The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-02-01

ty easily, and 1 was compIimenting
myself on not being quite such fool
as he had evidently taken me for,
when, to my dismay, on leaving the
Golden Horn behind us, I saw the
same man talking to the captain on
on the poop. Evidently he had
found out that no one had left our
steamer at Constantinople, and so had
hurried back, determined not to be
banked of his prey. We held hasty
consultation as to what was to be done
with Him" under these very alarm
ing circumstances. The captain
would undoubtedly search the engine
room and stoke-holds, and, if found,
put both Him" and the Russian
officer, for such the polite stranger
was, on to the first steamer we passed
bound for Russia.
"Put Him in the evaporator
again." said the Second.
"What! and boil him to death?"
said I, Mortified.
"Not at all, said No. 2. "We can
run a jet OF water over it, to keep 1T
cool. The water will only wash the
bilges out, and that they sadly need"
"Good," said the Chief. ''And
we'll raise the dome every night when
we have an opportunity, and let Him
have walk around"
These plans were carried out at
once. Him" protested violently,
poor chap, but we thrust him into his
CHASTITY tomb, with all the food we
could lay our hands upon. 1t seemed
partly like burying man alive, and
partly like thrusting him into an oven.
All went we'll till the midday watch
next day, by which time we had left
the mouth of the Dardanelles far be-
hind us. I fancy our captain didn't
want to start the search till we were
quite beyond the power of the Turks,
who will do anything for Russia in a
matter of this kind.
About two o'clock in the after noon
the captain, accompanied by the Rus
sian, came to the engine-room door,
and said he was about to search the
whole place. 1 called the Chief,
who was lying down just then,
but before he could come to
my assistance the Russian had got
round the evaporator Il had shut off
the water as soon as saw them COM
ing) and, good heavens! 1 saw with
beating heart and feeling of inde-
scribable horror he was going to open
the steam valve on to the Goals, and
boil poor "Him" to death. I was
about to shrek out, so great was my
excitement, when a noise overhead
attracted my attention. The Chief
with magnificent presence of mind
had dashed on to the boiler top and
shut off the auxiliary valve, a thing
which 1 had been told to do, but had
forgotten in the excitement.
Quick as lightning, however, the
Chief did'it, and our poor, bottled-up
fugitive was saved. The Russian
police officer deliberately opened the
valve, and then, turning round on me,
laughed sardonically in my face.
There was no longer any doubt in my
mind that the whole of our plot
had somehow been given away to the
Russian police. In his pride at hay
ing, as he thought, baflied us, how
ever, he forgot to feel the dome
to see if it were getting hot. 1
should say that the anxious look
on my face had told its own tale.
The officer at any rate had fairly done
his work, for when he had kept me
talking for some time, he said, bland
ly, "Well, Mr.. Engineer, you are now
at liberty to have what is left of that
fellow. Good afternoon" And walk
ing out of the engine-room, lie never
troubled us again that run.
We had a good laugh at his expense,
though, when, later on, we again re-
stored Him" to liberty. He was an
awful wreck when we lugged him out
and made a nice bed in the waste
locker, for we now wanted the evapora-
tor to do its own legitimate work. Our
next port of call was Algiers, and we
spent our spare time here in maturing
a nice little surprise for our Russian
enemy. We created fine, stalwart-
looking man out of waste, using an
old fre-bar for backbone. This
dummy was about the same build as
"Him."
We reach Algiers after dusk, too
late to coal that night, Ebut the agent |
at once came on board with our let |
ters. We begged the loan of boat,
and then, lowering our dummy care
fully into it, three of us jumped in,
and pulled quickly for the shore. But, |
as we intended, our spy saw us as we |
passed the stern of the steamer, and |
we saw him running frantically to the |
captain for boat to be sent in pursuit.
When close to the quay, we quietly |
dropped the dummy overheard, and |
pulling round some coal-lighters
glided swiftly back alongside our ship;
we then climbed aboard and awaited |
tho result.
All night long that Russian searched
Algiers for "Him," but of course in
vain, and next day we saw the inde-
officer dragging the harbor.
1t had evidently leaked out that man
had been thrown from our boat.
1t was good job for us, by the way,
that the relations between France and
Russia were not so cordial then as
thew ara now otherwiae Iva rniobt