The Signal, 1899-3-23, Page 3FORTUNES ADIIIFT.
play OUTOLITTE mE.
ICoayrtgbt, las, by the Author.l
(brtolviu came out under the bridge
deck •wulug, up through the baking
heat of the c.twpanlonwey, and dropped
Ilatlually into a deck chair. ma was
dressed to slop cbest pyjamas of • vivid
pattern and had • uewly shaven chin,
which steed out refreshingly white
eg.Inst Merest of his sun darkened ooun-
tenauoa
"Well," maid Captain Kettle as be
shoved ammo the box of cheroots, "are
we any nearer gettlog ander way?"
"1 looked in at the engine room as I
game past," maid the tall mac, with a
laogb, "and the chief bad a good deal
to may. 1 gathered it wee his Idea that
the fellow who last bad charge of those
engines ougbt to die • cruel and linger
lag death."
"It's a sore tenet with MaTodd when
abs break, down But did be fay bow
Jong it would be beforeq he could give
ber steam? I'm a bit anxious. The glass
la tumbling hand over fist, and, wbat
with that and tbls beat, there's small
oubt but what we'll have • tornado
clattering about our ears direoely
Tbere's the shore close aboard, as you
can see for yourself, sod if the wind
coma away auywbere from the seet'ard
it'll blow this old steamboat half way
into the middle of Atria' before we can
look atoned on. It's • bad neamoo just
Dow for tornadoes."
The clattering of iron boot plates
made itself beard on the brawl bound
step of the companionway. "That'll
be the chief coming to answer for bim-
self," said Cortolvin.
Mr. Neil Angus McTodd always ad
'maimed bis oalliug in tbe attire of bra
outward man, and the eye of an expert
could tell with sureness at any giveu
moment whether Mr. McTodd was in
employmeut or not, and, if so, what
type of snowball he was on, what w..
bis official position, what was his pay
and wbat was the last bit of work on
which be bad been employed. The pres-
ent was the fourth occasion ou which
the Saigon's machinery bad chosen to
break down during Captain Kettle's
two months of command, and after Dia
herculean efforts in making repairs wisb
Insofficieetstaf and materials. Mr. Mo.
Vont was mrartea sameol eth res
and awe:late with He was attired 1n
moist black boots, gray flannel pyjamas
trousers muffed foto his socks, • weird
garment of Helmet upon his upper mac,
• clout roaud his utak and a peaked cap
upon his grizzled red bair anointed witb
years of spraying oil. His elbows and
his forehead shone like doll mirrors of,
steel, and be carried one of his thumt,s
wrapped op In • grimly crimson ng
Ha conversation was foil of unnecer
t ry adjectives, and he was inclined to
Mks • cantankerous view of the ant
versa "They'd disgrace the scrap bap
T llny decent. yard. ~if the- tbifII
theymiscall engines on this rotten tub."
✓ id be by way of preface.
"They are holy engines, and that's a
face" aid Kettle. "How long can moo
guarantee them for this timet'
The engineer mopped his neck with
a wad of cotton waste. "Ten tavola
Hone it ye with me to be certain It's
• vertu dry ship, this."
"And how many more? We shall
want them. .100.1rielliaMan•docoming
m."
"I'm no' anxious to perjure myeel'.
mptain. but tbey might run on for •
toll minute or they night run on for a
day There's a capriciousness about the
rattletraps that might amuse tome
people, but it does not appeal to me
I'm in fear of my life every minute I
stand on the footplate."
"I'd not have bitten you fora fright
used man. "
"I'm not that as a usual thing, but
the tempelrature of you eugioe room
varies between 120 end 180 degrees of
the Fahrenheit scale, and it ',destroying
to the Derves All the aqueous vapor
laves the e7stem, and I'm verra badly
in Deed of a tooto. Is 70D whisky ID
the black bottle. captain?"
"Take • peg, Mao "
'1'11 just have a Irma' three fingers
D ow ye mention it." He laid the thick
est part of bis knotty knuckles agetout
the rids of the tumbler and poured out
/had of hen Ute gnat elate colored
later lay moteioselme.
some half gill of spirits. "Weal," mid
he, "may we get as good wbisky ethers
we're going to," and enveloped tbe dose
with • dexterous turn of the wrid,
alter which emblgaoos toes" be wiped
his lips with cotton waits and took him
MN off aisle so the baking regions be-
low. and presently • doll rambling and
• tremor of her fabric an000noed that
the Saigon was none more ender way
The little steamer had mailed at
Perim island, in the an'th'em month of
the Bed see, had tome out into the In-
dian ocean shrongh the strait of Bah el
Mandeb, had rounded Cape (inartistic'
and was on Der way down to 7.a•stbar
in r••......,., to the cabled orders of bet
Parses owners In Bombay. Cortolvin
Was et111 on board as pasanger. Hie ex -
Mae was thel he wanted ft %epee, the
Wand and ,.Ity of Zanzibar before re-
turning to England and reepentabtlity.
131a nal reason was that he bad taken a
tinny to the little radian of • skipper
and wished to see mon of bim.
"Obearfnl toast, that of Merodd'er"
laid Onrtolvin.
"Thoma engines are eanngh en dimmer•
age any man," aid Kettle, "sod the
bat down then would soar 10. "papas
`tit !a mehringel. "
Ontbolvia loosened • eoapls eft baMees
M his pyjamas and bared him obese
"It's hard to breathe even here, and 1
thought I'd learued what beat was In
thaw Arabtau deserts. There's a tor•
gado oowfug mu ; tbat's certain.''
"11 will clear the air," said Kettle.
"But it will to • sneerer when we get
1t Mr. Murgatroyd 1" be called.
The old grizzle beaded mate thrust
down • purple face from the bead of
the upper bridge ladder. "Aye, "yet"
"Ott all the swutugs off ber," the
S hipmaster ordered. "Put este grips
on the boats and ace everythlpg lashed
fat that a steam crane could move.
We're io for • bad breeze directly."
"Aye, aye!" rumbled the mate and
clapped a leaden whistle to his mouth
and blew it 'briny. A minute later he
reported: "A big steamer lying to just
a point or two off tl.e starboard bow.
aaptaiu. 1 haven't setu ber beton be
amuse of the Daze." He examined her
carefully through the bridge binoculars
and gave bin ob ervatiooa with heavy
deliberation: "She's square rigged for-
rard mud bar a black t-rnnel with a red
band—no, two red bands. Seems to rets
like cue of the German Mall boats, and
I ahaund may ebe was broke down."
Captain Kettle rose epringily from
bit deck chair and swung himself into
the upper bridge. Cortolvin followed.
A inlet of beat stint the sea into a
n arrow ting. Overbead was • heavy pur-
ple
arple darkne.n, impenetrable a a telling
of brick. The only light that crept in
ease from the mysterious unseen plain
of the borizon. From every point of the
eotopass uueasy thunder gave forth now
and then • stifled bellow, sod. though
the lightning splashes never showed,
sodden thinnings of the gloom would
hint at their nearness. The air shim-
mered and danced witb the baking
beet, and, though lurid grays and pinks
predominated, the glow which filled it
was constantly Changing in hue.
The scene was terrifyiug, but Kettle
regarded it with • satisfied smile. The
one commercial prayer of the shipmas-
ter 1s to meet with a passenger steamer
et sea broken down and requiring •
tow, and bete w.. one of the plums o1
the ocean ready to his hand and anxious
to be plucked. The worse tbe weather
the greater would be the salvage, and
Captain Kettle could have hugged bim-
eelf •with joy when be thought of the
tropical hurricane's nearness. Ilse bad
°banged tbe Saigon's 000re the Instant
be ase on the bridge and had pulled
the siren string and booted cbeerfelley
d tlfb'thY0bb1 jj-TTr lir announce Lis
Doming The spectral steamer grew
every moment more clear, end presently
a string of barbaric colors jerked op to
the wire span between her masts. There
was no breath of wind to make the flags
blow cot. They hong in dejected cowls,
but to Kettle they rad like the page of
mi open book.
"P. 8. Q.1" he cried, and clapped
the binoculars back In the box and
mapped down the lid. "P. B. Q., Mr
Oortolvin, and don't you forget having
S ees It 'Have broken my machinery'—
that amens '1 was Imutatta a assist
.,
"You seem to know It by batt, " said
Oortolvin
"There's not • steamboat omoer on
all the seas that doesn't When things
are very down with us, we take out the
signal book and hunt up P. B. Q. and
tell ourselves that some day we may
Dome morose aCuoarder to a broken tall
abaft and be able to give asp the Bea and
be living politely eta £200 a year, well
invested, within • fortnight • It'• the
steamboat officer's dream, sir, blit
tbere'a few of as 1t oomes true for."
"Skipper," rid Cortolvin, "I need
n ot tell you bow pleased I'll be if you
Dome into • cootpetenee over this busi-
ness ID the meanwhile, it there's any
thing 1 can do. from coal trimming up-
ward. I'm your mast obedleut servant'
"I tbauk you, sir." said Kettle, "mod
It you'd go and carry the news to the
chief I'll be obliged. I know he'll bay
hia engines can't bold out. Tell him
they most Tell him toose up anythiog
be has sooner than get soother break
down Tell him to rip up his soul for
struts and b•cketays it be tbloks it'll
keep them running. 11'e the one chance
of my life, Mr Oortolvin, and the one
ebanos of his, and be'. got to know it
and see we aren't robbed of what is pat
before us Show bim where the sitter
comes in, or, and then stand by and
you'll see Mr. McTodd work miracles.'
Cortolvin went below, and Kettle
turned to the old mate. "Mr. Marge
troy& said he, "get • dozen bands to
rouse up that new manilla out of the
store I take you from the foredeck and
give you the after deck to yourself. I'll
bave to bargain with that fellow over
then before we do anything. and there
will be little enough time left atter
we've fixed open prices. So baveevery
tbiog ready to begin to tow We'll ase
their wire."
"Aye, aye!" said the mate. "Bot it
won't do to tow with wire. aptaie.
through what's coming. Tbere's no give
fa wire. A wire hawser would jerk the
gots out of her in l6 minutes."
Kettle tightened his lips. "Mr. Mor
gatroyd," aid be, "1 ■m not a blame
fool. Neltber do I want dictation tom
my officers. i told you to mase up the
manilla. You will back the wire with a
double bridle of that"
"Aye, aye!" granted the butte. "But
what am I to maks fast to? Them bol
lards aft might be stepped In potty for
all the use they are. They'd not tow •
rowboat through what's ooming. I be -
Have they'd draw if they'd • fishing
Ifo• made fast 10 them."
"I should have thought you'd been
long enough at mea to know your bust
nese by this time," mid Kettle unpleas-
antly. "D'ytm tbinkthat every steam-
boat thee tndea llel. ,bland s'sw Hers
land & Wolff}t'
" Well, " said tbe mats sullenly, "I'm
waiting to be tenght."
"Paas the manilla round the combing
el the after hatch, and you won't tame
e nd tell me that's drown while this
steamboat "tan on the wan} top."
Aye eye!" said the mate and stem
ped into hie slippers and shuffled away
Captain Kettle walked briskly to the
tenter of the upper bridge and laid •
hand on the telegraph. He gave erten
order* to the laecar ■t the wheel, and
rase Salgonarateefleeparfect obedience
to hi* will.
Ahmed of him re greet elate entered
liner lay motionless on the oily eau.
Har rail was peopled with the anzlnae
face* of pauseng.n. Rnr'y derkhands
were stripping away the awnings. 11n
the high tipper bridge were three ref'
oars In *en helmets end trim uniforms
e 1 white drill. talking together asxtoaa
ly
The itttleatttiu Intrlad
astern, Mopped engines and than
with reversed propeller brought up dead.
so that the bridges of the two steamers
"We can't hold herr' he roared.
were level and not more than 20 yards
apart. It was smartly done, and, as Ket
tie had intended, the Germano noticed
1t and commented. Then began the bar-
ter of words.
"Howdy. captain!' said Kettle. "1
bops It's Dot • funeral you've brought
up for. This beat's been very great
Has it knocked over Dnp of your pan.
aengenr'
A large, bearded man made reply
"We bmf seen a slight mishap mit der
maebieery, captain. My iageueers will
mend,"
"Oh. that's all rlgbtl Tboaght it
might be worm. Well, I wish you luck,
optain. But I'd hurry and get steam
on ber again if 1 were you. The breeze
may come away any minute now, and
you've the shore close aboard, ami
you'll be on it it you don't get your
steamboat under command again by
then and bave a big les of life. if you
get on the teach, it will tummies me if
you don't drown all bandit"
Captain Kettle put • hand on tbe tele
graph, as though to ring on bis engines
Again, but the bearded German, after's
preliminary stamp of passion, held rep
his baud for further parley. but for the
moment the opportouity of speech wee
taken from hint The paeseugen were
either English, or, for the most met
understood that tongue when spoken,
and they drank in every word that was
aid, as Kettle bad intended, and now
they surged in a writhing, yelling mob
at tbe toot of the two bridge ladders
and demanded that assistance should be
hired, let ?bat coot what it might
There was no making • hail carry above
that frightened uproar, bot the German
tjymaster raved and explained and
reasoned for folly a dozen moments be
fore be quelled 1t. Then, panting, be
lme once more to the end of his bridge
tlw other steamer.
bateenger. von .nerrffil, " said
"beeemitedryetbougtt '!lure might be
aomeleetle ram squall. So 1 ask jRSu"
bow mooch you'd you take my rope and
tow me to Aden or Perim?"
"Phew!" said Kettle. "Aden 1 That's
wrong way for me, captain. Bed sea's
where I come from, and my owner ca
bled me to burry and get to Zanzibar.'
"Veil, how mooch?"
"Well, ay £100,000, as your pas
stingers neem so anatoue "
"Hoodred t'oaand motels! Herr
Gott, -J bat not Rhodes ou der sheep I"
"Well, captain, take the offer or
leave it. I'm not a towboat, and I'm in
• hurry to make my passage If you
keep me waiting here five minutes ion '
ger, it'll cod you £120,000 to be pluck
ed in anywhere."
The shipmaster on the other bridge
went into • frenzy of expostulation. He
•ppealed to •11 Captain Kettle's better
feelings. He dared him to do hie wont
He prayed him to do his best But Ket
tie gazed upon the man's gesticulating
arms and liotened to bis frantic oratory
unmoved. He lit a cheroot and leaned
his elbows on the white oiling of tbe
fridge and did not reply by to much as
a tingle word. When the other halted
through breathlessness, even then ne did
not speak He waved his band toward
the temrpme heavens with their puri''
lights and pointed to the bumping
thunder, which made both steamers
vaguely tremble, and he let therm argue
for him. Tbe clamor of the paseengere
rose again intim breathiest, baking air,
and the oaptaln of the liner had to
yield. He threw rep his arm in token
of snrreoder, and • hush fell upon the
scene like the silence of death
"My gompany shall pay you bondred
Volumed mood, captain, and you baf
der satisfaction dot you make me ruin
sd mau."
"I have been rained myself," said
Kettle, "beaps of timer', and my turn
for the other thing seems to be Dome
now I'll run down closer to von. cap-
tain.
o-tain, or do you bid your hands heave
me • line from the fo'c's'le bead as I
tome past. You've cot it pretty fine
You've no time left to get a boat in the
water. The wind may oome away any
moment now."
Captain 'fettle was etiologies Into an-
other mao All the insouciance had
gone from him. He gave his order"
with oriepoew and dkfslon, end the
mates and the lagoon jumped to obey
them. The horrible danger that was to
oome lay as an open advertisement, and
they knew that their only way to pass
safely through It—and even then the
chances were slim—was to obey the
man who commanded them to the ut-
termost
e e e e e
The connection between the almoners
bad been made, the snaky steal wire
hawser bad been hauled in through ■
stern fair lead by the Saigon's winch,
and the old mate stood ready with the
"hackle whicb wonld link it on to the
manilla.
The heavens yielded up an overture
like the echo of a Titan's groan
"Harry, there, yon slow footed dogs!'
dame Kettle's voloe from tbe bridge.
The lancers brought pp the eye of the
baweer, and Murgatroyd threaded it on
the pin of the shackle. Then ha Dried,
"All fast!" anti pleked up • spike and
eereweel home the pie is tta socket. Al-
ready the engines were ran the move
again, and the Saigon we. steaming
.hoed on the towline. It wile • time
for hurry
The ale thinkened and grew for the
moment, If anything, more bat, and the
tornado need down open them as a
blank wall stretching far aerate the sea,
with white w.1ar gleaming and churn
Mg at its foot it hit the Nommen like
$ fond eszS aitbi, ia8 IDs ibhMrftt rn
ft out the lama of the mea who tried eo
withstand it as though wblpa had lash-
ed them.
The cooly quartermaster clung on to
the Saigon's wheel spokes, • mere whisp
of liwp humanity, Ineapawe of steering
om of dpigg ruytbing else tbat required
• mudicom of ',Hemel thought The lit-
tle steamer fell away beton the blast
like a .beviug in • dry street The tun•
nage of the tornado heeled her till her
lee aquppers spouted green water, and
lbs might well have been overtureed at
the very outset But Kettle beat the
helpless laaoar from his bold and spoked
the wheel bard op, and the engines,
working strongly, brought her round
again io a wallowing circle to face the
torrent of burrioaaa
Sim took five minutes to make that
reoovery, and whet' ebe was steaming ou
agalo, bead to the thunderous gee's.
the tale of wbat she had endured was
written in easy lettering. On both fore
and male decks the bulwarks were guise
level with the covering boards; the
raffle of crates, hareem casks, gaug
planks and eo on that a small trader
tarries lo view to the sky had departed
beyoud the ken of mau, and indeed those
lower -decks were scoured clean to the
naked meted iron. The port lifeboat
hong stove from bent davit', and three
of the cooly crew had been swept from
life into the grip of the eternal sea.
Cortolvin fought his way up ou to the
upper bridge step by step agaiurt the
frantic !eating of the wind and without
being bidden relieved at the lee spokee
of the wheel. Cepteiu Kettle nodded
bis thanks The Saigon had no steam
steering gear, and to some of the beavi
mat squalls the wheel threatened to take
charge and pitch the little abipwaater
oleau over the spokes
Amid the bellowing ro.r o1 the tor-
nado speech, of comae, was impossible,
and vision, too, was limited. Nobelium
eye could lock into the wind, and even
to let it strike the face was a torture
The sea did not get up. The crest of any
wave which tried to rise was cut off re
moreelesely by the knives of the bort'
Dane and spread as • stinging mut
throughout the wind. It was hard in
deed to tell where ocean ceased and air
began. The wbite sea was spread in a
blur of wbite ■ud green
The big bebples. liner 'stem plucked
savagely at the Saigon's tail, and the
pair of them were waving coastward
with speed Lett to herself and',team-
ing full speed foto the gale the little
Saigon would have been able to main
tofu ber position, pettier toting grouu
nor gaining any With the heavy tow
to charge she was being driven toward
the roaring surf of the African beata
with perilous speed
It was possible tome dimly down the
wind, and when Cortolvin turned bi
face away from the stinging blast u'
the tornado he could uuderataud with
clearness their exact poettion. Close
Intern was the plauging German liner,
with her decks stripped and deserted
and Daly the bridge otfloers exposed.
Be•7ond esu tae white sea, and
be and agaiere groig foot'
Aa1ii.i of w1- 1.n msrbese-
ocean roared ageless the yellow beacb
Thirty minutes purred, each second of
them brimmed with frenzied struggle
for both man and machinery Tbe tor
n ado raged nod boomed and roared, and
the backward drift was a thing whicb
could be measured with the eye.
Then the old mate heaved himself up
the bridge ladder by laborious inches
His clothes were whipping from him in
Uttered ribbons, his bat was gone, and
the grizzled bait stood out from tbo
back of his head like the bristles of a
broom. He clawed his wily along the
rail and pot bis great red face close to
Kettle's ear
"We can't hold herr" be roared
'She's taking nn. inborn We shall be
there in a dozen minutee, and then it
will be 'Jones' for the lot of on.."
Captain Kettle glared, but made no
articulate reply If be could have spared
a hand from the wheel spokes, it is prob-
able that Mr. Murgatroyd would have
telt the weight of it.
The old fellow bawled at him @gain.
"The handy know it •o well as me, and
tbey say they're not going to be drowo
ed for anybody They say they're going
to oast off the hawser."
This time Captain Kettle yelled back
$ reply "You thiug 1" be cried. " You
patty mac, get back to your post! It
you want to live. keep those Diggers'
fingers off the shackle. By James, if
that tow is cast off, I'll tarn the Saigon
for the beach and drown tbe whole crew
of you inside of three minuted By
James, yes. and you know me, and you
know I'll do it toot Yoo ham faced jet
Iyfiuh, away aft with you and save your
blooming Iifel"
The man winced under the little cap-
Min'e tongue att♦,went away, and Cap-
tain Kettle looked across the wheel at
bis assistant.
Cortnbvin shrelerged his 'Malden and
glanced backward at the beach and and
ded. Kettle leaned across and shouted.
"I know it, sir, as well as you do;. 1
know it as well as they do, bat I've got
a fortune in tow yonder, and I'd rather
die than set it adrift. it isn't one for -
too. either; it's ■ dozen fortunes, and
I have just gottogr•b one of them. I'm
• married man, sir, with a family, and
I've known what 1t was to watch and
sea 'em hungry You'll stand by me,
Mr. Oortolvin?''
"It seems I promised. Yon know I've
been long enough with Mobammedan.r
• kipper, to be enmewb•t ■ fatalist So
I my God is great and our fate. are
written on our forebeada and no mao
an change by an irb the path wbtab
1t 1e foreordained be should tread. Bot
they are queer fates. some of them. 1
went away from England benne, of
my wife; I step not of the middle of
Arabia and stumble acroa you and
bear that she is dead; 1 look forward
to going home and living a peanefol
ormntry lite. and now It appears I'm to
be drowned obscurely, oat of the touch
of newspapers. However. I'll be con
indent. 1 won't grumble, and you may
hear ms say it stood, '[a Allah ill•h
Allah.'
Captsin Kettle merle no reply
Through the infernal uproar of the tor
nide he did not heir moth of what
was aid, and part of what did reach bis
ears was beyond hie comprehension.
Aeentree hie mied was nM tMasterally
creepier] with mere e.lflsh contrition
tient Astern of him, in the German
liner, were same tbooand pansengare.
who were all asset. for selvage The
detail of balm life did not enter mut h
into his calculations. He had been
bronght op in a srhnnl where life is
*beep and not so pleannt and ..unsay a
thing that It Is art moth sore on. The
pasaangers were part of the ship, just
iM trfnl'b `h• wee' ber dbglbee' kite IIS
bolllea whinb be hoped she ear -led.
The oompauy which owned bar was re- ger 'toted of mine triad to get at the
' possible for all; their credit would be throttle to close her down."
damaged if all or ■ part of ber was lost. "Well, get on wau, get our
and be, (Jwao Kettle, would reap • pro- "Weel, be didu't, that's all He s
portitmete reward if be could drag her lying to the low pressure ersuk pit this
into any civilized port. Aud when be minute. am) the top of ber skoll'II be
thought of the roaring beach w terribly to seek somewhere by ash lift. Mau. I
close astern be bit his beard in an ago- tell ye, you second of mine's an un
Dy of appreheueiou lest the fates should oauuy right. So 1 bad to do his work
steal this fbrtune from bine for him, rod thou 1 blew off my boiler*,
And tyeauwblle the line of surf was and eaves up here It would have been
g rowiug ever nearer So clam iudeed vertu comforting to my profeetonaloou
were they to the hateful shore that "Memo 1f I could have steamed her t0W
when for a moment the fountains of Aden But I'm Do' a sorry as 1 might
white water subsided where the break- be for what'. bappeued 1 have it le
ere raged epee the beach they could miud that you Parsee owner of nom 1u
S OW dimly beyoud through theme smoke Bombay 'll low tiller over this break
palm crew and cellar and great silk down, an4-1 want that beggar punish
cottonwoods whipping and crashing be- ed fur all the work be'r given we to du
fore the iuwne blast of the tornado on a small wage, Mr Oottolviu, bay*
All hands on the Saigon's deck had yea match?'
many initiates before given themselves A bell came from the liner stern
up for as good as dead. Tbeir only "Saigon. ahoy 1 Keep our hawser
chance of salvation lay in oastiug off tact 1'"
the towrope, and no one dared touch "You're all right for the present,'
the liukiug shackle. They quite knew Kettle tbented back.
that their savage' little skipper would vied might return outer you
fulfill his threat if they disobeyed hie giek t in middle of him!' b
orders. lucked old Murgatroyd himself "Then, if it does," retorted _Fettle,
at ou the batch-eosmiug with au opeu 'you'd better tell your paweogere to
ed clasp knife and vowed death on any -say their prayers. Yoe'll-get•ne farther
one who tampered with either 'hackle help from me I'm broken down my
or manilla The doers), mate bad swat self Lost my propeller. if you want W
know."
"Herr Lieber Gott!'
"1 shouldn't swear if I were you, '
rid Kettle "If the breeze cooler this
way again, you'll be toeing the mark
In the other place insida.$ve minutes.'
He turned and gave an order "After
deck, there. Mr Murgatroyd, you may
oast off their rope. We've done towing '
Now, after this, a variety of things
might bave happened Among them it
Was quite possible that both steamers,
and all in them, might Dave been
spewed op as battered refuse bigb upon
the African beach Bat, as grereldbooe
ordered it, the tornado oireldeldoers on
them no more; • light air came off the
abore which filled their Beauty canvas
and gave them just steerage way, and
they rode over the swells in company
as dry as a pair of bridge poutouns and
about air helpless All immediate dun
ger was swept away Nothing but an
other steamer could relieve them, and
in the meanwhile it was • time for
philosophy. -
Captain Kettle did not grumble. His
fortune was mace mere adrift and be-
yond h'p grump The Parsee in Bombay
would for a certainty diamis him from
lowed rougb words once, but be pre-
ferred drowning to living ou and hear
ing Captain Kettle address biui as oow
ard.
The oboes lay steep to, bat the back-
wash creamed far oat tato the sea Al-
ready the stern of the German liuer was
plongiug in the whitened water rod de-
struction seemed a goesejo0 of secoude
Then a "tramp, thing happened. 1t
seemed as though the fingere7t0od had
touched the wind; it abated by visible
gradations, and the drift of the steamers
grew more clow ; it eased to a were gale,
and they held their place on the lip of
the boiling surf, and then with a gasp
it sitok into quietude, and a great oily
swell meet up e. if by maglo from the
bowels of the deep, and the little Saigon
forged ahead and drew the helpless pas'
&anger ship away Iron the perilous
beacb. Those tropical hurricanes of the
eastern meta progress in circles, and this
one tied spurned them from its clutch
sad let them float on a chartered ring of
calm
Cortolviu bowed over tbe wheel in
silent tbaokfulnuaa, but the shipmaster
rejoioed •load.
"How's that, umpire?" said he. "By
4hmla, wasn't it^worth`banag tlel't*01 1^lfflMtbymetot;'atrd litre. Kettle and ber
I've got a wife, sir, and kids, sod I'm family must contluue to drag along on
remembering this moment that they'll snob Beauty doles ar tie' could contrive
always have foil bellies from now on to send them. All these were dtstreesing
ward. and►good clothes, and no m .rthoughts, but they were 'things not to
cheap lodgings, but • decent booty semi be reeredied, and ber took down the ao-
detached, and money to plank down ou oordidn and made sweet music, which
the plate when they go to chapel on spread far -over the moving plains of
Sunday, The skipper of that Dutchman ocean;
will ire ruined over this last half hour'' But Mr. MoTodd bad ?MODS of more
job, but 1 can't help that It's myself 1 immediate profit. He wa"bcd vritb .tr)
have to think of first. One bat to in until his face was brilletet, put on a
this world, or no one else will, and, Mr full suit of eloncbeat verge, cook boat
Co/tole-tan -L'm e made matt --Thanks to and rowed over to the rolling German
MoTodd"— liner It was midnight when be at
91tr� bre -lbort matte" "�" snidest:- «is1-
machinery, as though the en. In liquor. Se went Into the obartbou.o
gibes hay Momentarily gone mad, and without invitation, smiled benignly
then a bumping and a banging whicb and took a camp stool.
jarred every plate of the Saigon'a.L- "They thought tbey would get me
ric, and then a silence, broken citify by'ffirers tete the messroom over yonder,"
the thin, distant scream of a Burt man. said be, "and I'll no'was a
Presently the boom of steam broke out temptation. I could have telle
trim the escape pipe beside the funnel, Dutch et:gineers a thing or two. But
and a minute later the chief engineer I'm a' for boldness Bret when there fr
made his way leisurely up on to the sitter ahead. So I went aft to the a
bridge He -wee' bletedlpg front asst on. Joon. They were at dinner. and three
the torehead; sod another gash showed Were pair appetites among them. Bat
red among the grime on hi. stubby some one spied me standing by the doot
cheek He was shredding toWcoo with and lugged me into a seat and gave ne
• clasp kuife au be walked and seemed meat end drink—champagne, no kn—
eed set me on to talk. Lord, onoe I gut
my tongue wagging, ye ahonld hay,
seen them? There was no more eating
done. They wanted to know bow noir
death they'd been, and 1 felled 'em, and,
there wax tbe old man and all the tines
edged officers at the ends of the tables
fit to eat me for giving the yarn away
But • (bit) fat lot I oared. I set on the
magic, and they sent round the hat
Loeb! There was £24 English when
they banded it over to me. Skipper, ye
Should go and try it for yarsel'."
"Mr. McTodd,"aid the little milor
"I am not a dashed mendicant.'.'
The engineer stared with • ;boiled
eye and swayed on hie camp stool. He
bad not quite grasped the remark. "I'm
Scotch mysel'," said he at length.
"Same thing," said Kettle. "rill
neither. 9'tn a common low down Elie
Ilmbman, with the pride of the Prince
of Wales and $ darned ugly tongue.
and don't you forget it." •
McTodd pulled acharred cigar "tame
from his pocket and lit it with care. He
nodded to the accordion. "Go on with
yer noise," said he.
Captain Kettle's fingers began to
twitch muggertively, and Cortolvin, te,
keep the peace, offered''toesoort AlcToi.,t
to his room.
•I thank ye," said the engineer
"It's the climate. I have malaria it.
the system, and It stege there in sl,uL
of all that drugs can do and affect• tive
perambulatory muscles of the lower ex.
tremttiea Speaking of whieb, j ''ll ne
doot have Been for yerael' "—
"Oh, Dome along to bedl" aid Cor-
tolvin.
ortolvin.
"Bide a wee, meanie," said the map
1D the blue 'ergo solemnly. "There's a
tbought Dome to me that I've a message
to give. Do ye ken anybody called Cal-
vert?'
"Archie Calvert by any chinos?"
"'Ercble' was the name be gave. 11.:
rid he keened ye weal."
"We were at Cambridge together."
"Cambridge were ye? Weel, I should
have been a 1b D. of A-bert ae° sayer'
if I'd done as my father wished. 110
was Free kirk bsanlster of Ba111n
drocbater",-.,..
"Yee. but *book 'Calvert."
"On aye, Calvert—Ereble Calvert, a'
ye ay. Weel, I aid we'd ye aboerd;-
and this Calvert—Erchie C•Ivor$+-rata
he'd news for ye about yer wife,"
"All right; never mind that naw'
She's dead, I know, poor woman! 1.e1
me help you down to year bunk."
"Diens be so offensive, man, end -
bide a wee to hear ma' news_ Ye're no'
a widow, after all—widower, that 1e
Ter gold wife diem) dee, aa ye think
She'd a fall from a horse, whfeh'
pmhah)y trmrh her M have hors ?Mt
alone to men in the 'mere, and it got
In the paper* the wan killed. bat it
seems a shaking wait •11 she earned
And, bilking of horses, now, when I wax
a bairn in Eulltndrnchater"—
Cortolrin 'Meek him savagely by the
arm "My God 1" be cried. "1)o' yeti
mean to say sbe'a not dead?'
"Aren't I tolling ye?"
Como) vin_ passed a band wearily ow
Y tzar et tear twrtrat,. Wet pateo,tbt 6#i
Ming avian than jumped, and that o « J1 thotog tinaite ago," r
lr �whlapred, '"I thaagbt I was gnlnp
CHILDREN'S COUGHS- �.
QUICKLY CURED.
Hard to keep the children from oateh-
Ing Bold—will run out of doom not
properly wrapped -get wet feet -kink
the bed clothed off at Dight.
What's mother going to do .boat 1t 1
Mustn't neglect the children's Coughs
and Colds—might end in Cryup—and
Croup end fatally or weaken the lungs
for loo. '
-Moat mothers nowgire
ve their ehilda
Dr. Wood's Newly Pine Syrup.
It's niee to toe, and entree alt kinds
of Coughs and Colds wore quickly and
effectually Wan any remedy blown.
Yta 1t P. Leonard, Parry Sound, Ont., wrlteri
"1 have used Dr. Wood's Norway Pim Syrup to.
Coughs and Colds of myself and ale, of my baby.
1 lad 0 always cures a ('old quicker than any
Obey gestgk mixture I aver feud." D'r'aw ate.
LAXA- Cure eonrtlpatibn,biliouenese
aiek headache and dyspepsia.
LIVER Every pill guaranteed perfect
and to set without any grip -
PILLSing,'weakening or sickening •
*Zoete. 25e. at all druggista.
111gCdAN1OW i1tSTITN=.
IIOLIIIIRARY ANDANEADiNO fit!
1001 esa
a( Rant street sad Oquii'e (utetaire).
01. n from l tog r.n , aad from ?ale P.
ABOUT 2000 VOL'8 lit LIBRARY.
Leading Daily Weekly sad Illustrated Papers.
Magazine', he., of P1
1rRriB F-11eHU P TICY IBTAT(LI 1111.01
Granting free use of Library aselfteadfaf.
Aeplleatlon for owaisanihlp )''clued by
Librarian. In runts.
H. COL'S,.KNE, R. HAY117uN,
$,o rotary. L.tual la&
QoCartch. Barth n me
. 1. r
.
bome." His baud dropped limply to
his side; his bead slid to the ebarthoure
deck in a dead faint.
McTodd swayed on the camp strop
and regarded him with $ puzzled eye
"Loth," he 'aid, "here's him drunk ar
well as me—two of aa, and I mitt'.
keened it. It'e a sad, intraoral world,
skipper, verra sad. Skipper, 1 say.
here's Mr. Correlvin been— 0 Lord.
and he iru't Iitening.eithert"
Captain Kettle had gone not of the
obartbouse The thud of • propeller
bad ta11pf1 Sned blit- VW'tkLfll' tiff YisahtM
over the Saigon'. rail and sadly watched •
• triangle of light draw up through the
cool purple night. A cargo eteamer.
freighted with roils for the Beira rail.
way, was coming gleefully toward
them from not of the north to pick up
the rich gleanings which the oceao,
offered.
When taaeets steep.
There is iso doubt that all insects ez-
eept those like the May fly. which die
very !loon after ranter* born, take rest
Some of them a from 10 to 10 boats- ._-
$, v'btrtr retdlgin -'trod • to 'certain-
spots
certain spot• for days Iq oIher. Some caterpil-
lar" and moths like rest during the day,
appearing only at night; while insects
of the two and wasp tribe do their work
by day and slumber at night.
Beetle may often be found daring
time with their legs drawn up
under the'i'`bodiee in a condition sod
Beating repose); -white-it.ia wdll known
that they make theta-deprebatttmtpene - �`wr
oipally by night
Some insects, agrin, take • long
period of rest during the winter moutbs,
and it is certain that inmate like any
other family of minuets, enjoy periesis
of repose, though, as they commit ohne
their eyes, it seems hardly right to call
this sleep
De Jamul" mid -Kerne "fro yew near
mer"
from ahs Manner to' iso a man quite di
volved from all respobsibleoccnpation,'
He halted • miupte at the head of the
bridge ladder, replaced the tobacco crake
in the pocket of his coat and rolled of
the shredding.. In the palms of his ma
tiled blonde. Then he filled a short brier
pipe, lit it and earveped the available
antenna.
"You'll be the tornado, way ahead
there, I'm thinking," said he
"Are those blame engines broke down
again?" asked Kettle sharply
"Aye, ye may pnt it they've broke
down."
"Then away with you below again
Mr. MoTodd, and get them running
again. You may smoke when we bring
asp the Aden. "
McTodd puffed twice more at his
pipe and spat on the whet 1 grating
"By Jamal" said Kettle "Do you
bear mei'
"My longs are a bit massy, hot I can
bear ye for a' that, captain. Only thing
Ie 1 can't do as ye'd like. "
beptaia Kettle tilfeael3 gacei sly
"Mr MoTodd." he said, "If you forte
me to take you in hand and abow you
how tom' stool your work you'll re
g ree it. "
"Man," said the engineer, "1 an do
crime kind of Imparsibeelitiea Ye've
seen me do them Y.'ve seen.kpe keep
those palsied rattletrape running all
through that blow Hut if ye ask me to
make a new propeller 001 of rod iron
and packing came I'll bave to tell ye
that yon kind ret meer•obe's beyond
me."
"My great Jameal" mid Kettle
"Too dnn't mean to tell me the propel
lee's gone?' '
"Either that or elm •1) the blade.
have "tripped off the Dna If ye'd been
below on my footplates. ye'd have
keened it fin When 1t went those pale
engine" raced like an Gold cab horse
trying to gallop, and they jest ant tied
In knot. and tumbled down and epnweed
Proof of Moose..
A scientific journal rays, "Crows on.
doabtedly have a L;lugaage and to Nome
extent exercise the reasoning proem. "
We are • little skeptical about the
language i r -, w.. Mit they oertaiuly
never pull up c :rn without good caws.
—Chicago Times- Herald.
, 1+n.,
Oh. tae Prate!
"fleury. how do I look in thisdrener
"H'm—tpe dress Inokeevery pretty
em you, my deet. " etniicago Tribune
Bengaline in any pretty color la very
popular for separate waists, but if you
want the emerteet thing get white and
make it with a narrow round yoke of
lace.
The right leg is far more subject to
accidents than the loft' 1t has been
found that the ratio is about 18 serious
accident* to tier right leg to thee to the
left '
The practice of kissing under the
mletletoe it of very ancient origin, as
1t dates from the days of the Druids,
when no doubt 1t had a religion. mesa
tag.
Th. ♦plaer'. tpp,.tlk,
The spider ham a tremendous appetite,
and hie gourmandir.ing define ell hunter
competition. A aelentlat who carefully
Doted a eplder's cnnenmptbm of fool in
14 hyurs concluded that If the spider
were built proportionately to the human
scale ho would oat at daybreak (appmxi•
mately) • small alligator; at 7 am. •
Iamb; by 9 tema ynnng eaaeloputnl; by
1 O'clock, a sheep,, and would Well up
With a large pie, In which therm were
120 birds. Yet, in spite of hie enonnoue
appetite a aplder hag wonderful pewee of
refraining from ream. and one has bees
known to live for two months when abso-
lutely deprived of food. A beetle lived in
• similar gutta of unrv/rnahment for throe
"We
As Efeetive Alarm.
"What kind of an alarm Honk hen
you?" was eked rel t Third avenue beaker
whnae work demands hie presence In the
Wee holing.
Two years old, fat, chubby, full of gin-
ger and with lungs like • flu gong."—
Detroit lyes Prow
"ole says 1.. loves her for all he's worth,"
remarked Fangio.
"Ile means for aA Iba'• we11,w JAY
Cebltlx.
7'he Turk• bate no war sena 'seep
*ewe they MOW luipislated from other
Isng'ues.
ANhirow. ililffMtfAwawnwal
Tofu dreamy/h
rOR 'MOLD, WORN AND FEEBLE.
t'i:111011,11Piftio'fA and ?iQvO P11 '1
4