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

it myself, you'd find it hard to get bet
ter man. i know the kind of brutes one
has to ship as seamen along this South
American coast, and I'm the sort of
brute to handle them. BY James, yes,
and you shall see me make them do most
things, short of miracles. But there
one other thing, miss. | ought 70 say,
and / must apologize for mentioning 1t.
seeing that you're not a business per-
son. | must have my E12 n month, and
all found. ! know it's n lot, and | know
you'll tell me wages are down just now.
But couldn't do it for less, miss. Com
manding Il navy's a strong order, and,
besides, there's considerable risk to be
counted in as WE'LL
Donna Clotilde took his hand in both
hers. II thank you captain" she said,
FOR your offer, and begin to see success
ahead from this moment. You need have
no fear on the question of remunera-
ton
II hope you didn't mind my mention
ing it," said Kettle nervously. II know
it's not a thing generally spoken OF to
ladies. But YOU see, miss, I'm poor
man, and feel the need of money some
times. OF course, f12 a month is high,
but
My dear captain" the lady broke in,
what you ask is moderation itself; and
believe me, i respect YOU for it, and will
not forget. Knowing who | am, no 9th
CIR man in Chilli would have hesitated to
ask"-she had on her tongue to say "a
hundred times as much" but sup
pressed that and said more. But in the
meantime" said she, will you accept
this 900 note for any current expenses
which may occur to youF
A little old, green-painted bark lay
hoyeeto under sail, disseminating the
scent of guano through the sweet trop-
ical day. Under her square counter the
name lei Almirante Cochrane appeared
in clean white lettering. The long south
Pacific swells lifted her lazily from hill
to valley of the blue water, to the &C,
complishment of squealing gear and
certain grooming of fabric The Gillian
coast lay afar off, as q white. featherly
line against one fragment of the sea rim.
The green-painted bark was old. For
many a weary year had she carried
gllano from rainless CHILEAN islands to
the ports of Europe; and though none
of that unsavory cargo at present fes-
tered beneath her matches, though in
deed she was in shingle ballast and had
her holds scrubbed down and fitted with
hunks for men, the aroma of it had en-
tered into the very soul of her fabric. and
not all the washings of the sea could re-
move it.
\ white whale-boat lay astern riding
to a grass-rope painter, and Senior Car
los Silva. whom the whale boat had
brought off from the Chilean beach, sat
in the bark's decEhouSe talking to Capt
Kettle
1.-THE senorita will be very disappoint-
ed said Silva.
II can imagine her disappointment"
returned the sailor. Il can measure ii
by my own. | can tell you, sir, when |
saw this lousy, sinking old wind-jam-
mer waiting for me in Calao | could
have sat down right where | was and
cried. I'd got my men together, and !
guess I'd talked big about FL Almirante
Cochrane, the fine new armored cruiser
we were TO do wonders in. The only
thing | knew about her was the name.
but Miss La Touche had promised me
the finest Ship that could be got, and ]
only described what | thought really
fine ship would be- and then when the
agent stuck out his finger and pointed
out this foul old violet bed | tell you
THAT it was a bit of Il let-down.
There's been some desperate robbery
somewhere" said Silva.
1T didn't take me long to guess that"
said Kettle, land l concluded the agent
was the thief, and started in TO take it
out of him without further talk He
hadn a pistol so | only used my hands
10 him, but | guess l fingered him
enough in three minutes to stop his
dancing for another month. He swore
by all the saints he was innocent, and
that he was only the tool of other men.