The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-13

CAPTAIN KETTLE LIGHT:
fine ship would be. And then when
the agent stuck out his finger and
pointed out his foul old violet bed I
tell you that it was a bit of a let
down.
There's been some desperate robbery
somewhere said Silva
1T didn't take me long to guess
that" said Kettle. "and 1 concluded
the agent was the thief and started in
to take it out of him without further
talk. He hadn't pistol, so L only used
my hands to him, but l guess / fin
gered him enough in three minutes to
stop his dancing for another month.
He swore by all the saints he was in
nocent and that he was only the tool
of other men, and perhaps that was
so. But he deserved what he got for
being in such shady employment"
Still that didn't procure you an
other ship
"Hammering the agent couldn't make
him do an impossibility, sir. There
wasn't such a vessel as l wanted in all
the ports of Peru SO l just took this
noSegay that was offered. lured my
crew aboard and put out past San Lo-
renzo island and got to sea. It's a bit
of come-down, sir, for a steamer
sailor like me-" the little man added
with a sigh, ito put an old wind-jam-
mer through her gymnastics again
thought I'd done with 'mainsail haul
and rawhide chatting gear, and all the
white wings nonsense for good and al
ways
But, captain, what did you come out
for? What earthly good can you do
with an old wreck like this?'
Why, sir, 1 shall carry out what
rx-el- ear~r cra1 I -
shall come up with one of Pres Out
jarra's government vessels, capture
her and then start in to collar the rest.
There's no alteration in the pro-
gramme. It's only made more diff
cult, that's ALL
L rowed out here TO the rendezvous
to tell you the Cancelario is at moor
ings in Tampique bay and that the
senorita would like to see you make
your beginning upon her. But what's
the good of the news now? The Can
celariO is a fine new warship of 5000
tons. She's fitted with everything
modern in guns and machinery; she's
300 men of crew. and she lays al
ways with steam up and an armed
watch set. To go near her in this
clumsy little bark would be to make
yourself a laughing stock Why. your
English Cochrane wouldn't have done
it,"
i know nothing about Lord Cocb-
rane, Mr.. Silva. He was dead before
my time. But whatever people may
have done TO him, | can tell any one
who cares to hear that the man who's
talking to you now is a bit of an awk-
ward handful to laugh at. No. sir. I
expect there'n be trouble over il. but
you may tell Miss La Touche we shall
nave the Canceiario if she'll stay in
/ amplque bay till | can drive this old
lavender box up 10 her.
For minute Silva stared in silent
wonder. Then, captain" said he "all
can think is you must have enormous
trust in your crew"
Captain Kettle bit the end from a
fresh cigar. You should &C and look
at them for yourself" said ne. and
hear their talk, and then you'd know.
The beasts are fit TO eat me Already
How did you get them on board ?"
wen, you see, sir, l collected them
by Dromises-tine pay, fine ship, fine
cruise, fine chances and so on-and
when I'd only this smelling bottle here
TO show them they hung back a bit. Ii
there q only been 20 OF them | don't
say but that l could have trusted them
on board with a gun and some ugly
words, Dut 90 were too many to tackle.
so l just said to Them that Ell Amir
ante Cochrane was only a ferry to take
US across to a fine war steamer that
was lying out OF sight elsewhere. and
they swallowed the yarn and stepped in
over the side. | can't say they've be-
haved like lambs since; the grubs not
been TO their fancy, and / must say
the biscuit was crawling. and il seems
that is bedroom the hold hurt their
delicate noses. and between one hing
and another I've had to shoot six of
them before they understood | was
skipper here. You see, sir, they ere.
most Of them. living in Caliao before
they shipped, because there's no extra
dition there. and so they're rather
crowd to handle
What horrible time you must have
had"
There has been no kid glove work
for me, siI, since l got to sea with this
rose garden, and l must say it would
nave Knocked the poetry right out Of
most men. But personally | can't say
II has done that to me- You'd hardly
believe it. sir, but once or twice. when
the whole lot of the brutes have been
raging against me, I've been very
nearly happy. And afterwards. when
I've got d spell Of rest, I've picked up
pen and paper and knocked of one or
two Of the orettiest sonnets a man
could wish TO see in print. If you like,
sir III read ycu a couple before you
go lack to your whale boat"
i thank you. skipper, but not now.
Time is ON the move, and Donna Clo-
tide is waiting for me. What am / to
tell her?''
Say, of course, that her orders are
being carried out. and her pay being
earned
My poor fellow" said Silva. with a
sudden gush of remorse. you are only
sacrificing yourself uselessly. What can
you in small sailing vessel like this do
with your rifles against a splendidiy
armed vessel like the Cancelario?'
Not much in the shooting line. that's