Evening star., 1898-03-12

way in another minute.
''Foredeck. therer' cried Kettle. Break
out that anchor by hand" And the
men labored with the hand gear. so as to
flashed across Captain Kettles BRAIN and
he quickly gave it to Carnforth. TITS
only beggarly chance. sir. but we'd bet
ter try it, suppose?'
Yes" said Carnforth.
II only we hadn't painted OUT those names
we might have done it more safely. AS
1t is We must risk 1t. on with you below,
sir. and get into some decent clothes.
You'd give the whole show away IL you
stayed up on the bridge here in those
flthy rags You may be yacht owner.
sir, but by James, you look far more like
an out-of-work coal trimmer
Carnforth ran down the ladder and
Kettle gave crisp orders to the hands on
deck, VINO disappeared also. and presently
came back dressed as spruce yachtsmen,
IN white trousers, white drill jumpers and
straw hats. and by that time the yacht
vas under way and steaming slowly to the
pass.
crew at quarters. officers with swords on.
and everything cleared for action. The
japanese flag ran up to her peak.
Promptly an English Royal Yacht Club
truck. and a British blue ensign ran UP to
her poopstaff and dipped three times in
salute.
Carnforth came UP on to the bridge
talking. I guess it's got to be lies, and
lSing.s thing can't do"
What shall 1 say?'
Say what's needed" replied Kettle con-
cfsely, ''and don't say 1t wrong. Remem-
Der. sir, you're lying for your liberty. It's
neck or nothing She's got two big guns
trained on us. and shot from either would
send to Jones before we could get in a
smack in return
What ships that?" came the hail in
perfect English.
owner" said Carnforth, who knew the
value OF titles on the foreigners. Il am
Lord Martini
What are you doing in here?''
"Reen watching those poachers.'
''Heave to and explain
Il shall do nothing of the sort. and If
you dare to fire on me l will bring the
British fleet about your ears"
The Japanese spokesman gasped. and
consulted with superior, and the steamers
drew abreast.
You must heave to-
Il shall do nothing of the kind
But you are in forbidden waters"
Then you should put up notice TO say
so. l shall report this to my admiralty in
London
Go it," said Kettle, sotto voce For
blooming cheek give me an NJ. P.''
But you must stop said the japanese,
''or shall be compelled to fire.
You can do as you please, said Carn-
forth. Il shall report you to your COM
mander-in-chief at NagaSaki. | never
came across such nsolence. You heard
my name, Lord Martin. You'll hear more
of it before long
Steam was rising in the gauges and the
yacht was getting into her stride of twelve
knots. She sped out through the passage
and rolled in the trough of the gliStening
swells beyond. The crew of the warship
stood to their guns but the officers were
in a dilemma. These pestilential Britishers
always did make such if any of
their vessels were fired on. and this ap-
parently was a yacht though grotesquey
unkempt and tricked out with a black
and white funnel. and moreover, she was
owned by peer Of the realm.
A last desp3iring hail came over the
waters, are you noble?'
Yes haven't 1 told you? Lord Martin
You'll know it better when you're next in
port"
And that was the last word The gum
boat turned and steamed out after them
but her turning circle was large and her
speed slow. By midday she hull down
aStern; by evening her mast trucks We're
Under the water.
Carnforth struted the deck complacentiy.
Rather a gorgeous bluff, EN-, skipper?
he said at last.
You're the only man on this shin that
could have done IT, said Kettle admiring-
~. 1t takes a parliamentary education
to lie like that"
Again the silence grew between them
and then Carnforth said musingly: Il
wonder who that Cambridge man was"
He seemed to hate you pretty tenderly"
ne ulu tnat suppose L must have
played some practical joke on him. Well
l know L used to be up to all sorts of larks
In those days, skipper. but that's long
enough ago now. and all that sort of fool
ishness is past
Capt. Kettle laughed. "Have you done
with pearl poaching, sir? Or are you go-
ing to have another try at it, But don't
paint out the name of your ship next time
If that Jap had had the eyes of a mole
ned have seen the change, and he'd have
taken his chances and fired. Gov. L. c.
Walthrop is no name for an English mi
lords yacht"