The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-09

you've struck the wrong man." said
Can't. Kettle. I'm most kinds of idiot
but I'm not the sort to go ramming my
head againsht the French government
for the mere sport of the thing"
Il was told,' said Carnegie, YEARLY,
''that you were man that feared moth
ing on the earth, or I would not have
asked you to call upon me-"
'You were told right" said Kettle.
E'But those that spoke about me should
have added that Pm not a man who'll
take ticket to land myself in an ugly
mess unless some one pays my train
fare, and gives me something to spend
at the other end. I'm sailor, sir, by
trade or profession, whichever you like
TO name it, and on a steamboat when a
row has been started I'll not say but
what I've seen it through more than
once out Of sheer delight in wrestling
with an ugly scrape. Yes, sir: that's
the kind of brute | am at sea. But what
you propose is different; it's out of my
line. It's goal-breaking, no less, with a
spell Of seven years in the jug If / don't
succeed; and no kind of credit to wear.
or dollars to jingle, if l do carry it
through as you wish. And may / ask,
sir, why | should interest myself in
this Mr.. Clare? | never heard of him
till | came in this room half an hour
ago in answer to your advertisement"
He is unjustly condemned" Carnegie
repeated, as though he were quoting
from lesson. "He is suffering imprison-
ment in this pestilential place-er-Cay-
enne for a fault which some one else
has committed and unless he is rescued.
he will die there horribly. I am up
pealing to your humanity, captain
Would YOU see a fellow countryman
wronged?'
Il have only to look in the glass for
that" retorted Kettle. Most peoples
kicks come to me when / am anywhere
within hail. And you'll kindly observe.
sir, that I've nothing but your bare
word to go on for Mr.. Clare's inno-
cence. The French courts and the
French people by your own admitting
took very different view of the mat
ter They said with clearness that he
did sell those plans of fortress to the
Germans, and knowing their way of
looking at such a matter, it only sur
prises me he wasn't guillotined out OF
hand"
1T is my daughter who is sure of his
guiltlessness in the matter said Car
negie with a flush. and" he added,
Il may say that she is the chief person
who wishes for his escape"
Capt. Kettle bowed. and fingered the
furnished badge on his cap. He had a
chjvdlrous respect for the other sex.
"And it was she who made me adver-
tise vaguely for seafaring man who
had got daring and the skill 30 carry
out so delicate a matter. We had two
hundred answers in four posts; can you
credit such thing"
'sEasily," said Kettle. ~ am not the
only poor devil of a skipper who's out
of a job But f100 is not enough, and
that's the beginning and the end of it.
There's two ways OF doing this busi-
ness, / guess, and one of thems fight
ing and the others bribery. Well, sir,
a man can't collect much of an army for
% pun notes and as for bribery, why,
it's hardly enough to buy up a deputy
customes inspector in the ordinary way
of business, let alone a whole squad
of Cayenne warders, with a big idea of
their own value and Importance. Then
there's getting out to French Guiana,
and getting back, and steamer fare for
the pair of us would come to more than
a couple OF postage stamps. And then
where do | come In? You say | can
pocket the balance. But / I'm hanged if
/ see where the balance is going to be
squeezed from. No, sir, f100 is mere
foolishness, and the kindest thing / can
do is to go away without further talk.
by James, sir, / can say that if you'd
given me this precious scheme as your
own there's a man in this room who
would have had a smashed face for his
impudence; but, as you tell me there's
a lady in the case, I'll say no more"
Capt. Kettle stood up, thrust out his
chin aggressively, and swung on his
cap. Then he took it off again, and
coughed with politieness. The door
opened, and the girl they had been
speaking about came into the room. She
stepped quickly across and took his
hand
Capt. Kettle" she said, II could not
leave you alone with my father any
longer. ] just had to come in and thank
you for myself. ] knew you would be
the man to help US in our trouble.
knew it from your letter.
The little sailor coughed again and
Redeemed slightly under the tan. Sim
afraid, miss" he said, am useless. As
/ was explaining to your-to Mr.. Car
negie, before you came in, the job is
bit outside my weight You see, when /
answered that advertisement, thought
it was something with steamboat that
was wanted and for that sort of thing,
with any kind of crew that signs on. /
am fitted, and no man better. But
this"
30, do not say it is beyond you! Other
prisoners have escaped from the French
penal settlements. 1t only requires a
strong, determined man to arrange mat
tiers from the outside, and the thing is
DONE"
Kettle fidgetted with the badge On his
cap. with respect, miss" said he,
''what any other man could do | would
not shy it; but the thing you've got
here's impossible; and the gentleman
will just have to stay where he is and
serve out the time he'e earned"
''But, sir" the girl broke out passion
ately; che las not earned it, He was
accused unjustly. He was condemned
as scapegoat to shield others. They
were pOwerful-he was without interets
and all France was shrieking for a
victim. Mr.. Clare was subordinate in
a government office through which these
plans of fortresses had passed. He was
by birth half an Enghshman, and so
it was easy to RAISE suspicion against
him. They forged great sheaves of evil
dence; they drew off attention from
the real thieves; they shamed him hor-
ribly, and then they sent him off to
those awful Isles de oalut for life. Yes,
for life, till age or fine disease of tho