Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-07-09

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"What are you going to dos" asked
Carnforth.
Follow cut Mr.. Gedge's instruc.
tions, sir, and put this cargo ON tho
beach. Whether the old Sultsn goes
there, too, remains to be SEEM"
"That gunboat will cut you off in a
quarter of an hour if you keep ON this
course
"With that extra five knots she can
do as she likes with us, so / shan't shift
my helm. 1t would only look suspi.
cious.'
Good Lordp said Carnforth. Gas
If our being here at all isn't suspicion
itself"
But Kettle did not answer. He had,
to use his own expression, "got his wits
working under forced draft" and he
could not afford time for idle specula-
ton and chatter. 1t was the want Of
the answering signal ashore that upset
him. Had that showed against the black
background of hills he would have
known what to do.
Meanwhile the Spanish warship was
closing up with him hand over fist, and
decision was necessary. Anyway the
choice was poor one If he surrender
ed he would be searched, and with that
damning cargo of rifles and machine
guns and ammunition under his hatch
es it was not at all improbable that his
captors might string him up out of
hand. They would have right on their
side for doing SO. The insurrectionists
we're not" recognized belligerents. :" He
would stand as filibuster confessed,
and as such would be due to suffer un-
der that rough and ready martial law
which cannot spare time to feed and Jail
prisoners. On the other hand, if he re-
fused to heave to the result would be
equally simple. The warship would
sink him with her guns inside dozen
minutes and, reckless daredevil though
he might be, Kettle knew quite we'll
there was no chance of avoiding this.
With another crew he might have been
tempted to lay his old steamer along.
side the other and try to carry her by
boarding and sheer hand to hand fight.
ing, but excepting for those on watch in
the stock hold his present set of men
were all below packing their belongings
into portable shape, and he knew quite
we'll that nothing would please them
better than to see him discounted
Carnforth was neutral. He had only his
two mates and the engineer officers tx
depend upon in all the available world
and he recognized between deep drafts
of his cigar that he was in very tigh
place.
Still the dark shore ahead remained
unbeaconed, and the Spaniard was rae
ing up astern, lit for battle, with hel
crew at quarters and the guns run ou
| and loaded. She leaped nearer by faith
| oms to the second till Kettle could hea
the painting of her engines as sh,
chased him down. His teeth chewed OF
the cigar butt and dark rings grew un
der his eyes. He could nave raget
aloud at his impotence.
The war steamer ranged up along
side, slowed to some 60 revolutions Sc
as to keep her place, and an officer OF
the top of her charthouse hailed il
Spanish:
"Gunboat ahoy.'' Kettle bawled
back, "You must speak English or
can't be civil to you.
"What ship is that?''
'Sultan of Borneo; Kettle, master
out of Shields 2a y
"Where for?'
''The Havana
Promptly the query came back, "Ther
what are you doing in here?"
Carnforth whispered suggestion
Fresh water run out; condenser water
given all hands dysentery; put in her.
to fill up tanks" 81 thank you, sir, ,
said Kettle in the same undertone; "I' n
no hand at lying myself, or I NIGH
have thought of that before And ht
shouted an excuse across to the spokes
man on the charthouse roof.
To his surprise they seemed to give
weight to it. There was 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 be-
low. 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,
captain?"
"Oh, GOALS" said Kettle resignedly.
"What, you re bringing TyIe coal to
the Havana?'
"Just GOALS" said Captain Kettle,
with a bitter laugh.
The tone of the Spaniard changed.
"Heave to at once, F" he ordered, "while
l send boat to search you. Refuse,
and I'll blow you out of water
On the Sultan of Borneo's upper
bridge Carnforth swore. "Eh, no, skip
per-" he said, "the game's up, and
there's no way out of it. You won't be
fool, will you, and sacrifice the ship
and the whole lot of us? Come, I say,
man, ring off your engines or that fell
low 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 out
stretched arm to the hills ON the shore
ahead. "Three fires!' he cried. 1.-TWO
above one in triangle, burning like
Elswiok furnaces among The trees.
Tbox,,ro rn,1r CO.. 80 ozo. l NJ