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

stumble across you, and hear that she
is dead; / look forward to going home
and living in peaceful country life; and
now it appears I'm to be drowned oh
securely, out of the touch of newspapers.
However. I'll be consistent. l won't
grumble, and you may hear me say it
aloud: la Allah illah Allah.'"
Capt. Kettle made no reply. Through
the Internal uprOar of the tornado, he
did not hear much of what was said.
and part of what did reach his ears
was beyond his comprehension. Besides,
his mind was not unnaturally occupied
with more selfish considerations. Astern
of him, in the German liner, were some
thousand passengers, who were all as
sets for salvage. The detail of human
life did not enter much into his calcu-
lations. He had been brought up in
school where life is cheap, and not so
pleasant and savory a thing that it is
set much store on. The passengers were
part of the ship, just as much as were
her engines, and the bullion which he
hoped she carried. The company which
owned her was responsible for ali; their
credit would be damaged if all or a part
of her was lost, and he, Owen Kettle.
would reap a proportionate reward if he
could drag her into any civilized port.
And when he thought of the roaring
beach so terribly close astern, he bit
his beard in an agony of apprehension
lest the fates should steal this fortune
from him.
And meanwhile the line of surf was
growing ever nearer. So close, indeed,
were they to the hateful shore, that
when for a moment the fountains of
white water subsidized where the break
ers ragged upon the beach, they could
see dimly beyond through the sea smoke
palm trees, and ceibas and great silk
cOttonwOods whipping and crashing be-
fore the insane blast of the tornado. All
hands on the Saigon's deck had many
minutes before given themselves up for
as good as dead. Their only chance of
salvation lay in casting off the tow rope,
and no one dared touch the linking
sbackle. They quite knew that their
savage little skipper would fulfil his
threat if they disobeyed his orders. In
deed, old Murgatroyd himself sat on the
hatch coaming with an opened clasp
knife and vowed death on anyone who
tempered with either shackle or MANILA.
The clumsy mate had swallowed rough
words once, but he preferred drown
ing to living on and hearing Capt. Ket-
tie address him as coward.
The shore lay steep-to, but the back
wash creamed far out into the sea. AL
ready the stern of the German liner
was plunging in the whitened water and
destruction seemed a question of Sec
onds. Then a strange thing happened.
1t seemed as though the finger of God
had touched the wind; it abated by Wis
ible graduations, and the drift of the
steamers grew more slow; it eased to
mere gale, and they held their place on
the lip of the boiling surf; and then
with a gasp it sank into quietude, and
great oily swell rose up as if by magic
from the bowels of the deep, and the
little Saigon forged ahead and drew the
helpless passenger ship away from the
perilous beach. Those tropical hurri-
canes of the eastern seas progress in
circles, and this one had spurned them
from its clutch and let them float on a
charmed ring of calm.
Cortolvin bowed over the wheel in
silent thankfulness, but the shipmaster
rej0iced aloud.
"HOw's that, umpireW said he. "By
James, wasn't it worth hanging on for?
I've got wife. sir, and kids, and I'm
remembering this moment that they'll
always have full bellies from now on
wards. aud good clothes, and no more
cheap lodgings, but a decent house semi
detached. and money to plank down ON
the plate when they go to chapel on
Sundays. The skipper of that Dutch
man will be ruined over this last half
hours job, but l can't help that. It's
myself | have to think of first; one has
Af,s Ill
Mr.. Cortolvin, I'm made man. Thanks
to McTOdd-''
From below there came sudden whirr
of machinery, as though the engines had
mOmentarily gone mad, and then a
humping and a banging which Jared
every plate of the Saigon's fabric, and
then silence, broken only by the thin,
distant scream of a hurt man. Present
ly the boom of steam broke out from the
escape pipe beside the funnel, and a
minute later the chief engineer made his
way leisurely up onto the bridge. He
was bleeding from a cut on the fore
head, and another CASH showed red
among the CRIME on his stubbly cheek.
He was shredding tobacco with clasp
knife as he walked, and seemed, from
his manner, to be man quite divorced
from all responsible occupations. He
halted a minute at the head of the
bridge ladder, replaced the tobacco cake
in the pocket of his pajamas, and
rolled up the shreddings in the palms of
his cracked hands. Then he filled a
short briar pipe, lit it and surveyed the
available universe.
you'll be the tornado, way ahead
there, I'm thinking" said he.
"Are those blame engines broke down
again.? asked Kettle, sharply.
"Aye, We may put it they've broke
down."
'"Then away with you below again, Mr..
McTodd, and get them running again.
You may smoke when we bring up the
Alden"
McTodd pulled twice more at his pipe,
and spat ON the wheel grating.
by James" said Kettle, $50 you hear
p,a2o