The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-09
Copyright, 1899, by Cutcliffe Hyne.l


enough as mate" Kettle went on.
you've sweated and shaved so much
that your clothes hang on you like
slop-cheSt shirt on a stanchion just
now. But you'll fill em out nicely by
the time you get back to England
again, my lad"
The pair of them liked one another
well, but the ties of discipline had kept
them icily apart up to now. Murray s
promotion put them on an equal foot
ing of grade.
Turning the Parakeet doesn't. seem
to have made you very plump, skip
per-"
Constitutional, guess" said Kettle.
81 don't believe the foods grown that'd
make me carry flesh. Pm one OF those
men that was sent into the world with
a whole shipload of bad luck to work
through before 1 came across any of
the soft things.
You haven't much to grumble at
now said Murray, cheerfully. Here
am l kicking you out of the command
OF the Parakeet, to be'sure. And why?
Because whilst you've been her old man
you've made her pay so well that the
firms saved enough to buy a bigger
ship. They're naturally going to give
her to you to scare uD more fat d.vi-
dendS. Lord" said Murray, hitting mis-
knee. the chaps on board here Will be
calling me the old man behind my
back now
1oun get used to hearing the title
said Kettle, grimly, before you make
your pile. You'll get married, 1 suppose
On the strength of the promotion? I
saw a girls photo nailed up in your
room''
The new captain nodded. "Got en-
gagged when 1 passed for my masters
ticket. Arranged to be hitched so soon
as l found ship. Well, / suppose you
ctr aier1,f i
here2"
'Huno, haven't they told YONG"
My letter was only the dry formal
announcement that you We're promoted
10 the new ship, and ! was TO take over
The Parakeet.'
They don't waste their typewriter
in the office. L suppose they thought
I'd hand on my letter if 1 saw fit Read
through that" said Kettle, and handed
across his news This is how it ran:
Dear Captain Kettle--Having noted
from your cables and reports you are
making a good thing for us out of
tramping the Parakeet, we have pleas
ure in transferring you to our new boat
which is now building on the Clyde. She
VIII be $500 tons, and we may take out
passenger certificate Your wage on her
VIII be e21 per month, with. 215 per
cent commission, as before. But for the
present, till this new boat is finished.
we want you to give over command of
the Paralleet to Murray and take on a
new job. Our Mr.. Alexander Bird has
recently bought the wreck of the
steamer Grecian, and we are sending
out steamer with divers and full
equipment to get the salvage. We wish
you to go on board this vessel to watch
over our interests. We give you full
control, and have notified Captain Taz-
zuchi, at present in command, to this
effect
Birds are getting on said Murray.
But I've big doubts about three new
boats all at one bite. One they might
manage on mortgage. But three? l |
don't think it. Old keys too eau
tIoTs."
'.Iessrs. Bird are your owners and
mine" said Kettle, significantly.
%, said the newly-made captain. |
q m not one Of your old-fashioned sort |
that thinks an owner little tin god" |
My view is said Kettle, that your
owner pays you. and so is entitled to |
your respect so long as he is your own
er. but you've not such a big notion of !
your own rights that we're not likely |
to agree. Besides, you've got to check
my accounts and see I've left it all for |
you shipshape. See you again before |
go away, and we'll have a drop of
whisky together to wish the Parakeet's
new old man pie of luck
AT the edge of the harbor Alden baked
under the sun. The salvage steamer
rolled at her anchor at the opposite
side of the harbor, and Kettle and two
po9'tmanteauv were transhipped direct
~ one OF the Parakeets boats.
He was received on board by an af-
fable Italian, who introduced himself
as Captain Tazzuchi. The man spoke
perfect English and was hospitality
personified. Tazzuchi put the best
room in the ship at his guests dis
posal and said that anything that could
act for his comfort should be done
forthwith.
''Y'know, captain" said Tazzuchi,
this is what you call a 'dago' ship,
and we serve our country wine as a
regular ration. But L thought perhaps
you'd like your own home ways best,
and so I've ordered the ships chandler
ashore TO send off d case of Scotch
and 1 also sent for some London pickles
1 know how you English like your
pickles.
In fact, all that a man could do in
the way of outward attention TazZuchi
did, but somehow or other Captain Ket-
tie got a suspicion OF him from the
very first moment Of their meeting.
Perhaps il was because the ciVility
was d little unexpected, and over effu-
sive. Putting himself in the Italians
place, Kettle certainly would not have
gone out Of his way to be pleasant to
a foreigner who was sent practically
10 supersede him in command.
But perhaps d second letter which he
had received had something to do with
this hostile feeling. 1t was from the
same hand which had written the firm S
formal letter. but it was couched in !
quite a different vein. Isaac Bird was
evidently scared for his very CONNER
cisl existence, and he thrust out his
arms TO Kettle on paper as his only
savior 1t seemed that Alexander Bird.
The younger brother, had been running
q little wild OF late. The wreck of the
Grecian had been put up to auction.
Alexander strolied into the room by
accident and bought at an eXorbitant ,
figure. He came and announced his ,
purchase to Isaac, declaring it as an
instance OF his fine business instincts !
Isaac set ii down to whisky. and re-
examinations followed. Alexander in a
huff said he would go out and overlook
the salvage operations in person. But
forthwith Alexander, still in his cups.
gets TO Drawing, and is next discov- ;
cred in hospital with a broken thigh
Il have found AleXander's depart
ment of the business very tangled !
wrote Isaac, "and the thought of this
new complication drove me near crazy. ,
Salvage is out of our line. Alexander
should never Shave touched it. But ,
there it is; money paid, and I've had
TO borrow; and engaging that Italian .
firm for the job was the best thing / .
could manage. What English firms ,
wanted was out of all reason. don't )
wonder at Lloyd's selling wrecks for ,
anything they viii fetch. A pittance ,,
in cash is better than getting into the ,
hands Of these sharks. And what guar :
antee have l that the firm viii see even !
the money outpaid again, let alone rea- ,
SOnable INTEREST," None" .
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