The news & observer., 1897-02-07

STILL the dark shore ahead remained
unbeaconed and the Spaniard was rae
ing up astem, lit for baittle, with her
crew at quarters and the guns run out
aih loaded She leaped nearer by faith
oqrs to the second, till Kettle could hear
the painting of her engines as she chased
hIm down. His teeth chewed on the
CIGAR butt and dark rings grew under
his eyes. He could have ragged aloud at
his impOtence.
The war steamer ranged up alongside,
slcWed to some 90 revolutions so as to
keep her place, and an officer on the top
Of her olpart house hailed in Spanish:
"Cunboat ahoy." Kettle bawled back,
| you must speak English or / can't be
civil to you"
/, 'What ship Us that?'
Sultan of BOImeo, Kettle, master.
Out of Shields"
Where for?'
'The Havana"
Promptly the query came iuck, "then
what are you doing in here?
Carnforth whispered a suggestion.
/ Fresh water, run out; put in here
Fresh water, run out; condenser water
given all hands dysentery; put in here
to fill up tanks" II thank yOu SIR said
Kettle in the same undertOne, I'm no
hand at lying myself, or | might have
thought of that before" And he shouted
am excuse across to thes pollcsman on
the chart house roof.
To his surprised they seemer to give
weight to it. There was a short consul
tation and the steamers slipped along over
the smooth black waters of the bay ON
parallel courses.
"Have you got dysentery bad aboard?"
came the next question.
Once more Carnforth prompted, and
Kettle repeated his words: Look at my
decks" said he, "All my crew are below.
I've hardly a man to stand by me-"
There was more consultation among
the gUnboat's officers, and then came the
fatal inquiry whats your cargo, cap
tain?''
so, coals,'' said Kettle resignedly.
What, you're bringin Tyne coal to the
Havana?"
Just GOALS" said Capt Kettle with a
bitter laugh.
The tone of the Spaniard changed.
"HeaEe to at once" he ordered, whilst
send "a boat to search you. Refuse, and
III blow you out Of water"
On the Sultan of BorneO's upper bridge
Calnforth swOre. "Eh-ho skipper" he
said ''the games UP, and
there's no way out of it. You won't
be a fool will you, and sacrifice the
ship and the whole lot of us? Come,
l say. man, ring off your engines, or
that fellow will shoot, and we shall all
be murdered uselessly. I tell you the
games up"
by James," said Kettle, sis it? Look
there" and he pointed with outstretched
arm to the hills ON the shore ahead.
Three firesr' he cried 1.-Two above one
in a triangle, burning like Elswick furn-
aces amongst the trees. They're ready
for us over yonder, Mr. Carnforth, and
that's their welcome. Do you think I'm
going to let my cargo be stopped after get
ting it thus farY' He turned to the
Danish quartermaster at the wheel, with
his savage face close to the mans ear.
''Starboard," he said; "heard over you
bung-eyed Dutchman. Starboard, as far
as she'll CO."
The wheel engines clattered briskly in
the house underneath, and the Sultan
of Borneo's head swung off quickly to
port. For eight seconds the officer COM
manding the gunbOat did not see what
was happening, and that eight seconds
ton came he pubbled in noisy waters
tiOn came he bubbled innoisy orders;
he starbOarded his own helm, he rang
full speed ahead" to his own engines,
and he ordered every rife and machine
gun on his ship TO sweep the British
steamers bridge. But the space of time
was too small. The gunboat could not
turn with enough quickness; on so short
notice the engines could not get her
into her stride again; and the shooting,
though well-intentional and prodigiouS
in quantity, was poor n aim. The bull
let's whispered through the air, and pelted
on the plating like hailstorm, and one
of them flicked out the brains Of the
Danish quartermaster on the bridge;
but Kettle took the wheel from his
hands, and a moment later the Sultan
of Borneo's stem crashed into the gun
boats unprotected side just abaft the
sponsor of her starboard gun.
The steamers thrilled like kicked bis
cult boxes, and a noise went up into the
hot night sky as of 10000 boilermakers
all heading up rivet at once.
On both ships the propellers stopped,
as if by instinct and then, in answer to
the telegraph, the grmy collier backed
astern, But the war steamer did not
move. Her machinery was broken down.
She had already got a heavy list toward
her wounded side, and every second the
list was increasing as the water poured
in through the shattered plates. Her
crew were buzzing with disorder 1t
was evident that the vessel had but a
short time longer to swim, and their
lives were sweet to them. They had
no thought of vengeance. Their weap-
Ons lay deserted on the sloping decks.
The grimy crews from the stokeholds
poured up from below, and one and all
they clustered about the boats, with
frenzied haste to see them floating in
the water.
There was no more to be feared at
their hands for the present.
Carnforth clapped Kettle on the should
er in involuntary admiration. "By Godv'
he cried, what a daring little scoundref
you are. Look here. I'm on your side
now, if I can be of any help. Can you
give me jOb?"