Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-06-11

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ON your mettle, hut guess there'll he
trouble for somebody before it's dealt
ont to the patriot troops Cad. I'd like
20 be somewhere on hand to watch you
do i'll"
Il don't object to an audience. said
Kettle,
by Jovel I've half a mind to come
with you
You'd better not, said the little
sailor, with glib contempt, "You re
not the sort that cares 60 risk his skin.
and can't be bothered with doadhead
passengers.
THAT settles it, said Carnforth,
"I'm coming with yon 10 run that
blockade, and il the chance comes, my
cantankcsous friend, I'll show you can
be usoful--always supposing, that is,
we don murder one another before we
get there.
A white mist shut the channel sea in.
70 ring, and the mir was noisy with
the grunts and screams Of steamers
sirens Captain Kettle was standing on
the Sultan Of Borneos upper bridge
with his hand on the engine room tele.
graph, which was pointed at Full
speed astern;'' Carnfor;h and the cid
second mate stood with their chins over
the top of the starhoard dodger, and all
three of them peered into the opalesoent
banks Of the fog
They had reason for their anxiety
Not five minutes before long, lean
torpedo catcher had raced up out of the
thickness and slowed down alongside,
with the channel spindrift blowing
over her low superstructure in white
hailstorms An officer ON the upper
bridge in glistening oilskins had sent
across sharp authoritative hail, and
had been answered, "Sultan of Borneo
Kettle master; from South Shields to
the Havana -
"What cargof" came the next ques-
ton.
Goal -
WHAT
Goal"
"Then, Mr.. Tyne Coal For the Ha
vana, just heGve to while I send away u
boat to look at you. fancy you will be
the steamboat I'm sent to find and fetch
back. "
The decks of the uncomfortable war
ship had hummed with men, a pair of
boat dayits had swung outboard, and
the boat had been armed and manned
with naval noise and quickness. But
just then biIlow of the fog had driven
down upon them, blanketlike in its
thickness, which closed all human Vi
sion beyond tho range Of dozen yards
and Captain Kettle jumped like ter
rier on his opportunity. He sent his
steamer hard astern, with a slightly
ported helm, and while the torpedo
catcher's boat was searching for him to.
ward the French shore and sending vain
halls into the white banks of the mist
he was circling slowly and silently
round toward the English coast.
So long as the mist held the Sultan
of Borneo was as hard to find as a nee
die in a cargo of hay, Did the air clear
for so much as single instant she
would be noticed and stand self confess
ed by her attempt to escape, and as a
result the suspense was vivid enough to
make Carnforth feel physical nausea
He had not reckoned on this complica-
tion. He was quite prepared to risk
capture in Cuban waters, where tho
glamour of distance and the dazzle of
helping insurrectionists would cast
a glow Of romance over whatever &C.
CURED. But to be caught in the English
channel as vulgar smuggler for the
sake of commercial profit and to be
hauled back for hard labor in an Eng
lish Jail was different matter. He was
a member of parliament, and he under
stood these details in all their niceties.
But Captain Kettle took the situation
differently The sight of the torpedo
catcher stiffened all the doubt and limp
ness out of his composition. His eye
frightened and his lips grew stiff.
The scheming to escape acted on him
like tonic, and when an hour later
the Sultan of Borneo was steaming mer-
rily down channel at top speed Through
the same impenetrable fog the little
skipper whistled dance music on the up
per bridge and caught the notion for a
most pleasing sonnet. That evening the
crew came aft IN state of mild mutt
ny, and Kettle attended to their needs
with gusto
He prefaced his remarks by slight
exhibition OF craftsmanship Flo cut
away the vane which showed dimly on
the fore topmast truck with single
bullet, and then, after dexterously re.
loading his revolver, lounged over the
white rail Of the upper bridge with the
weapon in his hands
Re told the malcontents he was glad
of the opportunity to give them bis
views on matters generally. He inform
ed them genially that for their personal
wishes he cared not one decimal of a
jot He stated plainly that he had got
them ON board and intended by their help
to carry out his owners instructions,
whether they hated them or not And
finally he gave them his candid assur
ance that if any cur among them pre-
snmpd m disohev the least of his orders