The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-03


might. There was no making a voice car
nv above that frightened uproar, but
the German shipmaster raved and ex-
planned and reasoned for fully dozen
moments before he quelled it. Then,
painting he came once more to the end
of his bridge and addressed the other
steamer.
Dose passengers yos nervous" said
be, because dey thought dere might be
some leetle rain squat; so / ask you
how mooch would you take my rope and
tow me to Alden or PerimT'
''PhewT said Kettle. Alden! That's
wrong way for me, captain. Red seas
where | come from, and my owner ca
bled me to hurry and get to Zanzibar.
well. how moochY'
"Well, say 100000, as your passeng-
lers seem so anxious.
Hundred thousand teufels! Herr
Colt, | haf not Rhodes on der sheep!
"Well, captain, take the offer or leave
it. I'm net towboat, and I'm in
hurry to make my passage. If you
keep me waiting here five minutes long
Ter it'll cost you 100000 to be plucked
in anywhere"
The shipmaster on the other bridge
went into a frenzy of expostulation. He
appealed to all Capt. Kettles better
feelings; he dared him to do his worst;
be prayed him to do his best. But Ket-
tie gazed upon the mans gesticulating
arms, and listened to his frantic oratory
unmoved He lit a cheroot and leaned
his elbows on the white railing of the
bridge, and did not reply by so much as
single word. When the other halted
n. III T. Il 4
not speak He waved his hand toward
the fearsome heavens, with their lurid
lights, and pointed to the humping thun-
der, which made both steamers vaguely
trembie, and he let those argue for him.
The clamor of the passengers rose again
in the breathless, baking air, and the
captain of the liner had to yield. He
threw up his arm in token Of surrender,
silence of death.
MY company shall pay you hondred
tousand pound, captain, und you hat der
satisfactio dot you make me ruined
man."
81 have been ruined myself" said
Kettle, "heaps Of times, and my turn
for the other thing seems to be come
now. I'll run down closer to you cap
tain, or do you bid your hands heave
me a line from the fo'c's'lehead as |
come past. You've cut it pretty fine.
You've no time left to get a boat in
the water. The wind may come away
any moment now"
Capt. Kettle was changing into an.
other man. All the insouciance had
gone from him. He gave his orders
with crispness and decision, and the
mates and the lascars jumped to obey
them. The horrible danger that was to
come lay as an open advertisement, and
they knew that their only way to pass
safely through it-and even then the
chances were slin-was to obey the man
who commanded them to the uttermost.
The connection between the steamers
had been made, the snaky steel-wire
hawser had been hauled in through
stern fair lead by the Saigon's winch,
and the old mate stood ready with the
shaclSle which would link it on to the
MANILA.
The heavens yielded up an overture
like the echo of a Titan's groan. "Hur-
ry, there, you slow-footed dogsw came
Kettles voice from the bridge.
The lascars brought up the eye Of the
hawser, and Murgatroyd threaded it on
lne plH VI tue shuchIe' linen ne crleu,
"All fast" and picked up spike and
screwed home the pin in its socket. Al
ready the engines were on the move
again, and the Saigon was steaming
ahead on the tow line. 1t was a time
for hurry.
The air thickenej and grew for the
moment II anything more hot. and the
!, tornado raced down upon them as
black wall stretching far across the
sen. with wnitc water cleaning aud
churnins ut its foot. It hit the steam