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

bridge in giistening oilskins had sent
across sharp, authoritative hail. and |
had been answered, "Sultan Of Borneo;
Kettle master; from South Shields to
the Havana"
"what cargo'" came the next ques-
ton.
Goal"
"What?''
"Coal."
''Then, Mr.. Tyne Coal For the Ha
vana, just heave to while send away
boat to look at you. fancy you will be
the steamboat I'm sent to find and fetch
back"
The decks of the uncomfortable war
ship had hummed with men, a pair of
boat davits had swung outboard and
the boat had been armed and manned
i with naval noise and quickness. But
/ just then billow of the fog had driven
i down upon them, blanketlike in its
/ thickness which closed all human vi
I sion beyond the range of o dozen yards,
/ and Captain Kettle jumped like a ter
/ rier on his opportunity He sent his
4 steamer hard astern, with a slightly
| ported helm, and while the torpedo
catcher's boat was searching for him to-
ward tks French shore and sending vain
halls into the white banks of the mist
he was circling slowly and silently
round toward the English coast.
So long as the mist held the Sultan
of Borneo was as hard to find as a nee
die in cargo Of hay. Did the air clear
for so much as a single instant she
would be noticed and stand self confess
ed by her attempt to escape, and as
result the suspense was vivid enough to
make Carnforth feel physical nausea.
He had not reckoned on this complica-
ton. He was quite prepared TO risk
capture in Cuban waters, where the
glamour of distance and the dazzle of
helping insurrectionists would cast
glow Of romance over whatever 90
CURED But 10 be caught IN the English
channel as a vulgar slnuRgler for the
sake Of commercial profit and to be
haulsd back for hard labor in an Eng
lish jail was a different matter. He was
q member of parliament, and he under
stood these details In all their niosties.
But Captain Kettle took the situation
differently. The sight Of the torpedo
catcher stiffened all the doubt and limp
ness out Of his composition His eye
frightened and his lips grew stifS.
The scheming 20 escape acted on him
like . tonic, and when an hour later
The Sultan Of Borneo was stoaminG mer-
rily down channel at top speed Through
the same impenetrable fog) tbs little
skipper whistled dance music on the up
per bridge and caught the notion for .
mokt pleasing sonnet That evening the
crew came aft In a state of mild mutt
ny, and Kettle attended TO their needs
! with gusto.
He prefaced his remarbz. by q slight
exhibition of Workmanship he on.
away the vane which showed dimly on
the fore topmast truck with single
bullet, and then, after dexterously TO
loading his revolver, lounged over che
white rail Of the upper bridge with the
weapon in his hands.
He told the malcontents he was glad
Of the opportunity to give them bis
views on matters generally. He inform
ed them genially that for their personal
, wishes he cared not che decimal Of G
3ot. He stated plainly that he had got
them ON board and intended by their hell
. to carry out his owners instructions
whether they hated them or not And
: finally he gave them his candid assur.
! ance that if any cur among them pre-
sumed to disobey the least of his orders
= he would shoot that man neatly through
the head without further preamble.
This elegant harangue did not e
] home to all hands at once, because, be
ing British ship, the Sultan of Dor
: neo's crew naturally spoke in five diff
ferent languages and few of them hac
even working knowledge of English
: But the look of Kettles savage littl,
:. face as he talked and the red torpedo
y beard which wagged beneath il convey
ed to them the tone Of his speech, anC
for the time they did not require NOR,
, accurate translation. They had come of
% big with the intention of forcing hin
(if necessary with violence) to run tn,
steamer there and then into an EBgIisl
port. They went forward again like ;
pack Of sheep merely because one maj
:, had let them hear the virulence of hi
bark and had shown them with wha
{. accuracy he could bite if necessary
y 'And that's the beauty of a mongre
L crew, said Kettle complacently. 81
% they'd been English, I'd have had t.
:, shoot at least two OF the beasts to keel
- my end up like that. "
"You're marvel, " Carnforth admit
- ted. I'm bit of a speaker myself, bu
d 1 never heard man with a gift c
.. tongue like You have got"
!, ''I'm poisonous when spread my
b self, - said Kettle.
? 81 wish 1 was clear of you" sal
Carnforth, with an awkward laugh
Whatever possessed me to leave til
h yacht and come on this cruise 1 can
!. think
d "Some people never do know whe
u they're we'll off, - said Kettle. "Well
1t sir, you're in for it now, and you ma
% see things which will be Of service t
1t you afterward. You ought to max
70 your mark in parliament if you do &c
N back from this trip. You'll have some
thing to talk about that men will lik
> L. - l.