D'Artagnan, the King Maker — page 35: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

26 The Petrel Changes Hands. “What, do you not own it?” “IT own this cave as much as any one, for the earth is the taker’s, I take it! But as for the title of the inn and its appurtenances, they come from the inn that we carted into this hole. I think that he who furnished the means to build out here has a claim on the prop- erty and good name!” The traveler did not argue. He knew what obsti- nate heads the Portuguese and Spanish peasants wear. “When we began the salt-making in a large way, the Brothers of the Coast, seeing its importance, asked the aid of their banker.” “The Brothers of the ‘Coast! Their banker! /Ho! Ho!” The exclamation might be caused by the pain of the wrench the woman gave on attacking the second boot. It sounded like satisfaction, however. “The Brothers of the Coast; oh, we poor fishers, ship- men, shore-scramblers, from Cape de Verde to the Eng- lish Foreland, we have to be united to make a good breast against the elements and the land-teasers.” “It is a copybook motto that ‘Small things grow by union!’ Approved, friend Pedro!” ‘When you see two hands clasped, on a flag at the fore, it is the Brothers; and if you hear, ‘All for each, and each for all!’ it is the Brothers who utter it.” “A profound Christian invented all that!” said the guest, sighing beatifically, for the other boot was off. “On the contrary,” corrected the landlord, “it was the West Indian pirates invented it. Like them, we have a fund: Everybody pays in so much per head, and at stated times. We pension off a sick or wounded mem- ber, even as a king does his pensioners, only we use our own money! And we care for the dame and the kids. And ” here he hesitated, but the slave, who had picked up a pair of Morocco babouches and was warming them at the embers, nodded for him to go on fearlessly. “And we spend the money as we would our blood, look you!—to save our brothers from the navy-———” “Of any nation?” CORIIC OOO <S,(E)