"You
signed for the round trip. I've got to go through--and there's
strength in numbers."
"Well," said Mr. Murphy reluctantly, "I suppose I do attach a
certain--er--sentimental value to my ticket."
"I thought you would. Cappy's got us by the short hair, Mike; and the
only thing to do is to fly to it, with all sails set. We must never
let on he's given us anything out of the ordinary."
Mr. Murphy shivered; for, as Cappy had remarked to Mr. Skinner, the
mate was Irish, hence imaginative. He imagined he smelled the green
hides already, and quite suddenly he gagged and sprang for the rail.
Poor fellow! He had stood much of late and his stomach was a trifle
sensitive from a diet of creosote straight.
Somehow they got the awful cargo aboard, though, at that, there were
not sufficient hides to half load her; in consequence of which all
hands realized that Cappy had merely given them this dab of freight to
sicken them. They cursed him all the way back to Seattle, where the
crew quit the minute the vessel was made fast to the dock.
CHAPTER XIX
CAPPY SEEKS PEACE
"Here's a telegram for you, sir," Mr. Murphy remarked when Matt
Peasley came aboard after cashing a draft on the Blue Star Navigation
Company to pay off his crew. It proved to be from Cappy Ricks and
said merely:
"Discharge that cargo of hides or take the consequences!"
"The old sinner thought I'd dog it, I suppose," Matt sneered, as he
passed the message to Mr.
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