The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-05
SUCCEEDED TOO WELL.
Why the Admiral Was Not Pleased
with the Dispatched

Why the Admiral Was Not Pleased
with the Dispatches
| ats about four years ago." said the
| skipper, that / was strolling one
! evening down the side of the harbor at
Cove with my hands in my pocket,
having nothing to do, nor any pros
| poets of it. for my last ship had been
wrecked off the Bermudas and nearly
| all the crew lost; and somehow when a
| man is in misfortune the underwriters
| won't have him at no price.
Just before me, when sat down,
| there was an old schooner that Law
| moored in the same place for as long as
| could remember; she was there when
| l was boy.
THE evening wore on, the moon
| shone out, and was just determining
to go home again for the night when l
saw two men standing on the steps of
| the wharf below me and looking
| straight at the Ark. heard voice
from one of the persons. that / at once
knew to be the port admiraPs.
"'Well, Dawkins,' said he to the
other, if you think she'll hold together
I'm sure I've no objection. don't like
the job, l confess; but still the admiral
ty must be obeyed.'
80, my lord said the other, she's
the very thing: she's rakish-looking
craft, and will do admirably; any re-
pair we want few days will effect;
secrecy is the great thing
"'Ho, hot thought I, there's some
thing in the wind hcre;' SO laid my
self out on the anchor stock, to listen
better, unobserved.
1--we must find crew for her, give
her few csrronades and make her as
shipshape as we can
LAS to the crew. said the other,
there are plenty of scoundrels in tho
fleet here fit for nothing else Any
fellow who has been thrice up for pun
ishment in six months we'll draft on
board of her; the fellows who have
only been once to tho Gangway we'll
make the officers"
"a pleasant ships company.
thought I, if the devil would only
take the command
"'And with skipper proportionate
to their merit, said Dawkins.
"'Begad, ri wish the French Joy Of
them, said the admiral.
"'Ho, ho! thought I. I've found you
ont at last; so this is secret expedi-
ton; see it all; they're fitting her out
as fre-ship, and going to send her
slap in among the French feet at Brest.
Now, then said the admiral, to-
morrow you will look out FOR the fellow
to take the command. He must be a
smart seaman: a bold fellow. too; other
wise the ruffianly crew will be too
much for him; he may bid high; we'll
come to his price.
Never fear, my lord, said the other,
my care shall be to pitch upon one
whose loss no one could feel: some one
without friend or home, who, setting
his life for naught. cares less for the
gain than the very recklessness of the
adveI ture.'
That's me- said l. springing up
from the anchorstock and springing
between them; I'm that man
My poor fellow, you know not
what youaSk; this is no common case
of danger
~ know it all, my lord; have heard
it all
We said the admiral, must speak
together again; be here tomorrow
night at this hour; keep your own
counsel 'of what has passed: and now
good night
This is the plan said Dawkins,
when we met again AS soon as that
old craft can be got ready for sea. or
some other if she be not worth it, you
will sail from this port with strong
crew, we'll armed and supplied with
your object to deliver to the adj
niral stationed there the dispatches
with which you viii be intrusted: they
contain information of immense i'm
portance, which for certain reasons
cannot be sent through ship of war,
but must be forwarded BY vessel that
may not attract peculiar notice.
IF you be attacked, your orders are
to resist; If you be taken, on no ac-
count destroy the papers. for the
French vessel can scarcely escape re-
capture from our frigates. and it is of
great consequence these papers should
remain Such is brief sketch OF our
plan: the details can be made known 10
you hereafter
'.In less than three weeks / weighed
anchor. and stood out 10 sea one
beautiful morning IN autumn, and set
out on my expedition | have already
told you something Of the craft Let
me complete the picture by informing
you that before twenty-four hours
passed over I discovered that so I'M
calmly. so awkward, so manageable
q vessel never put to sea
IF the snip vas bad the crew was
ten times worse. Every rl-conducted.
disorderlT fellow who had been up the
gangway once week or so. every Tn
reclaimed landsrnan of bad character
and no seamanship was sent on board
OF US: and, in fact except there wa.
scarcely any discipline and no restrain.
we appeared like floating peni;entizry
OF convicted felons
so long as we ran down the channel
with slack sea and 8 fair wind. SC
long all went on solerabiy well; TO be
sure they OILY Kept watch when sheF
were tired below. when they cane up.