Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-30
why you fired on us Mr.. Wardrop, we're

why you fired on US. Mr.. Wardrop, we're
| helpless, aren't WEI"
Ruined from end to end" said the man Of
| machinery. IF she rolls, the forward cyl
| inder will come down and go through her
| bottom. Both columns are clean cut
| through. There's nothing to hold anything
| up"
| The council of war clanked off to see if
Mr.. Wardrop's words were true. He warned
| them that it was as much as a mans life
| was worth to enter the engine room; and
| they contented themselves with distant
inspection through the thinning steam. The
| Haliots lifted to the long easy swell and
| the starboard supporting column ground a
| trife, as man grits his teeth under the
| knife. The forward cylinder was depending
| on that unknown force men call the peril
nacity of materials which. now and rhen
| balances that other heart-breaking power
| the perversity of inanimate things.
Yes, sir!' Mr. Wardrop said, hurrying
| them away. The engines aren't worth
their price as old IRON
I'VE tow was the answer. "Afterward
we shall confiScate"
The man-of-war was short-banded, and
did not see the necessity of putting a prize
crew aboard the Haliotis. So she sent one
sub-lieutenant, whora the skipper kept very
drunk, for he did not wish to make the tow
too easy, and moreover, he had an incon-
spicuous little rope hanging from the stern
of his ship.
Then they began to tow at an average
speed of four knots an hour. The Haliotis
was very hard to move, and the gunnery
lieutenant who had fired the five-nch shell
had leisure to think upon consequences. Mr..
Wardrop was the busy man. He borrowed
all the crew to shore up the cylinders with
| spars and blocks from the bottom and sides
of the ship 1t was days risky work; but
anything was better than drowning at the
| end of a tow rope; and if the forward cylin-
| der had fallen it would have made it's way
| to the sea bed and taken the Haliotfs after
Where are we going to and how long
| will they tow uS?' he asked of the Skipper
knOWSi n q
| drunk. What do you think we do?"
There's just the bare chance" Mr..
| within hearing There's just the bare
| chance o repairin' her if d man knew how.
| They've twisted the very CUTS out of her
bringing her up with that jerk; but I'm
saying that with time and patience there's
just the chance O. making steam yet. We
| could do it,
The shippers eyes frightened do you
mean" he began, that she is any good?"
"Oh, no." said Mr.. Wardrop. She'll need
three thousand pounds in repairs at the
lowest if she's to take the sea again, an
that apart from any injury to her struc-
ture. She's like 9 man fallen down five
pairs o. stairs. We can't tell for months
what has happened; and we know she'll
! never he good again without a inside.
We Sh0uld see the condensin' tubes an the
steam connections to the donkey for two
| things only. I'm not afraid of them re-
| parin' her. I'm afraid of them stealth
| things"
They've fired on us. They'll have to
explain that"
Our reputation's not good enough to
| ask for explanations. Let's take what we
| have and be thankful. Ye would not have
| consuls remembern' the Guidin' Light an
| the Shah-in-Shah and the Aglaia, at this
most alarrin' crisis. We've been no better
! than pirates these ten years. Under Provi-
| dence were no worse than thieves now
| We've much to be thankful for if we ever
| get back to her"
| Nal, tbap he
| skipper, 'if there's the least chance"
| I'll leave none,' said Mr.. Wardrop
| none that they'll dare to take. Keep her
| heavy on the tow, for we need time"
The skipper never interfered with the
| affairs of the engine room, and Mr.. War
| dTop-an artist in his profession-turned to
| and composed a work, terrible and for
| bidding. His background was the dark
| grained sides of the engine room; his ma
! rial the metals of power and strength,
ID out with spars, baulks and ropes.