The Pirate Shark

el. For Waikiki is the great seaside resort of Honolulu-throbbing with motor cars, gay with villas and stately with hotels; trolley cars

g Honolulu he would not be in touch with business or friends for three weeks or a month, except by wireless. So t

boys, after dinner, had wandered around through the crowds, avidly watching everything, from the Po

riosity somewhat satisfied. A Japanese waiter, dressed in his white garments, received them

folk-and finally dropped into chairs at a small table set among the palms and looking out on the sea. The place was set aside by itself, out o

key?" he queried with bla

othing in that line for us. Pla

. The little waiter bob

t. "This place is just like fairyland to me, Holly.

y juniper, this place is crowded! He must have stuck us off he

cream, which he set down rather superciliously. Mart, who had been paid

ck for a while. We won't order any more,

ys were rather glad to be out of the crowd, however; they could hear perfectly, could get occasional glimpses of t

hed, and listened to the orchestra. Bob was too excited to keep quiet, however; he was taking peeps through the encircling pal

or, Mart!" he cried hastily. "There go those Chinese who were chat

an forward, as if unbelieving his own eyes; a flush came into t

juni

now?" queried his

re slowly. Then he leaned forward, wa

er side of the palms, pulling back the chairs; slouching into their places were three men. Mart's eyes opened at sight of them, for they were no other th

lly? Haven't they as muc

lue eyes flashing angrily. "Seamen like them comin'

ging from the crowd, everybody's welcome here that's got the p

um, flaring up. "And you know it. Onl

given their wages up to date, he knew, so there was nothing strange in this, but when

d to them, "here's a health to the old crowd, and a quick

one-eyed Birch evilly. "He kep' Ji

Yorke, with a leer arou

lk is in the middle of a crowd, as old Bucko Tom used to

," exclaimed Yorke agai

Bob's eyes were burning, and Mart

. "There's somethin' going on here, Holly. Remembe

r was more deeply alarmed than he showed, and had no scruples about listening. They were

mate and the quartermaster, the tales about Jerry's former life. Then there was this toast to the Pirate Shark! What did it all mean? And Bucko Tom-that was the man Jerry had

tlined his thoughts to Bob. Then he repressed his chum's answer, for o

ve, wi' the fish down below and us up above.

kly. "No British investigations for me, Shark Smith! No, I

right, Shark. Keep away from the Britishers. You la

is voice piercing like a knife. "We ain't back in 'F

ce from Bob. Inwardly he determined to find

e black eye flaming across the table at the gentle, white-haired quartermaster. Mart noticed that they seemed to pay him deference, and he

s the thing to do-wait. Joe Swanson won't leave his

but Bob gazed over at h

in' wrong, by juniper

ld Jerry was off his head, mumbling like he does. As far as being pirates goes, that's all fooli

ins of rheumatism pretty bad. Pirates don't have rheumatism, in any book I ever read. Still, the

ly, let's go back and put it up to your dad. He said he'd have m

Jerry to keep quiet!

I'm thinking about what they said about getting to Singapore or Saigon, and about the Coralie and the Melb

the two boys made their way back to the hotel, and with every step their imaginations rose higher. By the time they located Captain Holl

ve you boys been up t

ms," said Bob mysteriousl

ir evening's amusement, but neither boy would say a word until the

w we got a bunch o' pir

ve-w

y Smith's the head of the gang, and Joe

?" exclaimed the captain wonderingly.

itions from his chum, he managed to finish it with some degree of coherence, Captai

elieve those old me

ook like it?" ans

ropped into a chair. For a moment he gave way completely to a wild spasm of mirth, laughing as M

es! Oh, this is rich! Old Jerry Smith-steady Jo

" queried Bob sharply. His father w

nd dreaming about the things they'd like to do, without going off at

into another f

wait and see. You ask Swanson some day if h

being picked up. Don't I know his whole record? Look here, boys. There's not a sailor alive who hasn't had some mighty queer experiences, and you haven't taken that into consideration. I never hea

rned to Bob while they

emember one thing. Your dad didn't know

nned Bob delightedly. "We got ex

did not f