Evening star., 1899-02-04

aieEJ TO d direct order ana Kettle signed
MT- Neuluck ON to his crew list as doc
tor. and put to sea with anxious mind.
NeuluCk waited awhile. watching squalid
Suez sink into the sea behind. and then he
spoke again.
Look here captain" he said. "those
South Arabian ports have got a lot worse
reputation than they really deserve. The
people down there twenty years ago We're
pack OF pirates. I'll grant you. but nOWa-
drss they've got the fear Of the gunbOat
always handy. and that's wonderful
cyllillug power / tell you, captain you
needn't be frightened; that pirate business
Is exploded for now and always"
II know all about the p.ra1icaI banker
iUgS OI those South Arabian niggers, sir
said Kettle. stittiy, and l know what they
can do and what they cant do as well as
any man living. And 1 know also what
can do myself at push and the knowledge
leaves me pretty comfortable. But if YOU
choose to think me frightened, III own that
/ am. Its the navigation down there that
gave me cold shiVtrs the first moment you
mentioned it.
Why. IT'S no worse than the Red sea
here. anyway"
The Red sea ; bad, but you can get good
charts Of il and rely on them. South Ara
han coast is TO better, and the charts
aren't worth the paper they're printed on
Il wouldn't Ike you TO wreck the steamer
Gown there 1t might be awkward for me
getting back.
quite So" said Kettle. You're think
iHE VI yourself, and ] don't blame you. I'm
LittllNliE tL myself also 1 man that :
met with Il great deal Of misfortune, sir
and from one thing ana another I've been
eight years without regular command.
had the luck 90 bring in g dertlict the other
day and pocket a good salvage out Of her
ana my present owners heard OF it. and
they put me as master Of this steamer
just because Of that luck. | am not aux-
i0us TO pile up this steamboat on some un-
uh5rted reef"
I'm as keen as you are not to get the
steiner wrecked, and If there's any way
she can be kept out Of dangerous area,
and YOU can manage To set me ashore
where ! want in a boat, just you say, and
u meet You all 1 can. But at the same
tIur. skipper. if you don't mind doing a
SWAP, You might give me good dea. Of
Estp over my matter in return
81 haven't heard your business yet sir.
All you've told me is that you want TO be
set down IN this place, Dunkhot and be
taken OF again after you've stayed there
tour-and-tweuty hours"
Well. You see. ! didn't want 1t talked
over beforehand. II the newspapers got
hold of the yarn. and made a lot OF fuss
about II. they might upset a certain mar
rage that I've very much set my heart
Captain Kettle looked puzzled. Il don't
Sc m 10 quite follow you. sir"
You shall hear the tale from the begin
ming. We have plenty Of time ahead of US
RanSoou2'
she was coming home from East In
dian ports, wasn't she, and got on fire
somewhere of Cape Guardafui? OnII,
about ten of her people saved, if | rernen1.
ber'' ~ HI
That's about right" said wenlock: IFS
twenty-five years ago now. Among others
lost was a Colonel Anderson and his wife
and their child, Teresa. aged four. and
what made their deaths all the more sad
was the fact that Anderson's elder brother
died just week before, and he would have
come home TO find a peerage and large es-
tatss waiting for him
Il can feel for that man said Kettle
Il can feel most for the daughter said
Wenlock.
How do you mean. sir2''
We'll. Col. Anderson's dead and his wife, :
dead, but the daughter isn't, or at any rate