Evening star., 1897-06-12

but you may tell Miss La Touche we shall
have the Cancelario II she'll stay in Tam
pique tay till can drive this old lavender
box up to her."
For minute Silva stared in silent won
der. 'Then. captain" said he, "all I can
think Is you must have enormous trust in
your crew."
Captain Kettle bit the end from fresh
for yourself" said he. land hear their talk,
and then you'd know. The beasts are At
to eat me already"
How did you get them on board?'
promises-flne pay, fine ship, fine cruise,
f1ne chances and so on-and when I'd only
this smelling bottle here to show them
they hung back bit. If there'd been only
twenty Of them don't say but what i
could have trusted them on board with q
gun and some ugly words, but sixty were
too many 10 tackle. so I just said to them
that Ell Almirante Cochrane was only a
ferry to take us across to a fine war steam
er tnat was lying out Of sight elsewhere.
and they swallowed the yarn and stepped
In over the side. I can't say they've be-
haved like lambs since; the grub's not been
to their fancy. and must say the biscuit
was crawling. and 1t seems that as bed
room the hold hurt their delicate noses,
and between one thing ard another I've
had to shoot six of them before they un-
derstood I was skipper here. You see, sir,
they were, most of them, living In Callao
before they shipped. because there's no
extradition there. and so they're rather a
toughish crowd to handle"
What horrible time you must have
There has been no kid-glove work for
me. sir, since got to sea with this rose
garden, and l must say it would have
knocked the poetry right out Of most men,
But personally 1 can't say 1t 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 after
ward. when I've got a spell of rest. I've
picked up pen and paper and knocked off
one or two Of the prettiest sonnets a man
could wish to see in print. If you like, sir,
I'll read you couple before you go back to
your whaleboat."
Is on the move, and Donna Clotilde is wait
Ing for me. What am to tell her?'
Say, OF course. that her orders are be-
ing carried out. and her pay being earned"
sudden gush Of remorse. "you are only
sacrificing yourself uselessly What can
you. in small sailing vessel like this do
with with your our rifles M against spledidly armed
Not much in the shooting line. that's
certain, said Kettle, cheerfully THAT
beautiful agent sold us even over the ann
munitfon: There were kegs put on board
break one or two 30 as to serve out a 1T.
tie ammunition for practice. be hanged ~
the kegs weren't full Of powder! And it
wasn't the stuff for guns even: it was
mines. Oh. sir, that agent was the holiest
kind Of q fraud"
Silva wrung his hands. "Captain." he
cried. you must not go on with this mad
to find the Cancelario."
You shall give me news of 1t again after
I've met her." said Capt. Kettle For the
present. siE. l follow out Miss La Touches
an
you're my friend. Mr.. Silva, and want To
do me good turn, you might hint that ~
things go well l could do with a rise to fi4
a month when I'm sailing the CanceIario
III.
The outline of Tampique bay stood ont
clearly in bright moonshine, and the sea.
down the path of the moons rays showed
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 a mod
ern warship showed In black silhouette
against the moonbeams. A slate-colored
naphtha launch was sliding out over the
swells toward the bark
Capt. Kettle came I'D from below and
watched the naphtha launch with throb-
bing interest. He had Matched a scheme for
capturing the Cancelario, and lad made hia
preparations. and here was an interruption
coming which might very well upset any
thing most ruinously. Nor was he alone
IN his interest. The bark's topRallant rail-
was lined with faces: all her Complement
Wero wondering who these folks might BE-
who were 30 confidently coming out to meet
them.
A Jacobs ladder was thrown over the
side; the siate-colored launch swept un
and emitted-a woman. Capt. Kettle stay4.
ed. and went down into the waist to meet
her. A minute later he was wondering
whether he dreamed or whether he va
really walking his quarterback In company
with Donna C1otilde le Touche. But
meanwhile the bark held steadily along
her course
The talk between them was not for long.
"I must beseech you. miss. to go back
rom where you came" said Kettle. "You
must trust me to carry out this business
without your supervision"
asked
IT couldn't recommend It to the Pruden-
tial Insurance." said Kettle thoughtfully,
Tell me your scheme"
Kettle did 70 In some forty words Rs
was pathy. and Donna Clotilde was Good.
She heard him without change Of color.
"Ail" shs said. II think you WIN do 4"