The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-07

them. anyway They thought they'd got
down there to be clear of the shooting.
and they found themselves in the most
ticklish part of the Ship
There's humor in the situation. said
Carnforth. But the case will keep For
the present it strikes me that this old
steamboat is swapping fast
She is doing that" Kettle admitted
She'll have a lot of plates started for
rard. l guess But think. she's come come
spare her, and she's not exactly built for
,''I suppose it's case of putting her on
the beach?"
There's nothing else for it, said Ket-
tie. with a sigh. Il should like TO have
carried those blasted Goals into the Ha-
va-.a If it could have been done, just TO
snow people ours was a bona fide con-
tract. as Mr.. Gedge said. in spite of its
fishy look But this old steamboats, done
her whack. and that's the square truth.
II will take her all she can manage to
reach shore with dry docks. Look, she's
n now nearly to her forecastle head.
Lucky the shores not steep 10 here, or
else''-
From beneath there came a bump and a
rattle and the steamer for a moment
halted in her progress and a white
crested wave surged past her rusty 1anhs-
Then she lifted again and swooDed fur
tier in, with the propeller still squat
terin- astern, and then once more she
Numbered down again into the sand.
and so, lifting and striking, made her
L.
stern was forced round and she was
beaten up the beach broadside on. with
the green and white water at times max
ing a clean breach over her. She was
past all control. More than one of her
hands was swept from her decks and
reached the shore by swimming. But as
the ebb made the hungry seas left her
stranded dry under the mornings light,
and crowd of insurrectionists waded out
and climbed on board by ropes which
were thrown to them. They We're men OF
every tint, from gray black of the pure
negro to the sallow lemon tint of the
pure blooded Spaniard They were
streaked with wounds, thin as skeletons,
and clad more with ndkednesS than rags,
AID so wolfish did they look that even
Kettle. callOuS little rUffian though he
was, half regretted bringing arms for
such crew to wreak vengeance on their
neighbors.
But they gave him small time for senti-
ment of this brand. They clustered round
him with leaping hands, till the morning
sea fowl fled affrighted from the beach.
Ell Senior Captain Inglese was the savior
of Cuba, and let every one remember 1t:
alone. with his unarmed vessel, he had
sunk a warship of their hated enemies,
and they prayed him, in their flOrid COM
Dliment, to stay on the island and rule
over them as king
But the little sailor took them literally.
Whats tbis?" he said. You want me
to be your blooming king?'
lei -ey.' they shouted; lei rey de los
by James," said Kettle. "I'n do it.
was never asked to be king before,
and the chance may never come again:
Besides. I'm out of a berth just now. ana
England will be too hot to hold me yet
awhile. Yes, I'll stay and boss YOU and
Il you can act half as ugly as you look,
we'll give the dons a lively time Only
remember there's no tomfoolery about
me. If I'm king of this show. m going
to carry full kings ticket, md if there's
any man tries to NEEDLE without being
invited, that man will go to his own fun
eral before he can think twice. And now
we'll just begin business at once. ON
with those matches and break out that
cargo. I've been at some pains 70 run
these guns out here, so be careful IN car
rying them up the beach Jump livery,
you blockfaced scum
Carnforth listened with staring eyes:
What sort of broil was this truculent
little scamp going to mix in next? He
knew enough of Spanish character to
understand clearly that the offer of the
crown was merely an empty civility; he
understood enough of Kettle to be sure
that he had not taken il as such, and
would assert his rights to the bitter end.
And when he thought of what that end
must inevitably be, he sighed over Owen
Kettles fate.
But the person he was chiefly sorry for
just then was Martin Carnforth, M. r He
remembered with clearneSS that a few
hours before he had offered Kettle per-
sonal service. and he saw no practical
means of avoiding the pledge.
Poor man. he'd a lot to go through
before he got back to London town.