact that his bed waa usually hard, Mr. Bllllngton was quite unaware that ho waa not In bis own home. His breathing was stertorous; he snored sonor ously: This semi-conscious period, did Mr. O'Keefe only know It, constituted the hap piest time he would experience upon tho "Sarah Margaret" for many and many a day. Finally he awoke. Awoke but to find him self with a splitting headache and a tendency to seasickness within. Thla lat ter sensation was due rather to the drug 'than to the motion of the boat, for the sea was calm. At first O'Keefe could not see. He was In a narrow bunk In tho hold of the ves , sel and the hold was dark. He could smell, however, and the odors of the hold did not please him. He could hear, and he heard many noises above his head and a few around him. These latter came from other snorers like himself, for no less than live men had been shanghaied upon this trip. Most of them, however, were merely drunk. For many moments O'Keefe lay in his bunk, weak, supine, listless and wonder ing. He was not yet able to reason he took everything for granted. He attempted , to lift his head, but it fell back heavily upon the board that served him for a mattress. Finally, however, he succeeded. He raised himself with great care upon his elbow and peered out over the side of his bunk. "Good Lord!" he muttered to himself, holding one hand to- hla aching head, "what police sUUon am I in T Where am X at?" Gradually he made out that he was In a long and narrow room, and that on both sides of this room were bunks Just like his own. He could make out the forms of men within these bunks. Then he turned and looked Inside of his own bunk. He did not look very long. He concluded that that was not the place for him. At the end of the room he saw a per pendicular shaft of light. He lifted one leg over the side ef the bunk, and then, halt Climbing, naif dropping, he fell suddenly to the floor. There he lay, he knew not for how long. No one disturbed him. O'Keefe was a man of action and he was rapidly gaining full possession ef his serines. His spirit was willing and hla flesh had to follow suit He could not under stand a good many things about his pres ent flight, but he determined to And out about it at any rate. Finally he rose to his feet and staggered like a -drunken man toward the shaft of light. Behind this shaft of light there waa s ladder. He knew that the light waa the place for him and that the ladder was the way to get to it He determined to climb the lndder. He made a sodden splurge and climbed naif war np: tits strength deserted Mm and he fell back Ignomlnlously to the floor. It took Mm fifteen minutes to ascend that stairway. Once he was upon what he designated In Ms mind as the floor above he found that there was still an other ladder to climb. He sat down and rested. All the while the sounds above kept up. There was also a swishing, gliding sound that In his bewilderment he could not place. He knew In a measure that all the sounds were familiar ones, and If he had looked about him and taken .note of everything he would have under stood. But he was too dared. Still he saw no one. Another fifteen minutes and he had climbed that other ladder and propelled himself, weakly and desperately, upon a sunlit floor and into the light of day. And then for the first time he saw where he waa. A hoarse shout greeted him the shout of one man. "Hell an' biases!" called this man, striding rapidly toward him, "it's about time you were about." O'Keefe looked uncertainly upon this man. This man, of course, was Captain Holdworthy Jenkins of the Sarah Margaret and of the merchant marine. "Hell an' biases!" reiterated Captain Jenks, "have you come to at last?" "Where where am IT" weakly demanded Bllllngton O'Keefe. Captain Jenks informed him. He told him that he was on the "Sarah Margaret," a sailer of so many tone' burden, laden with such and such commodities for everywhere in general and nowhere In particular; that she was headed southwest and that at present she was In latitude so and so, longitude this and that At least, that is about the Interpretation that O'Keefe, in his condition, was able to put upon Captain Jenks' wtrds. "You was drunk as a lord when you come In," volunteered Captain Holdworthy Jenkins, "an' when you signed with me you could hardly hold a pen. I never see such a sight. We're a good two an a half days out, and you've slept ever since. You must a been on a big tear."-, . They were - not two days out, but the "Sarah Margaret" had had a strong north east breeze behind her that had pushed her . along like a second-class steamer, and, of course, there was no land to be seen; and Captain Jenks desired to discourage any . notion of his shanghaied bargain that there was a chance of getting back. Bllllngton O'Keefe put his hand to Ms head and tried to think.' "You've got another guess," he answered, "I never signed with you. And. by George, I wasn't drunk!" He staggered to his feet and leaned against a rail. "What the devil Is this game, anyhow?" he asked. "Do you know who I am?" "Know," retorted Jenks, expectorating, "I should think I did. You've sailed with me a half dosen times before." Ne roan had ever sailed of his own accord two times with Captain Jenks. "Know? In course I know. You're able seaman -William Green. Bill Green, that's who you are Bill Green!" O'Keefe drew himself up. "You've made a hnge mistake, ray friend," he said. "I'm Bllllngton O'Keefe of the city of Monroe." Captain Jenkins doubled up with laugh ter. "That's good, too," he roared. "Say, Bullitt," he called to Ma mate, "here's Bf.I Green, got the 'd. t.'s,' He must have been on a bat for fair." Tho mate, with a grin on his face, ap - proached and contemplated Bllllngton O'Keefe with interest Bllllngton O'Keefe waa no fool. He waa . not born yesterday. And he had not knocked about the Pacific coast all his life for nothing. He soon understood the situa tion. He knew well enough that the Cap tain Jenkins of tho "Sarah Margaret" had not mistaken him for any William Green. He was quile sure, however, that Captain Jenkins had never heard of Bllllngton O'Keefe. the Klondike king, or. If he had, did not believe that hla shanghaied bargain was none other than, that famous indi vidual. . They gave O'Keefe all the rest of the day and the ensuing night to get straightened up. On the following day, he understood, be must start Into work. "You'll toe the mark, too, understand." thundered Captain Jenks, after a lengthy argument. 'Til show you that this ain't no Sunday school excursion. Ill make you stand around." Bllllngton O'Keefe nodded. "You'll hear from this," he said quietly. Then he Sub sided. He thought It best. At first he had Intended to Inrtst upon his Identity. He had one way of proving that he really was Bllllngton O'Keefe, But it was highly probable that tho captain had never heard of htm, and If he had the situ ation might be all the worse. A common seaman waa one thing, but a man of wealth was quite another, and O'Keefe had seen quite enough of Captain Jenkins to understand that he was a money grabber, and that with him the end Invariably justi fied the means. Bllllngton O'Keefe did not relish the prospect of paying out one-half of his pile as a ransom. So he concluded to make the best of It And so he started In to work. He had thought that It would be hard work and nothing else. He soon found out Ms mis take. Captain Holdworthy Jenkins soon undeeHved him. For with Captain Hold worthy Jenkins the desire to maltreat men had become a passion It was a frensy. No monarch In the world held fiercer twny than Captain Jenks. He enjoyed It Cruelty with him waa Innate. And Balllngton O'Keefe soon found it out He was kicked and cuffed with the rest of them, but he stood It for awhile, doing hla work the beat he knew how. He soon found out, however, that ' good work did not purchase Immunity. For when he did good work Captain Jenkins became at once irate because he had no cause for complaint What Jenkins wanted all the time was an excuse to be ugly, and when there was no excuse he was uglier than ever. Now Bllllngton O'Keefe had always been a man of rugged constitution. He had parsed through hardships and he had come out whole. He waa heavy and he was muscular. But he waa untrained. He waa a bit stout too good living had made him so. He concluded several times that he was no match for the tall, bony, gristly form of Captain Jenks. Beside that Jenkins hnd his mate and one or two other trusty henchmen behind him. And there was nothing that Captln Jen kins loved more than a fight And Bll llngton O'Keefe took quick note of all these thinga. O'Keefe thought and thought and thought And he kept his eye peeled for any chance of escape. One day when the captain waa out of sight somewhere O'Keefe sighted a vessel on" to starboard. The air was as clear as a bell; O'Keefe could see the vessel she was a steamer with distinctness. There was little breeze and they were drifting along. Jenkins was In his cabin sleeping off the effects of a debauch. Thi mate for the moment was out of sight. O'Keefe scratched his head and thought. As he thought his eye caught sight of tha flag that the Sarah Margaret was flying. Quick as a wink he sprang to tho mast and lowered the flag. Then he reversed It and hoisted It again, but this time upside down. It was the signal of distress. He had not concluded his task when he heard a roar. It Issued from the mate. The mate saw at once what he had done and made for him and for the halyard. There was a struggle. The mate was more active than was O'Keefe, but O'Keefe was able to keep him away from the mast, and did to by means of much scuffling and scurrying about The crew looked on. Many of them caught the significance of O'Keefe'B act. Many sympathized with It Two or three started forward. Then they foil back. For the mate, finding himself unable to manage O'Keefe altogether, had called. In a stentorian voice, for Captain Jenkins. That name was magic. If thero had been a suggestion of mutiny It was immediately stilled. One of the crew even, in response to the summons of the mate, ran to arouse the captain. An Instant later an answering roar was heard. The mate breathed more freely. Captain Holdworthy Jenkins hove Into vlow with murder In his eye. He did not know what was up, but he felt In fit shape to tackle anything. He was fighting drunk. The mate, still struggling, told him what It was. He listened tor 'an Instant, then bore down upon the .two fighting men. The other members of the crew looked on, half In Interest, half In fear. "Leave 'lm to me, dad gast ye!" roared Captain Holdworthy Jenkins. "Leave 'Ira to me He's my meat for fair." The mate sprang away from O'Keefe and the captain took his place. The mate rapidly pulled down the flag hand over hand and ran It up again in proper form. Then, rapidly, one after the other, he ran up brief signals to the other boat that all was right The steamer, which had paused, now blew an answering toot and proceeded on its way. In tho meantime Captain Jenks was work ing himself up into a fine frensy. When Jenks was drunk he became wary and scientific. He could teach many a prize ring man a few tricks of the trade. Ho approached the matter In hand with an air of relish. "So no, my buck," he exclaimed, siding up to Bllllngton O'Keefe, "so that's your little game, is it? We'll see about It." Bllllngton O'Keefe was no cowsrd. But he was no fighter. And there was some thing within him that bade him stay and have it out with this man before him if need be to the death. There was something within him that said, "Away with fear!" At this Juncture the other man tapped Mm with his open hand upon the face. It stung snd goaded Bllllngton to frenzy. He lunged forward with all his strength, aiming for the other man's ear. Jenkins laughed hoarsely and sidestepped with alac rity. The force of O'Keefe'B lunge threw him almost directly in Jenkln's way. Jenk. ins straightened him up with a blow from his right O'Keefe then threw all caution to the winds. He had become a maniac Jenkins usually was the frcnaled one. But now it was O'Keefe. With all the energy within him, backed up by all the memory of the ill-treatment he had received at the hands of this brute before him, O'Keefe sprang forward and delivered a terrific blow directly upon the nose of Captain Jenkins. Jenkins hsd been too reckless. He had left his head un guarded. He was unprepared for a sudden rush. He had been careless, because he knew that the other man was no match IS for htm.' Wow, strn guarding himself, he felt quickly of Ms nose. It was still intact it bad been broken so many times before that it would break no more, Then, with a red stream spouting from Ms proboscis, Jenkins started In. Few ever knew what happened. Jenkins did. Suddenly, with a quick movement, he sprang forward, delivered a double blow with both arms, and lifting the other man high in the air with that same blow, dropped him with a heavy thud on the deck. It was all over. Bllllngton O'Keefe waa down and out Jenkins had won and there had never been any doubt about his win ning. And he knew it But be glowed With victory. "Geo!" he exclaimed with satisfaction, wiping his nose on his sleeve, "it take Captain Jenks to do It Here," he growled? to his mate, "serve gtvm eeetjrUMs We'll drink to the corpse. We'll have s wake, by George!" They left O'Keefe where ho had fallen. The grog was served out. Jenkins dnink his share. The crew sighed with relief. They knew the captain would be In good humor for many hours to come. "That's the way, my bucks," yelled Cap tain Jenks, swinging a gluBS of grog above him; "that's the way to do It, an' no mis take. An' It takoa me to do It I kin tell you that. I'll give It to you straight that I'm the champion o' the world.' He I raised his gloss aloft and then, swinging it downward, emptied It at one swig. Pouring out another, he drank that down. Pouring out still another, he held It for an Instant In his hand and then flung It, glisa and all, at the figure of Bllllngton O'Keefe, The glass struck O'Keefe heavily upon the head and cut it oen, but did not break. The grug poured over tho face of the un coiibcIoui" man and trickled down upon the deck. "Now, we'vo all had grog," remarked the captain; we've all hud grog, an' the corpse has had It, too." That was the kind of man who sailed the Sarah Marguret upon tho briny deep; that was Captain Holdworthy Jenkins ot the merchant marine. They did not leave O'Keefe there, how ever. He was still too valuable a 'man, not to be revived. He wai a good seaman, and Jenkins knew it. And, besides, Jen kins had no pleasure In store greater than to lord It over the man whom he had Just knocked out. He knew that day after day he could beat and cuff this mna to his heart's content with none to say nay. He smiled. It was the gristly smile of the victor over the vanquished. It was the merciless grin of the captor upon the cap tive. It was triumph Incarnate. They carried O'Keefe Into the hold and dumped him into his bunk. They exim'ned him to see whether he was still In the land of the living and felt hH heart carefully to make sure. When they did so there fell from his pocket from the breast pocket a long folded piece of paper. The mate stooped to pick it up. "He'll be all hunky-dory," he said to the captain; "be'B bo all right in the morning." The captain grunted his approval. He pulled a flask from his pocket and took another swig. Then he looked o,t the paper. The paper contained writing In a large, bold hand. The captain read it Then h started and caught the mate by the arm. "Hell an' biases, Bullitt!" he exclaimed, contritely, "what 'ave we gone and done?" (To be continued.) Glimpses of Mythology Bacchus had Just rung for ice water. "Shades of Achilles!" he groaned. "The told me yesterday that It was going to be a sane Fourth." Holding his throbbing temples, he tried to remember where be had taken his last glass. Noptune was driving Ms dolphins through the waves. "This old shell makes mighty poor time," he said, "but I believe at that I could show up on the Wisconsin crew." Pushing on the reins, he hastened west ward. Milwaukee Sentinel. raNGRfWnsLGcaj II "(: v i I 1 M