Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-07-02

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. bot excepting for those ON watch in
the q X hold his present set of mem
were all below packing their belongings
into portable shape. and he knew quite
well that nothing would please them
better than 60 see him discounted
Carnforth was neutral He had only his
two mates and the engineer officers to,
depend upon in all the available world,
and he recognized between deep drafts
of his cigar that he was in O very tight
place.
Still the dark shore ahead remained
unbeaconed, and the Spaniard was rae
ing up astern, lit for battle, with her
crew at quarters and the guns run out
and loaded. She leaped nearer by faith
oms TO the second, till Kettle could hear
the painting of her engines as she
chased him down. His teeth ohewed on
the cigar butt and dark rings grew IN.
der his eyes. He could have ragged
aloud at his impotence.
The war steamer ranged up along.
I
as to keep her place, and an officer on
the top of her charthouse hailed in
Spanish:
"Gunboat ahoy." Kettle bawled
back, lyon must speak English or
can't be civil TO you"
'What ship is that?''
Sultan of Borneo; Kettle, master;
out of Shields"
"Where for?''
''The Havana"
Promptly the query came back, "Then
what are you doing in here?''
Carnforth whispered suggestion,
"Fresh water run out; condenser water
! given all hands dysentery; put in here
! to fiji up tanks. Il thank you, sir, ;"
said Kettle in the same undertone; "I'm
no hand at lying myself, or 1 might
have thought of that before. And he
shouted an excuse across to the spokes.
man on the charthouse roof
To his surprise they seemed to give
weight to it. There was a 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 Carnfortb prompted and
Kettle repeated his words. "Look at my
| decks" said he. "All my crew are be-
low. I've hardly 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 Tyne coal to
tie HavaDa?''
"Just ooals.' said Captain Kettle
with bitter laugh
The tone of the Spaniard changed
"Heave to at once, Z" he ordered, "while
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 games 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, say
man, ring of your engines or that fel.
low will shoot, and we shall all be
murdered uselessly. tell you the
games up"
by James," said Kettle, 'is ~
Look there, and he pointed with out
stretched arm Co the hills on the shore
ahead. "Three hresi" be cried 1.-TWO
above one In a triangle, burning like
Elswick furnaces among the trees
They ready for as over yonder, Mr.
Carnforth. and that's their welcome
DO You think I'm going to let my cargo
be stopped after getting it thus far?"
He turned to the Danish quartermaster
Rt the wheel, with his savage face Close
to the mans ear.
Standard he said. sHard over