Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-12-21

almost fell on the neck of Captain
Shewell as they babe him good-by
Then for the rest Of the night coal
was carried out to the Hornet in boats
instead of her coming to the dock to
load.
BY daybreals her coal was aboar d
cleaning up then came, and prepare
tions to depart. Captain Shewell's
eye was now much on the Cormorant.
He had escaped one danger he had
landed half q million dollars worth
Of opium in the night, under the very
nose of the law, and while customs
boats were patrolling the bay, but
there was another danger--thc
inquisitiveness of the Cormorant.
1t was etiquette for him to call
upon the captain of the Cormorant,
and he ought to have dons SO the
evening before, but he dared not run
the risk, nor could he run it this
morning. And vet if the Cormorant
discovered that the Hornet was not
British man-of war, but bold and
splendid impostor, made possible by
daring ex- officer of the British navy,
she might open fire, and he could
make but sorry fight, for he was
equipped for show rather than for
deadly action. He had got this ex-
British man-of-war two years before,
purchased in Brazil by two adventur-
| Gus spirits in San Francisco, had Sc
lected his crew carefully, many Of
them deserters from the British navy,
drilled them and at last made this
bold venture under the teeth of a
| fortress, and at the mouth of war
ships guns.
Just as he was lifting anchor to get
| away he saw boat shoot out from
| the side of the Cormorant. Captain
Debney, indignant at tho lack OF. ETH
quette, and a little suspicious also
| for there was no Hornet in the Pacific
squadron, though there was a Hornet,
he knew, in the China squadron-was
| coming to see the discourteous COM
| mander He was received according
to custom, and was greeted at once
| by Captain Shewell. AS the eyes of
| the two men met both started, and
Captain Debney most. He turned
| white, and put out his hand to the
boatside to steady him self. But Cap
tain Shewell held the hand that had
been put out, shook it, pressed it. He
tried to press Captain Debney for
| ward, but the other drew back to the
gangway.
"Pull yourself together, Dick, or
there'll be mess, said Shewell softly.
''My God, how could you do it?" re-
piled the brother, aghast.
Meanwhile the anchor had been
raised and the Hornet was moving
| toward the harbor mouth.
"You have ruined us BOTH said
Richard Dabney.
Neither, Dick! I'll save your
bacon" He made sign, the gangway
was closed; he gave the word for full
steam ahead, ana the Hornet began
to race through the water before Cap.
tain Dabney guessed his purpose.
What do you mean to do?" he
asked sternly, as he saw his own gig
falling astern.
| To make it hard for you to blow
me to pieces. You've got to do it, of
course, if you can; but must get a
start
Chow far do you intend taking me?'
AS far as the Farilones, perhaps"
Richard Debney's face had a sick
look. Take me to your cabin, !" he
whispered. What was said behind
the closed door no man IN this world
knows, and it is as well not to listen
too closely to those who part, know.
ing they will never meet again. They
! had been children in one mothers
arms; there was nothing in common
between them now except the old
love.
Nearing the Farilones, CAPITA in
Debney was put off in an open boat.
| Standing there alone he was once
more naval officer, and he ca lied
out sternly: "Sir, I hope to sink
you and your smuggling craft
| within four-and-twent hours'
| Captain Shewell spoke no word,
but saluted slowly, deliberately, and
watched his brothers boat recede till
it was speck upon the sea as it
moved toward Golden Gate.
4 Good old Dickw he said at last, as
he turned away toward the bridge,
"and he'll do it if he can
But he never did, for as the Cormo-
rant cleared the harbor that evening,
there came an accident to her ma
chinery, and with two days start
the Hornet was on her way to be sold
again to South American republic.
| And Edward Debney, once her cap.
tain? What does it matter? His
mother believes him dead-let MS dc
| the same.
| Duck Farming.
| It is worthy of note that the Chinese
very, very long ago Matched out theil
| ducks by artificial heat, and the incu.
bators that seem so wonderful to us al
the poultry shows and county fairs
were an old story in the East long be,
fore our grandfathers were born. L
is likely that we got the domesticatec
duck from China, SO long ago that we
know not when, and the writer's or
natural history content themselves