The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-13


say they've behaved like lambs since;
the grub's not been to their fancy, and l
must say the biscuit was crawling, and
it seems that as bedroom the hold hurt
their delicate noses, and between one
thing and other I've had to shoot six
of them before they understood | was
skipper here. You see, sir, they were,
most of them. living in Callao before
they shipped, because there's no eNtradi-
ton there, and so they're rather tough
ish crowd to handle"
"What horrible time you must have
had"
There has been no kid-giove work for
me. sir. since | got to sea with this rose
garden, and | must say it would have
knocked the poetry right out of most
men. But personally | can't say it 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 a spell of rest,
I've picked up pen and paper and knock
ed off one or two of the prettiest sonnets
man could wish TO see in print. If you
like, sir, I'll read You a couple before
you go back to your whalehoat."
II thank you, skipper, but not now.
Time is on the move, and Donna Clio
tide is waiting for me. What am 20
tell her"
'Say, of course, that her orders a.,
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 a small sailing vessel like this
do with your rifles against Splendidly
armed vessel like the Cancelariow
Not much in the shooting line, that's
certain" said Kettle, cheerfully. 'That
beautiful agent sold us even over toe
board marked Cartridges but when |
came to break one or two so as to serve
out little ammunition, for practice, be
hanget Il the kegs weren't full of pow
der! And it wasn't the stuff for guns
even, it was blasting powder, same as
they used in the mines O, sir, that agent
| was the hottest kind of a fraud"
"Silva wrung his hands" Captain .
| he clied, you must not go on with this
mad Cru.se 1t would be sheer suicide
yo1 to find the Cancelario"
"You shall give me news OF it again
after I've met her." said Capt. Kettle.
"For the present, sir, follow out Miss
Ia Touches orders, and earn my f12 a
month l;ut if you're my friend NJ.
| Silva, and want to do me a good turn,
| you might hint that if things go well
could do with q rise to f14 a month
when I'm sailing the Cancelario for her. "
| III.
| The outline of Tampique bay stood out
| clearly in bright moonshine, and the sea
| down the path Of the moons rays showed
a canal of silver cut through rolling fields
of purple. The green painted bark was
heading into the bay on the port tack,
and at moorings before the town in the
curve of the shore, the grotesque spars of
modern warship showed in black sill
houette against the moonbeams. A slate
colored naphtha launch was sliding out
| over the swells towards the bark.
Capt Kettle came up from below, and
watched the naphtha launch with throb-
bing interest. He had Matched a scheme
for capturing the Cancelario, and had
made his preparations, and here was an
interruption coming which might very
we'll upset anything most ruinously. Nor
was he alone in his interest. The bark &
topgallant rail was lined with faces, all
her complement were wondering who
these folk might be who were so conf
IDENTIFY coming out to meet them.
A Jacobs ladder was thrown over the
side; the slate colored launch swept up,
and emitted--a woman. Capt. Kettle
started, and went down into the waist to
meet her. A minute later he was won
dering whether he dreamed, or whether
he was really walking his quarterback
in company with Donna Clotilde Ia
Touche But, meanwhile, the bark held
steadily along her course.