The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-03
FORTUNES ADRIFT.
The Treasures of the Sea That
Almost Came to Capt. Kettle.
BY CUTLIFFE HYNE.

oompantonway, and dropped listlessly into a
dcck :chair. He was dressed IN slop.chcst
noiamns of a vivid pattern, and had a newly
shnycn chin, which stood out rctrcshingly white
against the rest Of his sun'dar&ened counte'
nance.
the box OF chcroots, ARE we any nearer getting
under wayi"
.I looked in at the engine room as l came
mast" said the tall man with a laugh, land tho
chief had a good deal to say. I gathered it
was his idea that the fellow who last had charge
nj those engines Gus hit to die a cruel and lin.
Ecring death"
ITS a sore point with McTodd when she
breaks down. But did he say how long IL
would be before he could give her steam againl
I'm a bit anxious. The glass is tumbling, hand
over fist, and what with that, and this heat.
there's small doubt but what Wen have a tor.
,ado Gathering about our ears directly. There's
the shore close aboard, as you can SEQ for your.
,elf. and II tho wind comes away any where
from the BASTARD i'll blow this old Steamboat
half way into the middle OF Africa before we
can look around us It's a bad season just now
for tornadoes.'
The Gathering otlron boot. plates made itself
heard on the brak bound steps of the COM
panionway. THAI be the chief coming to
answer for HIMSELF said Cortolvin.
MIR. Neil Angus pcTodd always advertised
his calling in the ktire Of his outward man,
and the eye of an kpert could tell with sure
ness at any givertnomcnt whether AIR. Nc.
Todd was in employment or not, and il SO what
type OF steamboat lie was on, what was his
official position, wilt was his pay ana what
was the last bit OF prk on which he had been
employed. The prent was the fourth occa.
sion on which the Saigon's machinery had
chosen to break dvn during Capt. Kettles
"a 80 .-I &C. IL, L.....
lean eff Jrts in makis repairs with insufficient
staff and materials.Ir. McTodd was ~unpleas.
ant both to look up and associate with. He
was attired in mott black boots. gray flannel
pajama trousers stud into his socks, n weird
garment of fiannelupon his upper man. a
clout round his nee and q peaked cap upon
his grizzled red he anointed with years of
spraying oil. His bows and his forehead
shone like dull MFRS Of steel, and he carried
one OF his thumbs wiped up in a grimy, crimson
rag. His conversatn was full of unnecessary
adjectives, and hons inclined to take a can.
tankerous view ofle universe. They'd dis.
grace the scrap hes of any decent yard, would
the things they mall engines on this rotten
tub" said he by v of preface.
They are holy Igines and that's a fact"
said Kettle. "Ho long can you guarantee
them for this time
The engineer maed his neck with n wad OF
cotton waste. ''Ttrevolutions, if ye wish ME
to be certain. Ittvarra dry ship, this"
And how manyorei We shall want them.
There's u tornado ning.on."
I'm no anxiouD perjure musel'. Captain.
but they might Z on for a full minute, or
they might run opr q day. There's a capri
ciousness about rattletraps that might
amuse some peop,but it does not appeal to
me. I'm in fear oy life every minute l stand
on the footplate.'I
I'd not have tai you for a frightened man"
I'm not that q usual thing, but the tenn
perature of yon enc room varies between 100
and 1870 degrees the Fahrenheit scale, and
it's destroying too nerves. All the aqueous
vapor leaves the stem, and I'm vera badly
in need OF a tonids yon whiskey in the black
bottle, Captainl'
Take a peg, NJ
III just have sma' three fingers now ye
mention it," He'd the thickest part OF his
knotty knuckles iinst the side of the tum-
bier and poured some half gill of spirits.
Wcel,' said he, y we get as good whiskey
where we're goiD," and enveloped the dose
with q dexterotturn Of the wrist. After
which ambiguorpast he wiped his lips with
cotton waste artook himself off again to
the baking regiopelow. and presently a dull
ruubling and iremor Of her fabric an
nounced that thtlgon was once more under
The little steai had coaled at Perrin Island
IN Inc southern I'm OF the fttl sea, Ddu come
out INTO the Ind Ocean through the Straits
OF Bah ell Mandehd rounded Cape Guardafui
and was on hery down to Zanzibar in re-
spouse TO the csi orders of her Parsee own
tra in Bombay. lrtolvin was still on board
n , Tasien fEe jsla HSSTI ,be we eit !ho Of r. wsh1ed b to
fore returning England and rcspcctahility
Ills real reason! that ne had taken II fancy
TO the little ruiof a skipper and wished to
Cheerful toasat of McTodd's," said Cor,
Those cnginare enough to discourage
any man, s~aidettle. and the heat down
C]orto.vin iootd a couple Of buttons Of hi.
Eajamss and Y his chest, ~ hard to
what heat wan those Arabian deserts;
There's a torns,oming on, that's certain,
will nj b Si a slssr. htri w ss'a get hf It. Mr. rH Mur IT
t"" .he old sfizseaded mate thrust down a
purple face frdhe head Of the upper bridge
"Gef ali tie ',ingu off her." the shipmns:
Ter ordered; 'pStra, grips on tho boats and
see everythingaed fast thai a steam crane
could move. &c in for a bad breeze dt
a leaden 'whia9 his mouth and blew il
starboard bowptain. haven't seen hel
her carefully ugh the bridge binocuiar'
and gave hir %ryations with heavy de,iber
SIsok' funnel 1ns Tt'e 'i red ba n2rfn nc I "I red
bands. Seemsme like one OF the German
Mail boats, y should say she was BROKE
down"
Capt. Kettle springily from his deck chair
and swung hir into the upper bridge. Cor
i tOlvin followed
A mist OF lshut the sea into a narrow
ring. Overheias a heavy purple darkness
inpenctraH.c ceiling OF brick. The only
Light that cro came from the mysterioui
unseen plain & horizon. From every pOin
Of the colnp,Ineasy thunder gave fortl
now and thcuied below; and though tn,
lightning splu never showed, sudden thin
nlnEs Of the u would hint at their nea'
ness. he air mprpl md danced with III,
baking heat, Enough lurid grays and pink
predonina'cd, glow which filled IL wa
constantly CHG In hue.
The scene VERIFYING, but Kettle regarded
II with a sau smile. The one cOlnmcrcia
prayer OF The master is to meet with "a pas
senger steaineea, broken down, and Iequir
ing II Tow; aIre was one of the plums OF tn
ocean ready Is hand and anxious to b
plucked. These the weather the create
would he the. age, and Cant. Kettle coul,
have Rugged lf with Joy when he though
~ the tropislurricane's nrarncss. II
\ had changed Saigon's course the instan
Il ne cane on bridge, and had. pulled IA
p tlreI string. inooted cheerfully into tn
Y l%hrobbing air announce his coming. Tn