The Signal, 1898-5-5, Page 8-THE LAST VOYAGE OF MARTIN VALLLANCE
A SEA STORY OF TO -DAY.
By' JOHN ARTHUR BARRY,
Hibor et "Move Browne n..yy,' " la the Oast INep" eta
1 rti+iggt-- -1 1SWminiablibSlS(IQ Vt St3ISSR'
on the extreme rim of the horizon.
The wurda were scarce out of .my
mouth when I felt something "give'
hilt, and in • second 1 wart in the
boiling, foaming backwash of surge
alongside.
As. gasping and choking I came to
the surface agaiu. the first thought
that flashed across my brain was that
the ship was still reeling oft her thir-
teen mots and that I. Martin Val-
lance. was no better than • dead man.
Swimming with one hand. 1 squeezed
the brine out of my eyes with the
other, but so dazed and stunned was
I by the amazing suddenness of the
affair that 11 could see nothing. look-
ing. possibly, in quite the wrongdi-
rection. There WWI a nasty. ort.
choppy sea on. too. and I found it
took me all my time to keep afloat.
Then 1 raised my head and shouted.
but with poor heart. I knew so well
the almost utter u.elessaesn of it.
What merchant seaman under like
conditions ever gets picked up? And
I mentally follorad the oonwof
events on hoard. The lookout -Y bid
on his first voyage -after • minute's
gaping astonishment, roars, "Man
overboard 1" The watch on deck.
skulking in snug corners. rush sleepy-
eyed to the rail and stare. is my
CAME as officer of the watch. it was
worse than any one else's. Most likely
the mate would have to he canto' before
any measures were taken. Certainly
the fellow at the wheel might put it
hard over. but that would do no good.
And by this time the ship would be
• fall three miles sway. Probably,
after some twenty minutes' herd work
with covers and gripes. a brat would
be lowered, pull about aimlessly for
an hoar. and then get aboard again.
In the morning the log -hook would
In life, to do as so many other% were ,show my epitaph: "On such -and -such
doing, and "change into steam." a date, longitude and latitude so -and -
Five -and -twenty shilitngs per week, so. a gloom was cast over the ship,"
after eti'gqht year,' servitude given to etc.
malterins ast.hig' aeduour and o .111410rweretiml trim y .1001 las. mere-
'fatiguing profeasioa, and one in which ingra;ty Lack to wind and sea, 1 swam
dis*at ty-iietwwer--renumeration • spgalyand mechatiteany:giong. thfnt-
and responsibility Ings the met. appear- ing whether it might not be as well to
ed. avis to my mind. to leave some- throw up my hands at once and go
thing -to -1M desired. Alts for romance, �Bowie instead of lingering. But. I was
tbat bad all been petty well knorksd yeas and alroog; and. be ! how
oat of mo8Ibiirellae�d totrallrfor"'( bp'1ivs orTte inn's'iri
or expect-snytktt -of-the kind. Th. ----.n there enema tt-be 1
ocean, clearly, had &Tiered, and been a cluniCi -Inning it1 And laurel . I
modernized to slit the times -brought. thought, there must be a buoy or two
so to speak. eternity "up to date," and somewhere, So 1 kept on. Fortu-
bad. save for a few- rare outbreaks, 'lately I had only light shoes in place
aaugbt liteelf to recognize that (act. of sea -loots, but my pea -jacket tett as
and behave as an every -day, common- if it were made of sheet -lead. The
place piece of water should. This, at first sudden shook and surprise over.
least. is what I thought whilst 1 traced my thoughts turned to, and worked
the Antelope's deo& as she went roar- collectedly enough. even to the extent
ing down the Channel with a fair wind of arguing. pro and oon, whether or
behind her, her Plimsoll mark justrnnt it was worth while to go to the
awash, and three tower topgallant- trouble of taking my coat off. an t
sails atanding out against the clear could have done, for I was at home
sky like coocave.ef sculptured marble. in the water. •Presently, standing up.
About the snip and my shipmates there I strained my eyes in another long
was nothing more particularly notice-' look around. But I could bear no -
able' thairthamistaleaseraehalf-sokoz- thing except the moaning of the wind.
en similar ships and ships' companies see nothing except the white tope of
i bag sailed with. Of course, iodet'eil, the abort -.wave. ss (hey came snarl-
'• t;,,,,wgpyp..varied;-but. tale them full and ing and hissing around me; these, and
by. skipper, officers. crew, routine, overhead. the vast concavityof rag -
rig. and provisions, there was the Lomat ged darkness. lit here and thereLomat by a
family likeness. Merchant -captains few stens. I stared in the direction
commanding vessele like the Antelope 1 now knew the ship should be. But
are as often as not, in these modern there was no sign. A map's vision in
times. gentlemen. Captain Craigie a turnbi. of • sea has not time to set -
wan one; and the chief mate, Mx.; tie itself to reach very tar. Still.
Thomas. wee another. Both were i I thoughti might have seen • light
scientific and skilful navigators. bad they shown one. As I turned.
and both officers in the Royal wltb a short prayer on my lips, de -
Naval Reeerve. The ship herself termined to swim till I should sink
was • flying clipper, steel -built; from pure exhaustion, I beard some -
crew mined; provision', fairly good; thing come down on the wind like the
every prospect of the usual dull and ery of a child - "Me -ma -ma -a -a 1"
evenness voyage to "Down Under' gbanating into a long queruioeu blest
and tack again. It was my last at that seamed very familiar. Staring
any rate, and It has given me quite latently in the direotion, atter a while
enough to talk about for the rest of I male out some dark object. now
my life. and especially when any one looming as big as a boat on the creat
happens to remark in mine or my of a wave. now hidden altogether In a
wife's hearing tbat there is no romance water -valley. A few minutes more
to the we nowadays. and I was alongside It, clutching the
1 am not going to say anything more wet and slippery sides% whilst from its
about the Antelope just now. because Interior proceeded • volley of plain -
this story doesn't eoaeero her very , tire callings. i reeognized tbe thing
much, and after t left berm sudden- now ; and rte I caught hold of One of
ly, Captain Craigie and three of her its stumpy Apt and dragged myself
men were the only recognisable men- on top, and lay at full length, pant-
_ tiers I ever again saw of the ship's Ong sod nearly spent. I blessed the
compaay• sailor -man who had made such good
And now. having cleared the way • nes of his opportunity.
little. I will heave ahead with my yarn Whilst in Capetown the oaptiin.
by reading widen ydu will see that. who was ailing. had heed prescribed a
e ven in the present prosaic age. card- dila of goat'. milk and rum. or.. at
ole things may happen to those feast, frequent does e[ the mixture.
do business in great waters; and may Tres -rent wr had pleat! of shooed ; and
also realize that Mother Ocean hes the skipper soon get a fine goat, new-
ly kidded. trout ape of the farms round
when she chooses to exert it. of staging about. He alto bought from an Indian
ro'nentic scenes, and incidents grotty.- trader. then in harbor. a four -legged
gas sad tragic and mysterious. slardve animal -Den. imp -Farted. strong
- • • • • $$ a hone. and almost big enough for
11PS` d malted -at Capetown after, a Meta to live in. This etruotare. its
a fair"-- nick run from the Lizard, aseptate "reseed" bps
y our earster,
to land • few passengers and take in • and at first placed aft, new. presentlypassengers
little cargo; and. In place of keeping because of Nanny's wailing- wbiea,
away to the southward. the captain every eight. her kid was Osten tram
Mood along the 29th parallel. In do -
her, shifted forward and limbed on lbs
ing thin he ran • risk of meeting with Pigpens close to the door of the top -
light and unfavorable winds. But gallant forecastle, in which the sail -
that was purely his business. We ars lived. Now what annoyed as aft
were just now in t.hat sort of No Max's annoyed ,Tari forward jest es muck.
Water between the Indian and South and there were roneegnently growls.'
Atlantic Ocean shunned by saltors.and deep and long, from the eaten below.
teed only by • few steamers: Out And i saw what had happened Me
position at noon bad been 4S deg. 15 clarly as If 1 had been there. In the
min. east longitude. 36 deg. 17 rain nab and hurry consequent upon my
.mouth latitude, or about 17111 mills tumble things had loon thrown over -
from Capetown. The night wan dark board at random: and a sailor. seeing
sand squally when I came no dark to
his chanes. •laslawd through the lash-
end
the middle watch, and as 1 at amp- tags of Nan 1 ten. waited for a weather
ed the perm, listening to the salmi,
and with s push, gave It a free
that seemed every now and then to pwwaage. Flush with the rail. as it
shrill wlth a deeper note In the Poor wen. its owe weight, almost, would
of It aloft asoomela tlftl canvas, there have taken 11 over. Thus in ons net dill
ram. • fry of"Light me the lea tow•, Ike Sitio lose SO °Meer front aft and
stood *nth', break of the forecastle. • anisette, from forward. And swan
head. an ordinary seaman. But, paler whilst tiling aerate the Kars that term-
s i might. 1 oould see on light. So. el the front of the cede or pan, drip.
dreeeading the poop -ladder, I tinkled pig, like a wet mob ow to Nan, who.
along the. main.4 eek. seed heaved on l silent new. weal trying to nibble my
to tbe rail just before l4 fore -rig- Ioes, I onsld well picture the .ktpper'n
ging. and leaned opt -tenial is orderrate when lee missed his goat.. Of
to .get $ better view. The heamen 'curse he would to soi'r for me too.
shod go- the break of the forecastle. We had always been gqod (Mends. Rut.
a [lark figure- rl•iag and fulling with -thea I could be rsptrted at ones. there
the vessels 'lead &galas' the patchy ware in the Antelope at least tutee
sky. "Where away, my lad Y' 1 ask- sat the before the mast. the goat not.
ed "There, sir," &powered he. peisa-
Ing. Luckily for Nan and tripoli. too. lite
I wtit11181dlttg em. eareleaaly enough Pea had fallen on its leek, and rode
to erns of the running gear--Jib-hal- free tebk* .ky, e& MIA pad dry, et-
yardsDere do".
probably. and not to the stand ` WI ald sseed etocons sera,/end
ng riegips. as 1 should Ddone. 1 again,that i he
seared. eta leaned over farther still. "anus° curtaiws whlei wets made
"A star ,on mut ton-hsa
d 1'" 1 imbibe. oaten over the w-ntber
bars la had .
ed, aa dr rya nwutfht what ba was Fe'tl Mad down. I felt her
after -this yellow glint of Antares, joust through the wet hair. and
CIIAPTKR I.
1 bad been at sea eight years. As a
boy. innate leve of runtimes and Marry-
at'e novels bad sent me there. Other-
wise, there was no particular necessity
for such a step. My father held the
living of Compton -on -Tor in mouth
ilevon. and was rich enough to have
given me • cl)pioe of professions. Nur
iq all those eight years did I once en-
counter the romance 1 had fondly im-
agined was the inevitable lot of the
seafarer -the romance of incident. In-
deed, • more humdrum, matter-of-fact
life could scarcely be conceived. with
its inevitable reourrence of headwinds
and fair.gales and calms, long passages
and short. Actually. so far es my
memory serves me throughout thoee
years the most exciting matter that
happened was the carrying away of an
timer fore -topsail -yard. Still. i1 I size
not altogether satisfied with the re-
gular routine of the hard and monotoa-
oua profession. I had so wilfully chosen,
I loved the sea Waif bymd anything.
and"ties.aiier tired 'studying its my-
riad moods. .and atteutptieg to inter-
pret tbd"'1anguage of the many tongues
with which it spoke to the wanderers
upon its mighty breast.
Although "a peased roaster," I bad
not yet been lucky enough to get a
better billet than a second mate's.
Ships. comparatively. wore few. and of-
ficers
fficers as plentiful as blackberries in a
good season; and I was considered for-
tunate when a berth as second mate.
at £5 per month: was offered me on
board the Antelope. a 1.000 -ton ship
hound from London to Fremantle in
Western Aaatralia. 1 hardly took the
same view of things. and bad quite
made tap my mind. an it was rather late
la the day for choosing another path
b
yea wouldn't believe how grateful that
touch Inas to my chilled and sodden
body ; $y, and how nomfortiag, also.
to my heart. just now so utterly de-
void of hope. was the sense of that
dumb companionship. And though
I knew that. barring something vary
Tike • miracle, my burs were num-
bered; still. compared with my condi-
tion so lately. here was, at least. • re-
prieve. I have already said that the
Antelope. in place of stretching awe
to the southward for a westerly wind.
as most vessels would have done, had
kept wren up toward the Indian Ocean.
making, in tact. a nearly straight
line for her port. This was In one
way a gain fur me. in another a dis-
tinct balm -the former byassuring me
ot warm and most likely fairly fine
weather; the latter by taking me quits
out of the tract of outward or home-
ward bound shipping. Had I gone
overboard amongst the huge. ice-cold
cumbers of the South Atlantic in forty-
titre
ort -
tive degrees or thereabout. l should
have been food for the fishes long ere
now. All these natters I turned over
is my mind •e I lay at full length.
with room to spare. and gave Nanny
a hand to suck. and longed heartily
for daylight.
A. Lite night slowly ceased. the
jump of a sea that had been shaking
the soul out of ate wast down pre-
ceptibly ; the w tad, Loo. blew warmer
and more lightly. Of seeing the Ante-
lope any more I bad no hopes. By the
stars 1 could tell 1 was drifting to the
aorthlrards, and quite away from her
course. Still tbe captain. might stand
by through the night. and with a look-
out at the royal mast -bead, they might
possibly sight ate. A forlorn chancel
And, indeed, when at last the sun rose
gorgeous out of a great bank of opal
and purple. sad balancing myself like
a cirrus -man. 1 stood up and took in
the horizon. and the sen that ran to it,
foot by toot with ray smarting eyes.
i could see nothing. Nanny and I vers
alone on the wide and empty ocean,
e nd evidently travelling in the set of
some current. And it was owing to
this, probably, tbat I was not sight-
e d in the morning; for the ship had
actually abortened sail and stood by
the whole night through. tacking at
intervals, so as to keep as near the
spot as possible. 8o they told me af-
terwards. It was more than many •
captain would have done, goat or no
stat. And I was th4-Jjpiltar pleased on
a nertsid very momentona occasion. of
which you will bear is dos course.
to to able to make my acknowiedg-'
menta to my old captain and thank
him for his humanity; also to help
him a little, in his own time of need.
in-&different-lhshion-ilowwar. tine
last is an affair that oonoarna aot;.the
story.
(X Nan. previously.. I had never tak-
en much ootids. Now, as I looked down.
I saw that she was • great strapping
lump of an animal, in tine condition.
with • well-bred. good-tempered head.
bearing a short. sharp pair of- horns:
and a queer squab of a tall that she
carried in a jaunty sort of curve over
Itrr backbone. She was mostly black
in colour, with a big white patch here
and there. and she kept her legs strad-
dled
trad.dled to the beaus of the sea. like an old
sailor. and stared up at me with • pair
of big, black, bewildered eyes as who
should say: " Where's my child f And
what's become of the steward! And
what's this row all about C" And, sad
and sore as 1 was, 1 couldn't for the
lite of nae help grinning as i looked at
rtty skipmete. All at once, underneath
her, I caught eight of three circular
brown objects; sad suddenly I felt
hungry. All day long the skipper used
to stuff Nan with white cabin bread.'
lumps of sugar. fancy Irisruits, and
such -like. for she'd eat anything. And
at times. the men, perhaps by tray of
contrast, would throw her a bad bis-
cuit out of their own barge. At the
present moment there were three or
these under Nan'. feet. 1 etretebed an
arm down, but could not reach them
by a full six inches. Nor could I Open
the door, forming as it did hell of the
front of the pen. ,without the risk of
Nan jumping out. t last, after many
vain efforts to fiag,'r them, taking the
kerchief oft flay peck. i tore in into
stripe. joined them. and bending my
knife to the ani. managed to harpoon
one. it was soft and sodden with sea-
water, and full of dead weevils; but
it tasted delicious. i offered • bit is
the goat, but she only smelled at it
and stamped ler foot. snorting indig-
nantly.
All right, my lady." I said; "per-
haps your stomach woo'L be as prow)
as time passes!" And I secured the
others in the same fashion, and stowed
them carefully away in my pocket.
it was a real comfort to have some-
thing to talk to. although it couldt on-
ly anw►er me with impatient coughing'
and crying* as it seuttted to and fro.
standing up now and again to nibble
and pull at my cloths through the
bars. F.ven that took away the dit-
mal sense of loneliness and deenlation
induced by the look of an empty- ocean
all around running togs empty sky.
CHAPTER II.
And now the weather took a tbor-
mighly settled sort of look -blue sea,
blue sky. and the aur just hot, enough
to be grateful. A light but steady
tweeze blew from the south-west ; and
in Mato of the abort, choppy waves of
the prevloas night, was a long. till
nabrokeb swell, over which we rt
fairly dry. and showing two' feet of
• side, with. Near of the surface, a
couple of stumpy outriggers. where the
carpenter bad cut down the tall legs
of the pen when it tame on board the
Antelope. The two lower heed were of
course, ander water.
jn meeting with Nanny I lead felt
guild fol, alesoat cheerful. indeed.
Tet tlnr, strong as • young borne.
sound as a new ball, with eye of e
gull and digestion of an ostrich, doesn't
atop in the dimwit very long under
ally eirrnmstanes; dad l sat fa the
*nn. end stared retract He korixon, and
talked to Nes. whilst our aagainly
resit tolled about. yawing, and elue-
iag, and lollopug over the regular mita
Still, the salt hisoult, had made me
tblr.ty, sod lay throat was like s
nverbril bid potato. when, towards mid-
day, clouds began to rise la the *eat.
slowly {f. first, *boa with sob rapid-
ity thee all the sky in that *partner
soca beeaate as Meek as as Ink -Sot.
I hod jest taken a dl► overboard, and
was mueshaaaap!p • dalar's-breadth of
bisoalt to still the laward srilldlag,
when, as feared thirstily at lbs 1iagw
darkness that was reespieg `rsdu*lly
over all, thiek and dsnes, as if it swat
to Mot tint sea and sky for evermore.
my eye caught • (limps, ca the edge
or the storm-eertala, of sotnethieg
showing white agaiaat the gloomy
Fitaadi up• t -saw it snore
nisi y. 11 looked like s ellen royal
or • boat's sail. That it was no flicker
of see -bird's wing or beakless crest
ut a wave, I was certain; although.
even as I told myself so, It was gone
-engulfed is that profound blackness.
beginning ouw to enfold tee and spread
I the farther horizon, whilst streaks
of vivid ligbtuiny and low mutterings
of thunder heralded the approstking
storm.
The wind had died entirely away, and
the gloom was so thick I could hardly
see to cast adrift the curtains et the
pen sal fix them snugly over lbs bars.
But for these things --made to protect
Nan from the spray on the Antelope
in heavy weather -we should have been
done, for 1 was certain that enough wa-
ter was going to fall in the next few
minutes to sink the cage. As it was.
I felt nervous about the result. 1 bad
thought there was no wind in the
storm. But I was wrong. for present-
ly a low. white mound showed itself
advancing from the edge of the hor-
ixoa. quite disoernible with the play
of the lightning upon it. and travel-
ling swiftly towards me. roaring with
• mighty noise of wind and water it
came. Thunder pealed and crashed as
if the foundations of the ocean were
leaking up, whilst the heavens glowed
with such continuous flames of elec-
tricity as made the eye wither to look
upon. I had never in all my taper-
ienre seen anything like Ibis. And I
pretty well gave nuwlt up for lat*t
-feeling la that moment neither bun -
ger nor thirst -as the wall of wind-
swept water roared upon us,andtook
the pen up and threw it is the air.
and whirled it round and round. and
hither and thither in a eloud of spume
and hissing, pelting Loam. till, as flay,
my hands gripping the legs of the pen,
and my toes stuck through the can-
vas cover, i grew sick and disay with
the motion and turmoil. and expected
each minute to feel the cage steepsize.
fill. and go down. But with thiat first
great wave the worst was over. and
Nen ant I were still right -side up.
And now, at last, down -acne the rain.
not in drops. but in such solid sheets
se fairly bore me flat, beating the
breath out of nee e• I stretched face
downwards sad listened to the water
pouring off me like a cataract. But I
was glad. for I knew the fall would
quiet that venomously bissiag sea, that
seethed and rutted so ilea* to my soak-
ed and battered hodt. As the first
weight passed I opened • corner of the
tarpaulin and peered at Nan. She was
crouching in one,o tw r. _ there wee
far more water wasbing about theta
.1_,Iet rigid the look of, aoaaidering that
I had nothieg f could use as • tailor.
Also. the pen had sunk appreciably It
der the added weight of fresh water
and salt.
CBI be Continued.)
FAKE KLONDIKE GOLD CLAINS.
Sew Nae*t& geav Mera Witt Me *wined-
, d Walesa Tarr tave,ttgeae.
The Gold Commissioner in the Can-
adian Yukon. writing from Dawson
City to the Minister of the Interior,
calla attention to the indiscriminate
staking of gold claims in the Klondike
'region. whether the eoaditions war-
rant such staking or not. He says:
"Another matter which I will bring
to your attention is the manner which
exists for •taking every stream and
gulch in the country wbetber there
is any prospect or not. Man think
nothing of perjuring themselves by
taking the oath that they have found
gold on the claim wbicb they have
staked when the thermometer was
50 deg. below zero. Streams are
staked for several miles in tbe space of
a few boars. The definition of •
mining division wbicb allows a claim
on every separate stream which flows
into the Yukon like every other re-
gulation which allows any latitude,
bas been abased by the people staking
on the different small streams mon
claims by ter than they could poledbly
represent. Of course many of these
oreeka will be worked ; it would
cont more to make a survey of these
w all streams than all the revenue
which may be expected from them.
Hundreds of these worthless claims
will be advertised for sale on the mark-
ets in the outside world at prices far
in excess of their value. Capitalists
will not be likely to purchase without
iavestigatiag the properties they may
wish to acquire through their agents.
but the small investors will suffer, se
the money paid by them will be .a
good as thrown away.
0
ABOUT VACCINATION.
aes.e rlaarra *bleb Tree 1. Meow 1t
aura/ rmeleery.
Although eomraratively few persons
nowadays require any argument or
demonatratioa to ronvinoe them Of this
SAWS eat vaecinalion • pamphlet wbioh
has joist been issued by tbe council. of -
the British Medical Association is use-
ful (because it presents in small com-
ps•ss, some of the most striking proofs
of the efficacy of the process, wbere-
with to confront unbelievers. It is
shown that the mortality from smell -
pee is meet, leas now than in pre -vac-
cination times. and that the greatest
dlmunition in the smallpox mortality
is found in the early years of life, in
which there is moat vaccination. Sta-
tistics are given from various coon -
tries in proof of the statemeel that
in countries where there is mourn vao-
eiestkee end re-vaeeinatioa relatively
to the population there is little small-
pox. In Prussia both vsooisation and
revaccination are rompulaory, sad
emallpex mortality is almost abolish-
ed. Is Austria. where vareir*tioo le
not rompulesry. the rate, instead of
being seven per million. sa in Prussia
in the tee year's ending wait jh18h, Ina.
459. In Belgium also vaeoiaatlon isnot
compulsory, and in 1878-'84 bad t retie
of 441 per million, as nodapared with
Premier IN in the yams period. Slsa-
ilarty. in clauses among wbioh thine
is much vaociestion, there is little
. eallpoox, while in pleas where small-
pox pesvails It sttaake • mach greater
proportion of the uaysooissted than of
the vaoeiarted. egsoi•Ily - where the
,annieations era comparatively meet.
in bntuies invaded by smallpox la the
coarse of as netbreak It is staled, sot
pearly so many of the vaeolsated la -
instal elle attscksd an of the envagglh.
& ted le ppTroopnrtloa to their awpMrp,
and the death rate siorser Potolie at -
leaked bF smallpox Is meob pastae,
mire kr ape. annum the nays14iaated
t.baa •moait the vagoinatmd. ,
Mblpa a v` ebu111t'ita, Aad yet we .,s 5 ..
. W. w....de meek* .«u.. spa0Ntrlogh . ' ..
aPitllli 111118 TO FIGHT.
WILL r KE THE STRU06t.E WITH
AMERICA A FIERCE ONL
The Weeders sr its neverwataeel - rte slaw•
It lerevlel.a• rade ter reed as/ coati
*reel saseer ter leaaai.. UIe try.
N'hatever the real cxoavlctiow of the
Spanish government and people as to
the outcome of the war with the Unit-
ed /States. there can be no doubt both
government and people will mak* a
supreme effort to render the task of
America Sa difficult. costly and Mandl
as possible, says a Madrid bitter.
It will out do for the United States
to act on any other assumption. The
real problem which the goveramaat
uoafronta is not so much the loam of
Cuba us the possibility that the peo-
ple at large will come to think the
govefnntent unworthy of confidence
and sweep it and the dynasty away
together. One does not need to trav-
el far in Spain is these days to learn
that.
Every intelligent Spaniard recogniz-
es that the 8paaisb system of govern-
ment is vicious In the estrsme-cor-
rvtpt. bereagralifkC-Qttatory and vain.
The better educated maks no attempt
to conceal their contempt for the whole
system whea talking to a foreigner
who can get their confidence. They
are clanaish and suspicious of ordi-
nary outsiders. and they look with deep
distrust on the representatives of
foreign asw•pspers. But if one is able
to persuade them of a willingness to
regard existing troubles with any-
thing like impartiality they will talk
freely.
In each circumstances the truth
Domes out. and it is try no means flat-
tering to the cabinet.
QUEEN REGENT POPULAR..
The queen regent. except possibly
&,Mont sn nnimpprtaat section of the
poorer clnresa,fl°wh'o refer to her die-
dainfully as "that Austrian," is popu-
lar and respected. She Is sharply dis-
tinguished from bar -advisers. wheth-
er conservative or IlbereL
Apart Cte1s tE6 rtrtiats and tbe re -
the former hostile M her
family and the latter, opposed, of
course, to the-monarchioal system, her
position excites keen sympathy in all
parts of the kingdom. Indeed. her
personality is the chief rallying force
among the Spanish people to -day.
apart (root the hypersensitiveness of
the nation on the score of its great
traditions and racial pride.
In well-informed quarters. however,
there is a slowly forming fear that •
tblossal blunder has been made. which
will tend to bring the war to • prema-
ture, ignominious ending. This has
to do with the queatioo of supplies -
food and opal. It is the coal problem
that ceases the greatest anxiety. The
Spanish habit of procraitiastioa, the
disposition to expect the best uatil the
worst has happened. the fetal belief
that the powers sad the Pope woald
somehow be able to bold the United
States in cheek-ooupted with lack of
funds for immediate cash p•ymeats-
led the government of Azearraga and
14 successor. the Sag•sta government.
to delay the collection of *applies and
coal at available porta until the fear is
n ow that the opportunity of doing 'so
bas passel.
CUMIN! FOR THE CABINET.
One hears the suspicion expressed
frequently. with a muttered expletive.
and sometimes the remark, "In any
other country somebody would be shot
for this."
The consciousness of the situation.
es thus affected, has greatly depreaa-
ed the queen regent and filled the
Wsylerites and the more dignified sec-
tion of the military partywith a'wrath
that bodes ill for the utu re d afl-
oat* re•possible for such criminal
neglect.
In a war which will be chiefly a
taestion of fleets and where the small-
er power mast fight thousands of miles
front home and depend absolutelyon
one or two bases of supplies, aways
threatened try the enemy. lbs seal.
which is the sine qua sou. is possibly
not available. That there should be
any doubt whatever is of the highest
importance.
The Spaniel' educated classes under-
stand the full significance of it. Right
in line with this is tbe equally aston-
lsbisg. discovery that tie government
appeals to have neglected to inquire
of time poweft What attitude they wound
take on the question of making coal
contraband; and now that the Inquiry
in made and the reply is forthcoming,
Spain, even with the financial re-
sources seeessary. is !confronted with
the dalt•nisg feet that her coal supply
Is likely to be woefally inadequate.
BAOASTA'8 FALSE HOPES.
8atast* took office pledged to the
psciflcatioa of Cubs end the main-
tenanoe of good relations with Ameri-
ca. No doubt he believed both ends
would be serured. The dominating
element in hit cabinet is Senor Moret,
the brilliant but too optimistic min-
ister of the colonies. Sagest. has bees
largely under the influence of Moret.
The latter in cultivated, • linguist, a
horn orator.. model of Apaaisb court-
liness and. in times of peace, a man
who could be of great service to bis
eeountry. He isnot *man of war end
would neglect to take the precautions
slaggested by the military isbtiseit.
Senor Galion, the foreign minister,
delights le diplomacy and extele in It.
But he le diffident and delicate. There
it nothing militant in bis compost -
Roe. Ile is • enol judge, and fair
and candid In his estimates, hat be
reties on tis shield sad not os the
laps. He Metre aggreselvnnses and
laltl*tivs.
Thep Mee sad 8agasta. with slightly
differing views as eircamateness have
modified there, have brought the
Spanish government to the present
flew wlthotg adequate preparation
along Itlbversl It posrfasi Noes.
LACKS POPULAR tONFTDRNCft.
811101et47 declaration to his sap
portals the day before the menials of
pot+llasssat led the ring of high sour -
age. hat It was the utterance of an
orator rather them an admiuletratee.
He does tut posse.. the aatioeal con-
fidence as a great leader ought to have
it to lead a nation effectively in each
an hoar.
No doubt the liberal governmeat will
be retained in power (or a time at
least, but were Spain to suffer a eeri-
otle naval reverse as the result of a
batik of coal or of sodas such materiel
preoautton as would be easily traced by
t people at targe to a lack of minis-
te jlLaj foresight. the &atlas would in -
neon an abrupt change of admin.-
trwtion
4 that event General Dominguez
might he carried to the balm, or. for
that matter, Hershel Cnptpo. la any
meat the *•w oaitiast would be a na-
tional osbiaet, without regard to
party lines. But the question is.
Conld even that save the 'highest in-
tereate"-tbs crown!
WHY YOUR PATE SHINES.
The atrrebe51 •alders. &re.eal tldeollerd
Ry s Inset' Mvas{.
Mons. Seboaraad, former pupil of M.
Pasteur's .ellilal, has found the mighty
microbe that makes men and women
lens their 4M-tbs little beast who is
ras00MsWe for the shiny pats of tits
salset*ste lisldhs•d. He de.oribas it
ea It ighleta. eolorisse body, poiatsd at
both tenth sad iseaas eiag M aamkat'e
by eesataat division into two, and sines
the divisions do sot always immediate-
ly break oft. Long chaise frequently
form. eacb link being a distisct mic-
robe.
The pestiferous organism congre-
gates in colonies of enormous numbers
in the upper part of the hair follicle
below the epidermis. and just where
the sweat glands join tbe follicle. At
this point tbere is somewhat of an en-
largement. and in this little cavity it
1154: • eoave•ient habitat. Each col-
ony is wrapped up Tato • kind of co-
coon by fatty matter from the setec-
eone gland; the oo
cuotss vary in mise,
and areeasy to obtals by squeezing
the skin at the mouth of a gland. The
ooil ot tatty matter wbioh is ejected
when a " blackbead " is forced out of
tbe akin by pressure is simply an en-
vrlmoua c0000a hnidiag withia -iL my-
riads of tbu baster(um.
microbe of baldness -has bees Leo -
lilted and grown as • culture on asuit-
able medium, when it appears as • ool-
orleea form, changing tater into one
of brick red hue. Hut bow is it that
this microbe. not hieing at the root
of the hair, but at some distance above
It
is the tolliclo, awes tlae bale to
fall out f Its method of attack iii' u
fol Imes :
Thr:development •end growth of thewmtorobe
CAUSES CERTAIN ('HANGFN
in its environment -the breaking up.
for instance, of substances around.
from wbicb it obtains necessary food
and enrgy-and the cycle of results
thus brought about gives the product
tion of a sulataleoe pocis.sous to the
root of ea hair. This loxia passes doves
to the root, and seta as • slow poison.
not killing all at once, but inducing
certain ch'lraeterislic symptoms; the
hair becomes lighter in color wall its
pigment has practically disappeared.
its diameter gradually lessens, it ite-
oomee brittle and dried up sad event-
ually dies and falls out.
The root. though weakened by this
poison. sends up another Bair to re-
place the fallen one, but the new. out-
growth begins life feebler and poorer
thea its predecessor, so it, too, *sly
with greeter speed, becomes a victim.
And so the process goes on ; each sue-
connive
uo-connive growth starts more weakly its
fight against the insinuating poinoa
and more quiekly anccumhe, until •
poial is reached where the root eau
ne longer make a fresh effort. for it
ba. also talion completely under lbs
noxious ietluasoe and Is killed. This
course of events, recurring as it dee..
simultaneously is hundreds of adja-
cent hair tollras, naturally result la
complete baldness.bi
To prove that the microns le the
cases sad sot merely the a ooatpaat-
meat tilt baldness, M. Sebourved ktle.
luted It and cultivated it in spoilable
liquid. After the microbes hail mul-
tiplied and developed he filtered the
liquid through porcelain. sad believ-
ing that, it his theorles were true. the
filtered liquid world contain the sub-
stance they produced poleonoes to the
heir, be took a rabbit and inoculated
it deep) ender the akin with the (inti,
As be hoped. the rabbit speedily be-
gan to lose its fur, and in six weeks it
was completely denuded; In fart, it
bad become entirely bald.
THE EARTH'S ('LOUIS -BELT.
A writer in Knowledge makes a vivid
picture of the great belt of clouds.
some three hundred miles is breadth.
whisk surrounds the earth • little
north of the equator. Within this telt
rain almost inceaeantly falls, some-
times in sheets, awl the wind ',idols
stirs. Before the inveetinn ot (deam-
ahipe, ve .el■ becalmed In the "cloud.
belt,' sometime. drifted helpless for
weeks. Even sow the crossing of this
belt, where ev•rytbiag is surcharged
with moisture, is a disagreeable exper-
ience for voyagers going from the
North to the South Atlantic Ooe.a. or
vine versa. The belt can he trawl
.eras equatorial Africa ed .erne, the
America. isthmus, and the great riv-
ers. 'Amazes, O'Meara, Iffier, Nile and
Congo. era" in thew rain -soaked re-
gions, which are like ezheustlenn re-
ervoiee. The entree of the equatorial
nand -belt is eonneeted with the trate-
windrt •ad in the snares of a year it
Millet** north and south over a Me-
topes equal to abort three baba its
Men breadth,
TOREN!, IR'S HARVEST MILL.
At Driffield, is the Bast Ridley of
Yorkshire, the hafrtet bell Udtill rules
it S o'clock la tri morning to reuse
the laboteM from Heir aluadisra, sad
ale 7 in the evening the wslellg181 anaan
if the he11 latlasags bre titbi lbt dee-
ng week tar tb dal:
ARE UREAT UU
THE SPANIARDS WON THEIR IN
PRQDENCE THAT WAT,
rimy Move sever Moen tteeellplaa rya
Seder tweeter Tsetics-lies
5.IN 1e the labs.* is Taal ewe
Werfbs.
Fighting la the open baa never
Hyalite strung patint. so that w
hostilities begin *Cabo the dues
not stand a show of success with tb
United elates regulars against the
in line of battle and the iasurgenta te,
bascading them in .the el/apparel
The Spanish tendemey to Irregahl
warfare is largely hereditary lyre
800 years the Spaniards were in
scant strlte with the Moors. e
they ooagnered at last. During those
eight oeatnries there were no regi.
Lar rainpalsas. bat both sides as a
ruts, split up into separate bandt
whop only object was to continually
barium and eventually exterminate t
other aide.
One of the great disadvantages a
der which the Spaniards will tight wit
oonalat of the taot that they will nee
their sgisriors is abslr basalis
'al "radars. Spaldirdlh iara liiv1i bury
auoesedad sa guerrillas up to the pres-
ent time. It they won no groat bat-
tlea they at least held their owe
ground or prevented the enemy from
occupying It.
In Cuba. however, things neve base
different. The Spaniards met their
equals. if not their superiors in the
tnstargents. They have uniformly
been driven heck, sad in all the bash
lighting have bees regularly why
pad.
NATURE TRAINED THEM
The ph siclal features of the coun-
try are in the highest degree favor-
able to the operations of guerrillas
The load is traversed by great morta-
l** ranges. the siopea oI wbiea are
cova7d yw1-4.s.e...r+le4..t,. Thorne
a whets army corp• may secnrety cos -
coed lead' from as saemy only • fee
feet away. The roads are so rugged
and universally had that regular mili-
tary operations oma be carried on only
with the almost difficulty. The roug
roasts' holies- geareiliy fellow tot -
tames mountain strwms sed ars cease -
no f411 of beads, turns and
wiadlegs that the making of 1a am-
buscade is easy at almost any polot,
sed in every mile many almost insur-
mountable obstacles to the manning
of troop. may be put up.
Napoleon learned this to his cod
whoa be depo.ed Ferdinand and set
nee Josbpb Bonaparte as king. The
people rebelled. and between 1888 and
1813 the French had only the allies,
the eountry was in the heads of the
Spasiarts, and they could not be dis-
lodged. Slowly and by force N su-
perior numbers Napoleon pacified Spas
much the sane as Weyler verified
Cube.
The people were repressed. but not
subdued. In a desultory way they
oonttered the esrf•re, even whoa the
nation had bean declared to be paci-
fied, and the lessee they Inflicted up-
on the French at this time were tre-
mendous. At no time was Joseph
Bonaparte seated eseurely cm hie
throne. Pseseeuag the cities and
ports, be weld collect the revenues
andmdetaln thegoverament, butt to
dee It he bed to employ the motboda
recently adopted in Cuba by the
Spaniards --a campaign of starvation
and untelenting pursuit. Hie reign
might have continued indefinitely had
It sot been for this reb.11ioa &gailed
his power • rebellion he could ami
check or repress. The eoastry, in •
constant state of inwarrectbou. offered
• tempting held for the allied powers.
which found here an opportunity te
strike Nei -potent le the rear. No won-
der. therefore, 14L WeWagtoa and kis
Essobs ass landed ata Spanish soil sed
gave the Trench emperor a blow from
widish its sever recovered. Joseph
was driven from the throne and Ferd-
iased was recollect.
WOMEN FOUGHT, TOO.
It is recorded that during this war
foilipsnlnh iodep,admnre. men arm-
ed themselves with straightened
scythes, having so other weapons
They fought with anything that came
to band. The French. by superior
strreee*ggttk and by themselves adopting
guerrilla tactics: attained brief sive
ceases until the women took to fight.
4qg.!-They could not witbalasd lb«
onslaught of women. and when the
English came. ton. they autfered slgnpl
defeat.
Thus Spain threw off the .French
yoke because its people refused to le
conquered, though forced to flee to the
woods and the mountains. Guerrilla
warfat'e was the means of procuring
their independence.
SNUBBED AGAiN.
Dearest, it I had a barrel of Klondike
nuggets I would pour them all at your
feet.
Henry-Reary--haven't you sleety*
beard nee my that 1 detest people who
go around telling their dreams!
PROOF POSITIVE.
Do you roe I ly love Uriah
'Course 1 does. Tbink 1 teem welkin'
six "Mika • week tae gra you fur lbs
las' year 'rause I baked you t
IIFIORF: AND.Ai'TEIL.
Before we were married you Meed to
write me three letters • day
D id 1 really t
Tia, you did; sad Mow you eut up
just because I oak you to write m• a
little bit of a cheek
DESCENDANT OF PHARAOH.
Aa old gypsy bas •eked the Ellaind-
or of Austria to invest blot with the
dignity of Klag of the Gypsllsa, hp-
nauut its can prove Na *MAW t MMa
King Pharaoh.
LiIS *Rigs.
A /Nachman Mitigates that. than
ere la the world &boat 10.888 libraries
worthy of the asps.
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