Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-05

others of the pilgrims were trying to
storm the bridge deck at other POINTS,
but on the, port side, the gray headed
old mate fighting baresark with an az
and to starboard Captain Kettle, with
pistol and knuckle buster, battled like
wildcats to keep the sacred planking
| inviolate.
What was going on at the after end
of the Saigon they could not tell. From
behind them came the roar of the fight
ing Hausa and the savage warcries Of
the desert just as they rose up from be-
| fore their faces. But in its first flush
the fight was too close for any mans
thoughts to wander from his own inn
mediate adversaries
1t seemed, however, that the battle
was over first in the after part Of the
steamer, and whether this was because
the attack there was less heartful or be-
cause Mr.. McTodd's artillery was the
more terrible cannot now be known.
| The question was debated much after
ward without coming to decision.
But anyway, by the time Captain Ket-
| ties adversaries had ceased to rage
against him, Cortolvin was free to come
and stand by his side as interpreter.
The wounded lay sprawling and with
| ing about the iron decks below them.
The survivors-and scarcely one Of
these was without his scald-huddled
against the forecastle, and the grimy
second engineer held the steam pipe up
ward SO that a gray pail hung between
the Saigon and the sun.
Now, sir, said Kettle, kindly
translate for me. Tell those animals to
chuck all their hardware over the side,
Or I'll cook the whole lot Of them like
so many sausages I"
Cortolvin lifted up his voice in sono-
rous Arabic. /" 1t was written, - he cried,
that the giaour should prevail. It is
written also that those among you hav-
ing wit shall cast your weapons into
the sea. It is written, moreover, that
those of you who do not on this instant
disarm shall taste again of the scorch-
| ing breath of Eblis.'
A stream of weapons leaped up
through the air and fell into the swells
alongside with tinkling splashes.
| 1t would be- WEAKNESS to guard
you," Cortolvin went on. Swear by
the beard of the prophet to make no
further attempt against this ship, or
! we shall Jail you fast in death.
A forest of trembling black hands
shot up before him.
We swearP' they cried.
"Then it is written that you keep
your vow," said Cortolvin. "God is
great. See now to your sick" He turn
ed to Kettle and touched his ragged tur-
ban after the manner Of an officer re-
porting 1.-The mutiny is ended, sir, -
he said.
Captain Kettle swung himself lightly
on to the upper bridge and telegraphed
"full speed ahead" to the engine room.
There was none actually killed at
my end" said Oortolvin. f.,
Il dropped four, - said Kettle. ~
had to. 1t was either me or them. And
my old mate axed half a dozen before
they let him be. We'd a tight time
here while it lasted. y
ut will require a good lump Of
backsheesh to explain it all satisfactorily
at Kosseir. =
"Oh, can't go near there now after
thisf No custom house for me, sir. I
shall just run inshore dozen miles
short of it and put the beggars on the
beach in my boats and let them get into
Kosseir as best they can. I suppose
you'll come back with me?''
II suppose SO. Anyway can't go on
with them.
II can imagine, said Kettle dryly.
But what about yourself? If by
chance this affair gets into the news
| papers inquiries will be made, and
you'll very possibly find yourself in an
ugly hole"
1T won't get in the papers, = said
Kettle thoughtfully. The pilgrims
can't tell, my officers daren't for their
own sakes, and you leave me to see my
coolies don't. Newspapers, % he repeated
dreamily, "queer the hint should have
come like that. .
"What hint;"
~ remembered then where I'd seen
your name. sir. It was in The Times OF
India, general news column"
What was said?"
well, sir, I suppose you'd better be
told, but you must hold up for a hardish
knock. Will you come into the chart
house for a minute and have peg:''
mo. Get along, man, get alongp'
II think it was about your wife. sir.
Does she hunt?"
"All the season.
! 'Then it will be her. I remember
now it said Richmond, in Yorkshire,
and the name was Mrs w. H. Cortol-
win. She's broken her neck, SIR"
Cortolvin clutched at the white rail
Of the bridge. tMy God" he cried,
"deadl Julia dead!'' He then turned
away and walked to the end of tho
bridge and staid there for awhile,
leaning against an awning stanchion,
staring at the baking levels of the Red
sea which were slipping past the Sal
gon g rusty TANKS And then he came
back again and stood at Kettles side,
looking down at the pilgrims amounting
their scalds below II have learned to
be something Of a fatalist, captain" he
said, when I was among those people.
This 10 ho1x, o,,,,, no so