Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-05-27
CHAPTER x.
I BOARD THE CUBAN QUEEN.


The opportunity to pay a surprise
visit to the Cuban Queen in the absence
of "Mrs. Hughes" had come at last,
and as I had already hit upon plan by
which l might carry out my purpose
without giving Hughes cnuse 10 susnect
tha5 my happening upon him was other
than accidental l proceeded at once to
put it into effect
Telling Muir that would rejoin him
at the inn before long, slipped off my
clothes, tossed them together in heap
on the beach, with big stone atop to
keep them from being blown away, and
plunged into the water. I am a strong
swimmer, and the tide was running out
so swiftly that when reached the Gu
ban Queen, which was moored about q
mile from shore, was not in the least
"winded," and indeed felt more than
fit to fight my way back against the cur.
rent. But in order that the game should
work out as Ihad planned it was neces.
sary for me to assume the appearance Of
being extremely exhausted. Hence when
found myself approaching the hulk
began to make pretense of swimming
feebly, painting noisily meanwhile and
sending up the most pitiful cries for
help.
As I had expected and intended,
Hughes came on deck, and, looking over
the ships side, inquired loudly, "Wot's
the - row."
Hughes, may here remark, was, as
soon discovered (you could not be in
his company for half minute without
doing sol, man Of painfully limited
vocabulary. Perhaps should say that
his color sense had been developed at
the expense of his vocabulary, for If ho
did not see everything in q rose colored
light he certainly applied one adjective,
vividly suggestive Of crimson, to every
object which he found it necessary to
partioularize.
"Wot's the row." he repeated
when there was no immediate reply to
his question.
"Help!" gasped family, pretending
to make frantic clutches at mooring
chain and olinging to it as if half dead
With eXnauStlOn ana rear,
"Who are you," he inquired suspi-
ciously, "and 'ow'd you get 'ere?"
was anxious to play my part SO as
not to arouse his suspicion; hence did
not reply for at least minute, but con-
tinued to pant, gasp and cough until
my breath might reasonably be supposed
to have returned, and then said faint
ly. "Help me to get on bonrd and I'll
tell you."
"You can't COON aboord," he an
swered surlily. "No one amt allowed
aboord these ships"
~ must" said, with as much ap-
pearance of resolution as was consistent
with the half drowned condition which
had assumed
'Must your" he said. "We'll -
soon see about that'' And then for the
second time he put the question, "Who
are you. and 'ow'd you get out 'ore?"
replied, in sentences suitably alb
breviated to telegraphic terseness, that
my name was Max Rissler; was friend
of Mr.. Hardy Muir; was staying at
Canvey for shooting; had thought would
like swim; had got on oil right till I
had tried to turn, and then had found
current too strong; had become exhaust
ed, and must have been drowned if had
not fortunately been carried past hulk.
Hughes evidently considered the ex.
planation satisfactory, for his next ques-
tion was not abcut myself, but about my
intentions:
"And wot are you going to do now2"
''Come on board" answered
promptly.
"You can't do that" he said. "No
one mint allowed aboord these ---
boats. -
81 must" replied. "This is case
where you'd get into trouble for keeping
the rules, not for breaking them. You
can't talk about rules to half drowned
man. 1t would be manslaughter. Help
me on board and get me some brandy
1 suppose you've some by you-and I'll
pay you well and not say word to any
one. And be quick about it, for can't
hold on here much longer. You'll be
half sovereign the richer for this
nights job, and if you're quick I'll
make it sovereign"
Grumbling audibly about it being "a
fine lay this, making poor man
run the risk Of getting the sack because
--- fools choose to play the - mon-
key" he unlashed the dingey, and hav-
ing brought her round to where was
clinging he assisted me in, and with a
few dexssrous strokes took us to the side
of the hulk, over which rope ladder
was hanging. "Afore you 60 aboord, -
he growled, putting OBTAINING hand
upon my arm, Gave you got any hiron
concealed about your person."
"Iron?" I said. "What do you mean!
And where could I conceal anything!
Every stitch Of my clothes ia lying over
there on the beach.
''My instructions Is" he replied dog
gedly, "that hask hevery one wot
comes aboord this boat whether they'v
got any hiron concealed about 'eni.
That's my dooty, and does it. Ave you
or ave you not got hiron on your per.
6on?''
Certainly not" I said. unless the
iron in my blood's going to be an objec
tion. And now stop this fooling and gel
me some spirit as fast as you can. fol
I'm half dead"
4 As matter of fact, was beginning
to feel chilled to the bone, besides which
it was very necessary should keep NJ
the role I had assumed.
CASToRIA.
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