Tip Top Library: Frank Merriwell in the South Seas — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

10 FRANK MERRIWELL IN THE SOUTH SEAS, “Then you must have reasons——”? ‘OF course I have!” | The captain spoke fiercely, but ina low tone. | | ‘Am I to be called on for reasons by my passengers??? he contimued. ‘“‘Why don’t they come up here and tell me what course to take when we’re under way, eh? Ishould think the second of your nndeni- able things would be that the captain of the steamship has his reasons for doing everything.” | ‘““T’ll agree to that, but about the hu- manity, Cap? Under the circumstances, won't it be just as well to prevent Parker from writing a nasty letter to the China Maw? lLet’s have your reasons.” ‘“Why, then, see here, Frank: would it be humane to take on board a lot of scurvy, pest-ridden Chinks who might spread disease amoug my crew and pas- sengers? Isuppose you hadn’t thought of that.” ‘‘T hadn’t, but do you know that they are pest ridden ?”” ‘They don’t look over well, do they ?”’ ‘‘No, but they are niffeting from star- vation.’’ “Dm giving ’em food——”’ ‘Ay, but 1f they were English or Americans you’d have them on board.’ “*Of course.” _ “Then don’t forget that they are men, sailors like yourself, Cap. Suppose you were cast away and the officers of some Chinese junk should refuse to help you. I don’t think you'd like it.” ‘“No, I shouldn’t ‘“Then why not let the doctor examine these men, and if he reports them physs- ically sound have them on board and take them to Canton?’ At the mention of the doctor the Cap- tain’s brow clouded and Frank hastened to add: ‘‘Y got the doctor in a scrape, Cap. Honest, it was my fault. I saw a chance to give him a tumble and couldn't resist the temptation. I don’t want you to feel unkindly toward him.”’ Captain Dunbar reflected a moment. “You're a manly fellow, Frank,’ he said presently. ‘‘I hate to do it, but for your sake [Il see what the doctor says about those Chinks.”’ “I’m glad to hear you say that, and you understand that the doctor wasn’t to blame for ” “Oh, we'll stow that! I'l] tell the doc- tor that vou've confessed and that I’ve let you off. You talk the matter over with that man Parker. Make him understand that I’m not a brute, but that on the con- trary I was trying, and stillam, to take care of my passengers.”’ ““‘T’ll do so, Cap, with great pleasure. I guess I can square Parker.”’ Frank immediately left the bridge and hastened to join the other passengers, to whom he gave the pieasant news that the captain, after all, was going to take a humane course with regard to the ship- wrecked Chinese. | ‘‘He’d better,’? growled Parker. ‘‘I could bring a hornet’s nest about his head with a letter to the JZaz/ and another to the London 7Zzmes."’ | ‘“Wouldn’t 1t be a good bet,’ suggested Frank, quietly, ‘‘that Captain Dunbar intended all along to do just what he is doing now? It made him mad to think that we were trying to force his hand.”’ ‘‘Well, maybe that was. the case,” Parker said, and he looked very’ uncom- fortable about it. ‘(The captain told me he had good reasons for what hedid,’’ added Frank, to make sure that the newspaper man un- derstood the situation. | Parker‘made no reply. The conversa- tion took place in the smoking room and shortly afterward the passengers drifted out on deck, but they kept at a respectful distance from the bridge. GOMMGOOOKS (CO