St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-11-10

navy, commander of the man-Of-war
Cormorant. was entertaining some
friends in the harbor of San Francisco,
and the talk turned upon Ted" Deb
ney, his brother. who had resigned
from the navy several years before be-
cause he had chivalrously prevented a
French cruiser from boring holes in a
wretched opium smuggling craft
Tied" was impulsive, brave, daring,
and loved alike by his superiors and
his men.
Have you ever got on the track Of
Ted?"
''Once l thought had. at Singapore,
but nothing came of it. No doubt he
changed his name. He never asked
for nor got the legacy which my poor
father left him"
/. An hour later they were aboard the
Cormorant, dining with a number of
men asked to come and say good-by to
Mostyn. who was starting for England
the second day following, after pleas
ant cruise and visit with Debney
Meanwhile. from far beyond that
yellow lane of light running out from
Golden Gate there came vessel, sail
ing straight for harbor. She was q
large old-fashioned cruiser. carrying
guns. and when she passed another
vessel she hoisted the British ensign.
She looked like a half obsolete cor
vette. spruced up, made modern by
every possible device, and all her ap
pointments were shapely and in order.
She was clearly British man-of-war,
- shown in her trim-dressed sailors,
her good handful Of marines, but her
second and third lieutenants seemed
little like Englishmen. and, indeed,
one was m American and one was a
Hollander. There was gun drill and
cutlass drill every day, and. what was
also singular, there was boat drill
twice day, so that the crew Of this
man-of-war, rs they saw Golden Gate
ahead of them, were perhaps more ex-
pert 1t boat drill than any that sailed.
They could lower and raise boat with
wonderful expertness in a bad sea. and
they rowed with clock-like precision
and machine-like force.
Their general discipline did credit to
the British navy. But they were not
given to understand that by their
Capt Shewell. who had
IN eye like . spot ofsteel and a tongue
like aloes or honey rs the mood was
upon 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 sort of genial |
deviltry. and the body had careless
Alertness and elasticity. the whole |
nan had the athletic grace of wild |
animal. and his face had hearty sort |
Of humor, which the slightly lifting
|ip in its bizarre disdain could not |
greatly modify. He certainly seemed |
we'll pleased with himself. and more |
than once, Is he sat alone. he laughed
outright, and once he said aloud, as
his fingers ran up and down a schedule |
mot man-o'-war's schedule-laugh-
Ing softly:
''Poor old Farquhar. If he could see
ne now" Then, to himself: well.
- I told him, / was violently tossed
ike . ball into the large country, and
I've had a lot of adventure ard sport.
But here's something more-the big
rest game ever played between no
ions by private person-with a half
million dollars as the end thereof. il
III goes we'll with my lone corvette!'
The next evening just before dusk,
Ifter having idled about out of sight
II the signal station all day. Capt.
shewen entered Golden Gate with the
Hornet. Of no squadron. But the Off
,ers Of the signal station did not
NOW that, and simply telegraphed to
he harbor in reply to the signals
rom the corvette that British man
,f-war was arriving. She came leisure
' mp the bay. with Capt. Shewell on
he bridge He gave a low whistle as
le saw the COrmorant in the distance.
lie knew the harbor well. and he saw
hat the Cormorant had gone to . new
anchorage. not the same IS British
took formerly. He drew
way to the new anchorage-he need
ot be supposed to know that a change
vsx expected; besides land this was
important to Capt ShewelD, the old |
nchorage was nearer the docks. and
J was clear, save for one little life
oet and u schooner which was maxi
sg out as he came up.
As she came to anchor the Cor
lorant saluted her. and she replied
Custom officers who were
7atching the craft from the shore or
rem their boats gave up hope OF any
Eeiteuaent when they saw and heard
he salutes- But two went ont to the
[ornet. were received grsciously BY
apt. Shewell, who. over . glass of
,ine in his cabin-appropriately hung !.
,itb pictures of Nelson and Colling
,ood-ssid that he was proceeding to
Issxa to rescue crew shipwrecked on
! island. and that he was leaving the 4
ext day rs soon as he could get some J
-, thosxh he feared It would be I
|1Icplt eosting - that .nieht still I =