Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 1904)
Methods and Luck of a Lucky Man By Wm. H. Osborne (Copyright, 14, by Wlllatn Hamilton Os borne.) OHAITKIt JC1II Continued. Hril)F.N HkM daw n.cl on Smith. I There was something amiss, ho Sk I knew nnt what. But one thins ho did realize, and that was that he was on hi way to Swat, and more, that he wax on the name boat on which he hud shipped Billington O'Keefe (omp months ago. Hut he did not re'.lsh the Kltuutlon. If his feet had not been tied ho would but his foot were tied. Again Captain Jcnka klikid him. "You wouldn't do that If my feet were loose," Bald Smith, In a ratio. The captain lulled. 'Wouldn't I though," he said, tauntingly. "Junt n though 1 hadn't done it when your fwt were looso. Just as though 1 couldn't knock you out with one hand tied behind me, Billington O'Keofe." "I'm Constitutional Smith," doggedly re plied the other. "I'll prove It to you, too." Unconsciously ho had been feeling through hla clothes. Ho knew they were Ills old onea. In his breaat pocket he found a paper which lillllngton O'Keefe had placed there. Smith thought perhaps that hla own paper was atill there. He pulled thla out, however, glanced at It In amazement, but handed It over. "There la my name," he said; "there on tho laipor. Hcxeklah Constitutional Smith. And I know you like a book." Tho captain took the paper and howled With delight. Ho called to hla mate. "Matey!" yelled the captain, "here's the same old (luck atill liulatln' that he's con stitutional Smith. He nays he can prove It. What's more, he says this proves It. What d'ye think?" The mate looked at tho paper and then burst Into a roar of laughter. "Ha, ha, ha," yelled the mate. "Ho, ho, ho," laughed Captain Jenks. "You've got a nerve, covey," said Cap tuln Jenks to Constitutional Smith; "a caat-lron nervo, to play the same old tricks ta us In the aarne old way. That's what. What d'ye mean by It, anyway?" lie slapped Smith "Willi his open band. Smith ftuahed to the roots of his hair. Hut be kept his temper. "You wouldn't do thut if you knew who 1 was," be 8:ild. "I tell you I'm Conati tutlonul Smith. Understand? If I can't prove It to you In one way I .can In an other. Do you remember the case of the lilghway robbery on Stadelhelnicr, the Flushing millionaire, that you and I were mixed up In? Do you remember that? Well, you were In that and I was In that, unci we got through by the skin of our teeth Now, do you aee that I'm Constitu tional Smith? How about that?" Instead of opening his eyes In surprise Captain Jenks opened his mouth and roared again with laughter, "You blamed idiot!" be said, "you're Worse and worse. I tolk you all about that case on this here deck, and not so many months ago, when I did think you were Contitltutlonal Smith. You fooled me. You've fooled me once, and you gavo me the slip once, and I'll tlx you. So far you ain't proved anything, but that you're a bigger fool than I thought you were. But you've got nerve, that's what." Constitutional Smith thought a moment. "'I'll show you," ho answered. Immedi ately he rolled up his sleeves and bared his breast. "You'll know me by the marks, anyhow," ho began. And then he stopped. For he was confronted not by his familiar tattoo marks, but by the strips of sticking plaster with which ho hnd been decorated by lilll lngton O'Keefe, and which completely cov ered every veatlge of India Ink. At thla exhibition the captain and IiU mats went Into hysterica. "Ho! ho! ho!" they laughed ngaln. "This la bo good." They Muggured about tho boat, convulsed with unc.ontiollablo laugh ter. Finally the captain suLidcd, and, ap proaching Built h, culTed htm once more. "We've had about enough of tills," ho said liercely. "By Clod! I'm going to do you up. 1 Uit I'm (foln to give you a fair light. Thla time you'll have all the show I ciin give you. You can rest up for a couplo of days, and get in shape, and then It'll bo your show to come up on d-.-ck und meet Caplaln Jenks, the cl'.ar.ipoe:i of the world, for the last time, l'nv givln' you fair warning that this will be a abit-gln' match, but a fair one. Hut, by Oeorge!" fca added, "If In the meantime you ti; to get away, Ood have mercy on you. I won't. I'll kill you In your tracks. You fooled me once, and you give me the slip once, and now you don't get away from mo. You're my meat, and If I don't kill you In the fight, by Ueorge, you'll be my slave for life. I'll have tho upper hand and don't you forget It. But It'll be a fair fight. I won't kill no man In cold blood, nor with out a fair fight. You kin cat up and brace up If you want to, and get strong. If you don't want to, you needn't. But I'm glvin' you a chance that I don't give to many men." For the next two days Smith was kept under a constant watch. But be had all "Como on, my buck!" he yelled, with fire In his eye; "come on." The lanterns cast a wlerd light upon the scene. Smith looked at Jenks keenly. "You're Bure," he said In a low, even voice, that Jenks thought trembled Just the least bit, "you're sure, are you, Jenks, that you want to fight me? Make up your mind. I tell you I'm Constitutional Smith." Jenks leaped into the air and yelled with laughter. The mate and most of the cTew Joined In. What was atrange. Constitu tional Smith Joined in with them. "in course I want to fight with you, you Jackanapes!" answered Jenks; "what did you think this was a Quaker meetln'?" "Let her go then," Raid Smith. The mate final a )iistol shot into the. air. Now, on the occa sion before this, as in every light, Jenks had determined to take his time and draw the excitement out. He invariably had been precipitate. It had been too soon over. This time, how ever, he dctermlnej to control himself until the end. This time he would knock his man out by slow degrees. He even de termined to give his man an apparent ad vantage or two at the start. He entered the ring and shook hands with his oppo nent. Smith gripped his hand with a grip "I'M CONSTITUTIONAL SMITH. I'LL l'ROVfc . i' TO YOU, TOO." he wanted to eat, and ho was allowed plenty of light and air and exercise. "Drink rum If you want to, I don't care," said tho captain; "do anything you want that'll get you in shape." Constitutional Smith did not drink rum. Nor did he again attempt to force the fact of hla identity on Captain Jenks. He kept his eye, however, on the captain's face. If there was ever systematic and scientific mu.'der in any man's eye. It was in the eye of Captain Jenks. In the niLantlino Captain Jenkn, in bis usual approved manner, commenced to pet himself ripe and in shape for tho approach ing battle. He rlpsntirtcd about here and there, cuffed this man and that, particu larly Smllli. Rrnltli took till buffeting silently, and never attempted to n nt it. On the third day Captain Jenks waa in as prime condition aa he had ever boon. Tho tight, us before, was to come off in the early evening. There was no moon, but aa Jenks preferred to tight Just alter durk, a lot of extra lights were placed upon the deck. Smith ate no supper. When It had become almost dark, the mate and two others escorted Smith to. the vin- ""'-ere was Captain Jenks, bared to the waist. tha. was nothing If not weak and trem bling. Smith elood in the ring an ap parent tyro before a perfect master. Smith, U:o, waa blulllivg )ut'L a bit. ."Gee, he ain't got a ghost of a show," mutterid one of Jenks' crew, remembering as he did the former light. The eyes of the crowd were on Cuptain Jenks rather than on Smith. They did not take note of ii few of the beat points of Constitu tional Smith. Smith, with hla arms half limp and al most every point ungiiardtd, stood up and faced Cuptain Jenks. of the "Sarah Mar garet." Captain Jenks aimed a slight but vicious blow at his opponent's head. It struck somewhere up In the empty nlr and Captain Jenks waa leaping, perforce, back wards In the direction of the outer edge of the ring. Smith had uppercut him on tho chin. "I beg your pardon, Captain Jenks," said Constitutional Smith. Jenks ' laughed with fury. "I let you do It I let him do It," he explained to his mate and the crowd. He really thought he had. The crowd believed him. Then, with a string of oaths, he rushed again at Smith. He had a vague idea that he could get some where near that gentleman. He was never more mistaken In hla life. Smith assumed merely the defensive. He simply parried every blow and permitted himself to be chased around and around the ring. "Huh," grunted Jinks, "been takln' les sons, have you? So much the better; Just so much more " He was about to say "fun," but the "fun" was cut short upon his tongue, and cut short because his tongue was cut. His teeth had come together with a click and his tongue had been between them. Con stitutional had merely tapped him once more upon the chin. As he did so he laughed tauntingly in the captain's face. "I've been taking lessona," he admitted, with a smile. There are a good many things to be preferred before attempting mastication of tho tongue. Jenks' ugly humor waa bo aggravated by tho pain In his mouth that he flung caution to the win Is and pounced suddenly upon Smith with a terrific swing of his right. Smith simply stopped the swing and knocked Jenks down nut of hand. Jenks fell heavily and rose immediately Before this he had been half man and half beast. Now he was ail wild beast. Wild with rage, a fury incarnate, a man all haryls end arms and feet, he flung him self all at once upon his enemy. He cast science to the wind. He was fighting blindly, terrifically, with claws and feet and teeth. In his flight through the air he struck Smith In the mouth, splitting his lip open, and grabbed Smith by the hair, pulling out a handful as he went. No science could brave an onslaught of a wild beast, and Smith In hla turn threw science to the winds. He waa maddened by tho sudden wrenching of his hair and by the blood that was flowing from his mouth. It was no longer a question of science and a rule and rote It was sim ply a question of going to win. Before him was Jenks, claw ing, biting, kicking and lunging him. Smith made no at tempt to dodge him. He simply stretched out his long right arm and grabbed Jenks by the thro.it. Then, holding bin almost at urai's length, he hammered blow after Wow of bis left into Jenks" face. Not enough, however, to render him unconscious. "Oh!" walled Jenks. "Stop it; stop It; stop it!" SmTlh did stop that part leular method. He drew Jenks to ward him, and, hold ing hla head In chan cery firmly under hi3 arm, he punished him heavily and syste matically from his chin down to his waist line. Jenks groaned aa oach blow was delivered. "I can break every bone In your body," yelled Smith; "do you believe It or do you want me to prove it?" "Lord, no!" pereanied Jenks. "J be lieve it. Help, help, help!" Up to this Juncture the spectators bad stood spell bound. Kven the mate was aghast. This was something he was not looking for. Suddenly, however, he came to his senses. Catching one of the more faithful mem bers of the crew by the arm, he pulled him forward to the rescue. Simultaneously they rushed upon Constitutional Smith. "Whoop!" yeled Smith, "cime on the whole gang ceime on." Catching Captain Jenks by his shoulders, he lifted him suddenly Into the air and swung him about his her.d. At the first swing he aimed for the mate's ear, and his aim was good. The mate went down. The other man followed suit. The strong arm man charged upon the crowd and felled another man who waa coming to the res -uo. The crowd retreated before the onslaught. Smith, with a louder whoop than before, swung Jenks about his head twice or thrice and slung him heavily Into the midst of the frightened crew. The crew scattered right and left. Jenks slid