harter
with me! It will be all right if they terminate it while the vessel is
in San Francisco; but if she's very far from home I'll most certainly be
eaten alive while I'm getting her back to Cappy!"

He returned to his office and went into a long executive session with
himself, from which he aroused presently and went down to the dock where
the cargo was pouring into the hold of the Tillicum. Here he consulted
with the captain and the purser, and obtained a list of all persons,
firms or corporations which had furnished supplies of any kind to the
deck department of the steamer. From the chief engineer he procured
a similar list of those who had furnished supplies to the engine
department; and, armed with this information, he returned to his office
and dictated the following form letter:

Gentlemen:--Please take notice that we as charterers of the
steamer Tillicum from the Blue Star Navigation Company, and as
recharterers to Messrs. G. H. Morrow & Company, will not be
responsible for the payment to you of any bills for supplies or
stores, of any nature whatsoever, furnished to the said steamer
Tillicum since she has been under charter to said G. H. Morrow
& Company. Any bills contracted with you by G. H. Morrow &
Company for account of the Tillicum must be paid to you by
G. H. Morrow & Company. This notice is hereby given you in order
that we may go on record as disclaiming any responsibility as
charterers prior to the departure of the said steamer Tillicum
on her next voyage.

Yours very truly,
PACIFIC SHIPPING COMPANY,
By Matthew Peasley, President.

A copy of this letter Matt sent by registered mail, with a request for
a return registry receipt, to each of the creditors of the Tillicum of
whom he could get track. He had all the receipts in hand by the
last mail delivery the next day, and at eight o'clock that night the
Tillicum, having cleared the customs the same afternoon, departed for
Panama. Two days later Matt again called on Morrow & Company for the
money due him and, after much argument, succeeded in getting it. He
hastened at once to the bank on which it was drawn and asked the paying
teller to certify it. This the latter declined to do--neither would he
cash the check; so Matt took it back to Kelton.

"Kelton," he said, "the bank will not honor your check."

Kelton looked des