Among the River Pirates

nd let it blow over his hot cheeks. Lights blinked here and there on the dark water and a tug chortled by noisil

am. Skippy stared hard at the spray foaming against the bow; his mind was not on drifting

uch further, Pop?” he a

s got her name sprawled fore an’ aft in great big gold letters. It’s some fancy name c

lints are t

y. Much better. Besides he’s old enough ter take his father’s place in the dirty business, though I heerd not so long ago that Buck ain’t uv a min

business some day and make it pay without ha

oney. But that’s what a miser he is—he’s gotta have a crooked side line so’s ter pile up his millions in a coupla years. He ain’t willin’ like the rest uv these shipowners ’round her

roved over the silent scene until he espied the graceful sweep of a yacht’s bow projecting out of the shadows into the line of its anchor light. Simultaneously

sprawling uncouth barge and for a moment wondered why things were like this; why a man of Josiah Flint’s sort could own t

molder in his boy’s heart; something wholly alien to his cheerful, wholesome nature. But he was aware of nothing of this, save that he felt like sneering aloud at this prou

e rest of the yacht was in darkness. Skippy stared hard at he

saw that the object was a kicker like their own with its eng

and where she’s goin’ t

ollyon. “Folks on the river don’t think uv them things this time uv night. They kno

off now, huh Pop? It ain’t

on Ol’ Flint,” Toby said softly. “Now h

in deep, soft tones fro

houlders of a burly man leaning over the gliste

t aboard?

essing a yawn. “He’s in his ca

ea

alkin’ with Mr. Skinner when I come on duty two hou

xt moment Toby was scrambling up the ladder. Skippy liste

he’s got a caller?” t

by was saying. “I even got half

. “You’ll find him ’midships like I tol

closed and after an interval of silence he looked up to see that the m

he asked, catching Sk

g. He liked the man’s hearty voice.

rs when the old man’s busy. All we do is

d g

this

pretty swell, I’ll say. Not much t

do I do but fall sound asleep! I’d sat me down and I hear the old man bawlin’ Mr. Skinner out fierce. Then I guess I was dozin’ a spell ’fore I heard the sound of a muffled motor aft. Dreamed it, I guess, and

noticed already, but you might ’a’ heard another kicke

“Just somebody bein’ a little cautious, like. Still I got to quit bein

ol

d Skippy fancied that his mischie

kid! Apollyon is too highfa

. I never heard it before. Gee

mate paus

ou know—one of them real old Greeks thousands of years back. And this Apollyon was a evil s

oyer? A queer name indeed for such a dainty craft. Why should Josiah Flint give that

th a name like that,” he said

n laughed. “S

or an evil spirit or whatever Apollyon really means. Gee, I’ve heard my Pop say that a ship kinda gets lookin’ like its name an’ actin’ like its name after a while. That’s why he named the barge he b

d mate inquired

ne in a few words. Particularly did he stress Toby’s grie

e whisper. “I only hope he don’t get the boss in a nasty temper ’cause he’s not one to give in and he sounded like he was

ollowed by the sound of someone running along the deck. Skip

t directed them with such force. His father never hurried, m

his father’s drawn, white face was already looking down at him fr

terrible h

ype="