The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-03
FORTUNES RDRlF"T.
By CUTCLIFFE HYNE.
Copy right, 1897, by Cutcih Hyne.,

A mist Of heat shut the sea into
narrow ring. Overhead was heaVy pur-
pie darkness, impenetrable as a celllnG
of brick. The only light that crept III
came from the mysterious unseen pam
of the horizon. From every point OF the
compass uneasy thunder gave forth now
and then "a stiHed below; and though
the lightning splashes never showed,
sudden Trimmings of the gloom would
hint at their nearness. The air SHIN
mered and danced with the baking heat,
and though lurid grays and pinks pre-
dominated, the glow which filed it was
constantly changing in hue.
The scene was terrifying, but Kettle
regarded it with a satisfied smile. The
one commercial prayer of the shipmas-
ter is to meet with a passenger steamer
at sea. broken down, and requiring a
tow: and here was one of the plums of
the ocean ready to his hand and anxious
to be plucked. The worse the weather
the greater would be the salvage, and
Capt. Kettle could have Rugged himself
with joy when he thought of the tropi-
cal hurricanes nearness. He had
changed the Saigon's course the instant
he came on the bridge, and had pulled
the syren-string and hooted cheerfully
into the throbbing air to announce his
coming. The spectral steamer grew
every moment more clear, and presently
a string of barbaric colors jerked up
to the wire span between her masts.
There was no breath of wind to make
the flags blow out. They hung in de-
jected cowls; but to Kettle they read
like the page of an open book.
''P. B. or he cried, and clapped the
binoculars back in the box, and snapped
down the lid. "P. b. O." Mr.. Cortolvin,
and don't you forget having seen it.
Have broken my machinery that means
4 want immediate assistance
''You seem to know it by heart" said
Cortolvin.
There's not steamboat officer on all
the seas that doesn't. When things are
very down with us, we take out the sig
nal book, and hunt up p. B. Q. and tell
ourselves that some day we may come
across Cunarder in a broken tail
shaft, and be able TO give up the sea
and be living politely on f200 year well
invested, within fortnight. It's the
teamboat officers dream sir, but there's
ew of us it ever comes true for"
Skipper" said Cortolvin. 81 needn't
tell you how pleased I'll be il you come
into competence over this business.
In the meanwhile, if there is anything
can do, from coal trimming upward, I'm
your most obedient servant"
81 thank you, sir" said Kettle. "And
il you'd go and carry the news to the
chief I'll be obliged. 1 know he'll say
his engines can't hold out. Tell him
they must. Tell him to use up anything
he has sooner than get another break
down. Tell him to rip up his soul for
struts and backstays. il he thinks it'll
keep them running. It's the one chance
of my life, Mr.. Cortolvin, and the one
chance of his, and he's got to know it,
and see we aren't robbed of what is put
before us. Show him where the siller
comes in, sir. and then stand by and
you'll see McTodd work miracles"
Cortolvin went below, and Kettle
turned to the old mate "Mr. Mure 4
troyd," said he, 'get dozen hands to
rouse up that new manila out of the
store. / take you from the foredeck and
give you the afterdeck to yourself. I'll
have to bargain with that fellow over
here before we do anything, and therell
be little enough time left after we've
fixed upon prices. So have everything