Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-09-14
THE LONE CORVET.

the harbor Of San Francisco, and the talk
turned upon Ted Debney, his brother, who
had resigned from the navy several years
before because he had chivalrously pre-
vented French cruiser from boring holes
in a wretchod opium smuggling craft.
Ted was impulsive, brave, daring and
loved alike by his superiors and his men.
"Have you ever got on the track of Tedf"
''Once thought l had at Singapore,
but nothing came Of it. No doubt no
changed his name. He never asked for,
nor got, the legacy which my poor father
left him."
An hour later they were aboard the Cor
morant dining with number of men
asked to come and say goodby to Mostyn,
who was starting for England the second
day following, after pleasant cruise and
visit with Debney.
Meanwhile, from far beyond that yell
low lane of light running out from Golden
Gate there came vessel, sailing straight
for harbor. She was large, old fashioned
cruiser, carrying guns, and when she
passed another vessel she hoisted the Brit
ish ensign She looked like half obsolete
corvet, spruoed up, made modern by ev
cry possible device, and all her appoint
ments were shapely and in order. She was
clearly British man of-war, as shown in
her trim dressed sailors, her good handful
of marines, but her second and third lieu
tenants seemed little like Englishmen, and
indeed one was an American and one was
Hollander. There were gun drill and cut
lass drill every day, and, what was also
singular, there was boat drill twice day.
so that the crew of this man of-war, as
they saw Golden Gate ahead of them, were
perhaps more expert at boat drill than any
boat that sailed. They could lower and
raise boat with wonderful experiences in
a bad sea, and they rowed with clocklike
precision and machinelike force.
Their general discipline did credit to
the British navy. But they were not given
to understand that by their commander,
Captain Shewell, who had an eye like
spot of steel and q tongue like aloes or
honey as the mood was on him.
This was most noticeable when he was
shut away from the others In his cabin.
Then his whole body seemed to change.
The eye became softer and yet full of a
sort of genial deviltry, the body had a
careless alertness and elasticity, the whole
man had the athletic grace Of a wild ami
NAL, and his face had q hearty sort of hui
NOR which the slightly lifting lip in its
bizarre disdain could not greatly modify.
He certainly seemed well pleased with
himself, and more than once, as he sat
alone he laughed outright, and once he
said aloud, as his fingers ran up and down
g schedule-not a man-ofwar's schedule
Laughing softly:
Poor old Farquhar, if he could sec me
I{,,,,nIf, SLIHnl1 I folI
him, was violently tossed like ball into
the large country, and I've had lot of
adventure and sport. But here's some
thing more-the biggest game ever played
between nations by private person-with
$500, 900 as the end thereof, if all goes well
with my lone corvet"
The next evening, just before dusk, after
having idled about out Of sight of the sig
nal station nearly oil day, Captain She
well entered Golden Gate with the Hornet
of no squadron. But the officers at the
signal station did not know that and sim
ply telegraphed to the harbor in reply to
the signals from the corvet that British
man-of-war was arriving. She came lei
surely up the bay, with Captain Shewell on
the bridge He gave low whistle as he
saw the Cormorant in the distance. He
knew the harbor well, and he saw that the
Cormorant had gone to a new anchorage,
not the same as British men-of-war took
formerly. He drew away to the old anchor
age He need not be supposed to know
that change was expected. Besides, and
this was important to Captain Shewell,
the old anchorage was nearer the docks,
and it was clear, save for one little life
boat and a schooner which was making
out as he came up.
AS he came to anchor the Cormorant
saluted her, and she replied instantly.
Customs officers who were watching the
craft from the shore or from their boats
gave up hope Of any excitement when they
saw and heard the salutes. But two went
out to the Hornet, were received gracious
ly by Captain Shewell, who, over a glass
of wine in his cabin-appropriately hung
with pictures of Nelson and Collingwood-
said that he was proceeding to Alaska to
rescue crew shipwrecked on an island,
and that he was leaving the next day as
soon as he could get some coal, though he
feared it would be difficult coaling up that
night. Still, he did not need great deal,
he said-which was indeed the case-but
he did need some, and he knew that for
his own safety and the Hornets he must
have it. After this with cheerful COM
pliments and the perfunotory declaration
on his part that there was nothing duti-
able on board, the officers left him, greatly
pleased with his courtesy, saluted as they
left the ships side by the marines and
sailors standing at the gangway. The
officers did not notice that one of these
sailors winked an eye at another, and that
both then grinned and were promptly or
dered aft by the second Lieutenant
AS soon as twas very dark two or three
boats pushed out from the Hornet and
rowed swiftly to shore, passing customs
boat as they went, which was salute6 by
the officers in command. After this, boats
kept passing back and forth for long
time between the Hornet and the shore,
which was natural, seeing that first
night in port is a sort of holiday for Off
GERS and men. If these sailors had been
watched closely, however, it would have
been seen that they visited but few saloons
on shore and drank little, and then evil
IDENTIFY as blind. Close watching would
also have discovered the fact that there
were few people on shore who were glad