The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-10-21
hand. You have those steam pipes
ranged?'
Both forrard and aft 1"
Commanding both ladders2'

BOtn 1Orraru ana alJ
Commanding both laddersP
"Just like that"
"And you We plenty of steam?"
"Ye can hear it burning through the
escape this minute if We IL use your ears.
It's been vara exhausting work toiling
down yonder in that a'ful heat.
"Well, Mr. Cortolvin here assures
me that the niggers will begin to play
up the minute we get under weigh, so
you see we know where we are and
must be ready for them. shall want
you and the second engineer on deck, Of
course so you must arrange for one of
your crow to run the engines till we've
got the business settled.
1--WE q greaser down yonder who can
open the throttle, " said Morodd gloom
lily, "hut he's got nc notion of nursing
sick engines like these, and as like as
not he'll drive them off their bedplates
in score Of revolutions. Ye'd better
let me keep the engine room myself,
captain. I'm sick man, and I'm no fit
for fighting with my throat as dry as
it is now"
Captain Kettle poured out a liberal
two fingers Of whisky and handed it
across Now, Mac" said he wet
your neck and let's have no more of
this nonsense You'll have to fight for
your life inside of ten minutes, and
you'll do it better sober. "
The engineer eyed the whisky and
poured it slowly down its appointed
path. "Mon," he said, "ye've an a'ful
poor opinion of my capacity I'll just
be off and give yon cody greaser in.
structions and get my side arms and be
with you again in 40 clock ticks. "
81 pity the Niger that comes TO hand
grips with McTodd, " said Kettle when
the grimy man in the gray pyjamas had
left the charthouso Hes an ugly beg
gar to handle when he's sober as he is
now Well get ready now, sir, if you
please You go to the after end of the
bridge deck with McTodd and the SEQ.
ond mate, and I'll look after tho forrard
end with the old mate and the second
engineer. When they try to rush the
ladder, McTodd will give them the
steam, and they'll never be able to face
it, All you and the second mate have
to do is to see they don't climb up over
the rail -
II wish it could be avoided, " said
Cortolvin sadly "That high pressure
steam will scald some of them horribly ,"
at will do more than that" said
. Kettle 1T will strip the meat clean
off their bones.
II have lived among those men or
their sort for two solid years, and
many of them have shown me kind.
nesses.
o "You should have thought of that
a sir, before you came to me here in the
t charthouse.
. ~ did think of il, but couldn't be
8 O renegade to my color, and so l came
{ But, captain, will you let me speak to
them? Will you let mo tell them that
their scheme is known and prepared
for? Will you let me explain to them
what they will have to face if they
start an outbreak
Captain Kettle frowned. "You will
understand that am not frightened OF
the beasts, " he said.
al quito know that" said Cortolyin,
land am sorry to spoil "A, ht But
it is their lives / am begging
VERY well" said Kettle, you can
fire away don't speak their bat, and
it is as well they should know from
some che what they have to look for
ward to Here's life proserver which
you may find useful It's the only
weapon l have to offer you. My pistol
is the only gun we have in the ship "
The pair of them went outside the
charthouso and walked TO tho head OF
the forward ladder steam pipe lay
| on tho deck planks, and tho second en-
! gineer stood beside it with thumbs II
| his waist strap On tho dock below the
pilgrims no longer squntted on theil
4 carpets, but stood together IN knots GnC
! talking eXcitedly Cortolvin clapped hi
hands, and the sea of savage faces turn
/ ed toward him.
There were representatives in tina
mob from half the Mohammedan peo
pies of northern Africa There wer,
lean Arab camel breeders of tho desert
Il jet black farmers from the great lake
1t and tho upper Nile, Hausas from tn,
D western Sudan, limp fellaheen from
II lower Egypt an Egba who had serveC
20 in the British police force at Lagos
Is merchants from the back of the Barbary
) States workers in metal from Sokot,
" and weayers from Timbuktu The,
20 were not all holders Of the title o
II hadji, for, though by the Mohammedal
law every male must make the Niece
l. pilgrimage at least once in lifetime
N unless debarred by poverty or lamoness
10 it may be done by deputy, and thes
s. deputies, fierce, truculent ruilians, wht
"a had lived their lives among inoessan
oI wars and travel, were perhaps the mos
l. dangerous of all the lot
T. They listened to their late associate
IN with momentary hush Of surprise Ill
DO spoke TO them in fluent Arabic He die
20 not appeal to their better feelings, HI
III knew his audience. He said it was writ
ten that If they tried this thing, if the,
10 attempted to capture the steamer, the.
~ should surely fail, that all things wer