Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-08-02


upon his chest, il was always the same.
He was always ready instantly TO spring
upon the alert. One dark night M iron
Delaying pin flew out Of the blackness
Of the forecastle and whizzed within an
inch Of his sleeping head but he reused
30 quickly that he was able TO shoot tho
throwar through the shoulder before he
could dive back again through the fore
castle door. And another time when
powderiug gale had kept him on the
bridge for IS consecutive hours and
deputation Of the deck bands raided him
in the charthouse on the suppusitiOn
that exhaustion would have laid him
out In a dead sleep. he woke before their
fingers touched him. broke tho jaw Of
one with camp stool and SO maltr,at-
ed the others with the same weapon that
they were glad enough To run away
even with the exasperating knowledge
that they left their taskmastcr undam.
aged behind them. So. although this
all nation crew Of the Sultan Of Borneo
dreaded the Spaniards much, they fear
ed Captain Kettle far mure. and by the
time the steamer closed up with the is
land Of Cuba they had concluded To fol-
low out their skipper's orders as being
the least Of the two evils which lag be-
fore them.
Carnforth's way Of looking ut the
matter was peculiar. He had all
hearty mans appetite for adventure
and all prosperous mans distaste for
being wrecked. He had taken a strong
personal liking for the truculent little
skipper. and, other things being equal.
would have cheerfully helped him: but,
on the other hand. he could not avoid
seeing that it was To his own interests
that the crew saould get their way and
keep the steamer ont Of dangerous wa
ters. And SO when finally be decided to
stand by noninterferent he prided him.
self good deal on his forbearance and
said so to Kettle in az many words.
That worthy mariner quite agreed with
him. Its the very best thing you
could do, air." he answered. 1T would
have annoyed me terribly TO have had
to shoot you out Of I:.schief's way, be-
cause you'v been kind enough to say
you like my poetry and because I've
come to see, sir, you're a gentleman"
They came to this arrangement on
the morning Of the day they opened ont
the secluded bay in the southern Cuban
shore where the contraband of war was
to be run. Kettle calculated his where
abouts with niceness. and after the mid
day observation lay the steamer 10 for
q couple Of hours and himself supervis-
ed his engineers, while they gave good
overhaul to the machinery. Then he
gave her steam again and made his
landfall four hours after the sun set.
They saw the coast first as black
line running across the dim gray Of the
night. Ii rose as they neared IL and
showed crest fringed with trees and
foot stepped in white mist, from out Of
which came the faint below OF surf.
Captain Kettle. after cast or two,
picked up his marks and steamed in
confidently, with his side lights dowsed
and three red lanterns in a triangle at
his foremast head. He was feeling
pleasantly surprised with the easiness
Of il all.
But when the steamer had got well
into the blight Of the bay and all the
glasses on the bridge were peering at
the shore in search Of answering lights
. blaze Of radiance suddenly fickered
ON to her from astern and was as sud
denly eclipsed, leaving them for mo-
ment blinded by its dazzle. 1t was
long truncheon of light which spouted
from glowing center away between
the heads Of the bay, and they watched
1t sweep away from them over the sur