The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-04

VI tiSt SO slNIOSS III IL
China she was to be sold. That was the
programme. He was quite aware i
would be desperately hard work for al
hands, but the pay was big to match, ant
they could have free run of all the grut
in the ship. Besides, he was not Sparins
himself.
He was all civility in this talk; he'd {
good word for everybody; but Capt
Blake was not the man you'd care to be
across with. He quite gave you the no
ton that he'd aS soon stick you as lOOb
at you, if it came to refusing to do. eS
actly what he wished.
PART III.
Now the end of this pirating business
came in way which no one had quite
foreseen. and though the underwriters
did not get back the insurance they haC
paid on the Shah, the George NJ. Wash
ington was never turned into a tangibl,
profit by those who had stolen her
1t seems that Mr.. Knowles, the former
first mate, had taken the starboart
lifeboat safely enough into Key West
had found himself out of berth, was
given the offer of a captaincy on {
guanO bark then in Panama, whose late
master had died of coast fever, and has
jumped at the chance. He got a cas-
down to Aspinwall in a freight steamer
crossed the isthmus by railroad. and lef
Panama for the south the very day W.
pulled our anchors out of that bay OF
Cuba. 1t was not much of coinci
dence that he should be coming int
CalIa0 roadstead through the nortI
channel past San Lorenzo Island whel
we were SteamiRg in through the
southern.
4 We were in first and had brought tC
an anchor. waiting for the health Of
fcer. | was half dead with work anC
heat, and had come up out of the en-
CINE room. and was sat in a chair I'M
der the bridge deck awning, getting 4
spell of rest. There was a glare from
the water which hurt, so by way OF
case | kept my drowsy eyes on little
old bark that was coming in under
lower topsaiIs, with just enough breeze
to give her steerageway. She was head
ing so as to pass within a dozen yard:
of us. and l watched her with eyes that
did not see. Presently the sound OF
voices came duly to my ears.
The color of her sides is different
the tunnels different. those STUMP
topmasts are different from the upper
bridges Still. she's remarkably like my
old ship for all that"
But she's got a Starb0ard lifebOat
1t was the starboard you went off in
wasn't it captain?"
! That's not a lifeboat in those star
board davits. That's a a quarter boat
they've shifted from aft And the after
davits have been unshipped. Look, you
can see the sockets of them. By gum
matey | believe it Is the Shah and nc
other"
| was beginning to- wake up. The con
versation went on.
Cant be, captain. Ilok at the name
II over her-Ge0rge NJ. Washington
That's no name for British ship.
can't say, though. come to look at her
that she does look like Il blazing Yam
kee."
Yankee be hanged. Look at those
main shrouds. | ratified them down my
self in Pensacola, and we put in wire
or every third ratline.''
'What ever forT''
Sure | can't say. Some crank the old
man had. Perhaps he was off his nut
he died Directly after of yellow jack
But wire it was, and if you look there
you'll see it for yourself. BY gum, it is
the Shah, sure as, death. She's beer
run away with and for n bet, it's that
'mealy- Blake that done it
However, Blake or whoever it was, In
going to lay information so soon as
ever | get ashore to the custom house
Id good berth on that ship, and
don't think much of the man who
kicked me from there to come and be
skipper of this shrinking old dunghil
here"
| was awake enough by this time, and
had recognized Knowles, and was be
ginning to wonder why he had not rec
ognized me. But when / remember that
first of all, was sitting in deep shadow
and secondly, | was wearing a five
weeks beard. so L lay still where | was
till the guano bark had dragged slowly
past over the swefis, and then | got III
and slipped into the chart house. There
was no need to tell my news Capt
Blake had heard every word that had
been said through a port above his bed
place.
He looked at me as cody as though
everything was smooth. ITS beastly
nuisance. isn't 1t, Mac, just when we were
so near lingering our dividends, too"
"Then shall lose my wages|'
asked.
/ Il guess Mac, you can earn nothing
more out of this cruise at present than
a hemp necktie"
= 80, I'm clear of that. at any rate. Man
do We not remember / was forced ihtt
the business against my will?"
Quite so. Go ashore, and tell that, te
the authorities. They're certain to be-
lieve your bare word ON the subject"
''Phewr' l whistled, 1t hadn't strIcf
me that way. OF course l had got N,
sort of a tale that would be believed
when il came to putting it in hart
words
mo, my son." said Blake. Its q
case of all sticking together yet, ant
with luck we'll not only save our necks
but We'll realize on, the ship
We've only two days more COAL
II know that"
"Then what's your plan, captain?"
an tell you later. For the present