Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-26
CHAPTER V

mOro uuruer tuau Is absolutely eSseutldi
to Success
CHAPTER V.
THE TEMPTING OF CAPTAIN OWEN KETTLE.
IF one might judge from the lacquered
majesty of your Office appointments, said
Patrick Cambel, taking one of the big
chairs in Sheif's inner sanctum, your firm
Is doing a roaring fine business.
Mr.. Theodore Shelf seated himself before
his desk and began sorting out some pa
pers. 1.-The turnover" he said evasively,
lis enormous. Our operations are most
extensive
Extensive and PECULIAR" commented
Cambe!.
"But / regret to say that during the
last IS months the firms profits have seri-
ously decreased and the scope of its opera
lions been mitch hampored. | take credit
to myself that this diminution could have
been prevented by no action on my part Il
is entirely the outcome of the times-thc
lazy greed Of the working classes, fomcnt-
ed by the Irothings OF paid agitators. The
series of strikes which we have had To con-
tend against is unprecedented.
is it: Well, don't know. There have
been labor bcthers all down through his
tory, aud fancy they'll continue to the
end Of time. Ii you'll recollcct, there was
| q certain Egyptian king who once had
troubles with his bricklayers, and fancy
there have been similar difficulties trottinS
through the centuries in pretty quick sue
ccssion ever since. Of course each mar.
| thinks his own employees the most IN
reasonable and grasping that have ever
uttered opinion since the record began.
That's OILY natural, but I might point
out 10 you that in definite results you
81. L..
hasn't been upset in the Red sea so far,
and it may be that n certain operation in
| the Mexican gulf will piece up the wheels
and set it running on triumphantly.
Grumble if You like, Mr.. Shelf, but don't
| make yourself out to be the worst used
man in history. Pharaoh hadn't half your
| opportunities.
Yes, yes" said Shelf who didn't relish
this kind of conversation, but we Will
come to business, if you please
Right you are. Let's finish floating the
swindie.'
Mr.. Cambel, " exclaimed the other pas
sioEately, will you never learn to mod
crate your language? There are a hundred
| clerks within hundred feet of you
through that door, and sometimes even
walls can listen and repeat. Besides OBJ
ject altogether to your phraseology We
engage in no such things as swindles in
the city. Our operations are all CONNER
| cial enterprise.
Very WELL" said -Cambel, Struggling
his shoulders, don't let's squabble over
| 1t. You call your spade what you like,
only reserve right to slap on a palmer
brand. We're built differently, Mr. Shelf
l prefer to be honest in my dishonesty
And now, rs I've said, let's get to bust
l ha oh If 81,
| of yours, the Port Edes, has expired and
she's back on your hands. She's 1900
tons, built under Lloyds' survey and
classed 100 Al. She's well engined and
has just been drydocked. She'll insure
for every sixpence of her value without
| comment, and there's nothing more nat
ural than to send out your specie in such a
sound bottom. Remains to pick suitable
! complement
I've got n master waiting here now by
| appointment. His names Kettle. have
him to certain extent under my thumb
and l fancy he'll prove a reliable man
He was once in our firms employment
| "Owen Kettle, by any CHANGER"
| Mr.. Shelf referred to a paper on his
writing table.
Captain Owen kettle-yes. He was
the man who lost the Dogc of Venice, and
since then he's never had another ship"
Poor wretch-yes, know. That Doge
OF Venice case was an awful scandal
Owners filled up the board of trade sur
veyor to the teeth with champagne, or
she'd never have been passed to sea As
it was, she'd such an unholy reputation
that two crews ran from her before they
could get her manned. She was as rotten
as rust and tumbled rivets could make her
| and she was sent TO sea as coffin ship to
| earn her dividends out of Lloyds Kettle
| had been out of n job for some time. He
| was a desperate man, with q family de-
pending on him, and he went as skipper
fully conscious of what was expected of
him. He did it like man. He let the
| Doge of Venice founder in a North sea
gale, and by a marvellous chance managed
to save his ships company At the in
| qu!ry, of course, he was made scapegoat
and he didn't contrive to save his ticket
They suspended his masters certificate for
year. On the strength of that he applied
to owners TO- maintenance. putting it on
the reasonable claims of services rendered.
| Owners, being upright merchants and sem
sible men. naturally repudiatei eli knowi-
edge or liahi' ty; said he was n blackmail-
| ing scound-el as well as an unskillful Sea-
man and threatened him with an action
for libel. Kettle, not having a solitary
proof to show, did the only thing left for
| him to do. and that was cat dirt or sub
side. But the incident and the subsequent
starvation haven't tended to sweeten his
temper. Latterly he's been serving as
mate on Pacific ship. and he was just a
holy terror with his men. He simply Kept
alive by carrying his fist on revolver
butt. There wasn't man who's served
with Red Kettle three weeks that wouldn {
have cheerfully swung for the enjoyment
of numbering him
You appear to know good deal about
this man
when it suits my purpose. returned
Cambel dryly, Il mostly contrive to know
something about anybody. However it's
no use discussing the poor beggar any
longer. What's amiss with having him in
heres''
Shelf touched one of the electric buttons
which studded the edge of his table, and a
clerk appeared. who went away again and