The Irish standard., 1898-12-10

there happens to be safe harbor
within hundred and sixty miles"
This was a fucer for me. The PEN
clled course on the chart showed the
absurdity Of the proposition; but
while l was puzzling over it the cap
tain drew another line which gave the
problem more favorable aspect.
Suppose we should change about
tomorrow" he said. Call it hun.
dred and thirty-one, twenty, cas-, by
leven, fifty, moth. On straight runs
from there, we'd have forty-two hours
to zap and seventy-five or eighty to
Guajan; that is, on a twelveknot ba-
sis. But the mates are calculating
upon the regular easy runs-Dlaz
thinks Mae raced her to-day in order
to get the stiffness out of that fresh
Babbitt metal-and they figure on at
least sixty hours from the noon posi-
ton, tomorrow. into Tomil bay.
could cut the eighty hours to Guajan
down to sixty-eight if he showed her"
And that cura, Juan, is not only
chap who seems to take things about
as he finds them, but pretty good
sailor into the bargain. So that if any
row comes of this it is most likely to
be from people ut zap who are expect
ing mail and supplies, or who are watt
ing to leave for Manila. How long be-
fore you will get back there?"
"Wel!, let's see" Owe figured out
the approximate runs, penciling' them
on the chart, until the whole voyage
III T.,
would anchor Off the landing wharf
at Apra about noon on Saturday;
that's the 4th of April. We ought to
get away from there Sunday and drop
the padre at Saipan Monday morning.
Then, running straight for Kusaie,
with the no'thens' trades helping us
on our port beam. she'd make Chab-
rol Harbor some time Saturday fore
noon. It's short run from Kusaio
to Pouynipete; we'd strike Kittie har-
Dor about noon on Monday and leave
there next day; that's the 14th. The
navigation among these atolls in tho
Carolines is too dangerous to risle-
the group has never been surveyed,
you see-so we go to the no'th'ard Of
them: but we ought to fetch into zap
by the following Sunday. easy enough.
That would be the 10Th, wouldn't IT?
Suppose us to be due there next Fri
day night, something under 10 days
late. AS matter Of actual fact, tho
regular steamer used often to leave
Manila several days over time; and,
as the colonies are run on the a
IN q NM ot,,1o Ia
couple of weeks behind wouldn't make
much difference. But If any Of tho
gobernndor's party should happen to
be waiting for comfortable trip on
the steamer, with good meals and
baths, between zap and Pouynipete
or Guajan, they'd lsclt good dcal on
having to wait until after the wet
monsoon had set in"
well, but whit a bit. How many
hours is it from zap to Gunian?"
"Lct's see: Four hundred and fifty
twolnilcs; call it 30 hours casv stcnm-
ing"
THAT isn't SO very much, and Mao
has coal enough to make up u heap Of
lost time over the regular nine-knot
1uPlSSS Sou anu ullJ VI
these Caroline people do want to run
up to the Ladrones; what's the nut
ter with taking them from zap? 1t
would make but little more than two
days difference on the round voyage,
and Mac could reduce that materially.
Then they'd be under obligations to
you. as we'll as the PADRE"
That's pretty good suggestion,
Harry; I hadn't thought of il. You
would have nearly three weeks to
work in, and could return with me II
you were unsuccessful. But you'd
have to take your chances on there be-
ing no one who wanted to reach
Guajan; in that case I wouldn't have
an excuse for coming back. you know"
"Oh. l understand that, of course.
I'm prepared to stay on TINT island for
six months, if necessary; itmight take
oil of that time to really accomplish
anything. When are you going to Of
fer the padre his passage to Saipan?
after Macs little arrangement"
mo. I don't propose making any
advances ut all to him; he's too slip
tNAJ ~ Sty vi AIlS anu
If anything occurs which seems to me-
cessitate n change In the navigation,
am supposed to use my, own judg-
ment. Any owner or any chnrtering
company would be obliged to nccept
my decision in such case. unless they
could prove that the necessity did not
exist. That IS really where I lay my
self open, If there should be n hitch in
Macs bluff. But he generally knows
what he's about. and has set the thing
up pretty well; though until tho en-.
CINE actually stops 1t is impossible to
shy whether his scratch will look scri-
GUS enough to warrant the change Of
course. The only way to handle the
padre is to keep still, listen closely to
what he says, and work the bluff for
oil it's worth. Unless am very much
mistaken, he'll make some kind of sng-
gestion to me himself. especially If we
mind our own business and nre not
seen much together. You'd better
hang around the lower deck and smok-
ing-room nll day tomorrow. Cultivate
Don Silvcstrc rs If you were trying to
get solid with him on his daughters
account, and spend the rest of the
time with the scnorita. IF she notices
anything suspicious about the padre,
she'll certainly tell you"
After going over the prospective
runs on the chart again, we both
turned it; but 7 found it difficult to
sleep. The next day seemed likely to
be an cventful one. and was worried
by the conviction thn4 NV fr;opd ,ros