The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-21

QTthbtS, uHa ~
They were there 10 the value OF seventy
thousand pounds, more or less; u
every pound poached.
The man-of-war was annoyed, for she
had used up many tons of coal; she a
strained her engines, and, worse than
all, her officers and crew had been hur-
ried. Everyone on the Haliotis was ar
rested and rearrested several times as
each officer came aboard; then they
were told by what they esteemed to be
the equivalent of q midshlpman that
they were TO consider themselves pris-
oners, and finally were put under ar
rest.
'It's not the least good" said the
skipper, suavely. You'd much better
send us a tow"
"Be still-you are arrest!" was the
reply.
"Where the devil do you expect we
are going TO escape to? We're helpless.
You've got to tow us into somewhere,
and explain why you fired on us. Mr..
Wardrop, we're helpless, aren't we?"
Ruined from end to end" said the
man OF machinery. IF she rolls, the
forward cylinder will come down and
go through her bottom. Both columns
are clean cut through. There's moth
ing TO hold anything up"
The council of war clanked of to
zee II Mr.. Wardrop's words were true.
He warned them that it vas as much
as a mans life was worth 10 enter the
engine ROOM; and they ~contented them
selves with q distant inspection through
the thinning steam. The Haliotis lift
ed to the long easy swell and the star
board supporting column ground a
ltrife, as a man grits his teeth under the
knife. The forward cylinder was de-
pending on that unknown force men
call the pertinacity of materials which,
now and then, balanccstha other heart
breaking power, the perversity of in
animate things.
Eyes, siri" Mr.. Wardrop said, hurry
ing them away. 1.-THE engines aren't
worth their price rs old iron"
eve tow" was the answer. after
wards we shall confiscate."
The man-of-war was short-handed,
and did not see the necessity of putting
a prize crew aboard the Hallotis. Sc
she sem one sub-lieutenant, whom the
skipper kept very drunk, for he did not
wish TO make the tow too easy, and,
moreover, he had an inconspicuous
little rope hanging from the stern of his
ship.
Then they began TO tow at an aver
age speed Of four knots an hour. The
Haliotis was very hard to move, and the
gunnery lieutenant who had fired the
flve-inch shell had leisure to thiak 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 a days risky work
but anything was better than drown
ing at the end of "a tow-rope; and il the
forward cylinder had fallen il would
have made its way to the sea bed and
taken the Ualiotis after.
where are we going TO and how
long will they tow us?" he asked OF
the skipper.
"God knows! and the sub-lieuten.
ants drunk. What do you think we
can do?",
There's Just the bare chance" Mr.
Wardrop whispered, though no one was
within hearing. There's Just the
bare chance o. repairin' her II a 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 il she's to take the sea
again, an that apart from any injury
to her structure. She's like a man
fallen down five pairs o. stairs. We
can't tell for months what has hap
pened; and we know she'll never lie
good again without a new inside. Ye
should see the condensin' tubes an the
steam connections to the donkey for
two things only. I'm not afraid or
them repairin' her. I'm afraid of them
stealin' things" b
They've fired on us. They'll have to
explain that"
sour regulations not good enough to
ask for explanations. Let's take what
we have and be thankful.Y would
not have consuls r~ememberin' the
Guidin' Light an the S~hah-in-Shah,
and the Aglaia, at this most alarmin'
crisis. We've been no better than pi-
rates these ten years. Under Provl-
dence we're no worse than thieves now.
We've much to be thankful for If we
ever get back to her."
make it your w way, them said
the skipper, IF there's the least
chance"
"Ill 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