Evening star., 1898-06-11

and cutie big enough for the purpose. of
course something with steam III her would
be better. because we're both steamer men,
but that's out of the question. That would
mean too many TO share. So the thing is,
can you buy this lifeboat and victual her
for the trip? I'm no what ye might call
capitalist myself just for the moment"
Captain Kettle eyed the gririy serge of
his companion with disfavor. You don't
look it," he said. That last engine
rcom you got sacked from must have been
a mighty filthy place
- Twas said McTodd. Put. as it hap
Iened. ! didn't get the sack. L ran from
her in Glib, because I'd No wish to get back
to England and have this news useless in
my pocket. And. of course. 1 had To let
slide the Is IN wages that was due to me-
"Ry James. its beginning to look like busi-
ness when a Scottie runs away from siller
that he's rightecusly earned"
We'll. I'm no denying it was specula-
tion. It's bit of a speculation if ye come
to reckon up. asking newly-sacked sea
capta to join in such a venture"
II don't suppose you'd have much choice
here in Gibraltar
Maybe you'd not have heard of either
s1e the wreck if had" said McTodd.
Kettles face hardened. See here he
said. keep a civil tongue in your head or
go out of this lodging. I'm to be treated
with respect. or ! don't deal with you
Then let my clothes alone and be civil
Yourself It's mighty dry shop this, cap
tain.
I've no whisky in the place nor spare
money to buy it. If were go on with
this plan of yours we shall want every dol
lar that can be raised"
That's true, and neither me nor Tonic
have ten shillingS between us
Kettle gave up pacing the room and sat
himself en- the edge of the table and frown-
ed II don't see the use of taking either
Antonio, If that's his name. or your other
Dago. i don't like the breed of them You
and | would be quite enough to handle an
open boat. and quite able TO take care IF
ourselves If the wrecks got the money on
her, and We finger it. Wen promise to bring
them back their share all right: and if tn,
things a hzzle. as it's very likely to be-
Well they'll be saved a very unpleasant
boat cruise
Its no CO. said the engineer land you
may make up your mind 10 have them as
shipmates, captain, sit here on YOUR talI
where you are. Dye think I've any appe-
tite for DagOes myself? No. sir. TO more
tnan you l don't trust them no more than
stripped thread. And they don't trust
me- They wouldn't trust you They would
not trust the provost of Edinboro If he
"aS To make similar proposals to them
lhen nave you no idea where this
steamboat was put on the ground?"
Man. I've telled ye no already"
SEEMS to me you don't know much. Mi
Il don't. What 1 know is this: come
ashore mere after a vera exhausting tri,
to%h the Mediterranean. just for Il drink
70 loftdy the system against the chills on
the run home. The brandy is poor here on
the rock, though I'll admit it's CHEAP, and
as for the whisky "''''
yarn WIN Sooi
Dinna hustle man so. Weel | went to
nitle daFh shebeen. where l kenned the
tiut'nrCat IN charge. and gave the name of
tae snip wanted sending back to in cas-.
steep Overeame me. and settled down Tor
an afternoons enjoyment Yell ken wha1
know you're a drunken beast whom ,.o,,
got the chance for an oreie-' ~"
nave my weaknesses captain or NAV
re l no have left Ballindrocilater, where
my iaiher was Free Kirk meenister w
Iptn nave our weaknesses C,antain o,,'a
10 what We are 'u6H' uS
with IN you, you don't leave me alone and get on
WIN WIN your yarn said Kettle acidly, 5you'u
ma yourself in the street" ~"
TN On' hke your hospitality fine. and
ry Srt'y' thanks- Weel, I'd just settled
Usi tis SCI down to a coed square drink AT tbjs
spaniards shebcen when out M n al
corner comes Tonic and the other Daga
lowing and taking off their hats as poiita
as lhvush q been an archbishop at the
IS1St- IL extraordinary how The
i""er classes instinctiveIy go 10 an oeicar
when they need help"
II Is. Mac. it is
I'd met Tonic In Lagos He ~
SredSer on "A branch boat there apd T -
her second engineer He's some English
coast EnsiIsh-and he did the talking The
o@,heI @ Dago knew nothing but his own un-
riShteous tongue. and just said see-see
"hen Tonic explained to him what was
gong on and grinned like bagfuIl of rnon
keys L give Tonic credit: he spat our his
taIe IKE man He and his mate were in
Inc stOkehcld of a Dago steambo.t co,,,nrr
from the River Plate TO Genoa. and caIline
a. some OF the western islands en- route
one hlght they were just going off watch
leaning
breath OF cool air before turning in Tbev
were stedming past some rocky islands ana
there IN plain sight of them was a vessel
hard and fast ashore. There was no rois
take about ii; they both saw her. a stean
bodt OF go tons. And what was more the
other fOrtugee. Tonios friend said he
n ne" her- According to him she was the
Duncansby Head He'd served in her
stokehold three voyages and he said be,d
know her anywhere
"A Dago's word isn't worth much for n
thing like that" said Kettle
Wait a bit. The pair of them stsved
"here they were and looked at the rest
OF the watch on deck. The second mate
on the bridse was staring ahead sleepily;
tAe Gudrtermaster at the wheel was nod
Gihs and blinking at the binnacle; the look
out on the forecastie was seated on a fife
ran snoring; no ore of these had seen the
wreck. And so they themselves didn't
talk Their boat was running short of coal
and so she put into Glib here to rebunker.
ana from another Dago on the coal huIk
WIN Sd4lt ABOARD To help trim, they
some news The Duncansby Head had
shifted her cargo at sea. had picked up
heaNy weather and got unmana geable and
nad been lett by her crew in the boats
ne mates boat and the second mates
boat were picked up; the old mans boat
had not been heard Of 1t was sunuosed
that the Duncansby Head herself had
1oundered Immediately after she was de-
Ierted."
Yes; all that's common gossip on the
rock huIready was her skipper. r.
Mulready. ID known him years"
Weei, poor deevil it's perhaps good for
him he's drowned
Yes. | suppose II Is. He's saved a sight
or trouble Dye know. Mac. Jimmy Null
ready and ! passed for mate the same day
and went TO sea with our brand new tickets
IN the same ship, him mate. me as sec
ond.''
The seas an awful poor profession for
all except a shipowner that lives ashore"
lis Yes. that's a true word. 1t is"
ana - Antonio and his mate told the other
Dago that they'd seen the wreck?'
Not much. They kept their heads shut.
There was money in the idea il it could
only be worked. and Portugee likes a dol