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Page 20
"Horrible!" said Abeuchapeta. "And the crew, what did they say?"
"They was a crew of a few words," sighed Hawkins. "Werry few words, an'
not a civil word in the lot--mostly adjectives of a profane kind. When I
told 'em what had happened, they got mad at Fortune for a-jiltin' of 'em,
an'--well, I came here. I was 'sas'inated that werry night!"
"They killed you?" cried Morgan.
"A dozen times," nodded Hawkins. "They always was a lavish lot. I met
death in all its most horrid forms. First they stabbed me, then they shot
me, then they clubbed me, and so on, endin' up with a lynchin'--but I
didn't mind much after the first, which hurt a bit. But now that I'm here
I'm glad it happened. This life is sort of less responsible than that
other. You can't hurt a ghost by shooting him, because there ain't nothing
to hurt, an' I must say I like bein' a mere vision what everybody can see
through."
"All of which interesting tale proves what?" queried Abeuchapeta.
"That piracy on the sea is not profitable in these days of the check
banking system," said Kidd. "If you can get a chance at real gold it's all
right, but it's of no earthly use to steal checks that people can stop
payment on. Therefore it was my plan to visit the cities and do a little
freebooting there, where solid material wealth is to be found."
"Well? Can't we do it now?" asked Abeuchapeta.
"Not with these women tagging after us," returned Kidd. "If we went to
London and lifted the whole Bank of England, these women would have it
spent on Regent Street inside of twenty-four hours."
"Then leave them on board," said Abeuchapeta.
"And have them steal the ship!" retorted Kidd. "No. There are but two
things to do. Take 'em back, or land them in Paris. Tell them to spend a
week on shore while we are provisioning. Tell 'em to shop to their hearts'
content, and while they are doing it we can sneak off and leave them
stranded."
"Splendid!" cried Morgan.
"But will they consent?" asked Abeuchapeta.
"Consent! To shop? In Paris? For a week?" cried Morgan.
"Ha, ha!" laughed Hawkins. "Will they consent! Will a duck swim?"
And so it was decided, which was the first incident in the career of the
House-boat upon which the astute Mr. Sherlock Holmes had failed to count.
VI
A CONFERENCE BELOW-STAIRS
When, with a resounding slam, the door to the upper deck of the House-boat
was shut in the faces of queens Elizabeth and Cleopatra by the unmannerly
Kidd, these ladies turned and gazed at those who thronged the stairs
behind them in blank amazement, and the heart of Xanthippe, had one chosen
to gaze through that diaphanous person's ribs, could have been seen to
beat angrily.
Queen Elizabeth was so excited at this wholly novel attitude towards her
regal self that, having turned, she sat down plump upon the floor in the
most unroyal fashion.
"Well!" she ejaculated. "If this does not surpass everything! The idea of
it! Oh for one hour of my olden power, one hour of the axe, one hour of
the block!"
[Illustration: QUEEN ELIZABETH DESIRES AN AXE AND ONE HOUR OF HER OLDEN
POWER]
"Get up," retorted Cleopatra, "and let us all return to the billiard-room
and discuss this matter calmly. It is quite evident that something has
happened of which we wotted little when we came aboard this craft."
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